Sparkles, Finished

I finished my Jeweled Cowl project!  I used all but a few inches of one skein of Hedgehog Fibres Kidsilk Lace in the Plump colorway.  The fluffy yarn means you have to pay a bit more attention to the knitting, but I think it's worth it for the finished project.  The cowl is light as a whisper, but the beaded accent section gives it just a little weight.  It's long enough to loop twice if necessary, but looks fine only looped once if it's not too cold.  I began with a Chinese Waitress Cast On and ended with an I-Cord bind off.  The cast on edge is just a little bit tighter than the bind off edge, so if I wear the cast on edge next to my neck, it lays very nicely.  Neither edge is particularly obvious in the fluff, but I wanted a little bit of extra stability along the outer edges.  This is a great pattern for using a single skein of fluff or regular fingering weight yarn.  I steam blocked it to finish it, but it didn't really seem to need it!

Just a Little Sparkly Project

I've just realized that I hadn't shared this here yet!  This is the Jeweled Cowl (free pattern!) and I'm knitting it for the EatSleepKnit Quarter 3 Craft-A-Long which is for beaded projects.  I cannot tell you the last time I used beads for a project.  I was unable to use beads when we had Maximus because he was crazy and liked to knock things over - especially bowls of beads, and Mr. Noodle tended to do the same when he was younger.  Lately though, Obi has been laying next to me when I knit and Mr. Noodle doesn't jump up on the sofa when Obi's there (which is weird because he totally pushes him around any other time, and will slap him ((no claws)) when necessary).  When this Craft-A-Long started, I didn't really have a plan, but then I saw this pattern, realized I had the supplies to knit it, and decided to go for it.  If I had too much furry help I could always stop, but it's actually worked out pretty well!

I'm knitting it in Hedgehog Fibres Kidsilk Lace in the Plump colorway and using some size 8 beads that have been in my stash for years.  They're kind of a maroon/copper/iridescent color.  Hard to photograph, but in person they add just a little sparkle.  The pattern is fun and easy to memorize, but I do have to pay attention to the lace row because mistakes are obvious in this simple stitch pattern.  I have two skeins of this yarn, but I'll probably quit at the end of this first skein (it has 459 yards per skein), because it's already getting nice and wide.  I haven't weighed the skein, but at a guess, I've probably knit about 75-80% if it so far.  I might make a pair of mitts to match with the other skein, but I haven't really decided yet. 

Finished!

I finished my Insomniac Cowl!  The pattern itself is very straight forward and the knitting is easy.  Since I decided to use five full skeins instead of 12 mini skeins, I had to do some math to figure out how far to go with each color, but once I had done that, it truly was simple, brainless knitting.  The pattern has a textured stitch pattern to transition from one color to another, but I since I was making bigger color jumps, I chose to skip those, stay in Stockinette Stitch and stripe from one color to the next.

All of my yarns were Madelinetosh Tosh Sock and the colorways were Celedon, Cove, Jasper, Worn Denim, and Ink.  Celedon is the only one that is not discontinued, so this is essentially an homage to lost Madelinetosh colors.  I used 1,355 yards of yarn in total.

We're having a Cold Front here right now - it's down to the mid 90's for highs, and its in the low 70's in the morning!  It's glorious!  It will warm back up in a week or so, but we'll take what we can get when the heat breaks.

I have more knitting to show you, hopefully tomorrow!

Still Going

I'm still working along on my Insomniac cowl thing (according to the pattern, it's definitely not a poncho), and I've just started the fifth, and final color!  This has been a lovely, simple project using some of my favorite Madelinetosh colors (of which, unfortunately, four out of five have been discontinued).  It's been easy to pick up and put down and if Obi needs to show me his squeaky ball collection I don't have to worry about losing my place.

I'm still working along on the Sous Sous pullover and I'm trying to keep my notes straight on it.  At this point, I am pretty sure that the errata are pretty minor, but the unique construction and shaping is throwing people for a loop.  

Next Monday is the beginning of the Third Quarter Craft A Long for ESK and its Colorwork Socks!  I have so many pattern ideas and a bag of solid or almost solid yarns set aside for these!  Have a great weekend!

