Happy New Year everyone! Back to reality, I guess. My awesome break/craftcation was so wonderful that it made it that much harder to go back to work. Since I’ve been back to work, I’ve without a doubt not been as productive plus I did my last On the WIP Side post a bit late. That means there’s most certainly less to share. The good news is that since I cast off so much, this will be about some new projects. I also have some plans to share as well.
Total: 5 WIPs (4 active)
Knitting: 3 projects – 1 pair of socks, 1 Sweater, 1 blanket
Crochet: 1 project – ohhh yeah I started a crochet project – 1 blanket
Spinning: 1 project
Finished: 0 projects
2020 Total Finished: 0
Pavement Sweater
Pattern: Pavement / Veera Valimaki
Yarn: Once Upon a Corgi / Rodney / Aeron (tweed)
Needles: Size 5 (body) and Size 1 (neckline)
Gauge: 20 st per 4 in on size 6 needle
Cast on: 10/23/2019
Cast off goal: 1/12/2020
All right. This sweater. It’s currently my “main” focus even though I haven’t worked on it in a few days. The body is finally long enough (thank you 1 month of movies) and so I’m ready to move onto the split hem. Here’s what happened. I sat down after work last night to work on this and it has some short row shaping “for the back.” I followed along the directions and I was knitting around the whole sweater. There was a section later on called “for the front” and so I knew I should only be on the back of the sweater. There was a part of the pattern earlier on where you remove markers and I started feeling like maybe I removed too many? I removed the wrong ones? I don’t know. I was also trying to watch TV (Survivor anyone? We are behind, so don’t get nervous that it’s not currently airing) and so my concentration wasn’t exactly what it should have been. So instead of royally making it up myself, I put it aside and moved onto something else. My goal for tonight is to get it back on track. Right now, I have two stitch markers, one on each side. I think the missing one is in the middle of the back, which would make sense based on how these short rows are working.
OH! The other thing is that I don’t have the right number of stitches. This doesn’t really worry me because there’s more than enough ease and so it will still fit. I’ll just fudge some of the short rows to make it work. What does bother me is thinking there are 4 dropped stitches somewhere in this thing. I really doubt that I knit stitches together and so it’s gotta be dropped stitiches. The only other possibility is that I didn’t cast on enough at the armholes so let’s hope for that. I stretched out the sweater to see if any dropped stitch fell any further (is that how you do it??) but did not see anything. Who knows. It’ll be fine. It will be fine.
Now that this is no longer a random tube of stockinette, it is my main focus, which means it now has a cast off goal. I just have to do the hem and two sleeves, so I’m hoping it will be done by next weekend? We’ll see how much progress I make this weekend.
Northeasterly Blanket
Pattern: Northeasterly / Skeinanigans
Yarn: My hand dyed yarn in various test colors
Needles: Size 1 dpns
Cast on: 3/22/2019
Cast off goal: None
I don’t think I’ve ever actually talked about this blanket. I started it because when I took up hand dyeing, I made a lot of 5g skeins to test dyes, techniques and new colorways. I’m a practical person and decided I wanted to make a scrap blanket so I would use them. The Northeasterly blanket was pretty popular at the time and it was a great choice. This project is my before bed project. I typically knit a few rows on it before dozing off. Generally, I have a goal on 5 colors each month (see picture above for my January plans – wound balls and 2 minis) so that I keep making progress. I have already finished one (left most column at the top). The idea is that this is a lap blanket for while I am on the computer.
Now for the new cast ons!
January DVD Socks
Pattern: None featuring Fish Lips Kiss heel (Sox Therapist)
Yarn: Desert Vista Dyeworks / Vista / Silver Linings Playbook
Needles: Size 0
Gauge: 8 st per 1 inch
Cast on: 1/1/2020
Cast off goal: None
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK! THIS ISN’T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! (image of me backing up slowly towards the door with my hands covering my face).
Okay okay, more seriously, I am not participating in the Desert Vista Dyeworks monthly sock club this year despite me actually kind of doing so. Here’s what happened. Over Thanksgiving, my husband’s father asked for a pair of socks. I actually don’t mind knitting something for someone (once) and then judging their reaction to see how many more hand knit items they will receive. I thought at the time I would dye up a color he would like, but he kept pointing to my husband’s socks are saying “I like those. Those are nice.” Eventually my mom said “Lauren! I think he wants socks in that color.” To which I said “OH! I can do that. I have plenty leftover from his socks.” My husband likes short socks, so I have enough. I could add a contrasting color for the cuff if they are coming out too short.
So there you have it. I’m knitting another pair of socks with this yarn, but I’m not participating formally. These are my current movie theater project. I’m knitting them two at a time (it was already divided into two balls) on size 0 needles. I don’t really have a deadline, but I don’t want to drag them out either.
Neat Ripple Blanket
Pattern: Neat Ripple / Attic24
Yarn: Scraps
Hook: E/3.5MM
Cast on: 12/30/2019
Cast off goal: None
So what happened here, right? I started a crochet blanket. I will have a highlight post published shortly with more detail here. I’m on the second colorway and loving this project so far. The instructions were written out so well that I didn’t need to look anything up at all. Can I remind you I’ve never crocheted anything before. I definitely recommend looking at the pattern. Below is my progress so far!
Spinning (Inactive)
No progress as I was away and did not bring my wheel. I’m planning on getting back into 3x per week starting this weekend.
What’s next?
This post is getting long and so I’ll leave it at that. Don’t be surprised if there are more cast ons in the next coming weeks!
Shop – Rose Gold is now in the shop. It is a glorious variegated colorway and a gradient set. I actually have some more ideas for kits with these colors, so keep a look out! Check out the previous post for even more details!
I hope your year is off to a great start!