So as not to lose to steam, I got my second Connection Beanie on the needles right away. This time the dark version.
I managed to get the long tail cast on on the second try and get it joined in the round without twisting it on the first try. It’s just slow going with the designers choice in ribbing. It’s beautiful but it requires me to pay attention and I don’t have a lot of that right now. It’s all a mental game and I’m doing my best not to get stalled out.
Happy Knitting!!
My Connections Beanie is absolutely cruising along. I am working on reading the chart and not using the written directions. It is taking my brain a minute to click in but I’m getting there.
The main body of this hat is worked on a larger needle than the brim. I actually remembered to switch! I am also being careful to not pull the slipped stitches too hard to keep the overall tension the same.
I am finding that I don’t want to put this project down. ‘Just one more chart row’ has run through my mind many times. I have hopes that this hat will be done quickly….
Happy Knitting!!
I mean
I think I have finally got the hang of my Windowpanes cowl. I had a zoom knit night this past weekend and cranked out several pattern repeats.
I am SUPER glad that this gets grafted at the end. The slipped stitches are causing some curling. Now, I know blocking will also help some as well. For now I’m just cruising in this pattern until I hit 7 inches of finished fabric.
Happy Knitting!!
If you have been following my blog this week, you might have keened that I have a case of Cast-On-Itis, lol. Next up is the project I had intended to be my Christmas Eve Cast On. But I didn’t get around to getting that organized thanks to germs and a lack of bandwidth. But I have sorted the cast on now!
I chose Windowpanes by Jill Ramos as its a worsted weight bandana style cowl. I pulled two coordinating skeins of worsted by K-Zip Knits from my stash. I started this once on US 9s and HATED the loose fabric. So I ripped back and started again on US 7s and that made me much happier.
I did have to use my plastic needles from WAY back when I started knitting. Not my ideal needles but I couldn’t lay hands on any other US 7s and I really just wanted to knit. The pattern is pretty straight forward and I have 7 inches of this pattern to do before moving on.
Happy Knitting!!
Welcome to my newest creative blocking solution. And forgive the three baskets of clean laundry to fold. I honestly said screw it and picked up my knitting instead! The Arya shawl did not disappoint when it came to blocking. I would say it opened up nicely…I mean it covers the entire back of my sofa!
I didn’t use any pins or wires on this one. Honestly, it was 9 pm and night and I just wanted to be done. But also, it grew just fine by pulling and stretching it by hand that I didn’t really need it any bigger. And my couches are scotch guarded (hello two small kids) and it dried over night just fine!
I just need to clip the last of the ends and take some FO shots of this beauty! Happy Knitting!!
My Arya shawl has been seeing progress in fits and spurts. I am through the third slip stitch color change. And if memory serves this is where the shawl starts getting smaller? I am going to challenge myself to keep working on this so I can have a new shawl before spring gets here!
This fabric I’m creating has a lot of stretch to it so I can see where I might end up with a lovely and huge squishy shawl. I’m going to have more than enough yarn in each color to finish. But I don’t think I have enough leftover to do much of a second project. I just love how these yarns are playing together. I am really hoping this becomes a wardrobe staple for me.
Happy Knitting!!
The Down Cellar Studio Pigskin Party KAL is here and sadly WIPs don’t count. I tried like the dickens to finish up all my WIPs before the knit-a-long started but alas I was not successful. So a few of my projects are going to have to go into hibernation.
First up is my, Strands of Drunken Watermelon socks….
As you can see I finished the first sock. I think it looks beautiful with this combination of yarn and pattern. I was feeling the time crunch and really just wanted to be done so I worked the pattern a few time for the leg and added the cuff. I’m usually disappointed when I make decisions like these. But I think the sock fits great and it’s really an okay length. And I only had a small ball of yarn left…I promise.
The sock has 72 stitches which is big even for my size 9/10 US feet. But the slipped stitch fabric really pulls in and tightens up the sock. The gusset heel also fits nicely around my big girl feet. I haven’t tried a short row heel yet but the gusset heel fits the best out of all the others I have tried so far.
I did cast on and establish the pattern for sock number two before putting these into hibernation. Well hibernation might be an overstatement. These went back into my desk drawer for “back up emergency conference call and webinar knitting”. They will probably get worked on here and there but won’t receive any concerted focus until after the KAL ends.
Happy Knitting!!
My Strands of Drunken Watermelon socks are still living in my desk. The foot now measures 7 inches. The pattern said to insert your favorite short row heel. But A) I converted these to toe-up and B) I don’t know any short row heels for toe up off the top of my head. I briefly flirted with short row heel patterns on Ravelry but ultimately I couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger. I just decided to work a standard toe up gusset heel. I can continue the pattern over the top of the foot and do my increases in stockinette in the bottom. My brain knows how to do that so that’s what I’m doing.
The progress keeper shows my process since last I blogged about these. You may also noticed (as I did only just now) that the slipped stitch patterning is pulling the fabric on that half of the sock.
The designer warned in the pattern to work the sole tightly and the top loosely. I sincerely tried. I’m not *too* worried as the slip stitch fabric stretches nicely when pulled. I’m hoping a nice aggressive blocking arranges that. Regardless they will be perfectly serviceable socks even if the front is shorter than the back.
Happy Knitting!!
Ps. Jellybean is still on his sleep rebellion. This time thanks to growing pains. I’m really tired so apologies for any nonsensical errors in the above post 🤤
I haven’t mentioned my Strands of Drunken Watermelon socks in awhile. Well, they have been living in my office desk at work. I have had a spate of webinars and conference calls lately so they have seen a little growth.
I’m pleased with the pattern and it’s use of slipped stitches. It’s blending the highly variagated yarn so nicely!
I do need to take care to make sure I know what row of the four row repeat I’m on. I’ve had to tink back a time or two….
Slowly but surely these will grow! Happy Knitting!!
Michele plays with yarn, food, and music in Portland
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