Insomnia

I don't actually have insomnia, but I have started knitting The Insomniac cowl!  Since finishing my socks, I needed an autopilot project for knitting while waiting or in public.  I decided not to start a new pair of socks (don't worry, the ESK Craft Along for the third quarter is Colorwork Socks - you're going to be seeing some socks soon!), so I went stash diving for both a pattern and some yarn.  I have five skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh Sock that will work as a gradient, so when I saw this cowl, I knew it would be perfect.  The pattern calls for a 12 skein mini set, so I ended up counting the whole thing out to find the total number of rounds and math-ing it out for five colors instead.  As you can see, I started with Celedon and then faded into Cove.  I'm about ready to transition to the third color.

The pattern is written with a texture section between colors, but since I'm using fewer colors, I decided to skip the texture and just knit those rounds in stockinette like everything else.  I could have added the texture rounds between colors, but I think this will work too.

The pattern name is delivering as promised - this doesn't take a lot of brain power, even if I have to refer to all the notes I added.

Catching Up!

I've got a few things finished up around here that just haven't quite made it to the blog, so I thought I'd just devote a post to all of those and we can get caught up around here!

In spinning news, I have finished spinning the fifth bobbin of singles for my combo spin which means I just have one more to go before all the singles are finished!  I'm actually almost halfway through that last bobbin now and yes, the spinning wheel still lives in the tent.  Yes, the tent is still a source of kitten amusement around here.  Lately, he's been trying to jump on the very top of the tent, and while he's come close, the tent is too slippery and there's no place to catch yourself with your claws on it to grip.  Or at least that's how it looks to me.  He tells me he intends to slide down the side of the tent repeatedly.  I'll let you decide.

I also made a cowl.  This is the GAP-tastic cowl knit in Malabrigo Mecha in Arapey (which is actually the name of an aquatic plant).  The colors just reminded me of iridescent shell, and I cannot overstate the amount of squishyness of this knit!  Seriously!

Here's a close up just because it's so pretty.  This project was for an ESK Flash Craft-A-Long.

Finally, I made a pair of socks for Caleb to match his mitts and hat.  I'm a bit over 2x2 ribbing in dark charcoal fingering weight yarns at this point, but I'm really happy with the way all of these came out and I hope he feels warm and loved wearing them.  (Assuming he gets cold enough in Galveston.  Again.)  The yarn is Hazel Knits Blueprint in Carbon Fiber.  The pattern is the one Caleb and I figured out for his feet and preferences.

I think that's everything that's laying around here unblogged!  Now you know it all!  I hope to check in later this week with a project I'm actually knitting on right now.

Angel Cowl

 

I made a little crocheted cowl out of super soft and light weight Malabrigo Lace yarn.  The color was Plomo and I just kept crocheting until I ran out of yarn.  I used the Angel scarf pattern which is temporarily unavailable but I had downloaded it ages ago.  I decided to crochet it together to make it a cowl instead of a scarf.  The first picture shows it doubled, but you can see the length of the single loop in the photo below.

Crocheting laceweight yarn on a 4.5 mm hook means you see progress pretty quickly.  Add in a simple, repetitive pattern and you've got a great project!  This was fun to do and in the light laceweight yarn, I can probably wear it most of the year here.

In other news, Logan had a medical issue and while medically it wasn't a big deal, it meant he had to wear the Cone of Shame for four weeks.  Logan dealt with it by bashing into anyone and anything with the cone (I've got the bruises to prove it).  Max dealt with it by spending the first three weeks hissing, growling, and fully puffed at Logan.  The last week he decided he just didn't care anymore I guess.  Anyway, yesterday was Logan's post op and he's healing nicely and cone free this morning!  I can't even tell you how many happy dog noises he's made this morning.  We're all happy to get things back to normal!

The Finished Cowl

 

I have finished my Jessica Jones cowl!  The bind off took three days.  I'm not kidding.  It was a sewn bind off (which I've never done before), and it took three days to get finished.  It looks nice but I'm not entirely sold on it looking three days worth of work nice.

The cowl is finished though, and blocked.  It blended the two skeins of yarn well (much better than the original project that had a very obvious skein change line), and its very soft and drapey.  I've also got no urge to knit linen stitch at the moment, but since I really like the way it looks, I know I'll knit the stitch pattern again in the future.

Just in case you were curious, the top photo is more accurate colorwise.

