knitter

Finished Knit–The Shift Cowl

Pattern: The Shift Cowl by Andrea Mowry (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Spincycle Dream State in the Heart Sigh, Verba Volant, and Neveruary colorways.

Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)

Notes and Mods: Another abandoned WIP out of the UFO bin! I knit this as written. However, I ran out of Neveruary about 2/3 through the pattern and finding a replacement was a pain in the butt (hence the abandonment). I realized that, when I ordered this yarn specifically labeled as a kit for this cowl, the yarn I received was Dream State rather than Dyed in the Wool. As it turns out, Dream State is only 150 yards compared to Dyed’s 200 yard put-up.

Overall, easy pattern and glad to free up those needles.

Finished Knit–“Scottish Ale”

Pattern: “Scottish Ale” available for purchase on Ravelry (I got it for free back in early release, I believe).

Yarn: Cascade Eco+ in the Lichen colorway

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)

Notes, Mods, and Commentary:

Well, I finally did it. I dug this damn sweater out of my UFO bin, where it has been hanging out since *gulp* 2018. One of my 2023 goals I talked about earlier this year is to knit from my stash while also clearing out some of the abandoned projects that are scattered throughout the house. So, I buckled down, promptly remembered why I hated knitting this project, and finally just slogged through it cursing and bitching the entire time. I’m not one to stick with a project I am not enjoying. Life is too short for those shenanigans. However, I promised G-Man this sweater, and it’s not his fault that I ended up hating the process.

I am not a fan of the construction of this sweater and it cured me of any desire to knit a seamed pullover ever again. The sleeve construction was such that the sleeve increases created excessive bulk in the upper underarm area (a problem noted by other knitters), and I was far too apathetic to re-math it. The center cables had a lot of tension between them (creating small holes), and the gauge was such that my hands felt fatigued frequently. As for the yarn, however, it was a good match for this project, because it held stitch definition like a dream. I believe I used about 3.5 skeins for it, but I can’t be sure.

Overall, he likes it, I have some needles free from the Island of Misfit Knits, and I can finally close the book on this project. While I make no promises on how many UFOs will get the same treatment, I confess it did feel pretty good finally finishing it.

A Couple More Finished Knits

The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of activity. Two of the Heathens had birthdays, we celebrated Easter with family and friends, and spent time constructing new raised beds for the garden. Meanwhile, despite my vow to never join another mystery knit-along again, I fell down the fiber rabbit hole of temptation when I heard about Cascade’s 2018 Knitterati Knit-Along. Besides loving the color palates in the kit, the prospect of adding in some quick knits between my bigger projects, ones that would add up to a blanket at the end of a year, seemed like my kind of project. I got the kit from Jimmy Beans Wool just in time for the first square’s pattern release:

Pattern: Gradient Lapghan Block 1 (pattern available for purchase on Ravelry, and each new square will be released every three weeks. Block 2 is already up. However, if you sign up for Cascade’s newsletter, you can get the patterns for free with coupon codes they send).

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Merino in Sweet Pea Colorway

Needles: US 7

Notes and Mods: This block was a learning curve as far as gauge and most people were having issues getting the dimensions. This wanted to block way larger than specified. After watching the Ravelry group, Cascade advised that wet blocking is not ideal, and that the squares will go best if pinned, then lightly sprayed. I should have remembered that superwash wool can be a bit finicky. Overall, it’s a good pattern but row gauge could be an issue for some people. I like the yarn texture, and am definitely more of a fan than the traditional Cascade 220 Superwash.

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After I finished the block, I did a deep stash dive and pulled out a UFO that has been lingering there for years. I started these mittens at least four years ago, but kept getting discouraged on the cuffs and their time-consuming pattern. I vowed at New Years that I would finally finish them. I may not be skinny or able to run a 5k yet, but dang it, this UFO is finally a FO! How’s that for a resolution win?

Pattern: Grove (available for purchase on Ravelry).

Yarn: Berroco Comfort in Filbert Colorway

Needles: US 6 DPNs

Notes and Mods: The pattern has been updated since I purchased it, which is good because my copy had a couple of errors. This pattern is almost 100 percent charted, so if you can’t do charts, it might not be for you. Additionally, something about my copy made it impossible for my Knit Companion software to magic mark the charts, which slowed down my progress. Rather than removing the needles to turn these inside out for the three-needle bind-off, I just grafted the tops closed. As for sizing, my hands are on the smaller side, and these fit me perfectly. I noticed on Ravelry that others had to make modifications for sizing, and some changed the YO increases because they did not like the spaces they created. Overall, I love the stitch pattern, but if I make them again, I may modify the tops to be more rounded and even.

Finished Holiday Knits

Alrighty, now that the holidays have passed, I can post the few last-minute gifts I whipped up in the days leading up to Christmas. I swore not to do any gift knits this year, but finally decided that it just would not be December if I wasn’t knitting a gift or two. All of these were fast projects (at least as far as “fast” applies in knitting terms), and with stash yarn

Pattern: Polku Messy Bun Hat (available for purchase on Ravelry)

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Country Blue colorway (I held the yarn double for this project/gauge)

Needles: US 10 and 10-1/2

Notes and Mods: Made this for my Mother-In-Law, who requested a hat that allowed for a ponytail. I went up a size to ensure the gauge and yarn would work.

