My Christmas Sweater and Cat Adoptions

Hello there! Before the holidays are too far behind us, I wanted to show you the photos of me wearing the Christmas sweater I knit for myself last year. As you may or may not remember, by the time I finished blocking it, weaving in the ends, etc., it was too warm to get a photo of how it looked on an actual person.

Well, I had a few chances to wear it over Christmastime, and I have to tell you, I am so happy with this sweater! It's comfortable, it's cozy, and the neckline is perfect (which is not always the case for me). I felt so special the times I wore it out to a play, for a coffee get-together with one friend, and a lunch with another. 

The pattern is Yule Do, by Isabell Kraemer, and the details are here on my Ravelry project page for it. I can highly recommend this pattern - once you get going on the yoke, it makes complete sense, and the yarns I used were two that I wish I could afford to use all of the time!

Let me know if you decide to try it!

*****

In cat adoptions news, two exciting tidbits from the last couple of days.

Yesterday was my regular volunteer day, and there were two kitties available for adoption. They were, of course, both perfect. One person had made an appointment to come in and adopt a cat, and she arrived a bit late, but knew which kitty she was most interested in. Things went smoothly, and as she was leaving the adoption center, another young woman was standing outside. She asked if she could see the remaining kitty. I told here that unfortunately, only approved adopters were allowed to actually meet the kitties. She said, "Oh I was just approved yesterday!" so she came in to see the remaining kitty.

After spending about 10 minutes playing with him and cuddling, she said, "You know, I wasn't sure how long it would take me to meet the kitty who was for me, but I just know this is my cat!" And it really was love at first sight for both of them! She ran home to get her cat carrier, and when she returned, she showed me that inside was a little blanket she had recently crocheted for the carrier for her new cat - convincing me even more that this was a perfect match!

So both of those things made me happy, and seemed like a good start for 2026. But then two other things happened that made it even better - one is that I was the person to process the first two adoptions of this year! I didn't even realize it until I got a note from the adoption coordinator congratulating me. So that was a nice surprise.

And then today they sent out an e-mail to all of the volunteers with yearly stats and such, and at our location alone, we managed to find homes for 187 kitties! Isn't that just the best news of all? I cannot tell you how happy that made me, and what a good start it was to my day.

I just hope I can keep these things in mind as then year goes on and the world gets more and more ... worldly? You know what I mean!

I hope you have some news or some experience today that just makes it all worthwhile for you. See you next time!

The Journey to an FO Post For Today

Hello all - I hope this finds you well, and ready for Labor Day weekend. As of this a.m., they are predicting nice weather for the long weekend here. Though frankly I'll believe it when I see it.

This is an FO post, but it took me a long time and some ridiculousness to get here. You may or may not remember these socks that I started: 

Project: Pool Beans Socks

Pattern: Vanilla Bean Socks, by the Crazy Sock Lady

Yarn: Jojo's Fave Sock Set, in the colorway I'll Be By the Pool, from Hopemade Yarn Co.

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Modifications and Notes: First of all, none of the issues I had with these socks were a result of the pattern or the yarn. It was all me and my brain, or lack thereof.

You see the photo for the sock above. I started this pair by knitting the pattern stitch all around the sock, as it's written in the pattern. Then after the heel, I kept the pattern on the top/instep of the sock. I wanted to use the turquoise for the toes as well as the cuffs and heels, but I wasn't sure if I had enough. So I stopped before adding the toe and decided to knit the second sock and then see how much of the turquoise yarn I had left, if any.

So I happily knit along on sock #2, and after the heel, decided I probably had enough for the toes of both socks. But when I went back to sock #1, I realized that I had likely made it too long. Which is no big deal since I would just need to go back and eliminate a few rounds. 

BUT then I noticed that on the second sock, I had knit the leg with the pattern only on the front of the sock! I guess I was on autopilot and was knitting it like the foot of the first sock. Needless to say, I was annoyed with myself. So much so that I frogged the entire first sock because I decided I liked the sock with the pattern only on the front instead! 

And I am actually really pleased with how they turned out:

And as you can see, I had enough yarn for the toes. After kitchenering the second toe, I had less than 3/4 of an inch of the turquoise yarn left - so yes, I had JUST enough! Phew!

At the start of the summer, I'd given myself three projects to complete, and this was the last one, so I'm glad I made it (even though technically there are still a couple of weeks left in the summer season). In case you were wondering, those projects were:

Relax Tee (frogged and abandoned)

Waffles Puppy - completed

Pool Beans Socks - completed

So two out of three isn't bad. I usually can get more done during the summer than this, but this year, it just wasn't happening. I'm glad I only told myself that these were the primary three, because otherwise I would be annoyed with myself. 

