Tag Archives: knitting

Cast On: Pardon Me Sir Hat

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Y’all, tomorrow is a new year and I have cast-on-itis. I pulled a skein of KnitCircus worsted weight yarn in the Pardon Me, Sir colorway and cast on a hat last night. After binging some of my favorite TV comedies I have a GOOD start on a hat.

I worked completely through the brim yesterday morning and by the evening I am a fair ways into the hat portion. I’m going full skein with this project. I am not using a pattern. I cast on 90 stitches and I’m making it up as I go. I want to use up as much of this yarn as possible to capture the wonderful gradient.

I think why I like this project so much is that these are my high school alma mater colors. And it will coordinate with my winter coat. This hat will most definitely be for me. The colors are sublime and the yarn extra extra soft. I can’t wait to finish this one!

Happy New Year and Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Sand Castle Vanilla Socks

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Do I have at least two pairs of of socks on the needles? Why yes, I do. Did I need another? Why yes I do! I pulled some cashmere sock yarn from my stash from Leading Man Fiber Arts in the Sand Castle colorway and started some toe up vanilla socks.

This yarn feels like BUTTER between my fingers. It’s so amazing that I don’t care how long these socks will last as they will feel AMAZING on my feet when they are done. I have managed to get the toe increases done and I’m ready for just a poop ton of ’round and round’ in stockinette. That is my sweet spot of knitting right now. It’s my happy place

What is your happy place?

One Finished Tube

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Thanks to some holiday downtime I managed to get the first sock tube completed for my Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Socks.

I feel like I knit a pretty long tube and I even worked some increases in the leg portion. I’m sure it won’t be as long as I think it will be. That’s probably the impatient knitter in me. I need to weigh the yarn to see how much I used to create the first tube before I start the second tube.

I really think I’m going to be lazy and not put the heel right now. I will install both heels when I am done with the second tube. Why? I really don’t know why other than “I just feel like it”, lol.

I am really really really liking the speckles in this striping yarn. I need to get my DPNs out and get the second tube started before I get second sock syndrome.

Happy Knitting!!

Christmas Eve Cast On

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I admit I am struggling to get fully into the holiday spirit. I knew I wanted a Christmas Eve cast on but I just couldn’t decide what I wanted it to be. So I decided to make up a kit from stuff I already had. And it worked out nicely

I pulled out last year’s Christmas pajamas and I’m just praying they fit after my COVID weight gain. And then I grabbed a bottle of wine off my wine rack that I have been meaning to try.

Next up was the yarn and pattern I received as part of my 2020 Nomad Yarns retreat back in October. I grabbed the Transforming Mitts pattern by Erika Kempf Broughton and the yarn of Tweed Rocks from Nomad Yarns. It feels good to use this yarn with the pattern it was designed for.

It’s not the perfect AHA project I have had in years past. But it’s good enough for 2020. And I mostly can’t wait to put the world aside and just watch Christmas through my children’s eyes. We are going to “bubble” with my parents and isolate from the world on their property. All I want for Christmas is knitting, a good wine and not to be the primary adult for a little bit.

What do you want Santa to bring you?

Blanket Tidying

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I am feel the Christmas fog for real in this last run up to the big day. I have finished my latest crochet blanket and other than some socks I don’t have much on the needles. I’m kind of waiting around for my Christmas Eve cast on. So I picked up my Memory Blanket. I probably haven’t touched this in a year and a half?

Turns out I left it with a TON of ends to weave in. So I pulled out a tapestry needle and got to work tidying up my blanket.

I love it when a plan comes together! I just looks so polished and complete after burying those ends. I was even inspired to add two new squares while I had this out.

And I packaged up all my ends and I think I will put out in the spring for the nest builders in my yard. I have both mice and birds. The mice are due to neighbors….sigh.

The blanket is really getting to decent sized. I need to finish the row at the top and the concentrate on adding to the longer side. I am just so pleased with how this really looks like a stained glass project with the grey in between.

