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!

WIPs, FO's & Year in Review

Time slipped away from us again.  The holidays have been crazy busy but with the New Year starting, we are going to try to keep on track with this blog.

We may not have been blogging, but we have definitely been knitting over here.  All of my Christmas knitting has been gifted so I can finally show you what I have been working on.

First is my dad's scarf.  The pattern is Malabrigo Waffles Scarf knit out of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool.  He has a tan winter coat so I thought this would go well with it.

Dad's Waffle Scarf

I wasn't planning on knitting for my co-workers this year, but after seeing how fast this tree knit up, I decided to knit a bunch to give the girls in my department.  The little white duck was a special ornament for a friend who is retiring next week.

The trees are from the Christmas Knit Ornament Set by Amy Gaines

Jen and I have been doing a Winter Madness swap (original idea came from the Odd Ducks of Ravelry group).  We build each other a kit to make something out of our favorites or queue, get some goodies and include an ornament.  I have been in love with this Snowman Diorama ornament for a few years now and decided to make one for her. Now I need to make some for my tree and for some family members for next Christmas.

Jen here, just wanted to add that I was so excited to get this ornament. It is so amazing! I plan to leave it out all year long!

My final FO is my Breakup Vanilla socks using Desert Vista Dyeworks, Pretty Hate Machine self-striping yarn.  I am so in love with this colorway and can't wait to make a blanket square out of the leftovers.  This yarn is extra special to me because Susan of DVD held a contest in 2014 where you suggest musicians, songs or albums based on certain themes each month.  For November, I suggested Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine and my entry was one of the top 5 votes of that month so I won a skein in my suggested colorway!

Fish Lips Kiss Heel-Desert Vista Dyeworks Pretty Hate Machine

I just have a couple of WIPs on the needles right now (that I am actively working on...)

The first is a Tubularity using my Miss Babs coffee break kit that I got at Rhinebeck.

Endless Coffee Break-Tubularity

The second is a pair of Hermione's Every Day socks using Candy Skein Yummy Fingering in Confetti Cupcake.  The colorway was the exclusive January 2014 colorway and since my birthday is in January, these are my birthday socks.

I do not know how time keeps slipping from me! I also have given all my Christmas gifts so I have just a few FOs to share.

The first is my Snakes in a Grass hat knit in Malabrigo Arroyo that I had leftover from my Ginny Cardigan.  My grandma requested a hat for Christmas, so I thought that this one would be perfect. The yarn is soft and squishy, and it should be super warm for her. The hat was supposed to be slouchier, and if I made it again I would add a repeat to the cable pattern.

I made this little Bluebird of Happiness ornament as part of a local ornament swap. I even used some of my handspun to knit it up. I really like it, and can see using my leftover handspun to make lots more of these.

Lastly, I made this DNA scarf for John. I tried this pattern when I first learned to knit, and found it incredibly difficult.  I also didn't like the yarn that I chose to knit it up with. I was knitting a cotton blend, with wooden needles, and needles to do cables, so for me it was just a recipe for disaster.  This time I chose to use Cascade 220 superwash, and gave it another try. It was a success! John liked it so much too! He said it was even a good DNA pattern too heh

I have two WIPs on the needles, a pair of Fawkes socks for me knit up with Supernatural Yarns Pixie Sock - Yer A Wizard Harry Colorway.  This color was released for Harry Potter's birthday, and I just had to have it. The colors are based on the cake that Hagrid gives to Harry.  

I have made this pattern once before, and I really wanted another pair that was slightly longer. So I added a cable repeat in the leg.  The other WIP is a secret present for someone so I will share that later.

Jen and I thought it would be fun to go through this past year and pick our favorite highlights and projects from 2014.  It's nice to look back at the year and see how much fun we had.

My favorite FOs of 2014 would have to be...

 Follow Your Arrow MKAL.   I had so much fun knitting each clue at a time, with a group of people.  I still want to knit this again and switch some of the clue's around.  

Wild Thing by Susan Claudino.  This toy is so adorable!  I still have to knit another one for Jen so we can have matching Wild Things.  

