FO Friday 6/5/15

I may only have one small FO to share this week, but this little hat is a HUGE accomplishment for me!

I have always loved the look of fair isle and color work.  I have so many projects favorited and every time I see color work, my eyes are drawn to it.  Along with my love for it I also have a massive fear of it.  I have dabbled with it in the past and had terrible results.  My first attempt was the Dark Mark bag.  From far away it looks pretty good, however up close you notice all of the gaps from my uneven tension.

Even with the imperfections, I was proud of this bag.  However, it made me even more afraid of color work.  

Last fall, I cast on a pair of fingerless mitts.  I ended up frogging them because unlike the horribly loose tension with the bag, my tension was too tight with the mitts.  Instead of gaps, I had puckering.  

One of the class prompts in the House Cup this term is to do a craft or technique that is unfamiliar to you.  I decided that I would try color work once again.  I remember seeing LaLa of the Knitgirllls Podcast had knit a few Golden Pear baby hats for some baby showers she had to go to.   I figured this would be the perfect project to experiment with.  I went up to my craft room, dug around my scrap yarn bin trying to find 3 colors that go well together.  I finally settled on a light aqua, hot pink and red combo.  I printed out the (free) pattern and grabbed the right size needles and immediately cast on.

I got to the first section of alternating colors and you know what?  My tension was just fine!  Second section, still fine!  There is one tiny stitch where I attached the yarn that looks a little off, but you don't notice it unless you really stare.

After successfully knitting this hat I am ready to knit all the color work!  

I love the hat Jess! It is adorable, and I have had that pattern in my queue forever. I think I will have to make one sooner rather than later. I have just a few FOs this week to share myself. The first one is a pattern that I have made in the past and have loved.

I made this little Bluebird of Happiness using my own handspun! I had a little sample rolag from Roe of Purls that I had spun up a while back.  It is fun to spin up these little samples, but I am never sure what to do with them. I had just enough to make this little bird.  One of the girls in Hufflepuff mentioned that someone was collecting these birds as part of Project Happiness. They will send the birds to people who are going through a tough time and could use a little happiness. I hope to make a few more before I send this bird flying to someone who needs her.

The next project is a pair of socks that I knit up with a new to me yarn.  I bought a skein of Pagewood Farm Yukon at Conversational Threads when it was on clearance. I loved the color, but I also love that the yarn is from San Pedro, California. Let's me feel a little closer to home when I use it. I have knit with their yarn before, just not this blend. Yukon is Merino/Bamboo/Nylon and I thought may breathe better than just a wool/nylon blend.  I picked a pattern on my queue and got to knitting. These are Neville's Socks on Ravelry. They are a free pattern and I enjoyed knitting them up.  

The last project I have to share is one I just got pictures of today! I went to pick up my first CSA and decided that would be a great place for a photo shoot. On a side note I am super excited about the CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Every week for the next 22 weeks I get to pick up a box of fruits, veggies and herbs according to my share. This week I got arugula, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, kale, broccoli, turnips, and a pint of strawberries (that I got to pick). I also bought some local cheese, beef sausages and a yogurt smoothie. I am looking forward to fresh produce every week from the farm! I think it will make me eat healthier and support local family businesses. 

So I took a little monster that I knit for an expectant Hufflepuff out to the farm. I was excited when she said she was doing a Rebecca Danger theme nursery. I chose a pattern that I have not knit in the past.

Baldwin the Bathroom Monster by Rebecca Danger

I can call him Baldwin the Berry Monster heh. He is knit up in Dancing Dog Dyeworks - "Big's Boo-tiful Blues" that I had from the Monster Mania club from a few years ago. I need to get back to work on my OWL my Hitofude is at about 30% and I need to get it to 50% by the end of the month!

FO Friday 5/15/15

So we have been quiet for awhile, but our needles have been moving! We are hoping to start back into the blog and have a few posts to catch you up on all we have been up to.  From knitting and other crafting, to fiber festivals and bestie adventures. 

One of the bigger projects that I have finished recently is a baby blanket that I made for my cousin. She is expecting a little boy (any day now) so I wanted to make sure I sent something she could snuggle the little guy in.  

Gradient Blanket by Sara Marks

It is made with Caron Simply Soft, so it is perfect for a baby blanket. I love that it is machine washable too.  I didn't have enough yarn to make the blanket as written, but it is still a big baby blanket. It was pointed out that this looks like a Ravenclaw blanket, and although that wasn't my intent it is probably pretty fitting. Both my cousin and her husband have earned PhDs in the sciences, so their baby will certainly be surrounded by wit and wisdom.

