June 2021 – Knitting Is So Fun

FO and 2021 Half Year in Review

June 27, 2021June 29, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Hats, Knitting Plan, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

Before I get to my half year review – A Finished Object!!! I have completed my second attempt at copying my friends hat made by her German cousins. You can decide for yourself how close I came. I feel it’s “close enough” and thus represents the best I can do. This photo is preblocked. With blocking I was able to make the size match.

So how am I doing on my 2021 Knitting Plans??

2021 KNITTING PLAN – PROJECTS

A WIPS – 2 out of 2

I completed both carryover WIPS. One turned out to be much bigger than planned since within 10 rows of completing the sweater, I ripped it back to the armholes!!

B SOCKS – 3ish out of 4

Satisfied with status at year midpoint. Supposed to be 3 pair with fingering weight yarns and one colorwork. The colorwork sock was converted into a pair of mitts when it turned out I had made them too tight to go over my heel. I’ll call it met. I have made 2 pair of anklets – one fingering, one is DK. I also made one sock (sample sock). So I’ll call that equal to 2 pair. That means I’m only one pair off for the year’s goal. I already have two pair of socks on needles and I really want to make the advent colorwork socks this fall. It may get postposed till ’22 as I have a pair of gift Christmas socks that have to be made first this fall. So I expect to exceed my sock making goal.

C SWEATER/TOPS – 2 out of 6

Behind but expected. I always overestimate how many tops/sweaters I can get made in a year. Having to remake most of my WIP sweater didn’t help. Plus adding a baby blanket has changed my plans. So far I’ve only finished 2 tops beyond the WIP. I’ve also decided to replace a top planned for me with a top for my son’s girlfriend. I suspect that getting 2 more made in the second half of the year is about all I’ll get done considering the socks I want to make.

D. MISC – 2 out of 1

Met. I planned to try to recreate a hat pattern of my friend. I ended up making two attempts and I’m done. Not on my plan – I’ve finished a baby blanket.

Since I generated the plan the end of December, I have added to this goal as I’d like to try making knitted ornaments. Three of my kids have gotten married in the past two years so I’d like to make them a wedding ornament. Also with a granddaughter on the way – a baby’s first Christmas ornament would be nice. We will see. I won’t be upset if I make more socks instead of ornaments. I think my advent colorwork socks will definitely be higher priority.

Other than sweaters/tops, 2021 looks to be on track!

2021 KNITTING PLAN – GOALS

In addition to projects, I have set some goals to work on in 2021. This was my list back in January.

Make something Brioche Hmm, probably next year
Track stitches per day (1000/day goal) Check. Digital calendar working well to track stitches
Make something with Continental Knitting I keep working on this with vanilla socks
Make a hat Check. Made two.
Make something with Colorwork Check. Advent mitts
Make Ravelry Queue match Knitting Plan I think I did this once but I know it’s out of whack.
Clean out Ravelry favorites Yeah right, cleaning out is not my strength.

I’m doing well at averaging 1000+ stitches per day. This past week has been really low since we are in high harvest and lawn maintenance season. I’m enjoying having knitting related goals in addition to project goals to keep me growing. I’m happy with my status on these goals.

All and all, 2021 is going well.

This is a year of projects (YOP) update. YOP is a Ravelry Group – make a plan for the year ahead for all your fiber activities, then update your blog every week. Plans can be calendar year (like mine) or mid-year start (like most). Following the plan is optional and creates some of the fun of posts. YOP is starting it’s 11th year; I’m starting my second in the group.

YOP – Week of June 14 – 20

June 20, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Hats, Social Knitting, Sock Knitting, Yarn

I did not get nearly as much knitting done this week as usual. It has been cherry and black raspberry picking time at our house. We got a good crop of cherries this year so I’ve been picking and pitting most everyday this past week. Monday hubby and I will make sour cherry preserves with our harvest. My son has also requested a cherry pie. My husband is an excellent pie baker. My husband makes homemade chambord with the black raspberries although I’d prefer preserves or pie.

