weekly WIP report 2.17.13

Although hectic, this has been a somewhat productive week.

  This jumped off my needles and into a bath this morning.  It's currently drying in the laundry room awaiting a decision on buttons.

Pattern: Golden Wheat Cardigan, Veera

Yarn: MadelineTosh Tosh Vintage

Colorway: Cove

   My version of Golden Wheat is reminiscent of the original, but besides the stitch count at the beginning of the raglan increases, I basically changed everything.  Once she is DONE done, I'll add some notes about my changes.

   Continuing with my stashdown efforts, I recently cast on a mini cold sheeping mascot.  Once finished, this little guy will serve as a reminder to keep my stash acquisition down to a minimum.

Pattern: ASE's Little Lamb - Knit Version

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool

Colorways: Natural Mix and unknown heathered burgundy 

   So far, so good on the cold sheeping front.  However, this week was big in the temptation department.  Instead of giving in, I broke some rules and cast on a new project, Cinnie.  Good news is that I'm using stash and I already owned the pattern.  What I should have been doing is picking Cassidy back up, but knitting a Chic Knits pattern (or all of them) is never a bad idea.  

Pattern: Cinnie, Chic Knits

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton Sport

Colorway: Duchess Heather

I have to confess however, that while I shopped both the yarn and pattern stashes for this WIP, I really just wanted to cast on something with my new Knit Picks nickel-plated interchangeable set.  I have nearly an entire set of Harmonies, but over the last few months have noticed my knitting style/speed changing a bit and realized that metal is the way to go from now on.  

I have to say I'm loving the new needles so far, just a bit bummed that I have to finish up WIPs with the old needles.

weekly WIP report

   This week settled down a bit for me so I was able to spend a bit more time with the needles.  I finally got a decent start on Poinsettia Place.

Pattern: Poinsettia Place, CCN

Fabric: 32 count amber linen, Wichelt (2 over 2)

Floss: DMC and GAST as charted

I love stitching CCN designs.  They are fun, easy pieces that stay interesting.   I'm clearly a sucker for chart series as well.  Since, the cottage is nearing completion, I should easily be done with this before the end of the month; more likely the end of this coming week.  Which means I'm still on track to finish one a month, so this project will be done in time for Christmas!  Thinking ahead to how I'll finish Santa's Village, it would make a great mini quilt/wall hanging.  Problem is I don't have a sewing machine, nor any experience in making a hanging like I'm picturing.  I did some machine sewing as a teenager, but it's been a long time...  Maybe this is a good time to start saving up to get a machine and spend some time practicing, which I'm sure would be another slip down the rabbit hole a new hobby creates.

   As far a knitting goes, the first section of my hue shift afghan grew a bit more.  I'm now up to 16 of 25 mitered squares for the first section.  

Still a long way to go, but picking this WIP up every once in a while is still fun.  I have no doubts that I will finish this.  Hopefully this year.

   I also CO a new project which is just beginning to grow.  Here's a peek.

  

new year, new start

   On New Years Day (while nursing myself back to health after a disappointing stomach bug over the weekend) I started the new year with a new CO!

I'm turning this:

into these:

Pattern: Peerie Flooers Mittens, Kate Davies

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette

Colorways: Gosling, Semolina, Pool, Edamame, Victorian, Grass, and Wonderland Heather

   I love stranded mitten patterns.  They tend to multiply exponentially in my queue without me noticing.  These mittens, however, have been at the top of my queue for quite some time now.   

   I have no problems doing stranded knitting (it's addictive, really), but I'm not the best stranded mitten finisher(?).  Gauge is always a bit worrisome when you are working a stranded mitten; well, one that you actually want to fit.  Plus there are the millions of ends to deal with once you're done knitting.  Then there are those fiddly thumbs that need to be finished before you can call it a mitten.  However, I think the bright colors of these will keep me motivated to finish these, this winter.   

weekly WIP report

   One of these weeks I'll actually get to posting my weekly WIP report on time... but for now, I have a couple of things to show you.

   After finishing up Santa's House, I managed to put a few stitches into my April Cottage.  There is still a lot left to do, but any progress is progress.

Pattern: April Cottage, Country Cottage Needleworks

Fabric: 35 count Lambswool Linen, Wichelt (2 over 2)

Floss: DMC as charted

The color palette for this cottage is amazing!  So spring-like.  I can't wait to get a few more cottages stitched on this piece.


   At the Knit Picks Cyber Monday sale, in addition to all the yarn, I ordered a 40" inch US 1 nickel plated fixed circ which happened to fall into my cart on an earlier window shopping excursion sometime in the couple of months before the sale.  I tried to resist casting on something new before finishing another WIP or two, but I needed something portable to take with me on the plane.  After digging through my stash I pulled out some Knit Picks comfy fingering weight and cast on a quick anklet sock with my new needles.

