Tag Archive | rainbow yarn

FO Friday: Rainbow Beanie

For a fingering weight hat, this went fast! I cast on Tuesday and finished it last night. It came out a tad bigger than I expected, with a hint of slouch, but I’m hoping that will be okay. They can grow into it, right? It’s superwash yarn so I’m going to send it through the washer and dryer before gifting it. The yarn is Lion Brand Mani-Pedi (I think that’s what it’s called) and I really like the colors. It’s maybe not as as soft as some more expensive yarns, but I’m guessing a wash will help with that too.

We capped off the girl’s visit with an outdoor summer band concert — live music! the girl playing her flute! — and dinner and game night on our deck. It was perfect for burgers and Scrabble. The only thing that could have made it better would be if I had won that game!

And now the girl is gone and we are back to three. Grace might be the saddest of all. She got to sleep with the girl while she was here and now she’s back to sleeping downstairs with the other dogs. That is sad for us too, since she gets lonely and doesn’t let us sleep as late!

Happy Friday, friends.

Sock It To Me Monday

Jun2

I cast on a new sock first thing this morning for the Pride Month KAL. Of the two yarns I was pondering, Born This Way from MollyGirl Yarn was the overwhelming favorite, and I had to agree that it seemed the perfect choice. And I decided to jazz it up just a tiny bit more by picking a new pattern to me, Heel Toe Do Si Do. Guys, this project is addictive.

944DFB50-B0DA-4F4A-9859-B5AA71022B8E Everything about this is perfect for me: the colors, the striping, the sparkle, the subtle chevrons. These will be easy to finish within a month.

FO: Rainbow Wave Shawl

Feb10

As I’d hoped, I finished another WIP yesterday, my Rainbow Wave. I only had about six rows left but each one had increases and they felt like really long rows! But it’s done and washed and blocked and everything!

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The yarn is Manos del Uruguay Alegria in Locura Fluo and I absolutely adore it and wish I had ten more skeins. I mean, these colors! I am swooning, and I don’t think it’s just because I’m so tired of all the dreary gray around me. No, this is just a swoon-worthy color. Another blogger made a sweater for her young daughter out of this yarn; I think I need one too! (Don’t worry, I wouldn’t wear the shawl with the sweater!)

This was an easy, relaxing knit and I blocked it into an easily wearable crescent shape. The pattern shows it more triangular, but when I laid the wet shawl out, it just seemed to want to be a crescent, so that’s fine. I’m not one to argue with my shawls.

This takes me down to only FOUR WIPs, guys! One is a sweater, one is a big shawl, and the other two are one-skein projects. Now I’m torn between pushing forward on completing WIPs, or casting on something new. I know I need to cast on a new sock because I have to have at least one sock on my needles. But I’m really tempted to cast on a cowl with my new Woolfolk LUFT today, since it’s slick and gray and wet outside, and a warm cozy cowl project sounds perfect. What do you think, cast on or finish more?

What’s that yarn??

Dec13

I’ve had a lot of questions about the new project I shared in an earlier post. I wasn’t thinking clearly, or else I would have included the details of course! Both yarns are from Manos del Uruguay, and they’re my newest review project.

The solid is Fino in the color Peacock Plume, and it’s an extrafine merino/silk blend. I’ve used it once before and it’s heavenly. It’s paired with Cabrito, a laceweight kid mohair blend, in the color Locura Fluo. Now imagine merino, silk, and mohair all in one project, and you know why I’m obsessed with this project right now!

The Cabrito is 230 yards and Fino is 490, but I really wanted to knit them together for maximum coziness. I decided the two held together could be close to a DK, so I chose a simple shawl pattern called Orbit. I’ve made one before and wear it all the time, so I knew it was a good pattern choice. I’ve been tired in the evenings so I’m not getting a ton of knitting done but here’s where I am so far.

This one’s not going to linger on my needles, I can tell already!

Rainbow Warrior, Part Two

Feb11

Today was so sunny and bright that I braved the cold temperature to take some photos of recent projects, and I decided to add my Rainbow Warrior to the mix. I’d never taken any pictures in good lighting, and I was reminded of how gorgeous this shawl is. Stay tuned for pictures of new projects in the next couple of days!

Three Times a Cowl

Jul24

Last weekend I cast on a couple of new projects. One of them was with my treasured Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Bulky.

I wanted something simple to show off the yarn, something quick and easy that would be a good travel project for my lunchtime knitting at work. I chose The Simplest Cowl, all stockinette, cast on, and took it to work with me last week.

It was definitely fast; I finished in just a couple of lunch breaks. But I didn’t like it. It was too wide and too short. I frogged and started over with 75 stitches, but then the yarn pooled (not sure if that’s the right word) in a weird way. The colors stacked instead of being more random. Frogged again and started with 85? 87? I’m not sure. Again, it went quickly and yesterday I finished it and bound off during lunch, and happily put it on.

It was still too short. It curled so much that the curls were all you saw when I was wearing it. My one skein just didn’t go far enough to make the look I wanted from that pattern. Now, if it were any other yarn, I probably would have tossed it aside, listed it on Etsy and forgotten about it. But I love this yarn, plus it was a gift from my mom. It had to be something I loved, something I would wear. I frogged one more time and rewound it. I went through the cowls on Ravelry that others had made with this yarn, and found one that looked quite delightful called Squishy Soft Cowl. I found the right needles, double-checked the pattern, and headed out with the girl to see The Secret Life of Pets. This would be my first foray into movie theater knitting.