I was a little behind Jess in my Follow Your Arrow 2 so I didn't have it to share the last time that we blogged. I finished it now and I really like it.

Follow Your Arrow 2 - Ysolda Teague

I enjoyed knitting this one as much as the first Follow Your Arrow. I ended up with an ABABB shawl. If I make another one (maybe there will be a Follow Your Arrow 3?!) I would like to use a solid color yarn, or even a gradient. I think that would show the lovely stitches off better. The slight variegation of this yarn muddles things a bit, but it is still a pretty shawl.  

I made a Barley hat for my cousin's baby as well. Then it worked out that the next Quidditch prompt had a few patterns as options, and Barley was one of them! So I knit one up for myself too. This one was Madeline Tosh DK. It is soft and squishy.  I love the pink color, and I think it will be great for this fall.  (I am not thinking about cold weather for awhile).

One of the residents is going to be a mom so I knit up a quick Ruffled baby hat and a pair of baby socks.  To go with the socks I found the perfect book!

Leftovers Baby Socks - by Matthew Hesson-McInnis

Ruffled Baby Hat - by Maryann

The hat is Knit Picks Comfy Worsted and it is way too big for a newborn.  This works out ok as the baby is due in May and will really need the hat later in the year.  

The project I am most proud of is my Grandpa Cardigan by Joji Locatelli. I knit it up in Wollmeise DK and it is just lovely.  I knew it was quite a splurge to make a sweater out of Wollmeise and I am lucky to have had the opportunity.  This sweater is ALL cables. Cables on the body and sleeves.  I have temporary buttons on the sweater in these pics because I knew I would get some at Maryland Sheep and Wool (more on that later).

Just a few more projects, I promise. I knit up a pair of Pin Striped Socks by Julia Swart using some Cyborg's Craft Room sock yarn in the colorway Lagoon. This was the only knitting project that I brought with me on our trip to Aruba. That is a good thing because I did not have too much time to knit.

I knit a tiny gnome for Project Gnome Diplomacy! He is on his way to South Korea now!

Last, but not least. I knit up a shawl that I have been wanting to make for a long time. A family member is going through a rough time, so I decided to knit up a shawl for her. That way I can give her a hug from afar and she will know we are thinking of her. I used a bright skein from Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in the colorway honey fig to make this Multnomah.  I am also excited I got a picture of this beautiful tree in my front yard while it was in bloom.

Late winter I somehow lost my knitting mojo.  It's back in full force now and I have a bunch of FO's to show.  

To start, back in January I was asked to test knit Wasabi by Susan Claudino as part of the Dancing Dog Dyeworks Monster Mania club.  I knit one out of Knit Picks WOTA and a baby one out of The Cyborg's Craft Room Assparkilate.  The pattern was finally revealed in April and if you weren't part of the Monster Mania club, you should be able to purchase the pattern in a few months.

I have knit a few Citron shawls in the past, but never ended up keeping one for myself.  Late in the winter, my friend Barb, was trying to find a shawl to make with some yellow Wollmeise.  I was searching Ravelry trying to find patterns for her and felt the urge to knit myself a bright yellow shawl.  I ordered 2 skeins of Malabrigo Lace from Eat Sleep Knit.  The colorway looked like sunshine.  When it arrived, I was a little sad to see it was more of a marigold color.  Yellowish orange.  I started the shawl anyway, figuring I would be giving this one away, too.  However, by the time I finished I was in love with it.  It is so bright and happy!  It's also the perfect size.  I can wear it around my neck as a shawlette, or I can wear it over my shoulders if I get chilly at work and it keeps me warm.  

I've also knit 3 pairs of socks over the past couple of months.  I know I retracted my goal of knitting 12 pairs, but right now socks ARE making me happy so I want to knit them while I still have the urge.

The first pair is just a basic vanilla sock with a heel flap.  I used Desert Vista Dyeworks "If They Kill Daryl".  

The second pair are No Purl Monkeys using some yarn that I dyed when I hosted a dye party with our local knit group.  (More on that in another post).  I am SO thrilled with the results and these are my favorite socks right now.

The most recent pair I knit is a pair of Socks on a Plane using my Miss Babs that I got at Maryland Sheep & Wool last year.  I skipped MDSW this year, but I felt it was appropriate to knit with my yarn on the weekend of the festival.  These socks are shorties.  They only go about an inch above my ankle bone, but with summer just around the corner I wanted to try something different.

The final project I have to share this week is kind of a secret, but as long as I don't say who it's for it should be ok ;)

I knit a Hogwarts Express for a friend of mine.  I've knit this shawl a couple of other times in the past.  It's a fairly simple knit and super fast.

