FO Friday - 6/29/2018

I wanted to have a pair of socks finished by today to show you, but they are only almost finished as I type. The knitting has fallen by the wayside lately. Sewing has been taking up quite a bit of my time. It hasn't been pleasure sewing though. My SIL and I are trying to start a children's clothing line. While we eventually won't be doing the actual sewing, we are doing the bulk of it now. The actual sewing is only one small part of running this business. Even still, when one finally sits down to sew but it's on a deadline, it sucks the fun right out of it.

That being said, I did recently make one of our styles to gift to a sweet little girl I know.

Pattern: Luna by Island Baby.

Fabric: from the Fleurologie Collection by Moda Fabrics

I even made bias tape to bind the hem

and to form a casing for the elastic.

Oo-la-la! I hope she likes it.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 3/7/2018

I do have quite a few WIPs currently, because I want to knit all the things, and I've cast on a good number of them.

I'm trying to concentrate on three of them right now, because two have a deadline.

First, I'm up to the heel flap on the March socks. I'd like to finish them this week, but I have lots going on.

Next, I'm working on my Loopy Academy Brioche assignment. I like it so far.

Finally, I went to a knitting retreat this weekend and I bought some yarn. (For those who are keeping track, I've bought yarn every month this year so far.)

I bought two lovely skeins of Suburban Stitcher Single Sock. 

I started a Tracie Shawl by Joji Locatelli.

I met Joji Locatelli and Veera Valimaki at the retreat.

I bought some more yarn, but I'll share it at a later date.

MK out.

FO Friday - 2/23/2018

The needles have been clicking.

Pattern: Elwood by Jenny Wiebe
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Spaceneedle and In the Navy

Comments: This pattern was well written. The only modification I made was adding another buttonhole - I like having an odd number of buttons. This project fulfills one of this semester's Loopy Academy assignments.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 2/7/2018

I've got WIPs coming out the ears...

...but my yarn for this semester's Loopy Academy has arrived...

...and I'm itching to start all the things.

MK out.

Yarn Porn

I'm in my senior year of Loopy Academy!!! 

I was in Colorado last weekend for a football game and had the chance to stop by The Loopy Ewe to purchase my school supplies.

I'm going to make an entrelac project with this luscious yarn.

These two skeins will turn into an asymmetric shawl.

This skein will turn into a pair of socks with a charted design.

Then, my friend Jerry sent this gorgeous red yarn to me to try out. 

However, I have three projects i want to finish.

I think I will start my entrelac project when I finish one of them. Any bets on which one it will be?

And when the second one gets finished, I'm definitely starting a pair of socks using Jerry's yarn. I just need to finalize a pattern choice.

MK out.

FO Friday - 8/25/2017

Hello! I know I owe y'all an eclipse story, but I'm still processing the experience.

I do have FOs though.

Pattern: Hermione's Everyday Hat
Yarn: Cascade 220 SW in Turquoise
Comments: I used the pattern stitch of Hermione's Everyday Socks and made a hat, with the help of another Raveler (edgiknits) for the crown. It's my August entry for the Inside Number 23's yearlong Harry Potter KAL.

Pattern: Mercury Socks by Kim Drotar
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids in Cerulean
Comments: It's an easy to memorize pattern. I think I would like to make another pair at some point. 

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 6/21/2017

Driving through the rain with True Colors playing on the radio, I snapped this picture of one of the two WIPs I'm concentrating on this week:

The yarn is Lake Dillon on BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight. Lake Dillon is an exclusive colorway that Tina dyed for TLE last summer. The picture is not a good representation of the colors in this yarn, which is a shame, because it really is a beautiful colorway. It really reminds me of a Colorado mountain lake in the middle of summer. 

In case you are wondering...the current WIP count is eight, but shh! Don't tell. Four of them are longtime WIPs that I really need to finish or frog. I won't think about that today.

MK out.

FO Friday - 5/5/2017

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Pattern: Gramps by Tin Can Knits.
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Gray and Really Red. 
Comments: I think this pattern is so cute and so well written. It was worth the dollars. I decided to leave off the pockets and the elbow patches because I think the pups should take center stage. This project fulfills the button/buttonhole assignment for Loopy Academy.

I love the buttons.

And the grumpy grandpa-ish shawl collar is pretty cute too.

Pattern:  Basic Norwegian Star Hat by Cara Jo Miller
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Army Green and Daffodil
Comments: Yes, this hat is huge! I rolled the ribbing over twice!

There's a 250-yd minimum requirement for Loopy Academy projects; so, I knitted 40 rows of ribbing at the beginning. It did the trick - I used up plenty of yarn!

I don't think I did too bad of a job with the fair isle.

MK out.

FO Friday - 4/21/2017

I had hoped to have an additional something to show y'all, but I'm still doing a little finish work on it. Hopefully, the two things I have to show will suffice for now.

Pattern:  Plain vanillas with contrasting cuffs, heels and toes; Fish Lips Kiss Heel
Yarn: Must Stash Yarn & Fiber Ritz Sock in the Dark Side of the Moon color-way and Must Stash Yarn & Fiber Mondo Mini
Comments: I only used half of the 435-yd skein of this lovely yarn to make these socks. I may make another pair! 

I forgot that I never showed the box bags I made. I finished this one before I made the others and realized that I wasn't going to be able to complete all the assignments for Loopy Academy last fall.

Recently, I made two more.

Pattern: I used this tutorial.

Fabric:  Two fabrics from the Riley Blake Fancy Free collection.

That's this week's offerings. I should have one or two things next time.

MK out.

Welcome to My Cray Cray

It's a new month, and with it comes new challenges. Loopy Academy was announced yesterday and a new Monthly Mixer was announced Tuesday. A new month also means a new sock. I ordered yarn for the Loopy Academy projects and decided I would not continue the fabric portion because I've got too much on my plate. 

