2018 Knits

Before we get much more into the new year, I wanted to do a summary of what I made during 2018.  I'm pretty pleased with my total, especially when you consider that I couldn't even attempt to knit for the months of October, November, and December.  Realistically, if I hadn't broken my wrist, I think I could have gotten one or two more pairs of socks done - though it still would have been short of twelve pairs for the year!  No problem though, since for me, the Box o' Socks is for fun and a bit of challenge more than anything else.

Anyway, I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish.

Eight pairs of socks

A sweater for me

A sweater for my new great-nephew Oden, who was born in April

A patriotic dishcloth for the 4th of July

A pumpkin hat and an eggplant hat for dear friends, whose babies were originally due in October, but arrived towards the end of July (they are doing really well, btw).

Total:  13 items - I thought it was a lower number, so that's pretty exciting as far as I'm concerned!

FO: Blackbird Socks

Hello!  The beauty of the Internet is that you don't have to listen to me coughing and hacking while trying to type this - trust me, you should appreciate it.  :-)  I'm feeling better, and will be back at work tomorrow.  My dr said that in a perfect world, it would be good to stay put for another week, but she understands my situation, and said just to do the minimum (so I don't get fired!) and go home if I am really struggling.  I'm at home today because we are off for Columbus Day.  Regardless of how you feel about Christopher Columbus, I am grateful every year for a day off.  I guess that's a perfect case of situational ethics.

But I digress.  I am more than grateful for all of your kind words wishing me well.  It's always so nice to know others are thinking of you and giving you a virtual hug. 

Moving on, it's time for an FO post - hooray!!

You may remember this post, where I discussed making a pair of socks for my brother-in-law Patrick on the upcoming occasion of his 70th birthday.  Well, my sister is also turning 70 years old this year, and so she needed an appropriate pair of socks to mark the occasion too.

Project:  Blackbird Socks
Pattern:  Classic Socks for the Family (my go-to vanilla sock pattern)
Yarn:  Must Stash Yarn Must Match Sock Yarn, The White Album, Disc B colorway
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  None
Notes:  Another good one from Must Stash Yarns!  I just did a 2 x 2 ribbed cuff, and then 3 x 1 ribbing for the entire sock.  These went quickly, because of course, I kept wanting to see what happened next.  And this particular yarn colorway was an obvious choice because the White Album was not just amazing, but the song "Julia" inspired the name of one of my nieces.  I call these Blackbird Socks because that's one of the songs on Disc B, and the light gray, dark gray, black stripes made me think of a blackbird in the dead of night - a different "color" depending on where and when you see or hear one, and how much lighting you do or do not have.

I can't wait to send both of these pairs of socks along to the respective recipients.  I'm also going to send a couple of hats to my sister, who recently finished chemo and has requested some soft but cozy hats. 

Even though opening the packages is bound to lead to more "Why Didn't We Go To Woodstock/To See the Beatles," etc. conversations ... ;-)

FO Post: A Pumpkin and an Eggplant Walk Into a Bar, and ...

OK, well actually that's all - no punch line, I'm afraid.  But the concept amused me.

I mentioned that over the weekend I had knit a couple of baby hats.  This gave me a feeling of accomplishment, because TWO things!  Small things, yes, but still, there are two.

 Said eggplant

Said pumpkin

Project:  Hats for October Twins Who Ended Up Being Born in July
Pattern(s):  Patrick's Pumpkin, by Lee Ann Bonson; and, Kid's Fruit Cap, by Ann Norling
Yarn:  Encore Colorspun Worsted, in green, purple, and orange colorways (I used stash leftovers, and don't have the ball bands)
Needles:  Size 6 and 8US
Modifications:  For the pumpkin hat, you make the crown of leaves separately and then join it to the brim of the hat - I left the crown as a strip, because I find it easier to attach that way.
Notes:  I made the smallest size of each pattern - they will likely swim in them this year, since they are so tiny, but maybe by next year they can wear them.  Both of these are go-to patterns for me for baby gifts, as they are quick and I almost always have some Encore in the stash. 

I'm going to mail them once I know the babies are out of the hospital.  I feel pretty certain they will be well-received.  And since they are machine washable and dryable, they don't create unnecessary work for new parents who already have their hands full.