Sunday is Father’s Day here in the US and it was our first family gathering since Christmas ’19. It was so nice to spend some time with my husband’s brother and his wife plus some nieces and their hubbies. Plus 2 of our sons.

Sock Knitting – 9″ Circulars

I’m so tickled with the yarn I’m using for my Size 0 – 9″ circular experiment. I just love the vibrant colors. I’m using a pink variegated mini to put a small stripe at the toe and then will use it at the heel and the cuff. I will also be trying an afterthought heel which will be a new technique for me. I did not make much progress on my Size 4 – 9″ circular Fixation socks since they are intended for the flight next week.

Attempt #2 at “German” Hat

I have started a second attempt to copy the hat given to my friend by her cousins in Germany. I think the yarn is not as bulky as her cousins used. It was some acrylic/wool blend that I had leftover from a sweater. I’ve finished the headband portion. Now I’m working on the cable band that gets sewn onto the headband before picking up stitches to make the crown. I’ve already realized that her cousins used slip stitches for the contrast color but oh well. I think this is as close as I’m going to come. I still can’t figure out what stitches they did along the edges of the cable. Again I think it’s some type of slip stitches. When I get this one done I’m going to have to declare close enough. There are too many other things I want to knit beside copying this hat pattern.

Getting Back to “Normal” – Social Knitting

I got to have 2 social knitting sessions this week!! My usual weekly group of knitters has been getting together on Saturdays since May. This week I also got together with a broader group on Friday. That will probably turn into a monthly. It is so nice to share tips and tricks from good podcasts to watch, to how to make an afterthought heel, to getting to use my friend’s really good ball winder to get some skeins ready for projects I’ll be starting in mid-July. I wish the monthly group that would meet at an area microbrewery would restart but I’m not sure they will. I may just have to get together with my friend that was one of the leaders on our own each month. I think I can be talked into that. 🙂

Futball

I really really like soccer!! So much so that my kids and hubby gave me season tickets to our local Major League Soccer team for 2020. We all know how that turned out. So I was able to roll them over into season tickets for this year. I finally got to go to my first game as now there are no restrictions on attendance. It was so fun even though the team lost (we are in last place). It’s a brand new stadium. I go by myself as my hubby’s health issues make it impossible for him to attend. But the people sitting by me were so friendly that it was enjoyable. I appreciate their kindness.

17 Year Cicada Update

I’m happy to report that we are definitely past the peak. It’s almost like a light stitch being turned off. One day they are everywhere and noisy, the next day it just tons of dead bugs and quiet. I so enjoyed getting to hear the birds singing again! The cidadas aren’t completely gone but they are no longer a nuisance. I don’t expect to be living here when they return in 17 years. Heck, I’ll be lucky if I’m still living on this side of the grass in 17 years.

This is a year of projects (YOP) update. YOP is a Ravelry Group – make a plan for the year ahead for all your fiber activities, then update your blog every week. Plans can be calendar year (like mine) or mid-year start (like many). Following the plan is optional and creates some of the fun of posts. YOP is in it’s 10th year although I’m in my first in the group.

YOP – Chicago, Knitting, and Cicadas – Week of June 7-13

June 13, 2021June 14, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Knitting, Sock Knitting, Vacation knitting, Yarn

Well, this weekend included a surprise trip to Chicago. My son and his girlfriend left yesterday to spend a week in northern Minnesota with her family. 4+ hrs out I get a call that her car has broken down just south of Chicago. After confirming her car would require costly repairs and couldn’t be done for over a week, I drove the 4 hrs to give them my car. Of course my oil light came on as I reached Chicago. Hopefully the quart of oil we added tides them over until they return to Cincinnati. Then I flew back to Cincinnati today on frequent flyer miles I had from a long time ago. Gotta roll with the punches.

