knittingissofun

YOP: Wk of 9/5-11; Frogging and Socks

September 12, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Brioche, Knitting, Knitting Shows, Knitting tools, Notions, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Sailormoon Redo

Thankful the light bulb finally went off before I went much further on my daughter’s Sailormoon sweater. I wasn’t sure she would like the hot pink speckles so I sent her a picture of the stripes. Indeed she admitted she probably wouldn’t wear the sweater a lot because of them. So I frogged her sweater and I’m restarting with some Madelinetosh Light in Cinnamon Dolce and Silver Lining that I had in my stash for a sweater for me. She loves the new colors.

I will use the blue and hot pink speckled yarn for a sweater for me. I’m really loving Joji Locatelli’s Newspaper brioche sweater. This will definitely be on my 2022 plan.

Swirl E Socks

I’m in the home stretch on my Swirl E socks as I’ve completed the foot and heels and just have to do the legs. While I still want them to be short, I’ve learned I need to make the leg a bit longer if I want the stripes to show above my sneakers.

I want to have them done by Saturday so I can wear them to the Wool Festival and show them off to the vender that I bought the yarn from 2 years ago (Redbird Yarn Studio). She has been “missing in action” the past year due to “life stuff” so I’m thrilled that she did not give up on yarn making.

New Row Counters

I love the row counters from Twice Sheared Sheep and I already have several (uhh 4 to be exact). I have wanted both a shorter counter for things like 4 row sock patterns and a counter set for flat work (one counter is only odd numbers – usually the pattern rows – and the other is only even numbers – usually the purl row). Dawn offered a sale last weekend so I finally bought them. I was so close to free shipping that adding the cute (honeycomb, carbon ring if you are a chemist like me) markers in essence only cost me $3. I love using those cheap 7 day pill holders for my knitting notions. This one only holds row counters. I have others to hold my multiple sizes and colors of 0-ring stitch markers.

Looking Forward

The coming week is exciting. I will have yarn to share next week as I will attend the Wool Gathering festival next Saturday. I already have three venders that I’m committed to buying some skeins of yarn. I have too many sweater projects waiting for me to knit them so I’ll be buying fun sock yarns. I have plenty of people that will be happy with a sock gift as well as socks for me. I will also likely be buying a high end ball winder as I wasted an evening winding a ball on my cheap plastic one. I usually visit my friend that owns the expensive one but I thought “I only need to wind one ball to restart the Sailormoon sweater”. A whole evening spent just getting one ball wound!! Grrr. But it’s a lot of money to spend when my friend is only too happy to let me come over to wind yarn.

I hope you have an exciting week coming up as 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 each 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 11th year. It’s my second in the group.

YOP: Wk 8/29-9/4; August goals and WIP updates

September 5, 2021September 6, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Patterns, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Knitting Related Goals

This year in addition to project goals I have knitting related goals. This came from Curious Handmade with her 20 for 2020 that she reapplied to 2021. I didn’t necessarily set a number I wanted to hit but did liked the idea of some nonproject specific goals related to knitting. This year I set a goal of knitting an average of 1000 stitches per day and having more yarn go out than come in. I didn’t start the yarn in/out until later in the year so it doesn’t include some of my earlier FOs. But I’m trying to develop the habit of recording how much yarn I buy and how much goes out in FOs each month so that next year will be a better tracking year.

So for August 1:

averaged 1990 stitches per day, my best month yet!!

had 120 grams of yarn come in but 352 grams of yarn go out for a decrease in yarn of 232 grams!!!

YEA!!! I do plan to put more effort into setting challenging but reasonable knitting related goals when I do my 2022 plan.

Harvest Socks

I am loving the yarn and the pattern for my fall themed socks. The pattern is free on Ravelry, Swirl E Socks. I like some texture to my hand knitted socks. Vanilla socks are what I can buy at the store but I appreciate that Vanilla are relaxing knits for many. I’m anxious to get these done so I can get back to working on my advent colorwork socks.