*****

I've already started a pair of socks requested by one of my nieces' husbands when I put out a call for anyone wanting handknit socks. I'll show those next time. And I'm ready to start this, from another kit I've had for a while (apparently this is the year I knit some kits!). I'm still deciding what my third project will be. I find that for me, three is a good number. Always a sock, and then two other things that are different levels of having to concentrate. Any more than three and I start to feel overwhelmed.

In non-knitting news, I'm very pleased because I ordered this purse online, and when it arrived, it was even nicer than expected!

It also came in black and a snakeskin print. I have a black purse that I already like a lot, and I'm not much for snakeskin prints, and well, who doesn't love a red purse??

Anyway that's it for today. I do have some other tales to regale you with, but I'll save them for other posts.

I hope the rest of your day goes well. See you again soon!

Friday FO Post: Yule See It Every Year

Hello and Happy Friday! I wanted to share a major FO with you, as I get ready to pack it away until cooler weather comes.

You may remember seeing this starting point:

And then when I finished the colorwork yoke, and was proud of myself, I had to show all of you!

Once I got to the point where I had a little bit of the body done after separating for the sleeves, I decided to knit the sleeves next. 

And then, it was an FO:

Project: Yule See It Every Year

Pattern: Yule Do, by Isabell Kraemer

Yarn: Kelbourne Woolens Scout in the colorway Natural; Life In the Long Grass DK Twist in the colorway Wolf Green

Needles: US 2.5/3 mm; US3/3.25 mm

Modifications: I ended up making the sleeves slightly longer than the pattern called for, and added three rows of the green on the bottom of the cuffs, just because I thought the sweater needed a little bit more green.

Notes: I had seen this pattern when it first came out, and had wanted to give it a try, because I do love me a Christmas sweater. But I'd never done a colorwork yoke before, so I kept saying that I needed to wait. Then at the beginning of 2024, I told myself that my goal for the year was to try knitting a sweater with a colorwork yoke. 

Then, as you may remember, we took a weekend trip to NYC in March for my birthday. We visited a little shop in Greenwich Village - West Village Knit & Needle - and I saw the green yarn. Well, it was St. Patrick's Day, and Life In the Long Grass yarn is from Ireland ... and I realized that I could use it for the colorwork yoke in this pattern, so that would be my plan!

I originally started at the end of October with this pattern, but was having trouble with the it (user error, the pattern is actually very clear). So I ripped out and started again early in November. I finished the yoke and realized there was no way in the universe this sucker would be finished by Christmastime. So I put it away for a while. News flash: when you don't work on a project, nothing happens! 🙄

I picked it up again around the end of February, and decided to try and finish by St. Patrick's Day. Knitted on it a bit, and then put it down again. (See News flash above. Sigh.) But then I picked it back up again after about 10 days and decided that my new - and hopefully final - goal would be the end of March.

I finished all of the knitting on March 31! And I was really proud of myself! Then I tried it on, and ... the sleeves were too short. Not ridiculously too short, but short enough that I was worried it would just bother me. So I ripped out the cuffs to the end of the main color, and then knit them longer, still adding the three rows of green at the end. Then I tried it on again, and the sleeves were just right. So that part was finished by April 2. 

I wove in the ends and blocked it, and then it sat folded on my dresser until I could get The Tim to take a photo of me wearing it. Then we got stupidly hot days, all in a row. The thought of even putting it on for ten minutes made me feel sweaty. So the other day, when I was putting away my heavy winter things, I just added it to that. If you want a "modeled" photo, you'll just have to wait until fall/winter to see it.

I loved making this, and love the finished sweater. The Kelbourne Woolens Scout is such wonderful yarn, and I absolutely love the Life In the Long Grass yarn. If I could afford to knit with them every time, I would!

I will likely wear this sweater for the first time next year at Christmastime, just because that was the original intention. But I'll also wear it after that too, since though I'm calling it a Christmas sweater, it's not so in-your-face-holiday that wearing it in say, February, would be weird.

And here are my "technicalities" - 1. Technically, I did fulfill my goal of doing a colorwork yoke sweater - and the yoke was finished during 2024; and, 2. Technically, it was finished by the end of March ... there was just a little bit of tweaking that had to be done after that.