FO : Christmas in July Socks

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself because I had set a goal to finish these socks by the end of July.  And I actually finished them last Thursday, so I was days ahead!

Project:  Christmas in July Socks

Pattern:  Classic Socks for the Family, by Melinda Goodfellow (my go-to vanilla sock pattern)

Needles:  Size 1US

Yarn:  Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Peppermint Mocha colorway

Modifications:  I used the Eye of Partridge Heel flap pattern, to add some texture and visual interest.

These socks are for The Tim, who of course assumed I was knitting for myself, and kept mentioning how great they looked, so I know he will like them!  They went pretty fast, partly because I just hit the right mode, and partly because I loved the colorway, and wanted to see how it would knit up.  I'm very pleased with how they turned out, and wish it could be cool enough to have  Peppermint Mocha to celebrate ... :-)

Hamlet is not a knitter, but he has no problem posing with knitted items.  As you may imagine, Pip had a lot to say about this - not because he usually poses with knitted items, but because THE DOG was doing something ...

My other project that I was hoping to finish this month will carry over into the beginning of August.  I received the yarn I needed to finish it in plenty of time, but when I picked things up to start knitting again, I did something that caused me to have to rip back ~16 rounds.  Ugh.  But things are back on track, though there is no way I'll finish this evening.  Which is fine - I've put so much effort into it so far, why not have a finished knit that makes me happy?

For Friday - Let's Look At This FO!

Do you ever have a knitting project that you really want to make, and things go OK for most of it, until they don't and then you are Just.Done. ??

That happened to me with this project.  You may or may not recall that at the beginning of last summer, I started knitting the Strawberry Field Socks.  I was knitting along, loving the pattern, and then I tugged on the yarn and was faced with the most incredible amount of yarn barf ever.  I made a concerted effort to untangle the yarn, and gave up when it just wasn't happening.  The yarn was chucked into the trash, and I moved on to another project.  But in the back of my mind, I still wanted to knit that pattern.

Fast forward to this summer, when I came across the perfect yarn in my stash, and decided to give it a try again. It started out really well, and again, I was enjoying the pattern.

Because I was in a bit of a knitting slump, and just wanted to get the pair finished, I decided to make the foot of the pair plain, thinking it would make the whole thing go more quickly.  And soon sock #1 was completed.

I wasn't zooming along, but all was well.  I was moving down the leg of sock #2, and it happened again - yarn barf.  Ugh.  I put the whole thing down for a few days, and then tried to untangle this yarn.  This time though, it was not as much of a mess, and I managed to get it untangled with only a minimum of aggravation.  

The problem?  At this point, I just wanted to get the things finished.  It felt like I'd been knitting this particular pair for approximately 2 years.  So I carried on, but sadly did not really pay the attention I should have to the stitch pattern, so there was a lot of fudging around and just making it work, because I did not want to pull it out and re-knit where the mistakes had been.  I finished the leg, and the rest of it went along for the most part without major incident, but with other mistakes and fudging along happening pretty often.  

Thank the Lord, they are FINALLY finished!

Project:  Hot Mess Socks
Pattern:  Strawberry Field, by Sirkku Siiskonen (I made the 38 size)
Yarn:  Cedar Hill Farm Company Mission Sock, in the Sweet Strawberry colorway
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  I knit the foot plain.  Though I wish I'd done the pattern down the foot.  But it was not to be.

I am happy with the finished socks.  I love the color, and unless you are holding the socks in your hand, and looking at them closely, you can't see where the fudging occurred.  I love the color of the yarn.  I think I will like these socks a LOT more once I take them out of my Box o' Socks next year and have forgotten how sick I got of knitting them. With all of the issues related to just finishing this pair, I decided Hot Mess Socks was the perfect name for them.

Fortunately, the current pair I'm knitting are going along much better (plain socks help out), and I'm more in the mood to knit them anyway, so it's all good.

On that note, I wish you a lovely weekend, filled with knitting - if that's what you are in the mood to do - and other good stuff.  I have plans to do nothing in particular, and am looking forward to it.  :-)

Sometimes All You Really Want Is a Quickie

OK, get your minds out of the gutter.  ;-)  I'm talking about something else entirely, related to knitting.

