Thanks for joining me this week. Lots happened this week, I was busy all the time, but I still managed to eek out a bit of crafting. I don't think it's too terrible, considering how really busy I was. My episode starts off kind of slow, but gets rolling pretty quickly, and then I really get in the groove.
Needlework is a big deal in my family. My mom knits, crochets, cross-stitches, sews and quilts. She mostly quilts. My grandmother used to crochet and has tried to knit, and embroiders and sews. My aunt crochets. My great grandmother crocheted, and knitted. Another cross-stitched, and another crocheted. So there is a lot of crafting mojo in my family, and I think that has inspired me and kept me going in my own crafting life. There is a cross-stitch piece that was done by my paternal great grandmother, and it hangs in my living room, and I look at it every day.
I went to Project Linus Make-A-Blanket Day, and it was a blast! I got to see some of my yarn-y friends that make blankets for Project Linus, and then I also worked on my blankets while I was there. I am really close to finishing my corner-to-corner throw. The pattern is available on the Red Heart website. I am not sure of all the yarn that I am using for this blanket, because most of it was donated to Project Linus and is just various acrylic.
I also worked on my mitered square blanket that I am using the same pattern that everyone is using for their sock yarn blankets, but I am doing it with worsted weight. In reality I was testing to see if I wanted to do a sock yarn blanket. The jury is back and it is a decided "no". I have no desire to make squares that small, even if I don't have to do any seaming. I also needed to use up a bunch of different scraps, so I thought that the mitered square blanket would be a good way to do that.
My third blanket that I'm making for Project Linus I didn't actually work on at the Make-A-Blanket Day, just because the long hook can get unwieldy. I am working it in orange and black. I was going for tiger stripes, but I think it is coming off more like Halloween. I like working on it, and hope to have all three blankets done for Project Linus next month.
The name of the podcast comes from my rambling about the mystery yarn that my socks are being made out of. I never figured out where the yarn came from or what kind it is. I made up the knit and purl pattern on the top of the socks, and it turned out pretty well, I think. It's interesting and keeps me engaged in them when I work on them, but they are really purse knitting.
As promised, here are the pictures of me dying self-striping sock yarn with koolaid. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the finished socks. It was before I was really podcasting and blogging on a regular basis, so they just kind of fell through the cracks. The first picture is the yarn in the dye pot.
This second picture is the dyed yarn out to dry, so hopefully that gives you some idea of what it was like to dye up the yarn, or at least a better idea of what I was trying to describe in the podcast.
My last knitting work in progress is a shawl that I am making up the pattern completely myself, using lots of short rows to try and make it really long and not very deep. I won't be sure how well it has turned out until I bind off, but so far I think it is going pretty well. i am using Boboli Lace Yarn and Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight. I kind of wish I had chosen another color beside grey for the contrasting color, but I think that it is turning out pretty well.
Last but not least I finished the singles of the Malabrigo Nube Solis that I will ply with itself, and have about a sport weight yarn. I really love the colors and the way that it spun up so thin. I am really enjoying this spin.
Thanks for watching and I hope that you enjoy your week! See you next week with new scenery since I'll be at the lake, and hopefully I will be outside, with a lovely view.
These past two weeks, because of my job being around kids, I got ill, and have spent most of my time recovering. However, I did manage to finish two projects and get a lot of crafting done. I also got a bit of yarn from my local Hobby Lobby. Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!
My two finished objects, are my "hippy hippy shawl" which, isn't really a hippy hippy shawl, because it doesn't follow the pattern at all. I did it all in fingering weight yarn with size US 2 needles, and then I did a simple lace border that was different from the old shale border that was on the original pattern. The finished shawl is wider than my wingspan, (which is about five and a half feet), and is about two and a half feet deep. It was worked in Knitpicks Chroma and a mystery acrylic in brown. It was a fun knit, but I think my next shawl is going to be on a little larger needles, to see if it goes faster.
The other finished object is a blanket that I turned into Project Linus, a charity that provides blankets to children that are either sick in the hospital, emergency room, or have experienced trauma. This one I made up the stitch pattern, based on the ball band dishcloth pattern, and then I did a garter border. I worked it on size US 7 needles, and it was worked in Red Heart Super Saver in the Primary colorway, and Red Heart with Love in the Lettuce colorway.