In any case, now I have a new sweater to wear later this year, and it will be one I knit myself! I'm ridiculously proud of myself, and though I will definitely try a colorwork pattern again, it probably won't happen right away. 😃

***

This weekend is of course Mother's Day here in the U.S.  And I've already been told "Happy Mother's Day" about ten times this week, which annually irritates the living heck out of me, because why does being a female automatically mean you are a mother? The Tim says that leading up to and on Father's Day *no one* has ever wished him a "Happy Father's Day." 

I could go on, but won't.

Anyway, if you are someone's mother/grandmother/stepmother/mother figure, I do sincerely wish you a Happy Mother's Day, and I hope you get to enjoy the day and not have to do everything for everyone just because. 

If, like me, you are not a mother and your own mother is no longer with us, I hope you have a lovely, enjoyable weekend, and can spend it doing things you enjoy. 

Happy Weekend to all, no matter who, what, or where you are!

First FO of 2025!

Hello from very cold and little bit snowy Philadelphia! I hope if you are in the cold/snow areas, you are managing to stay warm. 

I am happy to share my first FO of 2025 with you. I can't remember if I showed you anything when I started or not, but I do remember that I posted this picture on Instagram:

Project: Twelve Days of Christmas Socks

Pattern: basic vanilla sock with some texture on the leg (see notes)

Yarn: Loch Briar Knits Un-Twisted Sister base, colorway Christmas Bark

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I bought this yarn in late 2023, when I saw it knit up on the Loch Briar Knits podcast on YouTube. And I knew I wouldn't get to knitting it then, but I purposely left it out so that I would make a pair of Christmas socks this year. 

Well, I had a lot going on and never got to it before Christmas, but on Christmas Day in the afternoon while The Tim was starting on our dinner, I sat down and cast on for a pair of socks. I decided since I was starting them on the First Day of Christmas, and it was Christmas-themed yarn, I would call them my Twelve Days of Christmas socks. I knew I wouldn't finish the pair in those twelve days - though I am proud of myself, because I finished the first sock on January 6, the twelfth day!

I just did a 2 x 2 rib for the cuffs, and then a texture pattern that I liked and had seen the Crazy Sock Lady do - two rows knit, two rows knit 2, purl 2. It makes a nice look, and is easy to remember.

I love the finished socks, though I do kinda wish I'd just knit them plain, because I love the look of the way the yarn is on the foot, which is stockinette. But I'm still happy with the pair, and have tucked them away to wear next year at Christmastime.

The yarn is really lovely to work with, and I will definitely buy some of her yarn again. Though at the moment, I'm trying to work from my stash for a while.

I have a bit more the half of the skein left, so I may make a two-tone Musselburgh for myself (no, not yet for The Tim, just don't talk about it!), because I just love the way the yarn knits up, and at some point I want to make a Musselburgh for myself anyway.

*****

We had a nice, if expensive, weekend. Our third floor sink faucet stopped working, and the drain backed up. So we had to call a plumber, and get a new faucet, etc., which of course cost a lot of money, and means that the next big project we have planned will wait a while. But a) I like the new faucet much better than the old one, and b) it is WONDERFUL to have a drain that works again!

Other than that, we put away the Christmas decorations, and The Tim took the tree to be recycled/composted. We sweated through the Eagles game yesterday, and were thrilled that they won. And otherwise just watched some shows we'd recorded and cozied up with the kit kats.

All day today, knowing that it is the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I've had his quote about not judging people on the color of their skin, but rather on the content of their character in my head. 

I wonder why that particular one is so relevant to me at this moment in time  ... 

Keep warm, and keep going. We have to be ready to save ourselves starting today.

Friday FOs - Twofer Edition

Hello on the last Friday of September, which is sounding like it will be a rainy one here in Philadelphia. But fortunately, it's just rain, not like the terrible hurricane/tropical storm that those south of us are facing.

I have two FOs for you, and I'm combining them into one post for a few reasons. Firstly, they took way too long to finish. Not because they were hard, but because there were weeks when I didn't knit a single stitch, so they just kept sitting there waiting for me. Second, I decided I wanted to finish them before the first day of fall, and that was able to happen. Finally, I decided I wanted to do the FO post for them before the end of September. I know I could have saved one for Monday, which is the last day of September, but I decided to show you both in one post instead.

First up, a pair of socks.