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: DK Ripple Bralet #2

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I have a finished DK Ripple Bralet that is both beautiful AND fits me this time.

Pattern: Ripple Bralet DK by Jessie Maed Designs (Ravelry Link)

Needles: US 2s and US 6s

Yarn: Chromatic Yarns Sturdy DK in Eldritch Blast

Mods: I made the straps shorter than I measured my body/shoulders

All in all I’m really pleased with this project. It fits well and the yarn feels soft and warm against my sensitive bits. The straps are perfect and don’t slip off my shoulders. The shorter length was definitely a good idea.

I am not sure I would knit a whole drawer of these but I’m happy to have this piece in my wardrobe for those extra chilly days or evenings. I could see this as a warm under layer under a slouchy t-shirt or dress.

Happy Knitting!!

Yarny Advent

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I jumped on the advent calendar this year again. This time I tried AGirlAndHerWool that I found on Etsy. I opted for 24 ten gram mini skeins and full skein for day 25.

I don’t always remember to open every day between the chaos of school, working remote and trying to do “holiday related” fun things for my kiddos. But below is an example of the first five days that I have opened.

I am really digging the colors and tones of this calendar. They aren’t a fade or a rainbow but rather colors that all kind of coordinate and blend. I don’t have a plan for these for a specific project. Beings as they are 10 gram minis, they might just go eventually into my sock yarn memory blanket as they are perfect size.

But for right now they are doing the perfect job of bolstering my flagging Christmas spirit. What are you doing to pick yourself up in this strange holiday season?

Down To The Last Strap

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I am SOOO close to finishing this long languishing “sweater”. My DK Ripple Bralet is down to the one last strap.

Based on a lot of pattern notes and comments from others who have knit this bralet I have purposely knit the straps shorter than I would think they needed to be. The first strap is 12 inches where the measurement on my body is 14 inches.

I have the second strap on the needles and the first strap is on holders waiting for me graft it to the body. I really really hope to get this sweater finished this week. I have this urge to clear the needles before my Christmas Eve cast on!

Happy Knitting!!

FO Friday: Hurricane Hat #2

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My second Hurricane Hat is complete and I’m not sure who is more excited….myself or Jellybean. He immediately grabbed his Hurricane Hat and put it on so we could match. Still isn’t cold enough long enough for us to wear them so the fashion session didn’t last long. Oh well, lol.

@rlmathews

Pattern: Hurricane Hat by Andrea Guldin (Ravelry link)

Yarn: West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley DK (held double) in the Teal colorway

Needles: US 7s

Mods: I added 8 stitches to hat total and just fudged the number of stitches between each swirl and kind of made the crown decreases fit.

@rlmathews

This hat ended up with a nice relaxed fit around the crown and a good slouch in the back. I did give this a good bath in my Tuft woolens bar so I could add some lanolin to this hat. The West Yorkshire Spinner Aire Valle DK is pretty “rustic” feeling. It did soften up with washing but still has some toothiness to it. But for SURE it will be a nice warm wooly hat for winter. I think this will go in our hat bin that sits by the front door ready for grab and go needs.

Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Carbon Sprinkles Vanilla Socks

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My sock needles were screaming for another sock project after I had finished my Knit Sky Socks last month. So I pulled a “golden skein” of mudpunch self striping sock yarn that I have been hoarding all fall. This is a super cool skein that no only has solid grey stripes but really cook speckled stripes. I am in awe of how hard this must have been to create.

I am working my normal 68 stitch toe up vanilla sock “recipe” that I have developed over the years to fit my foot. I got the toe started one night after bedtime but now this project lives in my purse for school pickup/drop-off and other assorted car knitting.

My love for self striping knows no bounds. And I SUPER love this yarn as there are three different grey stripes each separated by the yummy speckled stripe. This colorway was named Carbon Sprinkles and it is extremely fitting. 10 out of 10 would recommend this yarn and I will buy from this dyer again!

Happy Knitting!!