198 Yards of Heaven.  This shawl was pretty therapeutic for me to knit and my mom loves it.

Pedestrian Crossing Cowl.  I knit this for a very sweet friend of mine.  Such a lovely knit, I need to make more of these.

My favorite FOs of 2014 would have to be...

• Follow your Arrow MKAL - I also loved this project. It was fun to pick patterns as they came out. I can definitely see making another one of these.
• Meadow Brook Shawlette - I test knit this shawl for a friend who is a designer. I decided to use some of my handspun and I just love how it turned out.
• Winter Twilight Mitts - My first true stranded colorwork project. I loved these mitts so much, it was hard to give them up in a swap.
• DNA scarf - I really loved that I struggled with this before, and now was able to finish it successfully. 

My favorite moments of the year?  
Maryland Sheep & Wool.  Getting to meet Renee, going to the spin-in, lots of shopping and lots of bestie time (even though my snoring made her want to throat punch me ;p)

Hearing the Yarn Harlot speak.  Hilarious.  I hope to hear her again in the future.

Rhinebeck.  I got to meet so many people!  Knitabulls, The Vintage Rose, Steph and Stacie from Must Stash!

Jess summed up my favorite moments of the year too! The only thing else I would add was going to New Orleans earlier in the year and visiting Diagon Alley!

Thank you all for being patient and for following us this year.  We look forward to more road trips, adventures and lots to blog about in 2015!

WIPs Wednesday 10/8 plus a little more fall fun

So last weekend Jess and I went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire.  I had never been to this faire, and have not been to any faire since about 2002.  I did not go dressed in period clothing, and I am glad because I was cold enough in jeans and a sweater heh. It started as a super rainy morning and it was one of the colder days we have even had recently.  Anyway, I ended up having a great time! I got to see falcons, men in kilts, and a few sips of mulled wine before some yellow jackets claimed it for themselves.  I dipped my own candles too. Here are a few photos from the day!

Notice I remembered to bring knitting with me too

Didn't try one, but maybe I should have....

Much harder than it looks. I ended up with two candles, one I like more than the other, but still a fun activity!

We also ran into many fabulous knitters. In fact, I can safely say I have never run into this many knitters outside of a fiber festival! Jess and I also managed to not get any pictures together (I swear we will never break that habit), well except for one when we had an impromptu dance party on the way.

It's all about the bass, about the bass.....

So back to the WIPs, I started a project that will remain secret until after Christmas. I am not sure if the hubby reads the blog, but if he does I do not want to spoil his surprise.  I have been working on my Jane Eyre shawl (I do know my sis in law reads this, but I am warning her now if you do not want to be spoiled, walk away from the blog).  The shawl is getting huge, so huge I added a connector and another cable to see if I could stretch out the stitches more.  It still gets bunched up heh

I really wish you could see how pretty this is turning out

Close up of the flame lace panel down the center

I am almost to the last repeat where the flame lace is the majority of the stitches instead of the center.  It will be slow going for those last 24 rows I am sure, but I am getting there. I plan to work on this as much as I can over the next few days.

I started spinning up the alpaca batt that I got at the alpaca fest a few weeks ago.  I have been remembering to add more twist to the ply and it still has a nice fluffy halo.  It is going to be so soft and squishy when I finish. This is the first ply all finished

I have also started my next stitching project. This is another one from the Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. It is the 12 days of Christmas.  Maybe I will finish it in time this year!!

I've also been busy the past few weeks.  As Jen mentioned, we went to the Renaissance Faire with a new group of friends.  I had so much fun and I hope to go again next year!

Jess and her new boy toy

Two weekends ago I went apple picking with my mom after church.  We went to Grim's Orchard.  We picked about 13 pounds of jonagold apples and I picked a couple of a darker type of apple (I forget the name).  The orchard is really cute.  They have a corn maze, hayrides and a play area for kids.  They also sell apple cider donuts and apple cider slushies.  (SO GOOD!!!)  When I came home, I found a bag of cider donuts from Jen hanging on my door.  <3  I was going to freeze some, but I ended up devouring them instead.  With the apples I picked, so far I baked a diabetic friendly apple crisp  and want to make some battered apple rings and a pie. 