You know the feeling when you are making progress on your projects, but it feels like forever since you actually finished something?  I was feeling this way later in the week, because the two projects I'm knitting are moving along well enough, but not really quickly.  I thought I would start something else, but it had to be small.  The problem is, the patterns I thought I'd use were not ones I had printed out and our home printer is currently having issues.  Sigh.

But then some Sugar and Cream yarns I'd bought on a recent trip to A.C. Moore caught my eye.  They had been two for a dollar, and a lot of them were in summery colors.  But one in particular seemed like a really good idea.  I also decided to use a basic mitered square pattern, like the one used for the Coziest Memory Blanket, and which I have memorized.

I grabbed a pair of size 9 needles, cast on 50 stitches, and got started.  About an hour later, I was finished.

And now our kitchen will have something in it for the Fourth of July.  It was a nice feeling to just get something completed, finished, done, whatever you want to call it. 

I may even make another.  :-)

And Now It's Time to Put It Away Over the Summer

"Yarn, needles, and me,

Then knitting I'll be,

And in the end I'll be happy in 

My Blue Sweater."

[with apologies to Walter Donaldson and George A. Whiting, who wrote "My Blue Heaven"]

Yesiree, the person who has only finished four sweaters/tops in her knitting life (and one didn't work out at all), finished a sweater!

Project:  (I'll Be Happy In) My Blue Sweater

Pattern:  Zadie, by Mercedes Tarasovich

Yarn:  Cloudborn Fibers Highland Worsted, in the colorway Stormy Skies

Needles:  US 5 and 7

Modifications:  No modifications (at least not intentionally!)

Notes:  When I saw The Grocery Girls wearing the sweaters they had knit in this pattern for their show on Craftsy, I fell in love with the cables along the sleeves.  They talked about how simple the pattern was to knit and understand, and said they were doing a KAL so others could knit along, and that Craftsy would have kits on sale for the yarn.  I was busy with other projects, and as you know, I don't have the best record with KALs, but when I saw that the amount of the yarn I would need to make my size would cost only $35.00, I decided to purchase it and see how I did.

I've never made a sweater in this fashion - you knit the body, then put it aside to do each sleeve.  Then you start knitting the body again, knitting the sleeves in as you go, and then follow along until it's done.  You weave in the ends, graft the underarms, and Voila - a sweater!

The fact that the Grocery Girls made tutorial videos for it meant that even at 10:00 at night or 5:30 in the morning, help was available.  Watching them really helped with some of the techniques.  The pattern is well-written, but I just wasn't comprehending how some things could be done, and the videos made all the difference.

I highly recommend this pattern, and I liked the yarn as well, but if you have enough worsted weight yarn in your stash, you can just work with that.  I took a long time with it not because it was hard, but because I was interrupted a few times by having to concentrate on other projects or activities. 

The Tim took these photos for me last weekend, and though it wasn't really all that warm, the sweater was *very* toasty!  But it fits well, I think it looks nice on me, and I can't wait to pull it out next fall and wear it for longer than about 10 minutes.  

Look how nice the cable detail on the shoulders is!

Love, love, love!

Of course, with every photo shoot there are some outtakes.  Here's mine.  This is just as I was moving towards The Tim to tell him something.  He says it looks like I've suffered a brain injury.  I think it is absolutely hilarious, and I can't stop laughing when I see it!

The Tim says if I die in a terrible accident, he'll give the news stations this photo.  He's a real laff riot.

Anyway, the sweater is now put away until cooler weather, and other knitting is happening, so it's all good.  :-)

When Swatches Lie

Well, OK swatches don't lie, but they can tell us things we don't want to know.  I have been wanting to make this top since last summer.  I didn't tackle it last year, because I was determined to finish my Cranberry Custom Fit sweater no matter what, and did not want to even think about starting something else.

But as you know, that sweater was finished, another was actually started and successfully completed (I still find that hard to believe!), and this year I decided somewhat informally that my knitting goals were going to include learning some new things.  (I say informally because for the first couple of months of the year, my knitting goals changed several times a day.)  So a few weeks ago I bit the bullet and purchased the pattern and some Quince & Co. Sparrow yarn in the colorway Port.  My "learning" for this was going to be knitting with linen yarn.  I know it's supposed to be tricky, and that it also softens and becomes much more lovely once it has been washed.

