Tag Archive | crafts

Knitting with a Dog

Today is Duncan’s second full day at home after his knee surgery, and he’s doing really well. He’s touching the leg to the ground at times, even putting some weight on it, which is better than I expected. The hardest part is going to be keeping him calm while everything heals. I think the first couple of weeks will be the most critical, and after that we can start slowly building in a little more activity. Actually, the hardest part are the nights. He hates the cone, not surprisingly, so we’ve been sitting with him 24/7 and keeping him on a leash to restrict movement and prevent him from licking the incision. The husband and I took turns sleeping downstairs with him the last two nights, and it’s not very restful, but at least Duncan gets some sleep that way. We can manage this for a couple of weeks, right?

ee16171f-a91d-467f-9e8d-cbab1b57c5ee Also not surprisingly, I’ve had some knitting time while sitting with Duncan, and I’ve finished two projects! The first is the Botta Stole, which I don’t think I’ve mentioned before. It’s basically a scarf, and I chose it for a special skein of Aspen, a blend of merino/silk/cashmere from Baah Yarns. Unfortunately, I didn’t pay attention to yardage and I didn’t have as much as the pattern called for, so mine will be a bit short. I’m hoping it will block out long enough to wear with a shawl pin or ring.

db945b6d-a29d-49dc-a58c-b2d2a6e55def That is a terrible photo and I do apologize, but my opportunities to take photos in good light are a bit limited right now. I promise I’ll get a better one after it’s done blocking! My other finished item is a sock, so I’ll save that for tomorrow’s post. And two finished items means I get to cast on two new items, so that’s what I’ll be doing while Duncan and I watch the Golden Globes tonight!

New Year, New FO

Jan1

This is a nice way to start off a new year, with a completed project that used two skeins of stash yarn from a year ago! I actually finished it on December 27th, so it’s not really the first FO of the year, but it’s the first one I’m sharing, so it’s pretty much the same.

fullsizeoutput_251c This is Twindom, which used two skeins of Malabrigo Rasta. I did modify it by using size 17 needles instead of 19. The 19s made it too loose. Using the smaller needles, I got a tighter fabric but I did run out of yarn a few rows early, and it’s not as big as I expected, but it also hasn’t been blocked yet, and I’m pretty sure that will relax the stitches quite a bit. I’ll be sure to share an update after blocking. This color is Baya Electrica and I love it! It was a Christmas gift from the husband last year, so it was nice to finally find the right project for it.

I hope you all had a lovely New Year’s Eve! We spent the evening our usual way, with board games, an obscene amount of junk food, and much laughter. It’s such a treat to have all of us together these days. And I got to sleep until 10 this morning!! I know that won’t happen again for a very long time.

Duncan’s surgery is tomorrow. We’ve got a mattress downstairs so we can lay with him to help keep him calm, and one of us will sleep there overnight for at least the first week or so. We borrowed a crate from the brother, for when we’re not able to supervise him and the other dogs. He’s never been crated before so we’re trying to get him used to it by putting in one of his dog beds and blankets, and we put a few treats in there last night. Each dog took turns napping in there while we were playing games. It was pretty funny.

Now I just need to pick out a couple of easy knitting projects that I can work on while I’m sitting with a dog. I’m planning on another Bandana Cowl, and maybe a hat too. What’s your favorite mindless comfort knitting?

Happy New Year, friends!

Just Try It: A FO

Dec29

Let’s get back to a bit of knitting, shall we? Over my Christmas break I pulled a skein of Magpie Fibers Swanky DK out of my stash and it became a neck tube! I wanted something snug enough that I could feel the cashmere softness against my skin and long enough to snuggle down into when it’s cold. I haven’t gotten to wear it yet but I think it will be wonderfully cozy.

The pattern is Just Try It and I did the slimmest version, which I think they call the “guy version”. It’s so simple and knitting ribbing with a cashmere blend was so much my jam that I wanted to knit until the yarn was gone. Instead, I stopped when the cowl was about 10″ tall and decided to make fingerless mitts with the rest of the skein.

