Oops!

Long, lost WIP :-(

It didn't take me too long to figure out what to work on when I realized that my poor Hitchhiker was being very neglected in a cute little project bag.  I ended up ripping out what I had so far because I lost my place and that's how I roll.  I am at ten points and love the yarn.  It's the second hank of yarn that I dyed two years ago at the Yarn Cupboard retreat using the Holiday Yarns FlockSock base.  I love how the colors are working up and the pattern makes it fun to see what the next point will look like next.

That moment when...

Need to weave in ends and block but it's DONE!

A rainbow for my head

....you've finished your deadline knitting and can't make a decision on what to do next with your WIPs.....  Happy Friday, all!

So close!

A sleeve has commenced!!!

Little things

Baby mitts for baby #3

Starting a Calorimetry!

Playing with fiber

Plying on the traddy!

More practice with some vanilla fiber

Spindle spin with lovely colors!

Overdue FO #2

 This was an old COA project from last summer that was finished about four months ago.  The purplish gray yarn was from Rainbow Dyed Yarn - my first ever trip to Rhinebeck back in 2009.  That was when I really didn't know what I was doing as a crocheter, let alone as a knitter.  I do remember that the woman who sold me the skein warned me that I may want to purchase two for a bigger project.  She was kinda right because the yardage was just enough where I couldn't really make anything more than a fairly long cowl for myself.  The creme accent yarn is from the Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool that I always manage to keep in my stash, just in case.

As predicted the sleeves are already getting to be too short for Haze, but I will probably pull them out and make them shorter sometime this summer or fall and keep it that way.  I figure, she will definitely get a few more years out of the garment this way.  The iridescent purple buttons came from my favorite local yarn store, Yarn Cupboard, and were absolutely perfect for the sweater!

Baby Hats!

 I've been making baby hats with leftover balls of Manos Maxima that I used for other projects.  These hats are based off of the Baby Football Hat by Jessica Marini - sans the brown yarn and laces.  These hats will fit a baby's noggin up until 6 months.  The green is for my baby #3 and the bottom one is for my friend's baby #3.  Have I mentioned how squishy and yummy this yarn is?

In the bag

 During the Ravellenic Games, I competed in the Bag Jump event for my team Voie de Vie Paris Metro Version.  Our captain, Denise rounded us up by having us all focus on Voie de Vie patterns.  I decided to do two, a hat and this clutch.  Sadly the hat became part of the Aerial Unwind but the clutch made it through the finish line!

I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease in the Lake color way.  This is one of Denise's very first patterns entitled "The Melina Clutch."  The pattern is free on Ravelry and was an enjoyable crochet.  It took me only a couple of days from start to buttons.  I love the way the stitches line up on the front of the clutch and even though I wasn't sure about my button choice, I can't imagine using anything else now.  This took a little over a half of a skein of Cotton-Ease so you could really make a ton of these for a quick, easy, affordable gift!  So you wonder what does my clutch hold?  Nothing fancy.  Just all of the circular needles I scored off of Ebay a few months back. :-)

I still spin!

 Voilà, my most recent spinning project!  This took me so long to do on my spindle mostly because I really wanted this fiber to come out perfect.  This was 4 ounces blue faced leicester of fibery goodness from Holiday Yarns.  Michael got me this for my birthday, last year and I started spinning it on my birthday this past year!  I do eventually get to these things...

As for the details, I spun 188 yards of worsted weight and plyed it on itself using a center pull ball.  Don't ask me what I plan on making with it; I never have plans or make plans, I just spin.  One of these days, I will spin for a plan!  Anyone out there spinning anything?

Overdue FO

 This was a shawl that I finished a long time ago but forgot to have the hubs take photos.  This yarn is from Jill Draper in her Hudson base.  I won this yarn from a contest my local yarn store, Yarn Cupboard, held about a year ago.  Hudson is a a worsted weight squishy yarn.  I've really been into the squishy yarns lately...

 It also took me forever to pick out a pattern for this yarn.  I decided on the shawl by Caitlin Ffrench called Terribly Simple.  It was an extremely easy knit, as the pattern suggests.  I just kept repeating the rows until I knew I couldn't play yarn chicken anymore.  It's more of a shawlette size but I love the bright colors.  It makes me hopeful for spring.  

COA and FOs

 This was a project from our second cast-on-apalooza that I finished.  I used Splendor Sock by Jill Draper, a fingering weight yarn coupled with the Wingfeathers pattern by Cal Patch of Hodgepodge Farms.

 Because it was crochet, this project flew by for me once I sat down and worked for more than five minutes at a time on it.  The pattern has a two row repeat once you get into it and is easy to remember.  The pattern consists of working with treble crochets, which I don't often do but was enjoyable all the same.

Once I finished, I knew I couldn't get away without blocking it, so I got out my blocking needles, gave the shawl a bath, and stretched until I couldn't stretch anymore.  I was amazed and how much it grew and how the pattern stood out afterwards.  

If you're keeping a tally on my cast-on-apalooza projects, here are the stats:

• Ripped 2 projects - Stormcloud Shawlette and Persephone Hood
• Finished 2 projects - Maize and Wingfeathers Shawl
• Still actively working on the other 4 projects - 2 sweaters, a scarf, and a shawl

TinCanKnits = Awesome!

 Make way for the glamor shots!  First up is the pattern from TinCanKnits called Maize.  This pattern is from the Simple Collection which has 8 patterns that a beginner can follow by playing with the knit and purl placement of stitches and still get something pretty cool that could be mistaken for advanced knitting.

 This pattern gets my vote because it's two patterns in one.  You can opt to make either mittens or fingerless mitts.  I went for the fingerless mitts because I already have a pair of mittens that I use often and my other fingerless mitts are looking pretty beat.  I love the ribbing up the side especially.  Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like these could pass for store bought.  But nowadays, is that really a compliment?

Another reason why I like this pattern is how the thumb gusset comes together and the make 1s lend a nice little curve on either side of the thumb.  I used Manos Maxima which is the cushiest worsted weight yarn I've ever worked with.  I have about four different hanks of this yarn and have already made my way through two of them.  I recommend pattern and yarn very highly!  Now, go knit these mitts, you know you want to!