My beautiful mama

Pumpkin head Jess

So many apples!

I have a few FO's to share on Friday and a couple of WIP's I have been working on. 

Jen and I are both knitting with our Miss Babs MDSW exclusive yarn.  I am knitting a pair of Jaywalkers.  The pattern is crazy easy, I am just hoping they aren't too snug.  I decided to do an afterthought heel, mainly because I was at work and couldn't concentrate on the pattern heel.  

Jaywalkers in Miss Babs Cosmic-Inspired by Tulips

Jen here, just wanted to put socks up here so you can see how the same yarn in a different dyelot, with a different pattern knits up. I am making Charade socks. I love the herringbone pattern and the bright spring colors are fun, even if it feels weird to be knitting these in the fall.

 I have also been working on some cross stitching.  Since I already finished my Halloween Sampler, I felt that finishing my Gingerbread Lane was more crucial than finishing Halloween Town.  I am almost done with the 2nd house.  I decided that I am just doing the houses, not the scene underneath or the countdown.  I am hoping to be done before Thanksgiving.

Gingerbread Lane pattern by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery

WIP Wednesday 9/17/14

I have been happily stitching away on my Autumn Sampler, and I have just two squares left!!!  I may even finish it before the first official day of Fall too.

The last two squares are really cute too.  One is a finished sock (the one that is started in square 11), and the other is a cup of tea.  I think my favorite squares are the ones with the socks, but I also love square 14 with the pumpkin cupcake, and square 13 where the girl is playing in the leaves.  Raking leaves up is no fun, but crunching them under your boots, and kicking them around is actually a ton of fun.  

I haven't really worked on my shawl, so I don't really have anything to share there.  I did cast on sock pair # 9/12 for the year though. I bought the book Sock Innovation by Cookie A after seeing so many FOs on Ravelry.  I picked one of the patterns out to make my mom for Christmas this year (Erin keep this one a secret from my mom!).  When Jess and I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool this year we went to an open house at Cephalopod Yarns on Friday night and it was so much fun! If I had known then they would close their doors within a few months I would have bought a lot more yarn.  I bought this yummy skein of Skinny Bugga in the colorway Charaxes Tiridate.  I thought it looked like Dodger blue so I knew it would be perfect for my mom.  Skinny Bugga is 80% merino, 10% nylon, and 10% cashmere (so soft!).  I think these are going to be the softest socks ever.  

This pattern is the Angee sock.  It is much longer sock, but I know my mom prefers shorter socks so I took out one pattern repeat in the leg.  I love how the rows look like cables, when in reality it is just increases and decreases that make that pattern.  

WIP Wednesday 9/10/2014

Hi everyone, is it beginning to feel like Fall where you are? It sure is here, but based on the past I am sure that it will not last heh.  I have a few projects that I have started and finished since last Friday.  Just a few small things, but I am excited to share them on Friday.  Today I only have one WIP that I am currently working on. I had a pair of socks on the needles too, but I accidentally pulled one of the needles out and lost some stitches. Since I was still on the cuff I ripped them out completely.  I am still working on my Jane Eyre shawl. It doesn't look much bigger than last week, but it really is. 

The gnome and the lucky pig are trying to help show the shawl.

I am 12 rows into the lace pattern and I think it is going well so far. I have never done a shawl that had lace on both the knit and purl rows so I think that is why it is going  a little slower for me.  It will be much rougher when the lace expands and takes up the whole bottom of the shawl, but it will be gorgeous. 

Center Lace panel Jane Eyre shawl

WIP Wednesday 9/3/14

I have been getting so much done while being home this week! After I finished decorating for fall, I was in the mood for some pumpkin.  I remembered seeing on Pinterest a recipe for a copycat version of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Syrup.  I am so addicted to their Pumpkin Spice Latte's, but they are a bit pricey. I decided that I would test it out on Monday.  I don't have a fancy coffee maker, just a Mr. Coffee type Keurig machine.  I don't know how to make a latte so I knew that it wouldn't taste the same as Starbucks.  

