Tag Archives: knitting

Swatching For Success

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I’m itching to start another sweater. Usually for my birthday I do a special cast on. But this year I was a proper good knitter and knitted gauge swatches on my birthday instead of plowing straight into a sweater.

And oh boy, am I glad I did! I had picked Mycroft by Isabell Kraemer (Rav link) and my sweater lot of Malabrigo Rios in Jupiter. The color isn’t good in this photo but the yarn is a great mix of reds, browns and oranges.

I started with the pattern called for US6s and knit a full sized swatch (bottom). I washed and dried it and carefully measured it and I had WAY to many stitches. Like 5 too man which would have made a way too small of a garment. So I then pulled out 7s and made another swatch, albeit a tid bit smaller than first, and dutifully washed and dried it. This time I got a lot closer to gauge but not exactly right on.

I like the fabric it created so I think I am going to keep this needle size and just do the pattern math. I may be safe to go up one pattern size with my gauge and get my desired finished garment. But I need to crunch the numbers first. Not as satisfying as knitting a cool sweater but I’m hoping to get a wearable sweater.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Dreaming of Spring Fingerless Mitts

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I had the itch for a quick project with a tweedy yarn. And in the spirit of using stash I hopped on Ravelry and compared my pattern library to my stash and came up with a wonderful idea. A sport weight pair of fingerless mitts for my Jellybean’s Kindergarten teacher!

I picked the Dreaming of Fingerless Mittens by Joelle Hoverson (Rav link) from my book More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I pulled my Good for Eve Claddagh which is a sport weight tweedy black yarn with rainbow pops.

I’m working on US 4s and 5s so this is going pretty quick using my nine inch circular. I’ve already completed the cuff and started the hand portion with the thumb increases. I’m hoping to power through this and get these wrapped up by Thanksgiving. I have a Christmas checklist and I need to get going!!

Happy Knitting!!

Car Line Knitting: Hat Adventures

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Now that my Knit Socks are finished I needed different car line knitting. So the Hurricane Hat for Jellybean became just the thing. (And yes I know my check light is on. It’s for low tire pressure and they are just going to have to wait there turn in my to do list…it’s 2020 and I can only handle so many dumpster fires).

I’m a little bit nervous about this hat. The yarn has a lot of tooth to it and it is not next to skin soft in my opinion. Jellybean really likes the swirls in the purls but I have a feeling this won’t get much wear. I may have to break out my Tuft wool wash that has lanolin to block this to see if I can add some softness.

I’m holding DK weight yarn double so the project is really flying! I might even have a FO this week depending on how long the car lines are this week.

Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: The Knit Sky Socks

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I have a new pair of socks ready for Fall, whenever that comes to Kansas. My Knit Sky Socks are complete and just need a final blocking.

@atangleyarnknitter

Pattern: My own vanilla toe up 68 stitch socks (ravelry link)

Needles: US 1s

Yarn: KnitCircus Greatest of Ease in the Knit Sky gradient with Cascade Heritage Solids in Italian Plum for contrast toes and heels

It feels like this project just started. In fact I finished them in just over a month, which is fast for me anyway. I started the toes in Cascade Heritage Solids in the plum and and then added the KnitCircus gradient at then end of the toe increases.

I’m really happy with the fit but the gradient was kind of a surprise. The gradient really started out subtle and by the middle of the skein it changed colors quickly and dramatically. Don’t get me wrong, I really like it but it was interesting to watch it develop. My gradient yarn was two 25 gram matching cakes and I used almost every inch of it to make these socks. Felt really good not to have leftovers!

I’m already itching to wind up another skein of self-striping yarn. Can’t let my needles get cold!! Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Hurricane Hat

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Jellybean was side eyeing PB’s recently finished sweater and made the comment that I hadn’t made him anything in awhile. So we sat and talked about what did he think he wanted? He muddled it for a bit and decided a hat. So we went to my stash and I showed him some yarns to pick from. He ended up picking my West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley DK.

And then he promptly went off to play. I did make him come back and feel the yarn to make sure it was soft enough. This yarn has a little tooth to it and it’s definitely not merino soft. He still said yes this is what he wanted. So I took off to Ravelry and found an easy but yet cute hat.