The sock and the monthly mixer have been started. I finished my Find Your Fade Tuesday. It's currently blocking.

In case you haven't been able to keep up, all these words mean that I have eight WIPs. 

EIGHT. 

Again. 

I started the year with five, but all that shiny yarn in the vault just keeps mocking me.

I'm ok with starting new projects - I mean, it's a fact of my life - but I'm going back to concentrating on three projects at a time and one of them has to be one of the WIPs that brought in the new year with me.

Here's the current rotation sitting all together in their project bags.

Yes, there are five bags - because one project is about to be an FO - and I'm not really sure why that other one jumped in the chair, but whatever.

I thought I would show you the new mixer project.

It's going to be a scarf. The black yarn is for the lace edging that will be knitted and applied after the main body of the scarf is complete.

And here are the socks.

I pulled a skein out of the precious vault. It's Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in ST-2 that I picked up at the first Sock Summit in 2009. I'm making Mrs. Weasley's Family Socks for the #boxosocks KAL and the Harry Potter KAL on the Inside Number 23 podcast, plus a few other KALs for which they apply. The pattern is subtle, and maybe too subtle for this yarn, but that's okay.

And here's a sneak peak:

I hope it's dry enough tomorrow for FO Friday.

MK out.

FO Friday - 1/27/2017

Woohoo!!!

I finished something.

Pattern: Hermione's Everyday Mitts by Erica Lueder
Yarn: Shibui Maai in Fjord
Comments: I've always loved making Hermione's Everyday Socks. It's a meditative pattern. When I came across this mitts pattern, I just had to make it! 

I am participating in the year-long Harry Potter KAL being hosted by Katie of the Inside Number 23 podcast. You know I will be making another pair of the socks as well as the Dragon Pox Beanie, which uses the same stitch pattern.

MK out.

D is for December

Today is the last day of 2016. It seems it was the last day of 2015 just the other day. Time seems to fly, no matter what.

I've had fun making projects this year. Here's the last of the Loopy's Monthly Mixer projects I finished this year.

Pattern: Declan's Hat
Yarn: Cascade 220 in Camel
Comments: For the December Mixer project, the prompt was to make something whose pattern name or yarn brand, name or colorway starts with the letter D. 

I really like texture. I think hats are a good way to play with patterns. A body can go to town with cables, ribs, twisted stitches, twisted cables...whatever strikes the fancy.  And a small(ish) project sweetens the deal with instant gratification.

I wish everyone much health and happiness in the coming year. 

MK out.

I've Made a Decision

I finished all my Loopy Academy knitting projects! I've only made one of the sewing projects (a set of box bags) and I don't think I will finish the other two in time. I've been dragging my feet with the wallhanging/table topper because I don't need another one, and I couldn't identify a gift recipient. AND I took forever to decide what to make for the garment with embroidery project. TLE sells lots of quilting cotton - not the best choice for garments - but they have some beautiful double gauze chambray. I planned on making a skirt and I was going to embroider some flowers on the waist band. Well, I ran out of time and other shiny and sparkly projects are calling my name. Yada yada yada, I am just full of excuses.

In light of all that, I will likely use the fabric I bought for the wallhanging/table topper to make other things - mug rugs, coasters, project bags...the possibilities are endless. I plan to make the skirt too, just in a more relaxed and (hopefully) enjoyable way.

I'm not waiting for Friday to show off the knitting FOs.

Pattern: Lacy Sweater by Zoe Mellor
Yarn: Cascade Ultra Pima in Teal
Comments: This project is a double dip for Loopy Academy and Loopy's Monthly Mixer. For Loopy Academy, the assignment was to make something with bobbles, nupps or popcorn stitches.  Since I've never done any of that, it was also my "something scary" project for October's Mixer. 

After reading project notes on several projects, I decided to go with the 6-12 month size to shoot for 18-24 months size. I'm glad I did, because it turned out closer to at least a 2T. (I don't like baby sizing.) I nixed the lacy bottom part because while it looks adorable laying flat for a picture, it looking good on a person was a crap shoot. I converted the pattern to in the round up to the armholes. I picked up stitches around the armholes for the sleeves to knit them in the round and didn't do all those eyelet rounds either. They did not appeal to me. The end.

Pattern: Knotty Gloves by Julia Mueller
Yarn:  Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere in Miami Red.
Comments: The final Loopy Academy for me to complete was a pair of gloves. 

I've never made gloves before and I'm not altogether sure I'll make them again. It's only because I don't think I did a good job closing the gaps at the base of the fingers, but I'm not ruling them out completely. 

I followed the pattern as written and it was nicely written. I loved the yarn too.

So, that's it for now.

MK out.

FO Friday - 12/16/16

I know I mentioned that I was going to work on the September Monthly Mixer projects next, but the yarn and fabric fumes got to me.

I actually finished this hat in three days last month. I worked on it when I had about 8 WIPs. (Ask me how many I have now.) They were kind of stalled and I needed some instant gratification.

Pattern:  Conversationalist
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash. I used leftovers from a shawl and a blue pillow.
Comments:  The prompt for the November knitting project is to use worsted weight or bulky yarn to make something to keep a body warm and toasty. I like this pattern and have been wanting to make it for a while. 

The November fabric project took less than a day.

Pattern: I squared a yard of fabric and hemmed it.
Fabric: Riley Blake Flannel in Chatworth Cream Bloom
Comments: Sewists had to make something out of flannel that would keep someone warm and toasty. I figured this nice, soft and warm receiving blanket would fit the bill. 

I did a decorative stitch on the edge.

I had some fabric left and made a matching burp cloth.

Despite these finishes, I have five more projects to complete for Monthly Mixer and Loopy Academy.  

MK out.