Month: October 2019

WIP Wednesday

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I technically worked on the sock this week, which you can only tell by looking at the progress keeper. These are going into my purse and I’ll be working on them tomorrow at swim lessons. I think I’ll be working on them on Finishing Friday too.

I’ve spent a lot of time working on the Farmhouse Cardigan. This pattern starts with the pocket linings, which is wonderful because they double as a gauge swatch. I’m on the second sleeve and hope to get that finished soon. After the sleeves it should be a big bulky project that stays at home. I’ve always knit the sleeves last with sweaters, and I think it will be nice to not be stuck on sleeve island after knitting the body. The yarn I’m using for the sweater is Cascade Eco+, it has been in my stash for a decade.

The yarn is actually much lighter. I’ll get a better photo next week.

The Farmhouse Cardigan is knit on size 9 needles, so it is going fast. I’m embracing my love for green sweaters and knitting two in a row. I’m really excited to see this sweater progress. If you know of a good button source please share it with me.

This Should be a Sock It To Me Monday….

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After finishing The Weekender last week I quickly finished a pumpkin hat for my sister’s baby.

Please note the artfully configured placement of cashews, cell phone charger, peanut butter, and fruit fly trap, because why would you clear off your counter before you take a picture?

Once I finished my hat I told myself I was going to focus on my socks. If I really focused on them I could finish them in time for a sock it to me Monday post. I was determined. I pulled out the socks. I knit one row. Then I tossed them to the side and cast on a baby sweater.

The pattern is Gidday Baby I was looking for a free pattern to use up some Valley Yarns Superwash DK and this sweater fit my needs. I normally believe in paying for patterns because you get what you pay for. I still believe that. The pattern was awkward to work from, only because I’ve knit sweaters before. From the increases to picking up stitches under the arm, I was annoyed every step of the way. But it’s done. And I knit it fast to be done with it.

While blocking the sweater I threw in a pair of socks that needed to be washed. They are socks with very little pink in them, but the socks managed to bleed onto the sweater, so you can see some blotches of pink. I am choosing to think of it as a special gift – this way Mary-Claire can spill something on the sweater and not feel the least bit guilty.

I should get back to work on my socks. Or maybe I’ll start a sweater. What do you think I’ll actually work on next?

Five.

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Audrey turned five yesterday. It was a day filled with fun. She helped me bake the cake. She decorated the cake by herself. She requested a chocolate heart cake with chocolate frosting and M&Ms.

Her dinner request was hot dogs with red peppers and strawberries. She put the strawberries on her hot dog. John and I thought it was gross, but she ate the whole thing that way. She is a kid who knows what she wants and goes after it.

The only thing she wanted for her birthday was a lasso. Both kids are currently obsessed with Sheriff Callie, and she has a lasso. Today we spent several hours roping a bull. Well, it was our version of a bull, which is a baseball tee in a wash tub.

She is a really great kid. She is kind. She is creative. She is smart. She is active. She is funny. If I could bottle her spirit and keep her this joyful forever I would. The past five years have flown. I fear next week I’ll be sitting down to write a post about her turning ten. Please tell me how to slow down time.

The Weekender

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I have a new favorite sweater. It fits like an oversized sweatshirt, but is made of a merino/silk blend, so it is exceptionally soft. It only took me two and a half weeks to knit, which is about how long it takes me to knit a baby sweater.

Last night Ivy and I went to see Mean Girls the musical. It was a great show, and I was able to wear the best sweater ever. I think I’ll be wearing it constantly this winter.

I do have two negative things to say about the yarn, Cascade Yarns Venezia Worsted. The yarn is so soft this sweater will pill like crazy. I knew that going in, but it chose to go forward with it anyway. I may live to regret that decision. My biggest complaint about the yarn is that you can see where I sewed in the ends. I’ve never had that problem before, and ended up trying different techniques throughout the sweater to sew in the ends, but they all show. Because of that I won’t be using the yarn again.

I want to cast on another sweater for myself soon. I’m either going to make a Farmhouse Cardigan or the Throughstone Sweater. Or I might get crazy and pull out my Turkana again and make some progress on it. What do you think I should work on next?

Thursday Thoughts

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It was a beautiful day today, so after swim lessons we headed to the park.

The kids played for an hour before I decided I should probably think about feeding them lunch. We needed a few groceries, so we swung by Aldi to pick them up. As it was Aldi, I found something random that had to come home with me. Today it was a succulent in a sugar skull.

After a backyard picnic and some play time we headed up to Ankeny to see my niece and nephew run in a cross country meet. Audrey loved cheering on her cousins. She brought pom poms along and was ready to shout encouragement. After the race Audrey and Elliot were ready to hug Ellie and tell her congratulations. I love it when the kids get to spend time with their cousins. I also like getting to spend time with my sister.

While at the cross country meet I realized that we have spent too much time in the woods this summer. At one point Elliot walked over to pee on this tree. In the middle of the meet. Next to a busy road. I now need to get him to understand that peeing on a tree in the woods is OK, but peeing on a tree in the middle of a community college campus surrounded by hundreds of people is not OK. John and I are always commenting that Elliot acts like a drunk college kid, and I suppose this is just another example of that.

It was a beautiful fall day. I did not accomplish enough, but I’m OK with that. I did get some blocking done, and hope to show off The Weekender as soon as it is dry.

WIP Wednesday

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I realized it was Wednesday only after finding the Aldi ad in the paper 10 minutes ago. This week has been crazy, and it’s amazing I’ve accomplished as much knitting as I have.

I’ve been plugging away on my twizzler socks. I would be getting more done, but my hands get so cold at the playground. If you have any advice on thin gloves that work for knitting please share it with me. I really like how these socks, but I’m ready to be done with them. They have been on the back burner for so long they are taking a long time. I might spend the week focusing on them so I can finish them up.

I’m flying along with The Weekender. I’m not going to bother with a full picture of it right now, because I should have finished photos to show you soon. I only have about 10 rows of ribbing to go on the second sleeve. I can’t wait to start wearing it.

At some point this week I started a pumpkin hat for my niece who will be making an appearance around March. I can’t believe it is the middle of October and I hadn’t made her anything yet this month. I will probably pick this up again once I finish my sweater. Pumpkin hats are one of the only times I use acrylic yarn. I’ve had the same yarn in my stash for ages. If I ever knit it all up I’ll be switching to something squishy and natural.

Have you been knitting this week?