I've knit a couple of washcloths and some ornaments for the Little Lippy Ewe swap, but I will hold off on showing all of them until the end of the year.  

I hope you all have a great week!  

FO Friday 3/6/15

After 3 storms in the past week, not only have I done a lot of snow shoveling, but I have also been busting out the FO's and working on my sock yarn blanket.  Last month, in the middle of my February socks, I decided that sock knitting wasn't making me happy for the time being.  I am participating in 2 different year long swaps and the last thing I need is another major deadline project.  I have knit a pair (and sometimes 2 pairs) a month for the past 3 years, so my previous stated goal of knitting at least 12 more pairs of socks this year is over.  This year, I am knitting what makes me happy.  No pressure knitting (other than the already signed up for swaps).

So, with no socks on the needles I have had plenty of time to work on my blanket.  In the past week I have knit 25 squares and will be working on it most of this next week, too.

Susan Claudino released her Bonbon bunny pattern on March 1st.  I had the honor of test knitting for her,  The first sample I made was using some mystery (I think it's Opal) sock yarn that has been hiding in my stash for years.  It's speckled and super teeny and adorable. 

The second one I made was out of worsted weight.  I needed a gift for a co-workers soon to be born baby girl.  She saw me knitting the tiny bunny and asked me to knit her a bunny for Rowan.  We were throwing her a surprise shower the next week, so I had the perfect opportunity to knit it for her.  I used Gnome Acres House Gnome in Flamingo Fling.  

Bonbon Bunny in Opal (?) fingering weight

Bonbon Bunny in Gnome Acres House Gnome

I have another bitty bunny on the needles that I hope to share next week :)

Late last week, I FINALLY finished my Adrift cardigan.  You know, the one I started LAST MAY.  I blocked it aggressively and now it fits perfectly.  It's the perfect sweater to wear in the office.  Lightweight, but so warm and cozy.

Adrift Cardigan in Malabrigo Lace

 Last week, I also finished up a pair of basic hand warmers.  I used Chroma Fingering in the Regency colorway. 

Chroma handwarmers

The last thing I have to share was technically finished back in January, but I finally blocked my coffee break Tubularity late last week. I still have to sew on the buttons, but I think I might re-block it first.  It's a little snug when I wear it over my head.  For now, it's going to sit in my hand knit basket until I decide what to do.  I really enjoyed knitting it.  It was very meditative.  I just wish it fit me better.  :(

Endless Coffee Break Tubularity in Miss Babs Coffee Break Polydactyl kit

I have been getting serious cabin fever sitting at home this week with the bad weather. Tomorrow will be the first time I actually will drive in days! Spring cannot get here fast enough. I have been plugging away on my big projects, and yesterday I worked on my sock yarn blanket while the hubby and I did a "House of Cards" mini-marathon.  We have finally started season 3.  The other projects I had on my needles take too much concentration for that show.  So the blanket got some attention and I completed 6 more squares bringing me up to a total of 250 squares! 

Compared to Jess I look like a slacker! I finished up a baby blanket for a family member, and a little hat too but still need to take pictures when I have better light. I do have one FO to share though.

Bonbon - The Cyborg's Craft Room Bested "Without Borders"

I did not test knit this little bunny, but cast on just as soon as the pattern was released! I love this bunny, and know that I will be making a lot more of these in the future. I need to make one in sock yarn like Jess because they turn out so tiny and cute!

Hibernating for winter/FO Friday

Winter has been brutal for us on the East Coast.  Record breaking cold temps and a good amount of snow.

We haven't been able to do much outdoors, but we have been doing A LOT of knitting.

I finished my confetti cupcakes socks in time to wear for my birthday.  I love how they turned out.  I want to make more Hermione's Every Day socks.

Hermione's Every Day socks in Candy Skein confetti cupcake

I also knit a pair of vanilla striped socks with some Desert Vista Dyeworks Strawberry Shortcake

I knit 3 test knits (2 of which haven't been released yet so pics will have to come later)

Doctor Ewe by Susan Claudino Designs

I transformed a Voodoo You Love Me? Into a custom Castiel from Supernatural for a swap in the Susan Claudino Designs group. 

Ysolda Teague came out with another MKAL.  Jen and I both participated and here is my Follow Your Arrow 2.  I used Fearless Fibers, which I loved, was super soft, however if I knit this again I would go with a solid color so the arrows show up better.

I have a few more things to share, but I will save them for next week.  Jen and I know we have been slacking but we still want to continue blogging so we will try to be better about keeping up with our scheduled posts.