I chose to hold this yarn double to get aran weight and knit the Hurricane Hat by Andrea Guldin (ravelry link). I’ve obviously made it super far into the ribbing, lol. But Jellybean seems delighted just to see have started. Eventually this hat will have a purl bump that spirals up the body of the hat ending nicely in the decrease. Or it will if I can correctly follow the pattern!

Happy Knitting!!

Benefits To Cleaning

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Happy Monday to all! I was cleaning up and refilling some of my project bags and guess what I found tucked in a project bag pocket? Money!

Thanks past Rachelle for forgetting this to delight and reward future Rachelle for actually cleaning up after herself! Okay, yeah, it was only a dollar but it is one more dollar than I had before. And I totally found my really really good Chapstick that I thought I lost.

Not a bad way to start a Monday! Happy Knitting!!

More Waiting….More Knitting

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In true 2020 fashion, life continues to humble me. I had been struggling with eye and cheek pain for a couple of days. I tried to brush it off until my vision went blurry and it hurt to blink. So on went the mask and off the urgent care clinic I went. Long story short….I have an infected tear duct and that hurts and totally sucks.

My visit was long and not without anxiety. Even with all the COVID precautions I was NOT fond of being in a doctors office with the general public. And everything took FOREVER and the staff couldn’t have been kinder. I did manage to remember my ear buds and my knitting. So by the grace of my Knit Sky Socks and some true crime podcasts I waited out the over hour long wait.

This is sock number two and I’m really pretty far into the foot section given that I started this like two days ago. This is all progress from car line knitting and this doctor’s visit. I’m not mad at that rate of progress. I did get prescribed some eye medication that is helping a ton so I hate life a little less now. And I’m honestly going to be a little sad when this knit is over. I really really love the feel and colors of this yarn.

Happy Knitting!!

Ribbing Is Slow

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I am still slowly working my way through my second attempt at my DK Ripple Bralet. I haven’t really been serious about this project and it’s only seeing progress on long Zoom meetings or family movie nights.

I’m learning lessons from my gauge errors on my first attempt. So therefore I know how much body I need to knit. And man….ribbing is slow. My default is 2×2 rib and this is not that so it “feels” weird to my fingers and I’m just naturally slower than I feel like should be.

I mean I know since my last post on these I have added a good three inches of ribbing. But it feels like I knit and it never grows. My rational brain knows that is not true but my pandemic brain is frustrated! I am pretty sure I need another three inches of ribbing before I start the strap portions.

I think this is my slow and steady “turtle” project so I am just going to breathe and keep knitting on this one. Happy Knitting!!

2020 Requires Patience

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Thank you car line knitting for my Knit Sky Sock progress! I am now casting off the first sock tube of my pair of socks.

It was irrationally satisfying to watch these colors develop. KnitCircus is a genius yarn company when it comes to gradient yarns. I am really over the moon with both the speckles and the gradient nature of this yarn.

The cuff of this sock turned really blue really quickly! I just adore how that pop of blue is going to look coming out of my shoes. And it’s really getting cool here now and its consistently in the 40s now. I can’t wait to put these on my feet.

My next step is cast on sock number two and get the tube completely knit. At that point I will go back and knit in both afterthought heels. I’m just jamming on the round and round stockinette zone of this vanilla sock. It’s my comfort knitting this week.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Big Comfy Chunky Hat

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Tah dah!! I have a finished super speedy bulky knit hat. I completed my Big Comfy Chunky Hat in own hand dyed Feast yarn by Nomad Yarns.

Pattern: Big Comfy Chunky Hat by Erica Kempf Broughton

Yarn: Feast by Nomad Yarn in the color Spice Box

Needles: US 11s

Mods: I added some extra rows to the crown decreases to use up the whole skein.

This hat turns out to be reversible because it is essentially all ribbed stitch. Which I think is kind of a sweet design feature. I very carefully wove in the ends so I could fully turn this both ways.

This hat really worked up quickly as promised. I think I finished in two sittings over two days. So maybe roughly 3 hours? I had some tension issues with the crown as I chose to magic loop it instead of getting off my rear to find double pointed needles. But in the finished hat it does not show.

It is a little small for my noggin (which is larger than most) but Jellybean has proclaimed it to be perfect for his head. So this will be one of the hats for our winter hat box by the front door. I need to sew a name tag into it before it leaves the house…you just in case the six year old set it down somewhere, lol.

Happy Knitting and Happy Halloween Eve!!