Knitting tools – Knitting Is So Fun

2022: Wk of 10/2-8; Baby Blanket FO!! and Sweater Redo

October 9, 2022 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knit, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Sweater Knitting, Yarn Advent Calendars

BABY BLANKET

Whew! It’s done. Lordy I hope there is a pause in baby blankets as they are not my favorite thing to knit. Good thing is that I’ve used up almost all my acrylic yarn that my daughter-in-all has gifted me over several Christmases.

HUBBY’S SWEATER

Finishing the baby blanket means I’m focusing now on my hubby’s sweater. I had him try it on after completing the hem and knitting 25 rows of the body. Despite making a gauge swatch, it’s way too big. So I ripped back to the hem and removed the added stitches the pattern called for. This results in going down one size. Plus I am going down a needle size. I will check the gauge again after I knit a few inches and see if any additional modifications are needed. Also see the cute Halloween progress keepers/BOR marker I got this week. I also got some Christmas ones.

I’m probably going to end up casting on a pair of socks or another Ranunculus this coming week just so I have something to alternate between versus endless rows of stockinette. He wants a plain sweater which makes it easier to knit but also a bit boring. The striping does help alleviate the boredom.

OOPS I DID IT AGAIN

I tried to resist since I have already ordered 3 advent calendars but I just couldn’t resist my friend’s “autumn” mini set. Definitely going to have to make a lot of striped tops/sweaters. Maybe I’ll save this set for a Christmas in July so as to knit a tee for autumn. I’ll have forgotten the colors by then! Happy to say her yarn dying business is going well and is now her fulltime job.

CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR?

I seem to recall seeing someone make ornaments using up leftover bits of yarn. So I’ve been collecting the yarn I snip off after weaving in ends or if I truly have so little yarn left from a project that I’m not going to use it in another project. I would like my small Christmas tree that I have in the Florida condo to be knitting related. So yesterday I bought these tiny (1.4″/3.5cm) clear plastic ornaments and I’m stuffing them with the colorful bits of yarn. I’m planning to make a simple garland out of the leftover yarns from the baby blankets as well.

NON KNITTING STUFF

I got the most recent Covid booster Thursday. WOW. I’ve never had a reaction to Covid shots before. This one left my arm feeling like a professional boxer hit my arm. Then I had the worst headache I can remember in a very long time. Fortunately within 24 hours I was back to “normal”

It is almost the peak of autumn colors. Certainly by next week. Then it will start “raining” leaves. 😦 This is absolutely my favorite time of year. Sunny but cool enough to wear sweaters and wool socks. Bright blue skies. It’s weather and scenery like this that makes it impossible for me to consider moving to Florida year round. Oh and that broken rail at the bottom of the stairs…. a reminder of the incompetent concrete contractor we hired last summer.

Hope you have a wonderful week of crafting.

This is a year of projects (YOP12) 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 started it’s 12th year in July and I’m starting my third year in the group. I’ve been knitting for six years.

2022: Wk of 8/28-9/3; Autumn Cowl Plan B, Knitting by Candlelight, and Favorite Knitting Tools

September 4, 2022September 4, 2022 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Knit, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Knitting tools, Notions

HALLOWEEN/AUTUMN COWL

On to Plan B. After knitting a stripe of pumpkins and and the stripe of leaves (that I created by borrowing and modifying from a free chart I found on Ravelry), I realized that I did not like how the black background yarn of the stripes went with the variegated yarn I had used leading into the stripes. So I spent much of this week knitting the stripes, tinking back the stripes I had knitted, and reknitting stripes. I shortened the stripes so as to have less background and I didn’t like the green I had used as the pumpkin vine anyway. Now it’s just pumpkins. I had to redo the leaves chart to make it a shorter stripe. I added a section of variegated yarn between the colorwork stripes so that it would be less of a “block” of plain black background. I “oops” again figuring out when to start the leaves stripe so it’s a much bigger block of variegated yarn between the two stripes. I had planned to have a second stripe of pumpkins but that will make the cowl too long. I’m happy with it. It really shows off the variegated with the stripes playing a background role versus being the centerpiece of the cowl. Another change is that I decided to do a 3 row garter edge before a decorative picot bind-off. Unfortunately my colorwork is too tight (good lesson) so I can’t pull the cowl down onto my shoulders. Also not sure I love the picot border. I’m going to live with it a bit and then decide if I need to rip

I realized my next sock project is going to be using the leftover variegated yarn so that I have autumn socks to match my cowl!!