Time to Wrap Things Up

 

I knew when I started the Jessica Jones cowl that it would take a while to knit.  It's knit in linen stitch which takes a while to show vertical progress.  If black hole knitting had a favorite stitch pattern, this would be it.  You can knit for days and have no progress to show.  I knew this going into the project and I was fine with it.

I'm now to the point where my yarn balls are definitely getting smaller and I can tell I'm on the home stretch and I'm just ready for this to be finished.  I'm going to try to finish it this week.  It's time.

The Linen Stitch Goes Ever On

 

I'm still working away at my Jessica Jones cowl.  I think I've knit somewhere between four and five inches so far and I can definitely tell that my yarn balls are smaller, so progress is happening.  With some projects, I can knit for an evening and I can tell that there's been progress.  With this project it takes several evenings to see visible progress.  I'm not complaining.  As slow as linen stitch is to grow vertically, it's a very relaxing stitch to work.

I plan to knit until I've used all my yarn so I'm not sure how wide that will be.  The pattern mentions 10 inches for the width, but I think I started with a little less yarn, so my cowl might not be that wide.  This stitch is doing a great job of blending the two skeins and I can't see that one is darker than the other!

Slowly But Surely

 

The cowl is bigger.  I keep knitting on it and it eventually gets a little bit bigger.  It is a very peaceful knit once I settle into the rhythm of it and I love projects like that.  I'm not really caring how long it takes (it's not like I'll need a cowl around here for at least six months), I'll just keep knitting!

If I didn't mention it before, you can see that I didn't bother reskeining and washing the yarn after I frogged it.  With my arm situation, I don't need to be adding extra arm movements if I can avoid it.  I'll wash and block the finished cowl.

A New Project

At the moment crochet is hurting my arm, so the Grannie Goes Large Blanket is on hold.  I wanted to work on something other than the sock and my Aniversario pullover (which is only waiting for sleeves, but I'll have to Magic Loop them and I'm putting it off).

So I decided to cast on for another project.  Back in 2014 I knit a cowl/poncho type thing, but I didn't alternate skeins.  When the first skein ended and the second skein began, there was a definite color shift because the second skein was darker than the first.  I thought I could ignore it.  I couldn't.  I would put it on, try to wear it, and before I'd make it out the door, I had taken it off.  The color shift was just not working for me.  Earlier this week, I frogged it and I've started a new cowl, and this time I'm alternating skeins.

The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy With Cashmere in Rock The Olive.  The pattern is Jessica Jones.  It's all linen stitch.  It's OK though.  I've knit linen stitch before so I know what I'm signing up for.  I think it will be perfect in this yarn and I have another skein, so when I finish the cowl, I will be able to make a pair of fingerless mitts.  I'll have a matching set!  How often does that happen?

I hope you all have a great weekend!

This Weekend...

 

This weekend's hat trick wasn't a hat at all - I made a cowl!  This is the Welter cowl.  I knit it in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Yaksi (60% Wool, 20% Silk, 20% Yak) in Grimm Green.  This was my first time using this yarn and it's lovely.  It's not a superwash yarn, but it's very, very soft while still having some structure and body.  I would definitely use this again.

The pattern was straight forward and easy to knit.  I cast on, knit the cowl and bound off all on Saturday.  It was a great little project that gave me a quick finished object and let me test drive a new-to-me yarn.

Easy Folded Poncho - Ta Da!

 

I finished and blocked my Easy Folded Poncho before 2016 ended!  This is the Easy Folded Poncho (with cowl) from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.  I bought the kit they sell because I figured that would be easy.  Mine is the charcoal colorway.  It was a super easy knit, and if you take a look at the projects in Ravelry, someone figured out how to make it without any seaming (so it's super fast too)!  It's all stockinette, so it's nice when you need something for your hands to do but not your brain.  I'm also really happy with the way it looks on.

A poncho is essentially a socially acceptable adult security blanket.  This design has a more modern, streamlined shape than the ponchos from the 70's, so while it still keeps you warm and cozy, it doesn't get in your way when you're actually doing things while wearing it.  Unfortunately, it's 70 degrees here today, so I don't actually need to be warm and cozy.  Later this week, it's supposed to get cold again, so hopefully I can actually wear it outside the house!

I haven't decided yet, but I'm super tempted to add a little embroidery along the lower edges in an ivory color.  Still thinking...