Then onto my works in progress. I started working on my brother's sweater again, after a long hiatus, and was pleased that I still remembered the rhythm of the cables. I worked on it during the knitting group on Saturday, and everyone was commenting on how interesting and intense the cabling was. Once you are knitting it, it is actually pretty intuitive, so I really like that about the pattern. I am working the Hedge Row Fence Pullover by Elinor Brown in Plymouth Encore Tweed Worsted, on size US 7 needles. Hopefully I finish it within the next year. My brother keeps joking that he needs to watch his weight so it will still fit him whenever I am done!
I am also working on three blankets for Project Linus. The first one is a corner-to-corner throw. I think the fourth one that I've made. I'm working it with a size J hook, and holding just random worsted acrylic double, so it is a pretty thick blanket.
The second is a bright orange and black tunisian crochet blanket that I making up the pattern, and just playing with yarn as I go along. It is turning out more Halloween than I would like, I was really going for tiger stripes. I am working it on a double ended size I tunisian crochet hook.
Finally, I am working on a mitered square blanket, using the same pattern as the sock yarn scrap blankets that are all the rage, only using worsted weight acrylic scraps on US Size 10 needles instead. It is going pretty quick, and while I like working up the squares in this size, there is no way that I would enjoy working with little tiny needles and sock yarn to make an entire blanket this way, so I'm glad I did a test knit first, just to see if I would like it.
Another charity knitting project that I worked on a little is my Knit for Kids sweater. I am making it out of Caron One Pound yarn, in a bright red colorway. I finished the first sleeve, and put on the collar, so the only thing left is the second sleeve, and then it will be ready to mail. I am liking how this is coming along, and anticipate making more sweaters, and playing around with color and texture more to keep them interesting.
Finally, my last knitting project in progress is for me. It is a pair of socks that I started out of mystery yarn, that I cannot figure out where I bought it from, but I am really loving how it is knitting up. It is almost denim in texture, and has speckled, but is also distinctly striped. It is the best of three worlds! I made up a knit and purl texture on the top of the foot that I will continue on the leg. They are being worked on US Size 1 needles, two at a time, toe up. They are almost ready for the heels.
I also spun some this week, and am almost through my braid of Malabrigo Nube in the Solis colorway. It is really pretty, and is spinning up really thin. I can't wait to ply it!
Those are all my projects that I have been working on the last two weeks. Hopefully I get some of the blankets done before next Saturday, which is Make-A-Blanket Day, where the entire Kansas City Chapter of Project Linus will get together and work on making blankets. I am really looking forward to seeing everybody again. See you next week!
This week my computer decided that it needed to update, which today was an excellent day to update, but it meant that I was a little pressed for time when I was recording. Because of this I kind of speed through my projects at lightning speed!
While I was waiting for the computer to update I picked some wildflowers from outside, that just popped up by the deck steps. I was amazed at the different shades of colors that they were and how delicate they were, I just thought that I would share.
I talked about my past week, and about my mom's birthday that was this week. I made her this great mixer cover for her kitchen aid mixer. I really loved the chicken print, and it goes really well with her kitchen, which is all chicken themed, so it worked really nicely. After the photo shoot I made sure to put it back in the kitchen so it can keep the mixer cozy.
Next I talked about all my great finished objects that I had this week. I finished G's socks. They are men's size 12 or so, so it was a fair bit of knitting. I made them 88 stitches around on US size 1 needles. I worked them two at a time toe up, magic loop method. I worked them in JaWoll color for the mottled green, and Cascade Sock in green for the toes, heels, and cuffs.
I also finished a pair of socks for myself. I striped two different self-striping colorways from Berroco Sox. One was various shades of green, and the other was red, pink, peuce, green, and blue (which probably doesn't sound very pretty, but it turned out really cute. I worked them 72 stitches around on US size 1's. I worked them one at a time using the magic loop method. Last week I was just above the heel on the second sock, and this week I finished all the leg and cuff. All that is left is for them to have the ends woven in.
Another finished object is not really knitting or crochet or spinning related, but it is still technically fiber. I finished sewing a top for a Project Linus quilt. Project Linus is a charity that donates new, handmade blankets to children that are ill or traumatized. They are handed out at hospitals, and police and firemen can carry them around with them. This one was a kit that was already cut for the most part and step by step directions were included. My mom helped me out quite a bit, she did the second cuts, and helped me press the pieces, and gave me pointers about how best to assemble to quilt. (The middle block is supposed to be sideways, I did it on purpose).