Project: Scrappy Shortie Socks

Pattern: Vanilla sock pattern, just shorter in the leg

Yarns: KnitCircus Spectacular Sock, in The Orange & The Green Speckle colorway (the variegated yarn); and, Yarn Addict Co. Free Range Fingering in OOAK (the green yarn)

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I originally started these because I thought it would be nice to have shortie socks for the warmer weather. And it will, but it didn't work out for this year. But I've been wanting to get rid of some of my scraps - I was able to use every little bit of the variegated yarn, which made me very happy. I have about 50 grams left of the green, which I know I'll use for things, so no worries there. If I was a conscientious knitter, I would have weighed my yarn and tried to use equal amounts in each sock. But I am not, and did not, so one sock has more green than the other one. Since they are my socks, and the foot part will be inside of shoes anyway, I really don't care.

I did decide to put a little cable motif on the cuff of each sock, just for something different. 

So into the sock drawer they go!

Next, a hat.

Project: Two Color Ribbed Hat

Pattern: Classic Ribbed Hat, by Purl Soho

Needles: US size 3/3.25 mm

Yarns: Purl Soho Cashmere Merino Bloom in colorways True Turquoise and Red Mulberry

Notes: Months ago (a lot of months ago), Purl Soho was doing a hat-along, and offered this yarn at a discount. At the time, I truly thought I would participate, so I ordered the yarns, and then of course didn't participate. But I had wound it a while back, and every time I would grab something from my knitting supplies, I would see the balls of yarn. So near the end of July, I decided I would start the project and then have it for when the weather was cold.

The pattern is very straightforward, and I did wonder why I had decided to knit a 1 x 1 rib project again, but to be honest, since it was just a hat, it didn't bother me as much as with an article of clothing. The pattern is written for a wide range of sizes, and gives instructions for stripes, colorblocking, and of course just a solid color hat. 

If I had not had my non-knitting hiatus, this would have flown off the needles, but such is life. The yarn is lovely - I mean, it does contain cashmere! - and the resulting hat is just luscious. One of the best things: I have enough of each color if I want to make another in reverse colorblocking for myself, The Tim, or someone else!

Of course, you can use any DK weight yarn you may have, but I would say to keep an eye on Purl Soho's sales, because this yarn does make a really nice hat. It would be an especially nice gift for you, a family member, a dear friend, or anyone who is especially knitworthy.

*****

So there you go. The last "summer" projects that I had, now officially done and dusted. I have already started two of the projects with the yarns I showed you in the post where I did a lot of winding all at once, so my fall projects are underway - I just hope my knitting mojo hangs around, since I would really love to get them finished.

Nothing else much to report. After I post this, I'm going to scrub the bathrooms, so it's done and out of the way. I'm meeting a friend for lunch today, which should be a nice way to end the week. It hasn't been an awful week, but it's been one of those weeks where I've just felt off the whole time, so I'm glad it will be ending on a good note.

Enjoy your weekend, and I hope wherever you are, you can stay safe if you are faced with bad weather.

Tuesday FO : Kakigori Summer Shirt

Hello and Happy September, and for those in the U.S. I hope you are enjoying the last day of the Labor Day weekend. The Tim had to work today, so it was just kind of a regular weekend for us, which is fine, because our Labor Day is generally low-key even when both of us are home.

I was finally able to get a somewhat decent photo of an FO that I finished a while back, so this is an overdue post. But here you go. 

You may remember that I started around the end of May, and showed you how the yoke was coming along:

Project: Kakigori Summer Shirt

Pattern: Anker's Summer Shirt, by PetiteKnit (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Noro Kakigori, Color 23

Needles: U.S. size 6/4 mm

Modifications: I made it a bit shorter than the pattern called for in my size.

Notes: This is the second time I knit this pattern, and though I am still not in love with knitting 1 x 1 rib, this time around the whole thing was easier. I knew what to expect, and I was able to get a rhythm going doing the ribbed yoke, which made a HUGE difference. 

The previous one that I knit is something that I wear fairly often, and is really comfortable, so I knew that down the road I'd want another one. At the end of last summer, there were two colors of Kakigori in the sale bin at Loop, and when there were two of each left, my co-worker at the time, Kate, convinced me that we should buy them ourselves. She bought a pink shade, and I bought this greeny-blue that I love. I had this pattern in mind, but knew that since I wasn't going to do anything with it right away, I could consider other things.

But by the time I was ready to knit with it, I either didn't have enough for anything else, or didn't like the other choices. So I thought, why not just go with my original plan? And I'm glad that I did, because I love the result! 

This past Saturday, we went to see the Mary Cassatt exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and it was finally not a bazillion degrees, so I wore the finished top, and because I have no one else to do it, asked The Tim to take my photo in it when we were leaving and on the way back to the car. Now, even if you have never visited the museum, you can probably guess that there are lovely grounds around it. I foolishly had visions of a nice photo with an especially nice background. You probably know what's coming ... 