Starting off, there are already two things here that are So Not Me:  1) I actually purchased a pattern.  I am such a cheapskate when it comes to patterns, and I think it's because I feel like "little" purchases add up so fast I'm always surprised.  If I spend $$ on yarn, I'm spending all of it at one time, right in front of me.  But if I buy three patterns over the course of say, a month, and each one is $6.00-$10.00, all of sudden I'm surprised at how much I've spent; 2) I am trying a type of yarn that even a lot of really experienced knitters I know just won't even try, as they think linen is AWFUL for knitting.

I can tell you right now, that it's not really wind-able into a center pull skein - ask me how I found out. ;-)  But that aside, I got two skeins ready and knitted a swatch.  Obviously, it's different than using wool - I mean, it's got NO give or springiness at all (kinda like me on my best days).  But I didn't find it particularly frustrating, and I dutifully knitted my swatch, gave it a soak, and a bit of blocking.

Proof (and yes, it's a bit wonky.  Work with me here).

The pattern calls for 5.5 stitches to the inch.  I'm usually pretty spot on getting gauge, which is lucky because I'm not someone who can easily figure out the math/measurements/whatever involved to adjust things.  I measured in four different areas, and each time got 6 stitches to the inch.  GAH!  I asked God WHY SUCH TERRIBLE THINGS MUST BEFALL ME???? (Oddly, he seems otherwise occupied and not completely focused on my knitting.  Thanks, Obama.)

Sigh.  I don't want to go up a needle size, because I like the fabric I have with this swatch, and think going up would make it too sheer for my tastes.  The pattern says that the resulting top has approximately 2 inches of positive ease.  So it seems that my choices are to go ahead with this, but then possibly end up with a top much bigger than I would like, or actually go down a size, and then worry that it will be too form-fitting for my taste (and my form).

It's true.  These are the times that try men's [women's] souls.  WHY MUST MY SWATCH LIE TO ME????

I shall have to make a decision and go forth.  And I will, and hopefully it will all work out in the end.  But I didn't choose the color "Port" so I couldn't w[h]ine.  (I'll be here all week, folks!)

Anyway, if you have any words of wisdom, feel free to share.  If not, fall onto your knees and thank whatever deity you believe in that such tragedy has not entered your life (and you can also thank them for not making you Overly Dramatic while you're at it).

***

In other news, yesterday was of course the royal wedding, and the excitement level at our house was insane.  This photo pretty much sums it up.

I will say that I thought her dress was lovely, and I hope they will have a happy life.  I shall leave it there, since I have *many* thoughts about the entire topic, but let's just stick with the kind ones, shall we?

***

And, finally (yes!), I will just share with you that 40 years ago today, The Tim and I graduated from college.  I was first in the class!**

Have a nice Sunday.  I just saw the sun come out here, so I'm gonna get dressed and take a walk.

**we graduated in alphabetical order

Finito

Hello from rainy Philadelphia!  I signed up to do the 3K walk of the Susan G. Komen Foundation Breast Cancer Race today (it's always on Mother's Day here), but though I am not afraid of the rain (I like rain, except when I get soaked on  my way to work), I've decided to be a weather wimp and wait it out.  Partly because I packed away my sweatshirts in a fit of conscientiousness, and getting one out to wear would require more de-organizing and re-organizing than I am in the mood to do this morning.

Yeah, I know that was all superflous information.  So let's move on.

I have two FOs to share, so let's get going with the first one, OK?

Project:  These Socks Have No Class
Pattern:  Just a plain vanilla sock pattern made shorter in the leg
Needles:  Size 1US
Yarns:  All leftovers from other projects - the dark green is Reflections at Roclans Out of the Dyepot Merino Fingering, green colorway; variegated is Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock in the Molly colorway; orange is Ancient Arts Fibre 100% Superwash BFL Wool 4-Ply Fingering Sock in the Orange Tabby colorway.
Modifications:  The socks are all modifications of a regular pattern!
Notes:  I was originally planning to make scrappy short socks, but decided that always changing to do stripes was more than I was inspired to do at the time.  So I grabbed the first three balls of leftovers, and made these.  I knit the cuffs in 2 x 2 rib for 12 rows, then switched to the variegated for 1.5 inches.  Then I used the Orange Tabby yarn for an Eye of Partridge Heel Flap and heel, then returned to the variegated for the gusset plus two extra rows.  The foot went back to dark green, and the toes reverted back to Orange Tabby.  They are weird but I really like the way they turned out.  :-)

So I have my next pair of socks for my Box o' Socks, and I have a feeling that they will amuse me every time I put them on.