And it went quite well, I must say! I got a good chunk done before the movie even started and was able to keep track of the simple pattern while still paying attention to the movie. It probably helped that the movie was a little silly and I didn’t have to work at all to keep up. I’m not sure I could knit that well during a movie aimed at actual grownups. Anyway, I got through 3/4 of the yarn and finished it last night and THIS TIME I’m happy with the end result.

I chose the smallest version so it would be snug and tall, and it came out exactly right.

Do you want to see my other current project too? It’s the Reyna shawl with my new blue/green Araucania Huasco. I think I love this as much as I love my rainbow. It seems to be such a good match of yarn and pattern, and the pattern is so fun. It’s just sections of garter and mesh alternated so that you never get tired of either one.

I’m using my new Addi Turbo Lace needles and really like them. They’re lightweight, super smooth, and I love the pointy tips. I’ll be adding more of these to my wish list. I have about 40 rows left and then it’ll be done. But this isn’t a good lunch break project, so I’ll be casting on something new today to take to work this week. Maybe a hat this time!

Something else fun: I keep finding more knitters at work. The lab manager knits, and brought in a shawl she’s working on so I could help her with it. And we decided her 8yo daughter needed to learn to knit, so I brought in some 10″ size 11 needles and a skein of bulky acrylic in a pretty teal for her to try. Anything to create new knitters, right? The needles were metal ones I’d found secondhand for cheap, so I didn’t mind passing them on. As we sat in the break room knitting, we discovered another knitter as well as a crocheter. Just wait, I’ll bring all these yarn people together and create a big yarny community over there! *rubs hands together evilly* Bwahahaha!

Finished Object Friday: The Rainbow

May27

I’m officially over the Rainbow scarf: I finished it yesterday afternoon! I’m quite pleased with it. I used a little over a skein and a half, plenty left over for a matching hat and then some. Now I just need to take some better photos outside and get it listed on Etsy!

But that’s not all! Oh no, that is not all! I also finished the body of the mermaid blanket last night! Grace says it smells just fine. I’ve got the tail begun and this project should be complete by the end of the day. Woohoo!

For my U.S. friends, enjoy the long weekend!

Still the Rainbow

May26

But at least it’s getting bigger! I knit on it after working out yesterday, while introducing the girl to the magical train wreck that is Keeping up with the Kardashians. It’s so funny to watch. (“Jump the shark? What does that mean? Don’t they mean jump ship?” and “The girls think you have this disease called colonoscopy.”) I know. I’m sorry. I can’t help it. Please don’t judge me. Actually, you can judge all you want. I’m still going to watch it and laugh. Anyhoo, I knit on the scarf a lot, and it went to flute lesson too, and it’s growing by leaps and bounds. I added on the second skein after flute lesson and knit some more last night while the boys watched The Flash. (Season finale! So dramatic!) I’m in love with this scarf and this yarn.

I could pretend that I’m going to work on the mermaid blanket today, but let’s be honest. I’m going to knit on this scarf until it’s done. Then, and only then, will I return to the mermaid blanket.

Here’s a fun shot of Grace. The hubby took both dogs on a 2-mile run yesterday and wore them out big-time. But they were so happy!

We have had rain for days and it’s still cloudy and gray. Here’s hoping there’s sunshine wherever you are!

Rainbow Scarf

May25

I cast on a new project yesterday. I didn’t mean to, it just…happened. I was near a Joann store, and I had three coupons about to expire, and nobody likes to let those coupons go to waste, right? There was nothing I needed, but I thought I could get some fun acrylic to add more inexpensive items to my inventory. I wandered around, enjoying the colors, and pondering several different yarns. Then I saw THIS yarn, and the choice was made.

Much Pretty! So Rainbow!

As soon as I got home, I perused scarf patterns, wanting something simple and quick to make that would show off the colors. I settled on Diane’s Diagonal Scarf, similar to a candy cane scarf I’ve made before, and cast on. If only it were that simple. That pattern said it made a scarf 4″ wide, and I wanted wider, so I cast on more stitches. My first attempt was too wide and too dense. I switched to bigger needles and fewer stitches. Good fabric but still too wide. Cast on again, settling on 31 stitches. I will note, this yarn does not like being frogged. It’s all fuzzy, so it likes to catch on itself and get stuck together. But I do love the colors, and it’s nice and soft to knit with.

But today, seriously, I’m going to work on the mermaid blanket. I swear. I mean, maybe after a few more rows of this scarf…

Hitchhiker Done

Apr7

I did it! I finished the fingering weight Hitchhiker! I only made it to 36 teeth, instead of 42, but it’s definitely a wearable length. Toward the end, I checked my yarn at the end of each row, but I used as much yarn as possible with maybe one yard left over. This is a gift for a good friend (she provided the yarn, I provided the labor) and I hope she enjoys wearing it! And honestly, once I got back into the groove, I enjoyed knitting it again. It really is a brilliant pattern.

Details: Pattern is the classic Hitchhiker by Martina Behm. One of these days I’ll get around to knitting on of her other awesome patterns. Yarn is Araucania Huasco, 450 yards of fingering weight merino. It’s lovely to knit with, and the muted rainbow is gorgeous. I used 24″ size 3 circs.

Happy Thursday, friends! Tune in tomorrow to see what’s next on my needles!