Pattern: Man Hat (available for free on Ravelry)

Yarn: Loops and Threads Charisma in Deep Woods Colorway

Needles: US 8 (wish I had used a 9 or 10)

Notes and Mods: Made this for my sister’s very knit-worthy boyfriend from stash yarn. He has a big head so I think I should have gone up a needle size or two. His son loves it so much, I’ll be knitting him one after I finish up my current WIPs.

Pattern: Man Hat (available for free on Ravelry)

Yarn: I Love This Yarn in Camo colorway

Needles: US 8 (though I used a US 10 just for the cast-on to prevent a too-tight edge).

Notes and Mods: CO 88 stitches to make up for smaller gauge. I have used this crappy yarn before and the color pooling never makes sense. For example, I knit this hat with the yarn in the exact same pattern and stitch count and there was no significant color pooling. The recipient is a big camo guy, so hopefully it’s not too crazy for him.

Pattern: Little Red Riding Slippers

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick in Constellation colorway

Needles: US 10

Notes and Mods–Made these for my sister who is not a fan of knits, but loves Ugg boots so I took a chance on Ugg-inspired slippers. I screwed up on attaching the cuffs so the seam isn’t going the way I prefer, but I was not willing to rip it out at that point. If I make these again, I will pick a yard that gives better stitch definition at this gauge. She’s actually worn them, so I’ll count that as a win.

Now it’s back to WIP wrangling…sigh.

8 Gift Ideas for Knitters, and What You Should Not Buy Without Actionable Intel

After spending an inordinate amount of time shopping online yesterday, I was ready to hit the ground running today and spend some money locally. Not 15 minutes after dropping the kids off, the school called and Bean is sick again…sigh. We had to take her to the ER a couple of weeks ago, so the fact that she is sick again so soon is frustrating.

Anyway, if I can’t get my Christmas shopping on, I can have a cocktail and give you some gift ideas for the knitter or fiber enthusiast in your life:

  1. A yarn club subscription. I recently posted about my love of Yarnbox, but there are dozens of suppliers to choose from. This makes a great gift because most knitters are yarn-obsessed and who doesn’t like a treat in the mail? These can be on the more expensive side, but they are definitely a thoughtful gift that all but the Grinchiest knitter will love.2. Knitter’s Pride Knit Blockers. These things are the bomb, and most knitters would love it set or two. They help save time and create more even edges. I have a set, and I swear by them. Good prices too for a mid-range gift. I think one set will set you back about 25 bucks.3. Cute knitting-themed shirts or mugs. These can be easy stocking stuffers, or a super-affordable gift if you are in a situation where you need to spend under a certain amount, like an office gift exchange. You can find these at places like Knit Picks, Café Press, and Etsy.4. Cute stitch markers. I go through a lot of stitch markers, and I am always in need of more. Etsy is definitely the place to look for a fun selection, and you will be supporting handcrafters as well. These are usually affordable, and can be a great individual gift or an add-on.5. A handmade yarn bowl. Again, Etsy would be the place to look for these. They come in so many styles, which means you can find one to fit even the most eccentric knitter’s personality. 6. Personalized tags for knitters. I love adding a personal touch to my gift knitting (for those who have not been booted off the knit-worthy island), and these are not something that most people will splurge on consistently. As a southern girl, I love all things personalized and would monogram alllllllll the things if my expendable income allowed such.7. Along those lines, these types of knitting tags offer a cute way to alert people of the fiber content and washing instructions. Mighty handy, and again, just not something many knitters have lying around.8. As always, a gift certificate to your local yarn store is never a miss. If you don’t have a local yarn store in your area, look at online options, especially hand-dyers. Just avoid certificates to big-box stores because their selection is rather limited for a real fiber enthusiast.

Now, for the cautionary part. Most knitters always have their eye on new needle sets, knitting bags, spinning wheels, yarn kits, or other high-dollar accessories. Trust me, every knitter out there has a wish list in the back of their minds. However, like most people who are passionate about our hobby, we are also VERY PICKY about our core tools. While these make great gifts if they are on your knitter’s wish list, you need to be sure that you know exactly what they want while shopping. For example, I cannot stand knitting with bamboo needles, so brand new expensive set of bamboo interchangeable needles would totally miss the mark. So, if you can get your hands on intel about what they specifically want, go for it! Otherwise, play it safe. If you do want to invest in a big-ticket wish list item, you want to be sure that it’s right, which makes you awesome-sauce!

**Remember, these ideas are mine and mine alone. No one pays me or gives me crap, because I’m just not that cool. There’s no links or affiliate business going on up in here. Also, if you do see an ad on my blog, that’s from WordPress, not me and I have no control over that deal**