I scoured Ravelry to find a good ribbed pattern for sport weight yarn, since I wanted the mitts to match the neck tube, and I couldn’t find one that looked like I what I wanted. So I decided to improvise my own pattern! I took my favorite fingerless mitt pattern, the 75 Yard Malabrigo Mitts, and cast on fewer stitches with smaller needles and did the same ribbing pattern as in the cowl. The thumb I did the same as the original mitts since I couldn’t figure out how to make it ribbed, and I love how it turned out, growing out of one of the stockinette sections. I made them snug and short, perfect for wearing while I’m doing things like typing or knitting, and they’re officially my favorite new mitts.

These took 95 yards and I had enough left over that I could have made the cuff a bit longer, but I’m pleased with them. You can see the pattern notes here if you’re interested.

Back to real life

Dec26

Almost. I don’t have to go back to work until Monday but all the holiday stuff is over and now it’s time to just relax for a few days. Which is good because I got A LOT of yarn that I want to play with! The husband had a good time picking out yarn and he chose VERY well. But I restrained myself to winding just two skeins and casting on two new projects, a shawl and a new pair of socks. The sock yarn is Yarn Geek and the shawl is Blissful Knits, both sellers on Etsy.

There is a teeny tiny part of me that is a bit overwhelmed by my yarn stash at the moment, feeling like I have reached SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy) and it makes me want to cast on all the things, so I might cast on a new hat today too.

In other gifting news, I gifted two pairs of socks and one hat, and all three were well-received! And I think they might even all fit, how about that? Hope your handmade items were equally loved!

Nope I’m done

Dec22

I really thought I was going to make more wine sweaters. I mean, I did make two more, and they’re cute and they’re going to a good friend who asked for them a while back. And then I thought about making more for the mother and the SIL and … just nope. They were going to be extras just for fun, so they won’t even know what they’re missing. And I get to move on to more fun knitting!

Last night I had the itch to cast on something new for myself, something with squishy garter stitch, something that’s bigger than fingering weight. I had a skein of yarn in mind but could find a good pattern for it. I went up to my stash to pull it out anyway so I could wind it, and in doing so, I touched a different skein. Friends, that skein had cashmere in it, and it said “HEY! KNIT ME! I’M SOFT AND SQUISHY AND DECADENT!” Well! Who am I to ignore the demands of my yarn?

This is Magpie Fibers Swanky DK, which is 80% merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon and SO silky soft. I wanted to be able to feel it against my skin, which is why I chose the close-fitting cowl called Just Try It. It’s making me happy to knit and it’ll make me happy to wear!

In other fun knitting news, I have a table in my craft room now. The husband recently finished a huge dining room table so we got to move the old one upstairs. Once I don’t need it as a wrapping station, it will become a winding station!

Happiness is having a room of one’s own, I think. Happy Sunday, friends!

Color Me Happy!

Dec21

This project has been done for over two weeks, blocked and everything, and it wasn’t until yesterday that I was able to get some good photos. First it was too late in the evening and there wasn’t enough light, then there was so much cold and snow. But we’re in a warm stretch at the moment so I snuck out to the back yard after work yesterday with my new Color Me Happy Cowl.

fullsizeoutput_250c I didn’t measure it after blocking but before blocking it was at least 30″ long. This is a beast of a cowl, and I have to admit, it was a trudge to knit. So much stockinette in the round! I’d rather do that much ribbing any day. But wow, how I love the way the colors go together! And it’s easier to wear than I thought it would be, since it’s so long. It just all mushes up together around your neck.

There was one section with a bit of lace to break up all the stockinette, and that helped with the monotony. A little.

The green yarn is Ella Rae Lace Merino, the purple is Holiday Yarns FlockSock Sock, and the variegated is Supernatural Yarns Pixie Sock. And not only did I pull all these from my stash, but I have enough of the purple and variegated to make some gorgeous socks. And now, because it’s so pretty and the light was good, here are the rest of the photos because I couldn’t pick which ones to use!

Now I must go finish my holiday chores before I can get back to knitting!

FO Friday: Sweater!