******

Today is Mother's Day here in the U.S., and if you celebrate, I wish you a happy day.  I will close by sharing one of my mother's inspirational sayings from when I was growing up:

"If you're born to hang, you'll never drown."

And there you go.

Friday FO

Well, I realized last night that I finished a pair of socks a few weeks ago, and completely forgot to show you!  So today is the day.

You may remember at some point I showed you the wip version, with the happy combo of pattern and yarn. 

They are now finished and safely tucked away in my Box o' Socks.

Project:  Milo and Molly Socks

Pattern:  Zigzagular Socks (free on Ravelry!)

Yarn:  Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock, in the colorway Molly (sadly discontinued)

Needles:  Size 1US

Modifications:  None

Notes:  These may be my favorite pair that I have knit so far this year, and one of my all-time faves!  I have had this yarn in my stash for a long time, and decided that it just needed to be a pair of socks this March.  I came across this pattern, which I had saved into my Ravelry library a while back, and since it was particularly created for variegated yarn, I thought it might be a good match - and it was.  This pair was just plain enjoyable to knit in every way.  The yarn is wonderful, the pattern is well-written and once you get through the first repeat, it's pretty memorable and doesn't require intense concentration.  I highly recommend it.

Here's another shot of the socks, where the color is closer to what you would see in person.

**********

Happy weekend!  I hope whatever you have planned works out.  Our weekend is probably going to be quiet, though I am hoping to make it to Loop tomorrow for Local Yarn Store Day.  Especially now that Rosie's has closed, I want do my part to make sure that my two other local stores, Loop and Hidden River Yarns, stay in business.  Since Loop is about 1 1/2 blocks from my house, I'll probably head over there.  (Laziness usually wins out, especially on weekends!)

FO: The NGN Sweater

We are in the home stretch before the arrival of my New Great Nephew (NGN), and I am actually ready in advance!  He is due April 17, though my niece told my sister that she thinks he'll be here sooner.  In any event, I will be sending off his gift later this week.  

Project:  NGN Sweater (New Great Nephew Sweater) (link is to Ravelry project page)

Pattern:  Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan, by Jennifer Hoel (free on Ravelry)

Yarn:  Plymouth Yarn DK Merino Superwash, colorway 1132 Green Lake

Needles:  US size 4

Modifications:  I don't know that these are modifications necessarily, rather than mistakes in the pattern.  Anyway, the pattern says to pick up 38 stitches under each arm, and I found that to be impossible.  The upper part of the arms that were on stitch holders had 38 stitches, but I could not figure out any way to make room for 38 stitches on the underarm, so I picked up 19 under each one, and that seemed to work just fine.  The other thing was that when you got to the end of the arms, the pattern said "Row 1: K 38 sts.  Row 2:  P 38 sts."  That would have meant you only did a portion of the stitches, when I am 99.99% sure that the pattern meant to K and P all the stitches you had on the needles!

Notes/comments:  This pattern was so much fun to knit, and really very simple.  Except for the two instances mentioned above, it was easy to understand and the instructions made sense.  I wanted to choose a color of yarn that was not strictly "little boy" color, and I thought the color was not just gender-neutral, but good for springtime.  Usually Plymouth yarns are lovely but this one was pretty splitty, and that was annoying until I got used to it.  

The buttons (shown in a close-up above, complete with Jack hair!), were another story.  Again, I didn't want buttons that screamed "little boy" but I was also not willing to devote a quest to finding ones that were the Most Perfect Buttons in the World.  I was happy with these little Volkswagen Beetle buttons in red.  They made a nice contrast, and were kind of an homage to my sister and brother-in-law (NGN's grandparents), who had a VW bug for years before they had children.

