Finished Object

FO Friday

mildlygranola, , , 14 Comments

In addition to completing the disco muppet, I also finished the Midas Hat I’ve been working on. Unlike the other pattern, this is one that I highly recommend and will be making again. I had been thinking about a sockhead hat for myself, but I think I’ll do a Midas instead because I really like the brim.

I love how this yarn knit up. It looks beautiful. It also crocked more than any yarn I’ve ever worked with. I soaked it several times, and hope that it will stop rubbing off on skin now. If not, I’m pretty sure my niece will never wear it.

In super wonderful news: my license and credit card were found and turned in to the zoo. I have both now. I’m relieved and happy. I took the kids out for tacos to celebrate.

I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Sunday Joy

mildlygranola, , , 10 Comments

I had a really great day today. It was almost sunny here. It was almost 40 degrees here. It was the kind of day where you let yourself believe that spring is on its way. I felt the darkness of January leave my mood as I walked in the sunshine.

I met a friend for tea this morning. I hadn’t seen her in a couple of months, so we filled each other in on our lives. She keeps me up to date on the goings on at my old job. I managed not to talk too much about how much I miss fructose. Every time someone tells me about a recipe I need to try it has fructose in it.

This afternoon I finished up my Winter Walk hat. This hat ticked off a lot of boxes for me. It has a fun cable. It used stash yarn. It was fast. It will keep my head warm. It allows me to wear a huge faux fur pom-pom.

Tonight Ivy came over for some knitting time. It is always good to catch up with her, even though we were both thrown off knitting together on a Sunday night instead of a Saturday night. She gave me a birthday present, a new notions pouch. I love it. A person can never have too many notions pouches (well, I suppose they can if they don’t knit). I will be filling it with notions and using it throughout baseball season.

Did you have a relaxing Sunday?

FO Friday

mildlygranola, , , 22 Comments

Last week, after I finished my Farmhouse Cardigan I was excited to see how much yarn I had left over. I could have put it back in my stash, but I decided a better thing to do was try to make a sweater for Audrey in a week. I mean, why wouldn’t I add knitting stress to the regular stress of the holiday season?
I cast on the Oxbow Cardigan by Andrea Mowry and started knitting like mad. I didn’t make Christmas cookies or party mix in order to gain knitting time. I finished it on Christmas night, and I love the results.

This is an open cardigan without buttonholes. That does not fly with a certain five-year-old. I sewed the buttons she picked out on to the sweater. She is a big fan. I did not block this sweater, because it seemed like a lot of work for something for a child. It looks fine.

This sweater pattern is sized from baby to adult. I think I’ll be making this sweater for myself soon, because now that I see it close up I adore it.

This Should be a Sock It To Me Monday….

mildlygranola, , , , , 13 Comments

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?

The Weekender

mildlygranola, , , 21 Comments

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?

Whitehorse

mildlygranola, , , , , 13 Comments

Had you told me a month ago that I would knit a cropped sweater with bobbles and love it, I would have assumed you were making fun of me. I am not a cropped sweater person. I think bobbles are ridiculous. And yet, here we are.

Pattern is Whitehorse by Caitlin Hunter. I used some yarn that my cousin gave me when she was destashing. I think it is worsted instead of the DK it calls for. I knit my sweater with less positive ease than the pattern called for. I did not go down a needle size on the cuffs or bottom ribbing. I probably should have on the cuffs, but I don’t like tight things on my elbows.

Will I ever wear this sweater out of the home? Maybe. I need to find a dress I can wear it with, which would alleviate the muffin top I developed this summer. Even when I’m back to my normal size I doubt I’ll ever want to wear a sweater this short. That is OK though, as this sweater was very fun to knit.

Now I’m off to knit something else. I’m really glad to have my knitting mojo back.