Sailormoon Sweater

I’m enjoying knitting this sweater a second time. The yarn is so soft and I love the colors. Since my daughter is thinner than I am, I’m getting to knit a smaller size which helps make it go faster too! Sadly it’s taking a bit of a break as I wait for her to confirm her chest measurement so that the top isn’t too tight. I’m at the point of splitting for the front so I need to know if I should split or knit some more rows. This sweater is unusual construction as it basically starts at the bottom of the yoke on the back, knits up to the neck, then splits to make the right and left sides of the front V neck before joining in the round to knit the body. If she doesn’t get back to me in the next few days, I’m just going to hope the size is right and start back on it.

Stash Storage

In anticipation of the Wool Festival in two weeks where I know I’ll be buying more yarn, I needed to add storage space to my wall of yarn. Fortunately I found one more wooden wine box to add to my wall. (My husband is happy to look for wine that comes in wooden cases for future yarn storage.) Now I have dividers waiting to be filled with single skeins of sock yarn. I plan to mainly buy sock yarns as I already have too many sweater projects waiting to be knit (sweater projects are in the clear bags, sock yarns are in the dividers). I just love my wall of yarn and wood.

YOP: Wk of 8/22-28 FO, New Beginnings, and Artwork

August 29, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

Heldig Tank – FO!!!!

I did indeed complete Caitlyn’s tank top. Fortunately there are still plenty of hot days left in August and September for her to get to wear it this year. My oldest stepson’s wife saw the picture I posted on Facebook and has requested a tank top as well! I’m happy to knit one for her and I already have yarn that I can use. But it will be the end of the year/early next year before I work on it as I already have two projects I want to do next.

New WIPs

With socks finished last week and the top finished this week, I got to cast-on a new sock project and a new sweater project. I shared the yarn’s I planned for these projects 2 weeks ago when I wound the yarn into cakes. I just love the colors so I’m enjoying both projects. The socks are for me. I am trying the Swirl E pattern although with the pattern reversed since I knit toe up. I think the colors are just gorgeous. So far I’m just swatching the yarn to make a repeat of the Sailormoon sweater. This one is for my daughter. The yarn is so soft!! What a delight it is going to be to knit with it. I need to get it done by Thanksgiving which should be very doable.

I am thankful that I have several people that want hand knitted garments. Hubby is still waiting on his sweater.

Out and About

This week was quite the social week. I finally got to see my brother and father in person after almost 2 years (Christmas ’19). My niece was in country (from Austria – she studied abroad and decided to stay) so it was great to catch up with her. We met at a local brewery that also serves great BBQ. A friend invited me to a talk on Cincinnati cuisine which was very fun. A nasty cold kept me from being able to join a group of knitters on Friday morning but a trip to the doctor to confirm it wasn’t Covid and the antibiotics prescribed put me back right pretty quickly. Saturday morning was my usual group of weekly knitters over coffee.

New/Old Artwork

Saturday night was getting to see old friends that we haven’t seen in probably 25 years. They live in Michigan. Tat is an artist and painted all the paintings hanging in my house (besides the kid’s school pictures displayed on the bedroom hallway walls). She did a set of season’s paintings 25 years ago and it turns out 2 of my kids want them after I take up residence on the dirt side of the grass. So I commissioned a second set of paintings which I will now hang and let age. The plan is for each kid to get 2 of the original paintings and 2 of the new paintings. I think she did an amazing job of replicating them from photos I took with my phone camera. She will return in 6 months to varnish the new ones and then I can get them framed.

As you can see I like abstract art. Here are the other two paintings of hers that hang in our house.

While it was great to see everyone this past week, I am looking forward to a quiet week this coming week.

YOP: Wk of 8/15-21; Nerd & Knitting Updates

August 22, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Knitting tools, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

NERD ALERT

Ok, I confess. I’m a spreadsheet nerd. After seeing Tasha’s post about her etsy shop that does custom t-shirts, I ordered one I REALLY wanted printed; “Knitting – I Have a Spreadsheet For That”. I was inspired by Kath of Backstage Knits blog last weekend on her stitch tracking with excel. She was the one that inspired me to track stitches in addition to projects. My knitting almost exclusively with fingering weight yarn puts me at a disadvantage for completing FOs so stitch count is a better measure for me. My knitting calendar is excel based. I use Ravelry for my “knitting journal” where I record gauge/yarn used/pattern notes/etc. Digital works best for me so that I can continually modify it. In this case I’ve added a line under the month title that lets me know how many stitches I’ve knit for the month so far. To the left I have a running total of the cumulative stitches for the year. Kath’s goal is a million stitches. I’m no where near her pace.