The Tim said, "Let's take your photo now, and I turned around to say could I at least stand somewhere where I wouldn't be squinting into the sun, and he started taking the photos. As usual, he thinks that a photo where I can't properly see is a good idea, because "you want to sunlight to show the item well." Which yes, is true, but I'd also like to look somewhat normal ... Oh well. To his credit, they did all show off the FO to an advantage, so why am I complaining? 

And I'm not doing anything else weird, so I'll take it!

I really like this pattern, and once you figure out what size you need to knit, it's pretty straightforward - though I have to say that knitting a PetiteKnit pattern is not something that you should do if "size" is something that trips you up. Because both times I've knit this, I've made the size that fits the measurements in the pattern, but not a size I would normally buy from a store. So just know you might be in for a surprise! 😊

I really love the finished top. It's comfy, and once it was blocked and soaked, the yarn softened up so much, it feels really nice against the skin.

Which brings me to the yarn. Noro yarn, to be exact. After using it a grand total of three times in my knitting life, I have to say that each time, it is so aggravating to knit with that I almost give up before finishing the item. I love the colors they have, but man is it unpleasant on your hands while you are knitting! But if you can get past that, go for it, because once it's soaked and blocked, it's wonderful.

I started with two balls of Kakigori, which are 200 grams each. This is what I have left.

It's roughly 122 grams remaining (please don't ask me to do math to figure this all out because it won't end well for any of us). Anyway, if anyone would like to have this to use for their own knitting, please let me know. I'm more than happy to send it to you. I'm finished with Noro yarns for now (probably even forever?) and would like to pass it along to someone who could give it a good home. So feel free to claim it in the comments!

So there you go, an FO and an offer that maybe one of you won't be able to refuse, who knows? In any case, have a good day and if you do want the yarn, please be sure to include your e-mail address in the comments if you have never heard from me before, so I can contact you.

FO Post : She's Here At Last!

Meet Maggie!

You may remember that The Tim gave me this kit for my birthday:

Project: Maggie the Emotional Support Chicken

Pattern: Emotional Support Chicken Kit, from the Knitting Tree LA in the colorway M-EggShell Obama

Yarn: Supplied in kit: 2 skeins worsted weight, small amounts for comb and wattle - brand, content, etc. not indicated

Needles: US size 7/4.5 mm

Notes: This is one of the most fun things I have ever knit! You start with the tail section, which is made in two sections that you join together.

Then you knit the back and work your way to front of the chicken, in one piece. I saw one where I really liked the way it was joined, and watched a video where it was joined by a crochet chain, so I did that (vertical red line below).

This requires paying attention, because you need to count a lot, but not in a complicated way. Once you do a couple of the rows, you can see what you are doing. The pattern uses wrap and turn short rows, which I generally find difficult to do, but you are just wrapping and turning, there's no picking up the wraps and knitting/purling them. So I had much more success with that.

Before you know it, you have a chicken body! Once you have added the beak, the comb, and the wattle, you create a separate gusset piece for the bottom so that she can "stand up" so to speak. That requires seaming, which is something that is my downfall, since I really suck at it. But for something like this, I figured it didn't matter as much, because it was a) for me, and b) not a garment. Once that's all done, you stuff her and stitch her up at the tail (kinda rude, but it has to be completed).

I knit the sections in fits and starts, and in between other things. It's very manageable that way, and not at all intimidating. 

I decided that I didn't do a good enough job to call her "M-EggShell Obama," and decided that she would be Meg. But I like Maggie better than Meg, so she is Maggie the Emotional Support Chicken. 

She seems very pleased to be part of the family. The cats were interested at first, but they they were like, "Meh, it's not a real chicken. Call us when you're offering that." 😊

I love her so much, she just pleases me. Right now, she is hanging out in the craft room, which seems to agree with her. When I was nearly finished knitting her, The Tim said, "You should give her away, she would be a nice gift." Nope. I'm keeping her, at least for now.

It occurred to me that now that a) I know how it works, and b) I have the pattern, I could use any yarn I have to make more if I like. Depending on the weight of yarn you use, you'd get different sized chickens!  

BTW, if you are not interested in the kit, but want to give the pattern a try, you can buy it on its own.

I highly recommend this project. The pattern is clearly written, and it is just so enjoyable to knit. You have a sweet friend for yourself or a loved one when you are finished. And there's an added bonus - it's vegetarian friendly to boot!