Anyway, once the knitting was finished, I gave it a wash on the delicate cycle, 10 minutes in the delicate air dry cycle, and then blocked it to dry the rest of the way, because I wanted it to look as nice as possible since it's a gift.  Plus, this also served to get rid of all of Jack's fur that had worked its way into the project as it was being knit.  I can recommend this pattern to anyone who has a knit-worthy baby on the way.

I love, love, love, the result, and cannot wait to meet the wearer!  

Now, back to my other projects ... :-)

Well That Was Fast! (An FO Post)

I do love to knit socks.  And though I can generally knit a pair in a shorter amount of time than it used to take, I am not one of those people who can just churn them out like a machine.  Some just take a while, whether due to yarn, pattern, other projects, or life in general.

But this pair flew off the needles!  I think it was a combination of wanting to see what stripe sequence came next, and at a certain point, wanting to finish them by the end of February (the toes were kitchenered during the evening of February 28).

Project:  Vanilla Valentine Socks
Pattern:  Classic Socks for the Family
Yarn:  Must Stash Yarn self-striping yarn, in one of their Must Match! colorways, called Be Mine
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  None
Comments:  This yarn has been in my stash for a couple of years.  I'd come across it and think, oh I want to wait until a February to knit this, and then would forget I had it.  Anyway, I finally remembered in time, and wound this up.  The way it winds is fascinating, since it is a Must Match! colorway.  It arrives in a single skein, but when you wind it, it separates into two separate balls.  You knit one from the outside of the ball, and the other from the inside, and you have matching socks, which as far as I'm concerned is a miracle.

The yarn is lovely to knit, and the colors are so pretty.  Also, I actually like to knit from two balls (though I am too lazy to divide skeins myself), as I will usually do the cuff on one, and then the other; then the leg, etc. so that by the time I am doing the toes, I have only the toes left to do on each sock. Which is another reason I think the knitting went so quickly.

Anyway, I'm pleased with these, though I have to admit I do wish there was not so much white in the color scheme.  But that's just me.  I'm on track now, as these are my second pair of socks for my 2018 Box o' Socks. 

I really recommend this yarn.  Her colorways are amazing, and it's really nice to use.  She also does a podcast with the woman behind Little Skein in the Big Wool, and they talk not just about their knitting, dyeing, etc., but also their dogs ... so you know I find it interesting!  :-)

Finally an FO!

This year has involved a lot of knitting on my part, but as for finishing ... well ...

In my defense, some are bigger projects, and some are long-term (Cozy Squares of Memory Blanket) - but finishing a pair of socks?  That shouldn't have taken long at all, and yet it did.  But they are finally finished as of a week ago and here they are.

Project:  Basic Spats
Pattern:  Classic Socks for the Family, by Melinda Goodfellow
Yarn:  Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, in the Spats colorway
Needles:  Size 1 US
Modifications:  None
Notes:  I've had this yarn in my stash for a couple of years, and decided that I would use it for the first project of 2018, to make a pair of socks for The Tim (I bought it with him in mind).  I started out using the Blueberry Waffle pattern, but when I got to working the heel gusset (yes, more than halfway through), I realized that the leg would look too different from the foot to suit me (I had planned to just do plain stockinette on the foot).  So I frogged back, and decided to just go with the plain rib.  In the end I'm glad I did because I like the way they turned out.  But it took me a while to then finish them because basically by the end I had knitted 2 1/2 of the same sock, and I was tired of it!  But when I realized that it was nearly the middle of February, and I was still working on my first pair for the year, I pushed to get them finished. 

They are now blocked and happily put away in my Box o' Socks for this year.  You may recall that last year, my Box o' Socks were unofficial, since a) I had not officially joined the KAL, and b) they were not all fingering weight.  Well, this year, both of those are true again, but I'm also including some pairs that I'm planning to knit for The Tim.  As far as I'm concerned, socks are socks.  And since it's my own KAL, I can make whatever rules I want!

Here's an "artistic" shot for you to enjoy.

I'm already well into my second pair of socks for the year, a pair for me, and so far, so good.  I could possibly finish them during February, but I've also told myself since March is a long month, it's OK if I finish them in early March because then I would still have time for a pair for that month.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  :-)