   WHY did no one tell me how amazing the KP nickel plated circs are?  Clearly I live under a rock.  I have a few sets of Addis around and the KP circs are awesome.  The slippery finish is similar, except the KPs don't tarnish like my Addis do and the cable is of course amazing... all for about 1/3 the price.  Anyway, the point is that these anklets are a combination of perfect yarn, perfect needles, and an easy to remember and fun stitch pattern.  I took this photo yesterday morning, but after my flights yesterday the first sock and the toe of the second is already done.  Good thing I brought a second ball of comfy just in case.

Pattern: Wednesday Sock, Knit Picks Fancy Feet Anklets Kit

Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Fingering

Colorway: Planetarium

   I'm going to try to use the last days of December to get myself organized and ready to go for the projects I want to tackle in the new year.  This includes documenting my stash down knitting plans and hopefully avoiding yarn purchases.  I also have a couple of new cross stitching projects on my mind that I need to get supplies for.   

   

an almost weekly WIP report

   I've been a bit disorganized for the last couple of weeks and it seems like there isn't enough time to finish anything lately.  This week has been super busy at work and now that it's finally calmed down my schedule is about to be tipped over again.  So before I get on a plane for more traveling tomorrow I thought I'd give an update on the limited amount of crafting I've gotten done lately.

   I'm still anxiously waiting to get my first Santa's Village chart in the mail.  I'm crossing my fingers that it gets here today.  In the meantime I pulled all of my floss for the April cottage and even managed to put a few stitches in.  There's not much to look at yet, but I love the color palette for this cottage.  So appropriate for a spring cottage!

Pattern: Country Cottage Needleworks, April Cottage

Floss: DMV and Crescent Colors as called for in the pattern

   I've also managed to get a bit more of the seaming done for Peterborough.  I now have one sleeve sewed in!

   Slowly but surely, this cardigan is coming together.  I'm sewing it up at my dining table which doesn't have the best lighting and it's really not the most comfortable place to sit for more than an hour or so.  So this is slowly getting finished.  I will actually be able to wear it this year.

   Most of the knitting I've been doing this week has been on my Hue Shift Afghan.  I got three blocks done, which I really should have been able to finish in one night but... life.  

   I've got 10 blocks completed so far.  That's 1/10 of the blocks needed for the entire afghan (100 total).  This is definitely a long term project, but it's really fun to see the different color combinations develop.  I hate to say it, but I'm already behind on weaving in the ends as I go.  So I will need to catch up on those soon so that I don't doom the entire project to hibernating status.  

   And finally, over Thanksgiving I managed to start a new pair of socks.  I ended up ripping out my start on Almondine socks and started fresh with a new toe-up pattern.  This really isn't a new (to me) pattern because I've already knit a pair using this pattern, but it's a really pretty pattern that I think will look amazing in the Malabrigo Sock yarn that I've been hoarding for some time.  It's a bit sad to show this, but over the 6 days that I spent in California over Thanksgiving I managed to knit one toe.  

   That's it! That's all I managed to do over the entire holiday!  Good news is that I'm packing this pair of socks to go with me tomorrow, so hopefully by this time next week I've at least turned the first heel.  

   In other news, Cyber Monday was not good for my stash down goals.  It's beginning to look like 2013 needs to be a cold sheep year.  No unnecessary yarn purchases!

weekly WIP report + a new start

   I spent a couple evenings this week ripping out my January Cottage so I could start over.  That limited my stitching time this week.  After spending one night stitching my cottage is starting to take shape again.

  A New Start

  This week I indulged a bit in the yarn department and received two yarn orders in the mail yesterday and I had to cast on immediately.  I got caught up in the hype surrounding Knit Picks Hue Shift Afghan and decided I needed one of my own.  Luckily I ordered my kit on Monday night before they sold out.  I've never knit with 100% acrylic yarn because I was afraid of all the negatives everyone cites (rough, squeaky on the needles, etc.) but I am impressed with Knit Picks Brava yarn.  It is really soft and I get no squeak using bamboo needles.  This pattern is a combination of many things I dread knitting (acrylic, a blanket, garter stitch, and others) but this is a really fun knit!  I'm glad I indulged.  

   I really shouldn't drop my other knitting WIPs for this, but this afghan is addicting.  Can't wait to see it grow. 

a new start

Yarn: Mirasol Yarn Sawya

Colorway: Black

     

   This week I used a $50 store credit I earned a while back to buy a sweater quantity of yarn.  I'd been planning on re-knitting a cardigan I made a couple of years ago.  I love the original sweater, but the yarn I used was extremely warm so I only get to wear the cardigan a few times every winter.  So, I'm knitting a new one with the lovely yarn pictured above, that will hopefully get a lot more use than my original.  Funnily enough, I had been waiting since September for this yarn to be released specifically, so I could reknit this sweater, then the popularity of the pattern blew up thanks to the Harlot.  

Pattern: Miss BB, Chic Knits

KAL time? I think yes!

Yarn received.  Swatch knitted and blocked.  CO occurred Saturday.