Then I added an “Analysis” tab following the Dec tab. There I have graphs of my stitches by the day of the week for each month as well as a graph of total stitches by month. Not much to be gleened other than there is no pattern for day of the week I tend to knit more or less. Not surprisingly May and June are my lowest stitch count months due to increased lawn and garden care. August is looking like a big month thanks to working on Caitlyn’s tank top.

Heldig Tank Update

Well, I ended up blocking Caitlyn’s tank top to give it it’s best chance to fit. It does fit ok. I’m going to finish it although I’m not as pleased with how it looks as other tops I’ve made. The ribbing is not neat rows. I’m hoping washing and wearing will help get rid of the wonkiness. It should be an FO next week. Probably won’t knit this pattern again. Too many others to try. I still have a top worth of the Daisy yarn in a reddish coral color that I plan to knit up for me.

Christmas Socks FO!!!!

James’ Christmas socks got extra attention as I took a break from working on Caitlyn’s top this past week. They are done!!! Turns out my son likes them too. Fortunately I have enough leftover to make another pair anklet length, especially if I use contrast toes. Another project to add to my plan!

Year of Projects ’21 – Wk of Aug 8-14

August 15, 2021August 15, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Heldig Tank

Being a fairly monogamous knitter means this is going to be a fairly boring post this week. Lots of “progress” on Caitlyn’s Heldig Tank. Unfortunately I’m not sure I did the waist and bust shaping right. I’ve never done it before and I’m not sure it’s hanging right. I’ll be able to have her try it on today, Sunday. I may be ripping it out back down to the hem to eliminate my attempt at shaping. Oh well. Fingers crossed.

Yarn Winding

I did spend Friday morning winding the yarn for my daughter’s Sailormoon sweater which is the next project on the list. I think the blue is absolutely gorgeous and the speckles will add some fun. The yarn is spun by a local young lady I know who is running a yarn business Coates & Co Fiber. I also wound the yarn for my next sock, Redbird Yarn Studio an Ohio yarn dyer. I used my friend’s very nice ball winder. The Grocery Girls have talked about it (they have the electric one) and Andrea Mowry just mentioned it in her episode 22 of “I’ll knit if I want to” video. It’s quite expensive but after wasting over an hour trying to wind a skein of yarn on my cheap ball winder, I think I’ll be buying one for myself. The Harvest themed self striping sock yarn is gorgeous so I can’t wait to start on these socks for me.

Misc

No soccer game this week but I made some progress on James’ Christmas socks while waiting on hubby’s biopsy (no cancer – yea!!) Not enough progress for a photo.

Only other news this week is that the babies are starting to pop in the family. In addition to my step-daughter’s baby arriving in late October, my niece just let everyone know she is due in March. So my 2022 knitting plan will definitely have a baby item on it. Probably another rainbow striped blanket.

YOP: Wk of 8/1-7 Knitting Updates and Mimosa Tree

August 8, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Knitting tools, Notions, Patterns, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

This year I have been using my digital knitting plan as my blog’s featured image. This is to keep my plan front and center in my mind. I will also makes it easy to compare what I planned versus what I’m doing. I update my plan as I change it over the year. So this week I decided my featured image would be where I’m at versus what my plan was back in Jan. Plus it’s more colorful due to noting changes. 🙂

Heldig Tank

Caitlyn’s tank top is coming along. It’s a pretty boring knit since it’s a stockinette body with very basic K1P1 ribbing as the side “seam” detail. But that makes it great for TV or social knitting. I’m happy with the waist shaping but now it’s time to put the stitches back on for bust shaping. Couple more inches and I start the “yoke”. Almost to 3rd ball of yarn.

James’ Christmas Socks

James’ Christmas socks got a little love this week. I realized that 72 stitches was probably too many even with a size 0 needle so I reduced the stitches to 68 over the foot. Since I want the socks to match I decided to start the second sock and knit the foot to the same decreases as the first sock. I know myself that leaving a note in the project bag would get lost. Hence, again my preference for 2 at a time socks but the 9″ circular single sock is indeed nice for grocery shopping/soccer matches (hometown team tied Saturday night).