Wednesday FO: Mabel Sweater

Do you watch the show "Only Murders In The Building?" We love it. We have always been big Steve Martin and Martin Short fans, and Selena Gomez has now also become a fave of ours based on this show.

Anyway, her character is named Mabel, and in Season 1, she wore a light blue, bulky, funnel neck sweater in one episode that just caught my eye and I wanted to make one just like it. So off to Ravelry, where I did a lot of searching with various filters, keywords, etc. I couldn't find anything that looked just like - or even enough like - the sweater to suit me. But I found a pattern that I liked that used bulky yarn, so I decided to knit that and it would be sort of *my* version of Mabel's sweater.

Project: Mabel Sweater

Pattern: Cozier, by Tanis Lavallee

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky, in the colorway Fjord Heather

Needles: US size 10/6mm; and, US size 11/8mm

Modifications: I opted for a length in between the cropped version and the longer version (something like Mabel's sweater looked to me). I also didn't knit a turtleneck, but didn't quite create a funnel neck either. Which is fine, it's for me.

Notes: First off, I have to say that this is not my best work. There are a lot of flaws, but 1) I was making it as kind of a throw-on cozy sweater for around the house so no big deal there; and, 2) I had a hard time with the large needles - first off, I'm not used to needles that big, and second of all, I couldn't knit for very long at any one time before my hand would be killing me. So even though people say things like, "Oh using bulky yarn means it knits up SO fast," for me that wasn't the case. 

So although I am happy enough with the finished sweater, I'm mostly just glad it's done and over with. It looks fine for an around-the-house sweater, and it will be nice and warm and cozy. But unless it's some small thing like a hat or mittens or something like that, I'm done using bulky yarn and big needles. I just didn't enjoy the process, which for me is just as important as the result.

The pattern is very well-written, and I kinda sorta wish I could make one similar to the striped one shown in the pattern. But I'll just have to make a colorful striped sweater using a different pattern and smaller yarn somewhere down the road.

The photo above shows the actual color of the sweater much better. I do like the color (I guess that's why most of wardrobe is blue? LOL), and it's nice and soft. And since it's super wash, I won't have to baby it, which is nice.

So in closing, I can recommend the pattern and the yarn if you enjoy making bulky weight items. And I am happy enough with the final sweater. And putting a completely positive spin on the whole thing, I guess it was a learning experience for me regarding bulky knits.

Needless to say, your mileage may vary, as the saying goes.

I also have a finished pair of socks to share with you, but that's another post. So stay tuned!

FO Monday : Alpine Bloom Red

Hello and I hope your weekend was a good one! Mine was fine - nothing especially good, nothing especially bad. It was pretty rainy and cold, which was nice for staying inside, knitting, reading, and drinking tea. Plus, yesterday was one year since Miss Esme joined the family, so we had a little celebration for her - little, because although she has made huge progress, she's still not sure we're not trying to kill her ... it was also Hamlet's birthday, so we drank a special toast to him last night. We miss our Hammy so much!

Anyway, I'm starting this week with an FO which was a long time in the making. Partly because it was colorwork, which I am not well versed in, and partly because it was charted, which I have not really done too much. But it all worked out in the end.

Project: Alpine Bloom Red

Pattern: Alpine Bloom Hat, by Caitlin Hunter

Needles: US size 3/3.25 mm and US size 5/3.75 mm

Yarn: Barrett Wool Co. Wisconsin Woolen Spun Sport Weight; colorways Chestnut and Apple

Modifications: Are you kidding me?

Notes: This was part of a kit I purchased from Barrett Wool Co. at the beginning of 2024. I had decided that I wanted to give colorwork knitting a try, and thought a hat would be a good start.

I have not really knitted much from a chart, so that was also a challenge to me. Fortunately, the pattern was very well-written and very understandable. Though it required a lot of concentration on my part, and went quite slowly. I had to make sure that I was home by myself with no distractions whenever I worked on it! I started at the beginning of February, and finished around the middle of April, so it was a longer project (though of course it was interspersed with working on other things during the same time.)

This was also the first time I knit a pattern by Caitlin Hunter, and I have to say that it was really enjoyable. I can see why her patterns are so popular, if they are as well done as this one. (Who knows, maybe I'll try another one ...) 

The kit was good for me, because there were limited choices as far as colors go - otherwise I might still be deciding what colors I wanted to use. I like the yarn - it is cozy feeling and soft but still rustic. I think this will be a great hat to wear. The kit included a pompom option, and I like the hat both ways to be honest. Since the pompom is one of the removable kinds, I don't have to make a single decision about it, at least not right now.