This winter feels never ending! The hubby and I bought another house in the Northeast last year and decided we had to find the fun in winter or it would kill us. The cold has been too much, but we had a particularly warm day (in the low 40s) after some snow fell and we had some fun.

We built a snowman (who has a knitting needle for a nose, finally found a use for those 25mm plastic needles), button eyes and mouth and a lemonade stand.  It was fun out playing in the snow and enjoying activities we wouldn't have gotten to do in California. If it could just stay warmer and have less ice, winter would be much more enjoyable heh
All the cold weather has been good for knitting time though. I am working on a sweater right now and when I move it on my lap I realize it is acting like a blanket, and I love it. I will probably finish it up just in time for spring.  

I finished up a pair of socks for John that I gave him for Valentine's Day so I can share them now.

Mr Pitt Socks - The Cyborg's Craft Room - Softwear - "Journey"

I wanted to make him a pair of more colorful socks so went on the hunt for indie dyers. This yarn was dyed up by The Cyborg's Craft Room and the colorway was inspired by the Cirque du Soleil show Varekai.  John and I have been to a few Cirque du Soleil shows, but Varekai was the first for me. It was magical, and beautiful.  I love when the yarn has a story to it too!

The next was the first pair of socks that I started and finished in 2015. Each year Jess and I do the Odd Ducks Winter Madness swap, but with just the two of us.  In that swap you put together a package for someone that contains everything you need to make a project. You pick out a pattern, the yarn, needles, project bag and notions.  We always include an ornament and some goodies to snack on too.  Last year Jess got me a skein of The Cyborg's Craft Room in a colorway that I had favorited on Etsy called Prey. It is a deep red wine colored tonal yarn. The pattern that she gifted me was My Cup of Tea on Ravelry.

My Cup of Tea - The Cyborg's Craft Room - Assockilate - "Prey"

The pattern was easy to follow, and I love that you get the detail just along the top of the foot. I had a miscount of stitches and my pattern is off on one of my feet, but it is not noticeable when the socks are on (thank goodness!)

I also transformed a Voodoo You love me for the swap in Susan Claudino's group. We were to make a dream date for our partner based on their interests. I received a Voodoo that looks like Hedwig (from Harry Potter, not the Angry Inch :-P) and made my partner one that looks like Aubie the tiger, the mascot for Auburn University.

I have another pair of socks (man I knit a lot of socks) to share that I made for me. Again these socks have a special theme, an indie dyer I follow on Etsy offered sock yarn based on your favorite NFL team. I ordered this skein to root on my 49ers next season (let's hope they look better than this year). Fittingly, I cast them on at a Super Bowl party.

Vanilla Latte Socks - Purple Goddess Designs - Stuff a Sock in it - "Nothing finer than a 49er"

I have a birthday gift that I can share next month and a swap project that I can share later in the year too. My Follow Your Arrow is still on the needles, although I am almost done with clue 4. I have about 20 rows to go and it is done! I am hoping that Jess and I can get back in the habit of blogging and sharing all our fiber fun with you all :-)

Playing Catch Up-FO overload

I have been totally slacking on this blog thing!  The end of October/half of November is always busy for me.  The church I belong to has a basket social each year in Mid-November and I am on the committee.  A couple of weeks before we usually have a meeting or two to go over last minute details, then we set up and on the day of the event I am typically there for 15 hours.  It's so much fun though and I won big this year!  One of the ladies on the committee donated a Game of Thrones basket.  It has a Winter is Coming pillow (the reverse side shows the Stark emblem), a season 3 soundtrack, a book that shows behind the scenes of the show, a chip bowl and cup set, a puzzle and a deck of cards.  I was the lucky winner of that basket!  I also won a Penn State themed basket and an Easter basket.

Aside from the basket social, I have been doing A LOT of knitting.  

I was involved in a Halloween swap in the Susan Claudino Designs group on Ravelry.  My partner loves Harry Potter so I customized the Wild Things pattern to make him look like Dobby.  I knit him a wee sock so he can show the world that he is a free elf.

I did a KAL with some Ravelry friends.  We were all excited for the season premiere of The Walking Dead, so we were planning projects using Desert Vista Dyeworks, If They Kill Rick.  I made myself a pair of vanilla socks.  I was supposed to wait for the premiere to cast on, but I couldn't help myself and started early.

If They Kill Rick socks-yarn is Desert Vista Dyeworks Viso, colorway:  If They Kill Rick

After the socks were done, I wanted another mindless project.  I cast on a Sockhead hat using The Cyborg's Craft Room, Softwear in Joan Collins Blazer.