Resistance is Futile

Arg. I know better. Knowing that I hope to buy Christmas sock yarn at the Wool Festival in September but being afraid there wouldn’t be any (that happened in 2019), I made the mistake of looking on Etsy for Christmas Sock yarn. While not really what I was looking for, I found this cute “holiday lights” yarn that is really just a rainbow speckle on white yarn from AlwaysBeKindYarn. This is a fun yarn that I could wear all year, not just at Christmas. So I bought it. My yarn “diet” only lasted 3 months!! Plus I know I’ll be buying yarn at the festival!!

Speaking of Etsy, this week arrived some cute reusable project bag tags that I ordered from Katrinkles. This way I don’t have to remember what project is inside the bag. The marker can be removed with rubbing alcohol and then the tag reused. We will see if I’m sorry that I only ordered 3.

Mimosa Tree

On a final note. I am so tickled with myself for planting a mimosa tree near our deck. After 3 failed attempts at getting a tree to grow so close to our woods but along our decking, I finally went with a “weed” tree. Personally I love the mimosa tree but I’ve seen it sprout up along the highway exits in the Carolinas. Hence I figured it had a better chance of surviving in my desired location. It has turned out even better than I expected. I adore the fuzzy pink blooms. And seeing the blooming tree through our deck door and windows is stunning. We have already enjoyed blooms for the past month and they seem to still be going strong!

YOP: Wk of 7/25 – 7/31 Tank Top Knitting and Bohus Pattern

August 1, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Project Bags, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

BOHUS KNITTING – WILD APPLE PULLOVER

I mentioned before that I got intriged about Bohus knitting patterns after seeing them on the Fruity Knitting podcast. I don’t intend to be a Bohus purist so I’m not going to worry about exactly (or even remotely) matching the yarn colors or yarns used in the original sweaters from the ’40s. For those that do want the exact colors and yarns, kits can be purchased from angoragarnet.com at about $400 per sweater kit. I’m not a good enough knitter to spend that much money on a sweater. But I did get the 1995 book by Wendy Keele that includes many of the patterns. The yarn she used is no longer available. My favorite from the book is The Wild Apple. There is a pattern available to purchase on Ravelry. But I spent a day rewriting the pattern in the book into a style that I can follow and translating the chart into an excel sheet with the colors more clearly labeled. Who knows if I’ll ever knit the sweater, but I have a pattern and a chart should I decide to try. I hope to get a better feel for what a 50% merino/50% angora sport weight yarn should look and feel like before buying any yarn. A 2022 project goal??

Heldig Tank Top

Caitlyn’s tank top is coming right along. I did have her try it on and it fits much better this time. Still a little loose despite being over gauge (should make it tighter) and knitting the S size. She wears her clothes very tight so this top will be baggier than what she is used to wearing. I’ve almost finished the first ball of yarn. It’s supposed to take 3 so a third of the way done? On track for finishing by mid-August.

Sewing – Project Bag Handles

I added handles to 2 of my project bags. The sock sized bags I made don’t need handles but these two are larger; 2-3 skein size. I think the handles will make them more useful. Certainly made them more colorful. I’m loving the dog/cat bag for holding the Heldig Tanki project.

Christmas Socks

The Christmas socks for my son-in-law are getting a little love. I’m knitting my variation on the Hermione sock which is a simple P on the first of four stitches of R1 and then P on the third of four stiches on R3. I’ve added P on the second of four on R5 and the fourth of four on R7. Another MLS Soccer game meant a few rows before the game, during halftime, and especially waiting for traffic to clear after the game. My knitting turned out to be the highlight of the evening as once again the hometown team failed to win.

YOP Update – 7/18-7/24

July 25, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

SOCK UPDATE

Well, despite my saying I wouldn’t knit anymore socks on 9″, I did transfer my son-in-law’s Christmas socks to 9″ so that I could have a tiny project to take with me to the grocery store and then to the soccer game. I got to the game about an hour early so got in a few rounds. Then I sat in the parking garage for 20+ minutes waiting for traffic to clear out and got in some more rounds. It’s so nice to be retired and not have to get to work the next morning. Knitting makes waiting fun instead of frustrating. Maybe if I had knit while still working, I’d have gotten to meetings on time. Would have made those god-awful safety and department meetings much more bearable.