KNITTING DURING A POWER OUTAGE

Of course as I’m trying to pick back up the stitches from ripping out the colorwork stripes on the cowl, when the power went out this week!! On a beautiful day?? What the heck? Apparently there was a car accident that knocked out power from late afternoon until the next morning for our little area! So this is me knitting by candlelight since what the heck do you do at 9pm when you aren’t tired but have no power. Enjoyed listening to a podcast on my phone. Thankful I had my “brain dead” garter stitch baby blanket to work on. Perfect for a low light situation. Once again another reason I’m so thankful I learned to knit!! I’m about half way done with the blanket.

MY FAVORITE KNITTING THINGS

Not much else to share knitwise since I’m trying to be more monogamous-ish. Thought I’d include a bit on my favorite knitting tools as gift ideas for knitters. As you can see from my blog header photo of my knitting wall, I love clear containers for yarn and notions. Clear Cosmetic Zippered Bags (for Notions), Small Clear Bead “tins”(for specialty stitch markers), Clear Zipper Bags (Yarn storage), Clear Interchangeable Needle Case, and Clear Totes – Inexpensive. I love using clear “containers” so that I can quickly see what’s inside. I prefer clear “tins” to hold my stitch markers so I can quickly see which stitch markers are in which tin . Clear cosmetic bags to hold my notions so I can quickly find my snips or tape measure. Clear zippered “sheets” bags to hold my multi-skein projects, usually with the front page of the pattern I was at least initially planning to knit with the yarn. Even a clear tote to carry multiple project bags to knitting sessions with fellow knitters so that I can quickly find my notions pouch or the project I’m working on first.

Hope you have a wonderful week of crafting. This is a year of projects (YOP12) 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 started it’s 12th year in July and I’m starting my third year in the group. I’ve been knitting for five years.

2021: Wk of 11/21-27; WIPs, Thanksgiving, and Christmas In The Air

November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting tools, Notions, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

HELDIG TANK #2

Completed the hems and have joined for the body. This is a simple knit although the Daisy yarn is a bit fiddly. Thus this will not be a car knit project. It will get worked on possibly the day of rest at my daughter’s or once we get to Florida.

MARY MAXIM CHRISTMAS SOCKS

I’ve decided to continue the Christmas socks. My husband might like them as house socks in December. Blocking (twice) helped some. They are in the car just in case I get a break from driving.🤞

KNITTER CHRISTMAS

My friends did like their “12 Day” Advent set. Hopefully they will still like the eclectic mix of yarns after they open them all. One of my friends gave me these thoughtful knitting aids – a foldable ruler and a magnetic dish to hold my stitch markers. I have 2 sock rulers, and I like them, but they are too long to fit into my sock project bags. This foldable ruler will be more useful since I can keep it in my sock project bag. The magnetic dish is great! I have a magnetic necklace but found that I accidently end up knocking the stick markers off it so I don’t use it. The dish has a much stronger magnet so even if you knock it off a table, the stitch markers won’t fly off. If you have a metal tray table, like I’ve been using from IKEA, there is no way that dish can even get knocked off!! Then another knitting friend made us all these adorable knitting basket ornaments.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

We had a wonderful time for Thanksgiving. Just 3 of our boys on Thanksgiving. Then the same boys with my dad, brother (and SIL), and nephew yesterday for a delayed Thanksgiving. I just love Thanksgiving foods!! My diet took quite the hit this week but I know I’ll get back to more moderate eating once we are in Florida.

We did not visit my step-daughter and her baby just prior to Thanksgiving. Enough said. As my son who still lives with us while attending college said, “I never want to get on your bad side”.

TIS THE SEASON

I adore Advent season. Christmas lights and decorations. It will be interesting to see how I feel spending Advent in Florida but I think it will be fine since I know I get to spend Christmas in Ohio. There is a multi-street neighborhood near where we rent that does the whole “Christmas With the Kranks” thing so I will definitely be touring the neighborhood. I will miss my northern friends but look forward to seeing my southern ones.