A New Project

 

Since finishing my cowl last week, I had a hole in my regular project rotation in the shawls/wraps/scarves category.  I have a few shawls-to-be in my stash, but I decided to grab my Churchmouse Yarns Easy Folded Poncho kit first.  Churchmouse is the yarn shop in Washington state that did the Mohair Bias Loop that I've knit multiple times.  I've always liked the look of their Easy Folded Poncho (it kind of looks like a socially acceptable adult security blanket) and I think it will work with my wardrobe, so I bought the kit earlier this year (mine is Charcoal, which is apparently sold out at the moment).

There are two yarns, you knit them together, and there is a lot of stockinette.  Someone on Ravelry figured out how to knit it so you don't have to seam it (I'll be following those directions).  At the moment it's rolling quite a bit, but I think that will block out.  If it doesn't, I could always add a crochet edge to make it behave.  It's very soothing to knit, and super simple.  That's the genius in the Churchmouse designs, they're simple and relaxing to knit, but also very wearable.  If I love this as much when I finish it as I think I will, there might be another one or two in my future.  I think it might be nice in a color or two!

Loopy Academy Bobble Project Finished!

 

I finished my bobbles/nupps/popcorn project for Loopy Academy.  This is the Biscuit cowl and I really enjoyed knitting it!  If you're looking for a nice cowl pattern to knit for a gift (or yourself), this one is definitely worth looking at - quick and interesting.

I knit the pattern exactly as written in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Cloud Nine in Help Us Rhonda.  This was my first time using the yarn base and I really liked it.  I love BMFA Socks That Rock base, but it's a little more crisp than I like for shawls and those types of projects.  Cloud Nine might be the base I was looking for.

I now only have the toy project (my seahorse) left for this semester's Loopy Academy.  I have officially decided not to do the sewing Loopy Academy this semester.  I can always catch up later or maybe after I've completed the knitting version.  Doing both just meant I couldn't get anything else done and that was frustrating.  I'll see how things look in the spring.

Have a great weekend!  We're supposed to get cooler temperatures and some rain later this weekend.  I'm going to make soup!

The New Project

 

When I changed gears on my bobbles/nupps/popcorn project for Loopy Academy, I not only got a different yarn, I changed patterns.  I bought a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Cloud Nine (their version of an MCN base) in Help Us Rhonda, which is a gorgeous, rich red violet color.  It has an almost velvety look.  The pattern I'm using is Biscuit, which is a cowl with bobbles in the border.

It's working up very quickly and the bobbles didn't permanently scar me.  I actually think they work well in this pattern.  There's a row of bobbles separating the lace border from the main cowl stitch pattern, and there's another row of bobbles just at the edge of the border, but those bobbles are hiding in the roll of the knitting and they're hard to see.  They should be more visible once I finish it and get it blocked.

Pleasant Trip

 

I finished up Pleasant Trip and it's blocked and ready for cooler weather!  This was a fun, fast knit.  I used Madelinetosh Pashmina in Scarlet to make it. I particularly like the little picots on the bind off (the bumps on the edge).  I think they dress up the edge a bit.  It's super soft and drapy and just kind of cuddles up around the neck, which is exactly what I'm looking for in a cowl!

More Cowl!

 

I've more than doubled the width of my Pleasant Trip since you last saw it.  I know it looks like a sad, rumpled, wonky thing right now, but the magic of blocking will fix that.  Unfortunately, I can't block before I finish knitting (and there's really no reason to), but that means the blog is subjected to things that look like this.  If you're curious how much better it will look later, here's a link to the pattern page.  See?  Pretty!  Isn't blocking magical?

Something Neither Pink Nor A Sweater!

 

Just for a change of pace, here's how my Pleasant Trip cowl is looking.  The stitch pattern is easy to work and easy to memorize, which means I've found new ways to mess it up, but at this stage in the knitting, I've also figured out how to fix my mistakes.  I've knit about a quarter of the width of the cowl right so far.

I'm also spending this week getting everything sorted out for school.  We are starting next Thursday, September 1.  Caleb doesn't even want to talk about it.  The end of summer is just too painful for him.  Logan is helping me get things figured out and planned, but he's always helpful with everything.  Max is ignoring things like Caleb is, but Max will continue his summer even after Caleb is back to school.  Max does not attend school except to sit on the books occasionally.  While we're using them.