TANK TOP UPDATE

Ugh. Ripped out my son’s GF’s tank last night. It was way too big despite knitting the size S and she is at least a M. I don’t really mind since it’s bottom up so I had only knit the front and back hems and then about 15 rows of body. I hated the hem because the stitches were too large. I dropped the hem needle size by 2 and the body by 1. I’m now knitting the body with same size needle as I did my daughter’s top last summer so I know I like the gauge/fabric. I will again have her try on the hem/body to make sure it’s not still too large or now too small. I’d like to get it done by mid August which is only 3 weeks away!! I think it’s a pretty easy pattern and the stitches decrease as you get the yoke/neck. Still that means focusing on my knitting instead of spending too much time on the internet.

That’s it. Two WIPs. I really don’t like to have a lot of WIPs. I prefer to be a more monogamous knitter. I want to get the tank done so that I can cast-on my Advent 2019 colorwork socks. Once I get a few stripes finished I’ll cast on my daughter’s Sailormoon as I want to get that done by Thanksgiving. So focus is the key!!

Year of Projects – Wk 7/11-17

July 18, 2021July 18, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Project Bags, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Another FO – Anklets

I did finish my Fixation anklets this week. They are very summery so I like them. The yarn is cotton so they are very comfortable to wear.

New Knitting

I haven’t done a lot of knitting this week. Not too surprised as I needed to catch up a bit following vacation. I started a pair of Christmas socks 3 times but I kept dropping a stitch or make a mistake so I end up starting over again. Hopefully this 3rd time is the charm. I am going back to my preferred method of 2 at a time magic loop. I really didn’t like 9″ circulars. But I still want to try 9″ when I knit my colorwork Advent sock. The experiment was a mixed bag in my little knitting group. Some liked 9″, some are returning to magic loop.

I have started my son’s girlfriend’s top. It’s the Heldig tank. I have to concentrate, at least in this beginning knitting until I get the two hems joined in the round. Then it will be lots of stockinette knitting. I’m not really sure if I like the needle size I’m using and not sure of the fit. I’ll knit a few inches to make sure the weave isn’t too open and make sure it fits her hips. Then I should be able to relax into knitting it.

New Project Bag

One of my knitting friends made all of us this cute sock bag. We are all participating in The Crazy Sock Lady’s summer sock camp KAL. She wanted to make a project bag for herself but since she had so much material, she made a bag for all 5 of us!! It’s so cute and the perfect size for a sock project.

Poems of Color

I was intrigued about Bohus knitting after watching the latest Fruity Knitting episode. The book from 1995 is no longer printed ($125 on Amazon) but I was able to get a copy from the library. I’d love to make this sweater.

Not a lot to share this week. It’s nice to be home again even if it means more errands and housework to do instead of knitting. It was nice to join my local knitting friends for coffee again. I will be knitting at a local micro brewery with another friend this afternoon. A great week!!

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 11th year. I’m in my second in the group.

Wk of 7/4 – 7/10

July 11, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Plan, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Vacation knitting

Yea!!! An FO!! I did finish my Hermione anklets. I love them. I used The Crazy Sock Lady’s idea of using the contrast yarn for only the final few rows on the cuff since I really like the main color yarn. I didn’t want the whole cuff in contrast color. I plan to use a little of the colorful Deep Dyed yarn in one of my Advent Sock stripes. Then I’ll knit another pair of anklets with contrast toes, heels, and maybe cuff to make sure there is enough yarn. Next year!!😁

Didn’t quite get my Fixation anklets done this week but they will be done in the next day or two. I’m knitting the heel and just have short legs and cuffs to finish.

Duh Department

After spending a little more time swatching this week I remembered that I used this same yarn for my daughter’s top last summer. Hence I already had swatch info!! Arg! 😣 Well at least now I’m ready to cast on. Grocery Girls have a summer tee/tank KAL going on so I need to focus and get this done by the end of August.

Vacation Ends

Heading back home this week. We had great weather while at the beach. But I’m looking forward to getting back to my kitty, some yard work, and hopefully some deck knitting. Unfortunately, July and August tend to be very hot and humid in Ohio so not sure how much I’ll be outside. (Photo – that was supposed to be a dog bed but the kitty claimed it.)