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 of 9/26 – 10/2

October 3, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Knitting tools, Notions, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

Sailormoon Update

This week I was able to complete the yoke and combine the front and back. Now it’s 12″ of stockinette (Continental) striping before making the lace bottom panel and sleeves. Looking good to be done by Thanksgiving. Maybe I can get another top/sweater in before the end of the year??!!

Does anyone else have trouble with their swatch matching their garment gauge?? Really drives me nuts!! Turns out my garment is a good 10% tighter than my swatch predicted! Sure hope it still fits my daughter. Oh, and in case you are interested …. I sent my frustration/question to Andrea Mowry this week and guess what question got picked to be answered in this week’s podcast (#30)?? Yep – that’s mine at 9:11 with the 28 stitches instead of 25.5 predicted by my swatch. Maybe the problem is this pattern has both flat and in the round and I only swatched in the round. But her suggestion to block it now is probably worth doing.

Advent Sock 2019

Making these colorwork stripes is so fun. This is going to be a crazy pair of socks as I plan to use leftover Christmas sock yarns for the feet. But I will have fun wearing them.

This Week’s Mail

The spending seems to never end but that’s my fault. I ordered more wipeable project bag tags from Katrinkles. That gives me 6 which would definitely be my limit of projects on needles. But this will let me put my winter projects into bags for taking to Florida since I won’t have my “yarn wall”. I also ordered her wipeable stitch markers. That will let me leave “notes” to myself or mark special stitches such as psso. By the way, I hate her silver chains so I went on Amazon and got myself 100 colorful chains for $7. Let me know if you need chains. 🙂

Planning Ahead – 2022 Anyone??

My brother kids me about my need to plan ahead – really, who doesn’t plan holiday family gatherings 4+ months ahead?? So it should come as no surprise that I have already started my 2022 Knitting Plan and Knitting Goals. Not really hard since part of my monthly digital Knitting Plan/Calendar includes an area to record future project and goal ideas. I already own the yarn for every project (well, I’ve committed to but haven’t bought the Christmas sock yarn) so in theory I shouldn’t buy ANY yarn in 2022. Yeah, that’s not happening.

FALL

I’ll end with a photo of fall here along our driveway. The leaves are turning yellow and the driveway is filling up with fallen leaves. Another week or two and it will be golden yellow with reds and oranges. (Our driveway is 1 km long so I get a nice walk in just picking up the mail everyday). Wishing everyone a great week and “see” you next Sunday.

YOP – Wk 9/19-25: Fiber Artist Supply Co Ball Winder Review and Updates

September 26, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting tools, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Fiber Artist Supply Co Ball Winder Review

Got to use my new ball winder this week!! I love it! Much better than my Loops & Threads cheap one from Michaels. Makes beautiful cakes and the yarn doesn’t end up winding on the rod both above or below the cake like my cheap one. Now the only issue is my umbrella swift. I’m having to rewind the cake a second time. This is what Very Pink Knits recommends as a general rule. Note: she uses an umbrella swift. My initial cake is much tighter then when I used my friend’s tabletop swift and ball winder hence I believe it’s the swift. My swift is pretty so I think I’ll stick with it since my knitting wall is now in our living room. I’ll just plan to wind balls twice so that the yarn isn’t wound too tight.

Sailormoon #2

The Sailormoon for my daughter is coming along. I just adore the yarn and the colors. I have enough of the Cinnamon colorway to make another sweater if I combine it with another contrast skein, which I have in my stash. Now I need to find a pattern that uses 3 skeins of MC and 1 skein of CC. Course I could always do a 3 row/1 row stripe. This sweater is also helping on one of my 2021 knitting goals – knit something with Continental. I am doing all the knit stitches in Continental but I’m still doing the purls with English. I think this is actually helping keep my tension even. Only the yoke is knit flat so once I join the body it will be all Continental knit stitches.

Advent 2019 Socks

Got both cuffs done for my Advent 2019 socks. Now to start the fun stuff – the colorwork stripes. Hope to have a stripe or two to share next week since the Sailormoon will still get the majority of attention.