Best of all, it fits my big head! I knit the Adult Small/Medium, because I figured that the Adult Large might be really large (which now I know it must be), and figured if it didn't fit me, I could always gift it to someone in my family. But too bad, everyone else, this one I'm keeping for myself! 😊

I only used about half of each of the colors of yarn, so I think this would be an excellent scrappy project. Down the road, I may look through my leftovers and make another, you never know.

*****

I hope your week goes well. I have two Dr appts on different days, but otherwise am hoping to work on some of my personal projects, in and out of the house. And I am one sock toe away from having completely empty needles - time to decide what projects are next!

FO Post: Red Pennies

Right before Christmas, a customer was at the yarn shop, wearing the nicest-looking pair of fingerless mitts. I asked her about them, and she went on and on about how wonderful the pattern was, and how cozy the resulting mitts were.

Almost ever since I started working at the yarn shop, I'd been eyeing the Biches et Buches yarns in the colorway Norwegian Red. But I knew that I couldn't afford enough of it for anything other than a small project. Well, at last the meeting of yarns and projects happened!

(the color is actually much darker, but this is the best I could get with my photography skills)

Project: Red Pennies

Pattern: Penny Gloves, by PetiteKnit

Yarn: Biches et Buches Petit Le Petit Lambswool and Biches et Buches Le Petit Silk & Mohair, both in the colorway Norwegian Red

Needles: US size 2.5/3.0 mm

Modifications: None

Notes: I can highly recommend this pattern. It's simple and straightforward, and also very understandable. I don't know how many of you have knit PetiteKnit patterns, but they can be a bit of a challenge sometimes, which seems to be a result of translation from Danish to English. But this pattern is so basic, there isn't a lot of room for complicated language. I think that this would even work for a somewhat new-ish knitter who has maybe made a hat in the round, and wants to try the next thing.

The next time I make these for myself, I may go up to a sizes US 3 needle, but I'm gonna wait and see how these are to wear. Right now, they just fit; but it might be with wear, they stretch a bit and are just fine. We'll see. 

I'm so pleased with these fingerless mitts. They look just the way I wanted them to, and the color just makes me happy. I think I see at least another pair in my future, probably just with fingering weight yarn, since I'm not overly fond of mohair.

Now to work on all of the other things in progress ... 

FO Post: Parisian Apples

Sorry to have disappeared there for a few days - things got a bit crazy at the end of last week, and then I worked on Monday, filling in for someone, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and properly write a post.

You may remember that I had started a hat a few weeks ago:

It zoomed along pretty quickly, when I had time to work on it, and pretty soon I had a nice amount done.

And very shortly after that, it was crown decrease time!

And now - voila!

Project: Parisian Apples 

Pattern: Chelsea in Paris, by Christina Lundborg (free on Ravelry)

Yarn: Loop Sprig held with Loop Posy, both in the colorway Apple

Needles: US size 4 and 5

Modifications: None

Notes: Shortly after I started working at the yarn store a young woman came in and bought a skein of these two yarns in this colorway and said she was going to knit a beret. I remembered that I had this pattern in my Ravelry library, and I just think the Apple colorway is so perfectly red, that I went ahead and bought some myself. 

I got caught up in knitting other stuff, and then decided that this would be one of the projects I would make once I finished my cardigan. I knew that I would be making it and then putting it away to wear next winter, bur that was fine.

The yarn is really nice to work with, and the two together make a lovely hat. This was my first time using mohair in a project, and though I'm happy with the result, I don't see myself knitting with mohair regularly. It was easy enough to frog a few stitches with it, but it would drive me crazy if I had to take out rows in a sweater or shawl or some larger project. Having said that, I have enough of both yarns remaining to knit either another beret as a gift, or something else so I'll knit with mohair at least one more time ... 😉

I have mixed feelings about the pattern. Overall, it was good. But when you are doing increases after the brim, the pattern says, "increase by x stitches in the next round." Which is fine, but I prefer it when it says either "increase every x stitches," or "K4, kbl," or another specific instruction. I was just annoyed that every time for a few rounds, I had to stop and count and do the calculations. And granted, sometimes the counts would mean that you increased every 4.5 stitches (meaning you had to decide when for yourself), but it was just annoying. Especially when the decreases were very specifically written out. 

But then again, it is a free pattern ... so you get what you pay for, right?

