Socktober Progress

Posted on October 29, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Tah Dah!!! I have turned my first heel on my first ever sock…..

I’m working a toe up sock with simple gusset heel. I’m using Knit Picks Felici in the colorway Peachy. It’s fingering weight yarn on size US 1 needles and it feels like its taking forever!

I am finding that holding my tension between the needles is hard for me. And I have some looser tension spots that no one will notice but me, lol. Knitter problems, I swear I’m my own worst critic.

Now I just need to knit up the leg portion. I will definitely use some sort of super stretchy cast off. (On a side note, I have a sneaky suspicion about my yardage on this project. But I will refrain voicing those thoughts until I have finished this sock)

Happy Knitting!!!

Coffee Bean #2

Posted on September 25, 2013 by atangledyarn84

While I am deciding on the buttons for my first Little Coffee Bean Sweater, I couldn’t keep my needles silent. Now that I was comfortable with the construction of this garment, I wanted to try the color stripes the pattern is written for. And I had enough Dishie cotton to make another sweater.

So here is Stashbustin’ #31! I have already divided for the sleeves and I am working down the body.

In interest of reducing the number of ends to weave in ends, I am not breaking the yarn at each color change. Since I only work two rows for each color, I decided to “float” the non working strand down the side. So far it’s working pretty well. And since I will go back and knit the button bands, my floats will be hidden on the wrong side of the fabric….I hope…

Looks pretty good to me so far 🙂

I am running lowon yellow, here’s hoping I can finish! My sleeves may have to be solid blue. Just going to roll with the punches with this one.

FO Friday: Ombré Billow Blanket

Posted on June 28, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #15 is complete! I really kicked this into high gear Wednesday afternoon/evening and cranked out the last two color changes. It has had a bath and was mostly dry Thursday night. I just couldn’t wait to photograph it, I am so incredibly in love with my Ombré Billow Blanket!!

The pattern is Constant Baby Blanket by Tina Laiho made with Knit Picks Billow in six coordinating shades. Great yarn for a great pattern.

I made a few alterations from the written pattern:

– I knit with one color until I ran out and then changed to the next color
– I knit the entire blanket in stockinette to show off the thick/thin slubbiness of the yarn

This blanket is beautifully coordinated to our living room colors and couches. And it’s so wonderfully soft after its wash and block in some gentle wool soap. The thick thin yarn texture really gives the stockinette interest and variety.

The only downside is this yarn did shed quite a bit and pilled as the blanket grew and rubbed on my lap. Most of that I was able to solve during the wash/block. All in all a very fun project! I might save this in my hope chest for our future rug rats….how cute would a nursery in these neutral tones be!?

Happy Knitting!!!!

A Special Package

Posted on May 20, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #6 or my Zig Zag Blanket is on it’s way to it’s new home!!

Some friends from college are less than 30 days to baby. I got a bit discombobulated with the new house and my last show so I didn’t get this in the mail as soon as I wanted. But I’m sneaking in under the wire. This blanket’s new owner is a fellow crafter and works mainly with crochet. So I know she will truly appreciate all the hard work that went into this blanket! I can’t wait to see what she thinks of it, and I can’t wait to meet their baby girl when she gets here!!

And I meanwhile am headed back to the big kid job this morning. I had a great week off and got almost all of my to-do list done. I need to grab a strong cup of Joe and hit the road or I am going to be late. It’s going to be a long day adjusting back to the daily grind…

Happy Monday!

Stashbustin’ #15…what to do?

Posted on May 4, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I finally settled on a couple of patterns for my Billow yarn. I got several of the same suggestion from my last post about what to make with this yarn. And that was to find a new pattern I had never used. So to Ravelry I went!

Through the recommendation of a fellow blogger, I checked out the Constant Square Baby Blanket by Tina Laiho.

(Photo from Tina Laiho Rav page)

An ombre pattern caught my eye as i was roaming in Ravelry, the Ombré tank!

It’s so pretty! I’d have to do some swatching and figuring to make sure I get the right outcome with substituting billow for the pattern suggested yarn. But a cotton tank for summer does have a certain appeal…

Any thoughts from the blog world on these two options? Am I crazy??

For now I must go and load all my worldly possessions into a truck and get to moving!!

FO Friday….almost

Posted on April 12, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #12 update!

This soooooo close to a FO, I just had to post today!