Oops, I Did It Again

You would think I know by now that all stockinette curls. So I’m going to have to pullout the cast-on and add a few rows of garter so that my tumbler cozy doesn’t roll. This project is letting me work on another goal…not looking at every stitch as I knit it since it’s simple stockinette.

It’s beautiful fall here. I know for many of you blue skies is not unusual, but for the midwest of the USA, our winters are GRAY!!! I’ve been informed by my son’s girlfriend that while Alaska has very short days in the winter, what little time the sun is out in the winter, the sky is blue. So fall is just a wonderful time of year. The temperature is perfect (70s F/low 20s C), low humidity. Trees have started to turn but full color is about 2 weeks away. Hope you are enjoying your fall.

YOP Wk of 9/12-18: Wool Festival Purchases, an FO, and New WIPs

September 19, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Shows, Knitting tools, Notions, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, wool festival, Yarn

Wool Gathering – Yellow Springs, OH

It was soooo nice to get to attend a yarn festival again. Not that I have much experience. My first was this one 2 years ago. I can’t afford to attend very many – too much temptation. More than the Vogue Live Marketplace I visited once when it was in Columbus, OH, a festival like this really makes you feel you are helping small businesses. The festival is held at a family run dairy instead of a downtown hotel like the Vogue Live Events. Can you tell I’m not a fan of Vogue Live and have no intention of attending another one??

That means 462 grams of yarn got added to my stash. Not looking good for ending the year with a net minus in my stash. And it’s not even like it’s email alerts to sales that are my downfall. It was a knitting friend letting me know a yarn I like was on 50% sale at a LYS, a yarn swap with my knitting friends, and this festival for the most part. Hmmm, I need to add to my knitting tracking calendar where I bought/got the yarn if I ever really want to get a handle on decreasing my stash.

I went to the festival knowing of 4 venders I wanted to buy from and indeed I bought from all four. Deep Dyed Yarns out of Nicholasville, KY makes the most vibrant yarns with a glittery metallic thread woven through. One skein, Starry Night, I’m splitting with a friend. While one skein is called Black Hills, it’s perfect as a Halloween sock yarn – again with glittery thread. The third is just gorgeous fallish colors.

Redbird Yarn Studio from Columbus, OH had a much more limited supply of yarn this year although she promised to have more Christmas colorways on her website in October. So I left the Christmas skein for another customer and bought a skein with beautiful browns, golds/oranges, and grey which I think my son will like with a bright orange contrast for the toes/heels. Indeed she was almost sold out of self striping yarns by lunchtime Saturday.

I have several project bags from Twisted Yarn and Fibers. She has the cutest fabrics!! I managed to resist buying more bags but did find a circular needle holder that I want for transporting my circular needles and cords to Florida in a few months.

I did end up buying the ball winder that I’ve had my eye on for 2 years. I can’t wait to wind the remaining skeins I need for Sara’s Sailormoon and to split the skein of Starry Night I just bought.

The final purchase was a cute t-shirt that is embroidered instead of printed. I love the reddish color of the t-shirt and the saying fits me well (my son loved it).

Swirl E Socks Got Finished!!

I did get my Redbird Harvest yarn socks finished in time to wear and show the shop owner. I got several compliments on the Swirl E pattern as well as the beautiful striped yarn.

NEW WIPs

Finished FO means it’s time for casting on!!! I cast-on for the third time my Advent 2019 colorwork socks. I had finished one cuff before I realized I should have gone down a needle size. So since it was only the cuff I frogged it and am now half way through the first cuff.

We have a bunch of thermal tumblers which are perfect for summer and Florida. They do get hot in the heat so I’ve been saying it would be easy for me to knit cozies for them. Well, I finally have gotten started on one. It’s the perfect project to take to the soccer game for before, halftime, and after game knitting since it’s straight stockinette. My leftover Fixation yarn is perfect for making cozies since it’s cotton and spandex.

I did get the swatch for Sara’s Sailormoon blocked so I’m ready to start her sweater. My priority for the coming weeks will be her sweater and the Advent 2019 socks. That’s a lot of happy knitting.