Sockhead in Joan Collins Blazer

The Susan Claudino Designs group had another swap.  This one was a snowball fight.  We were put in teams of 3, all living relatively close to each other.  One person starts it off, sends a Snowball Buddy ornament to person 2.  Once received, person 2 asks person 3 which they would prefer and mails to them.  When they receive theirs, person 3 sends an ornament to person 1.  I made the owl for person 2.

Snowball Buddies owl

One of the baskets this year at the basket social had a vintage cradle, handcrafted by a committee member's grandfather.  My mom knit a beautiful blanket to place inside the cradle and I knit an elephant to go along with the set.

Elijah by Ysolda Teague

My final FO for this post is a cowl.  The Indie Design Gift-a-Long is going on.  One of our local knitter friends is a designer participating in the GAL.  I needed a gift for my boyfriend's mother for Christmas so I decided to participate.  I knit the Glowing Embers cowl by Simone Kereit.  I was a little intimidated with the pattern when I first looked at it, but once I started it was simple.  I love the way it turned out and have enough yarn left over to make another one, reversing the colors.

Glowing Embers by Simone Kereit-yarn:  Cascade 220 superwash

A woman at church asked if I would knit her a purple octopus that matched her quilt in her guest room.  I whipped up the body of this little guy with no pattern and used this pattern for the legs.  I held the yarn double, using worsted weight yarn and she asked for the eyes to be embroidered on.  

Octavius the Octo in Loops & Threads Solids

I knit a teeny dog sweater for my now ex-boyfriend's dog.  Since my boss has a Shih tzu, I am hoping this sweater will fit her dog.

The pattern is  Dog Sweater for Small Dogs.  The only mods made were the arms.  I didn't quite understand the pattern so I worked the arms like an afterthought heel and went back and picked up stitches where I felt the arms should go.

My last FO to share right now is a pair of Christmas socks.  This is my 13th pair of the year and I used Dancing Dog Dyeworks Twist sock in Holly Jolly with Linsay Pink for the cuffs/heels/toes

Socks on a Plane in DDD-Holly Jolly

What have you been up to, Jen?

That is a lot of FOs Jess!  October and November were really busy for me too.  In the beginning of November we hosted Journal Club at my house.  This is where the residents and faculty in the Emergency Medicine program get together to discuss research articles about different topics in medicine. It is nice for them to go to a house rather than the hospital, and this year we have a big enough house to host. There were over 50 (yes 50) people at my house.  It was loud and fun! 

 It is hard to see but my living room is full of people right now! The day after that we traveled to Orlando! We wanted to visit some friends who moved there this summer, see the expanded Wizarding World of Harry Potter (squee!) and visit John's grandparents.

Magic Kingdom, Main Street - so warm and nice out!

Got to ride the Hogwarts Express!

Dragon on top of Gringott's bank- randomly shoots fire

Seen in Knockturn Alley

Now these would be useful for Christmas gifts

 After Orlando we headed to St. Petersburg and saw a Chihuly exhibit.  It was beautiful, much smaller than the gardens in Seattle, but still neat to see

Now I can finally share my knitting! I finished the shawl for my sister in law. It is huge, warm, soft and I am sad to see it leave. This would be lovely to have in the winter time.

Next up I made a few ornaments for our year long swap. They were the last pieces that I needed to make!

Snowball buddy by Susan Claudino - modified to make it a snowman; Penguin Popper by Jill Arnusch

For DADA this month we were tasked to make an item designed by a fellow House Cupper so I chose to make this adorable monster bookmark by Cristel Brooks aka bellymonster

Monster Corner Bookmark

I finished up the socks I was making with my MDSW Miss Babs yarn. These Charade socks are warm, but the colors make me think of spring, which is nice in the winter time.

Next I knit up another Hermione Hearts Ron hat. The first was for my mother in law, and this is also a Christmas present. It is knit up in Mirasol Yarn Nuna, a super soft, silk, wool and bamboo blend.

I knit some Hufflepuff socks too this month! Jess says they are Steeler's socks and I am ok with that too. Jess got me this yarn as a gift, it is Alina Shea Creations Sunrises in the colorway "Hufflepride."  I love this pattern for self-striping yarns. I am not a big fan of afterthought heels, and this pattern makes the stripes look good enough to just keep going.  This is my 5th (I think) pair of Vanilla Latte Socks.

Lastly (phew!) I have my Smittens garland that I can hang on the mantle in our new house. These mittens are small, and take much longer than I thought they would. I think it is because they are small they are more fiddly.  

Hope everyone has a great rest of the holiday weekend!