The recipe was really easy.  There were only a few ingredients and it took me about 20 minutes to make.  I put some in my coffee and you can definitely taste the pumpkin spice!  I'm so glad I can make my own pumpkin coffee beverage every day without spending a small fortune!

After I made the syrup, I decided to fall even further into the pumpkin patch and baked a pumpkin pie.  Nothing fancy, just used the Libby's recipe on the back of the can.

Along with making all things pumpkin, I worked on some knitting and stitching.  I started my Halloween socks a couple of weeks ago.  I'm using The Cyborg's Craft Room Assockilate in This Isn't a Man self-striping.  The original Halloween is my all time favorite horror movie.  I knit a pair using the variegated version of this colorway last year and when I saw it was available as self-striping, I needed it.  I finished the first sock last week and started the second.  

The Cyborg's Craft Room Assockilate-This Isn't a Man self-striping; bag by Bird Leg Bags on Etsy

I also cast on the Pedestrian Crossing cowl by Melissa Sibley.  This will be a gift so I am using some wonderfully soft Malabrigo Worsted to knit it up.  The colorway is Plena and it reminds me of crisp fall evenings.  I need to go pick out the perfect buttons for this today while hanging out with Jen.

Pedestrian Crossing in Malabrigo Worsted-Plena 616; bag by Bird Leg Bags on Etsy

The last knitting project I started is a bunny.  Every year our church has a basket social.  People donate gift baskets and you purchase tickets to try to win baskets you like.  This year, one of the girls donated an antique cradle and my mom knit this beautiful baby blanket for the cradle.  She asked if I would make a bunny to place inside.  I am using the Nummy Bunny pattern.  The only mods I plan on doing are keeping it a solid color instead of striping and not stuffing the arms and legs.  

Nummy Bunny using Knit Picks Brava Worsted; bag by MostlyMunchies

I have also been working on clue 3 of The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery's Halloween Town club.  This pattern is so cute and each clue has me falling even more in love with it.

That's about all I have been up to this week.  How about you, Jen?  

Wow! You have been super productive on your week off! Much more than me heh. I just started a part time job working for a friend so my time for crafting has gone down heh.  The new term started in the HPKCHC so I eagerly cast on my OWL project when it was approved within hours of me submitting my proposal! So my OWL last term was the Dr. Who scarf for my brother.  My OWL for the fall term is a project that was requested by my sister-in-law (my brother's wife). They are quite knit worthy and appreciate handmade gifts so I was happy to say yes.  She loves to read, and even has her master's in library sciences.  She picked out the Jane Eyre Shawl from the Literary Knits book. She requested a pretty gray color, and I think this yarn is perfect.  It is Cascade 220 in Charcoal Gray.   I have finished the shoulder shaping and can now start the Flame Lace section. This shawl is different from others I have made before because it has shoulder shaping, and the lace pattern is active on both sides. It is a huge shawl, and I think it will be a cozy wrap for my SIL. 

The next project that I have been working on is my sock yarn blanket. I cast this blanket on September 5, 2013. So I thought I would see how far that I had gotten in one year. I have 178 squares.  I cannot believe how far I have gotten on this project.  When I started I thought it would end like my failed attempt at hexipuffs. That I would make a few squares, get bored and set it aside.  This blanket is addictive. Whenever I pick it up I find it hard to make just one square. As soon as I weave in the ends in I am picking up the next mini-skein.  The blanket is so large is actually makes me warm to work on it, so this should see a lot of knitting time in the upcoming fall and winter.  

I spent the last few weeks stitching as well. I picked up my long forgotten Autumn Sampler.  I started the border last year, and did not even finish that!  As the weather got cooler it made me think of all things Fall! So I picked it back up in hopes of finishing it this year in time to frame and hang it. Just 10 more squares to go.

Oh I needed another needle minder since my cute Matroyshka one from Jess was is on my other sampler. So I found this cute one from Pinoy Stitch on Etsy.

I also have been working on my Once Upon a Time Sampler and have made good progress on the September square, Rapunzel.