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.

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!

Wk of 6/28-7/4: Second Half Goals

July 4, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Plan, Knitting tools, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Vacation knitting, Yarn

Second Half Goals

Socks: A pair of Christmas 🎄 socks completes my ’21 plan but I have 2 more pairs already on needles. This goal should be met and exceeded.

Sweaters: My plan calls for 4 more to be completed but that will not happen. I definitely want to complete a tank top for my son’s girlfriend and another Sailormoon for my daughter. Hopefully I’ll start a sweater for my husband or more likely a summer weight cardigan for me.

That sums up my goals as I set them at the beginning of the year before “life happened”. As I said in last week’s post I’m happy with changes I’ve made.

This Week’s Knitting

I have been trying 9″ circulars for sock knitting. I have a pair of DK on size 4s and a pair of fingering on size 0s. I don’t particularly like 9″ circulars and likely will go back to 2 at a time magic loop socks. I will only do socks on 9″ when I want an extremely small project to carry with me. I still want to try the 9″ for my colorwork socks. Fixing a stitch is nearly impossible and I don’t feel I’m knitting any faster as it’s hard to move the stitches around the needle.

Hubby and I are enjoying two weeks at our friend’s beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It has become an annual trip. Lots of sun and good food. We are very fortunate. But writing this blog on my Kindle is a challenge.😵

I have made progress on both my Vanilla Fixation anklets and my Hermione Deep Dyed Yarn anklets. I’m at or nearly at the heels so at least one pair should be a FO by next week’s post. I do so love the Deep Dyed yarn!!😍.

I also started swatching for Caitlyn’s Heldig Tank. This hot pink yarn is going to be so fun to knit. I hope to get the top cast-on this week.

Hope you are having a fun week crafting.

This is a Year Of Projects (YOP) update. YOP is a Ravelry Group. Make a plan for the coming year, update your blog weekly, and share the link to the group’s Ravelry page. YOP is just tarting it’s 11th year!! I’m starting my second in the group.

YOP Update – Wk #15

April 18, 2021April 19, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Knitting, Knitting Plan, Knitting tools, Notions, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

SAILORMOON SWEATER

Well, I didn’t make as much progress as I had hoped on my Sailormoon so I’m still working on the body. 😝 My son had a light week of school work so he wanted to play a board game every afternoon. I am only too happy to get to spend time with him as I know those days are numbered. I’m thinking I will need to add some more stripes before making the lace bottom. I’ll be trying it on later today to see. Plus spring always means lots of yardwork so I didn’t get to knit as much as I’d like.

SOCK KNITTING

I did work a little on my anklets where I’m using up the yarn from my sample knit sock. This is my social knitting project so it’s moving pretty slowly. I did try taking it to the grocery while my husband did most of the grocery shopping. Plus I got a few rows in on the drive to and from the grocery.

MORE BIRTHDAY YARN

I follow the blog for AGirlAndHerWool so she mentioned her business has been off to a slow start this year. I had seen several colorways that I really liked so I decided my birthday last week was a good excuse to order some from her. The colors are just as pretty as I had imagined from the photos. I’m going to make a striped pair of socks with her Smoke Paprika and Orange Sorbet yarns. Then I’m going to pair a grey/blue mini from my advent calendar as the toe/heel contrast yarn with her SeaSalt yarn. It’s not like I don’t have at least 10 other yarns that need to be knit up in socks!! Oh well.

DUH

Last week I shared that I was not real thrilled with how bland my circular needle holder was. A friend commented on how beautiful Roxanne Richardson’s circular needle holder was in her office update podcast. This inspired me that all I needed to do was cover my needle holder with some pretty fabric. Then recut out the slots for the needles to go through. I’m much happier with my “rainbow bright” needle holder.

COMING WEEK

Well, that was my week. Looking forward to hubby and I getting our second and final vaccine shot this week. Fingers crossed the second dose does not make me sick. We were invited by friends to go to Gatlinburg this week but just felt we had tried so hard to get our shots that we didn’t want to delay the second shot even if we were able. It’s going to be super cold this week so it will be a great knitting weather, and too cold for gardening. 😁👍

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.