Dec20

You didn’t really think I had a person-sized sweater to show off, did you? No, the only sweaters I’m making progress on are wine bottle sweaters. Look at this super-cute baseball version:

That’s a gift for a very good friend who’s a huge Kansas City Royals fan, and I’ve got more of those buttons so I’ll probably make more. Maybe I can sell a few next year! I’ve also got another red one finished and a green one on the needles. I decided the mother and one of the SILs each need one. Why I couldn’t decide this a month ago, I have no idea, but there you have it. This is the Christmas tradition: declare I’m not making a lot of Christmas gifts, then decide at the last minute that I want to make Christmas gifts for so many people. And that, friends, is why we all declare January selfish-knitting month!

Hope you all are having a happy holiday season so far!

A Sea Chanty of Sorts

Dec18

Because the holidays aren’t busy enough, I recently agreed to test knit a cowl pattern for Lindalou Anne Holley, and I’m happy to report that the pattern is live now! It’s called A Sea Chanty of Sorts, and it’s a one-skein pattern for either fingering or DK weight, and there are small and large versions of both. I chose to knit the larger DK version so I could knit up my gorgeous Big Sky Yarn Co. Squish DK, in the color Big Sky.

The diamond pattern is made with a slipped stitch/cable motif. Maybe my yarn was slippery, but I did have to use a locking stitch marker to hold the loose stitch so it didn’t get dropped. But it was an easy pattern to follow, and I love the finished piece.

I went down two needle sizes to get closer to the pattern gauge, and I used all but eight grams of my yarn, so I would recommend checking gauge if you’re making the larger DK version just to make sure you have enough yarn on hand. Normally I don’t for cowls; I just make sure I like how it’s knitting up.

It really was a perfect combo of yarn and pattern — they complement each other well and neither one overwhelms the other. This would make a perfect gift if I knew someone who loves blue, but I guess I’ll just keep it for myself!

Sock It To Me Monday

Dec16

Yesterday I showed you my new sock yarn, now I’ll show you my new sock WIP! I actually started this one on Saturday when I had a bit of time in the car going from one shindig to another. It was so much fun that I kept knitting that night while I watched Gone With the Wind, a movie that changes for me each time I watch it. There are things about it that make me cringe now, but there are also parts that make me laugh and parts that break my heart. Anyway! Where was I? Oh yes, sock.

fullsizeoutput_2506 I have given up hope of having them done by Christmas but that’s okay. I’ll probably set them aside and then I can have a brand new pair of socks next year!

My Pennyroyal hat is done and blocked and even has the pompom sewn on, after a minor hiccup. This is one of those poms that has a snap, so you can switch out colors, and somehow I always sew the base on upside down. Spoiler: it doesn’t work that way. But it was easily remedied and I have a lovely hat for the boy’s girlfriend.

The other skein of yellow is on the needles to make a second hat, this one for the girl. She might end up with a matching yellow pompom, though, since I didn’t buy a fancy furry one for her!

Right on schedule

Dec14

Here it is, about a week after my last post! So apparently I have a schedule, it’s just not that frequent. But I have finished things to share today. First up are are my gift socks and they’re not exactly the same size but neither are feet, right? So we’re calling them a win. Yarn is Treasure Goddess Yarns Treasured Toes in Everglades Excursion and as nice as it was to knit with, I think the socks are going to feel awesome to wear. At least I hope so!

I also finally finished and blocked and photographed my Diamond Cowl. Once I committed to it, this was a fast and easy pattern, and I just love a diamond lace pattern. The yarn is Ella Rae Lace Merino Aran and it was quite scrumptious. It’s soft and smooth and has a lovely drape. I even had enough yarn to do an extra half-repeat of the lace pattern.

I have more FO’s, if you can believe it, but they’re still in the blocking/photography phases, and plus I don’t want to throw it all in at once. Maybe I’ll manage to get another post out sooner than a week!

I’m excited about knitting right now, which feels good. I’m even still excited about a couple of potential gifts I want to make, if I have time. We’re on track with gift shopping, though we haven’t started wrapping yet, and overall I’m feeling pretty good about Christmas being so close. But it’s also Saturday morning, when I’m happiest and most optimistic because the whole weekend is stretching before me, so we’ll see how I feel in a week or so. Happy weekend, friends!