I have one sleeve to finish and then pick up and knit the bands on the front. I am tapering the sleeves rather than knit them like my cropped cardi. I think they help minimize my arms. I knit until I literally ran out of yarn. The last macadamia stripe on each sleeve is not two inches as intended. But I didn’t want to scout the interwebs for another matching dye lot, so I’m calling a design choice!

I love the length of this sweater. It hits right above the bottom of my bum. And I’m in a cotton obsessed phase. The feel of good quality soft cotton under my fingers is just what I need this spring. Not to mention that knitting is literally saving sanity between the stress of buying a home and rehearsing a play!

Happy Knitting and TGIF!! I’m off to finish my sweater!

WIP Wednesday: Sweet Cream Raglan Cardigan

Posted on April 10, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Stashbustin’ #12 progress!!!

This sweater stuff is addicting! The above snapshot is my progress on Tuesday. Below is where I’m at now!!

I’m using the same construction as my Stashbustin’ #11 cropped cardi. So the pattern is just flying off the needles! I won’t finish by Friday but maybe the weekend?

What’s on your needles?

Stashbustin’ #12 – Sweater Fever

Posted on April 9, 2013 by atangledyarn84

I didn’t end up swatching for Mud Season this past weekend….

Instead I cast on another cotton raglan sweater! I have named her Sweet Cream Striped Raglan Cardigan. It my Stashbustin’ #12 project!

In getting the house packed for our move I realized just how much cotton I have. In the spirit of spring I wanted a longer version of the cropped cardi I just finished. I freeze my butt off at work because I share a work area with a lady who has, as she calls them, “hot moments”.

I don’t blame her, it’s way easier for me to put on a sweater than her to strip to her undies! So I grabbed more of the Lion Brand Natures Choice Organic Cotton in Cream and Macadamia and off I went.

I don’t have any photos as we were CRAZY busy this weekend with winery trips, BBQs, and getting ready for the new house. But I’ll try to snag a few tonight and update tomorrow!!

Happy Knitting!

Status Update: Chevron Blanket

Posted on February 18, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Progress on Stashbustin’ #7

Five and a half stripes down on my Chevron Baby Blanket! I plugged some serious time into this project. I had a migraine most of Saturday. It was wicked, I got so dizzy I almost passed out when I stood up. As a lifelong allergy sufferer, unfortunately these hit me a couple times a year. Usually at wild weather swing. My husband basically ordered me to the couch so I wouldn’t fall or hurt myself. Upside, I had several hours of uninterrupted (quiet) movie watching while knitting.

This is usually my bed time knitting but I needed a familiar and soothing project this weekend. Not sure when I’ll be done with this one, and I don’t care. It’s a warm and soft project they I’m thoroughly enjoying.

I get the day off from my big kid job for Presidents Day. I was hopeful for some knitting time but I have a doctors appointment and a meeting with an insurance agent. Exciting stuff right?

I wish everyone a happy Monday!

FO: Zig Zag Baby Blanket

Posted on February 13, 2013 by atangledyarn84

Warning: this post may get a bit mushy!

My Zig Zag Blanket is complete!!!

It turned out a bit more square than rectangle, but then again so am! The Bernat Cottontots Solid is butter soft but yet washable! The pattern was easy to memorize but yet so complicated looking. I couldn’t put this project down!

I did a lot of thinking during this blanket. First off, this blanket is made for a fellow knitter and her firstborn. I kept thinking “She’s going to love this! Even better she’s going to truly understand how much energy and time went into each stitch” There is just something so inherently different in knitting for a knitter. Not that I’m saying knitting for the general public isn’t fun! It’s just that I pour so much of myself into my projects I almost hate to part with them. I’m a process knitter, I can look at a piece and know exactly what I was doing and thinking while I was knitting it. The process of making the FO is what’s important to me, the love that woven with each knit and purl. Only a knitter understands this obsession and it feels good to be understood and appreciated!

This blanket will forever be linked to my memory of my Grandma Leta. She passed while I was working on this project. I couldn’t help but hope the little baby girl who gets this will love her Grandma just as much. This blanket was good therapy as I worked through grief and sadness. Knitting goes a long way to heal any kind of wound. It doesn’t cover it up or erase it as much as it soothes and eases. (See I told you this was going to get sappy!)

Stitch after stitch, knitting goes on. Just like life. I miss Grandma but I also can’t wait to meet sweet baby Lazo. Sweet and sad at the same time. Knitting is such an integral part of life I’d feel lost without it. Now on to my other WIPs, I’ve got more love to share!!!

Happy Knitting

My Tangled Yarn Knitting Adventures

Ramblings from an obsessed knitter

Tag Archives: stripes