BABY BLANKET FO

I did finish the baby blanket for my stepdaughter. I’m happy enough with it and glad it’s done. Now off to make projects with yarns that bring me greater joy.

FUN SOCKS

As always, the blanket took longer to finish plus the unplanned drive/flight to Chicago. I did get to start a pair of Fixation yarn socks. I think the colorway is Tutti Fruiti. I am trying out the 9″ circular needles (US Size 4) instead of my usual 2 at a time magic loop. Making the toe was much to fiddly with 9″ so I had to do that magic loop. Once I finished the toe increases I moved the sock to 9″. This was great to work on in the airport and on the plane. I’m going on another plane trip in two weeks so the 9″needles will be getting plenty of trial over the next month.

I got my yarn wound with a mini selected for the heel and toe stripe. Again, I will cast the socks on with magic loop and knit the toes before transfering them to 9″ circular needles. This time I’ll be trying out US Size 0 9″ circulars. Can’t wait to cast it on later today.

ADVENT SOCK

When my size 2 needle proved too tight for my colorwork advent sock I went up to size 4. While I planned to make a fairly tall sock, I still think the cuff may be too big. Only have one cuff done since it was my first attempt with 9″ circular needles. Plan to frog and start the cuff again with 3″. I’ll go back to using the Size 4 9″ circulars for the colorwork once I finish the Fixation yarn socks.

17 Year Cicada Update

The air, and ground, is thick with 17 year cicadas. We are at the peak point. You can’t walk outside without one landing on you. The driveway is covered with dead bodies as they only live 3-4 weeks. Here’s what hubby’s windshield looks like after a short drive.

This is a year of projects (YOP) update. YOP is a Ravelry Group – make a plan for the year ahead for all your fiber activities, then update your blog every week. Plans can be calendar year (like mine) or mid-year start (like many). Following the plan is optional and creates some of the fun of posts. YOP is in it’s 10th year although I’m in my first in the group.

YOP – Week #22

June 6, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Yarn

May’s Yarn In/Yarn Out

Cinnamon inspired me to start tracking my yarn purchases and usage. I’m happy to say more yarn went out in May than went in. Stash progress!! At the moment I’m counting yarn “out” when a project is completed so finishing my Sailormoon sweater was a big help. I had 1800 grams in and 2494 grams out in the month of May.

Baby Blanket

I’ve never made a blanket before. This project started it’s life as a prayer shawl for my church’s knitting group but I could never get excited about knitting on it. An hour every two weeks pre-Covid didn’t yield much progress. I’m much happier thinking of it as a blanket for my granddaughter. I’m thankful it was already planned to be rainbow striped even though my stepdaughter wants a “nature” themed nursery. Her colors are more brown and green.

I’m over halfway done and since the rows are now decreasing it hopefully will be done by next weekend. I’m using up acrylic yarns my daughter-in-law gave me for Christmas. My stripes are not all the same size since the longer stripes take more yarn than the shorter ones. Oh well. It’s a design element now. I’m thinking acrylic is good since it’s washable. Definitely not as soft as wool. I am focusing on it so that I can “get it done”. The baby blanket was not on my 2021 knitting plan but I’m looking forward to casting on some colorful socks that are on my 2021 plan.

This is a short post this week since I focused on the baby blanket exclusively. My only other WIP is my second attempt at the Advent colorwork socks. Spring means lots of lawn mowing which is greatly affecting my knitting time. Almost looking forward to the hot, dry weather of July and August when the grass doesn’t grow as fast. Did get out a little to enjoy my deck with the bug netting. The cicadas are getting loud although as long as I can hear my speaker over them, I’m good.

This is a year of projects (YOP) update. YOP is a Ravelry Group – make a plan for the year ahead for all your fiber activities, then update your blog every week. Plans can be calendar year (like mine) or mid-year start (like many). Following the plan is optional and creates some of the fun of posts. YOP is in it’s 10th year although I’m in my first in the group.