I found it amusing that after blocking, when it turned it to the inside to finish drying, it kind of looked like some weird mollusk:

I like wearing berets, because they fit closely around my head and ears, but have room on the top rather than being tight. Of course I know you are supposed to wear them like this:

But really, I wear hats for warmth, and how warm would that be? Nope, I wear berets down over my ears, but maybe that's just me.

Or maybe it's because I am not French. C'est la vie, right?

FO Post: Last Year, Three Weeks To The Day

Hello, here's another Monday getting us into the week. This one however, has two things going for it for me. First, the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl!!! They won their conference championship game yesterday, which was nice enough to be on TV for the most part after I got home from my Sunday shift at the yarn store. Second, for the first time since the end of October, Monday is my own day again! I was filling in on Mondays for a friend who had knee replacement surgery, and she is back at work today, so my schedule goes back to three days a week instead of four. I didn't really mind it, in that it wasn't a true hardship for me to work an extra day, but I like having Monday to myself.

Also, today on this Monday, I have a finished project to share. I know I showed you this picture a little while ago:

This was my New Year's Eve cast on, and I was enjoying knitting the colorful stripes. Well, I finished them on January 21, 2023, which was exactly three weeks since I started knitting them.

Project: Last Year's Socks

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern that I generally use

Yarn: Advent 2022 Serendipity Sock Yarn, in the colorway Sweet Shop, from the Freckled Whimsy; the cuffs, heels, and toes are leftover Hedgehog Fibre Sock in the Budgie colorway

Needles: US size 0 (9-inch circulars)

Modifications: I decided to do a ribbed heel flap, which is not my usual go-to heel, but I just felt like trying it. We'll see how much I do/do not like it.

So my last cast-on for 2022 has become my first FO of 2023, and I feel like that's a good start to things.

I was going to cast on another pair of socks right away, but The Tim informed me that he lost one of his "most favorite" fingerless gloves that I knit for him a couple of years back, and could I knit him another pair? At first I thought, well, I'll make them as a Valentine's gift, but then I thought why give myself a deadline, so I'll start them when I start them, and finish them when I finish them. He has other ones in the meantime to use, it's just that he liked this particular pair the most. So I'm willing to get them going right away, but not kill myself finishing them in record time ...

In other news, my Christmas cactus is still going strong:

For a plant that has done nothing for years, it's taking a good old time making sure to bloom for as long as possible, which really makes me happy. I figure I should enjoy it while I can, because who knows when it will decide to grace us with flowers again?? 😊

And that's it for the news from here on the last Monday in January. Today I have to pick up a couple of prescriptions, stop at the store to get some more milk, and decide what to fix for dinner. Which leaves lots of knitting time, and I'm definitely not complaining about that. (Especially after last week, which turned out to be a real sh*tshow.)

I hope your week starts well, and keeps up with good stuff. Take care.

An FO for Monday

Back in February, I posted this photo on Instagram - a sock having just passed the heel gusset and ready to go on to the foot. It was my first DK weight sock attempt.  I finished the sock, but to be honest I really hated it. Just I didn't like how it looked and I didn't think the colors looked good together. So I put it away to decide if it was ever going to have a mate.

Then in July, I decided that I wanted a quick knit. I thought, well, it's summer, knit a pair of shortie socks for yourself. But I was uninspired. Then I thought, why not take apart the single sock I didn't like and use it for some shorties? DK weight shorties would be nice to wear around the house when the weather cools in the fall.

So I took apart the single regular sock, and got started. This past Friday I finished the second sock, so now I have a pair of shorties for the fall.

Project: DK weight shortie socks

Pattern: DK Weight Vanilla Socks, by Crazy Sock Lady Designs (free on Ravelry), adapted to be shortie socks

Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz DK Sock Set, in the colorway Rory

Needles:  US size 3

Modifications: I adapted the pattern which is for a pair of regular socks, to be shortie socks. I mostly used the pattern for the number of stitches, etc. I also used the Shadow Wrap Heel from Earthtones Girl, instead of a regular heel and gusset.

Comments: I'm pleased with these socks, and will wear them around the house. But I have to say that this is one yarn set that looked a whole lot better in the skein than actually knit up. The colors on their own are nice; I like the navy with the main color better than the lighter blue. But this yarn just didn't end up appealing to me as I was knitting it. I'm not sure why, because I am a big fan of blues. I do like the shorties better, but if I had seen the way this colorway knit up, I would probably have chosen something else. Oh well, they will still be cozy and warm.

And an FO is always a good thing!