This week I had a few Works In Progress (WIPs). I started and worked a lot on a chevron cowl that will be worked until I run out of yarn, and then kitchener the two ends together. I provisionally cast on 100 stitches and then am working a chevron pattern on the tube. I am using Lang Yarn Mille Colori Socks and Lace yarn and Berroco Comfort sock weight, held together. It is being worked on US size 4 needles, and I think it is turning out pretty nicely.
Confession time, for the past three weeks I have been working on a project and haven't shown you, because... well, I'm not really sure why, maybe I was embarrassed at having so many projects on the needles? At any rate, I'm coming clean. This is going to be a pillow for the Design Challenge Aug/Sep Challenge on Ravelry. It's a group that just runs bi-monthly challenges on their forums. This two month challenge is to make a pillow that uses cables and has texture. I am using short rows to make wedges that will form a circle that will then have a strip around the outside of cables, and the other side will be in a gradient that I dyed around this time last year. Anyways, I'm working it on Jaeger Gabrielle with Mohair held double on US size 9 needles. I am taking good notes, and I plan to work up the pattern, and have a blog post devoted to it, so that if you want you can make your own little cushion. Here's what it looks like so fair.
Also this week I decided I needed a crochet project, since I hadn't crocheted in about two weeks, and I was really itching to get my hands on a hook. So, I decided that I was going to make a "crazy quilt" afghan, so I am letting it grow organically, but still making sure that it is staying rectangular as I work it. That way when I'm done it will be a really unique blanket. I worked the center square, and then I did a couple rows of border around it. Then I did triangles around the center square to set it on it's corner, striping the triangles randomly. Then I added a border with puff stitches to give it texture and interest. I plan on making log cabin stripes on two of the sides, to make it a bit asymmetrical, but still rectangular. I will also be using some other stitches, such as bobbles, V-stitch, and Cross post stitch to give the log cabin stripes some texture. I'm pretty excited about this project, so hopefully it comes out as nicely as it sounds like it will in my head.
Lest you think that I am being neglectful, or that I have Project ADD or something else, I would like to acknowledge that there were three projects that were not featured this week. First was the Hippy-hippy shawl which is by Gabrielle Vezina, which was not seen, because it did not receive any work, mainly because the fingering weight on US size 2 needles is pretty small, and I just didn't make myself sit there and work on it this week. Then there is the Project Linus blanket that I am knitting with the ball band dishcloth pattern. I did work on this, but it felt like there was a lot going on in this podcast, and so that project just didn't make the cut. Finally, my brother's sweater, the Hedge Fence Pullover, by Elinor Brown, was not worked on, mainly because this is the first week in the past two or three where I could sit and knit as long as I wanted without my hands killing me, and I just hadn't sat down and cranked out a whole pattern repeat at any point in the week.
So, anyways, this week I also spun. Both fibers were from vendors at the All-MO Spin In in Chillicothe, MO that I went to this May. The orange and pink skein is wool that I plied with metallic sliver thread, and one spool of brown thread with beads, I got 368 yards, and am planning on making a shawl. It's very airy and was spun from an art batt. The blue and green was sold in a hank of roving, and I wasn't sure about the colors when I bought them, but I really like them now that they are spun up. I like how the different colors play together, and I think it will make a very nice hat. I split the roving into strips lengthwise, about six strips, spun them end to end, and then plied the whole thing back on itself. I am also still working on drop spindling the mohair and wool blend that I got at the MOPaca festival that I went to earlier this year as well. I'm spinning that on a turkish spindle that I got in a swap package last year or so.
This week's stash enhancement included some fiber, two different sweater quantities, and sock yarn, as well as sock yarn to dye. I'm pretty excited about all the possibilities that these new additions bring. The thought of the week this week was about the Bullet Journal idea that I'm trying to see if I can organize my life a bit more. I am making lists of different things that I want to do, and how to do them. I think that it will help me. If you type in "setting up bullet journals" into YouTube there will be a bunch of different tutorials about what a bullet journal is and how to set it up. I think that it seems to be a good idea.
Thanks for watching and reading, and I hope to see you next week!
This week the podcast got put up a little late. I had an issue with the editing and the first version was not of the quality that I wanted to publish, so I held off until I had enough time to go back and re-edit everything and make it look nice. I hope you enjoy!
First off I talked about my wandering educational career and how I ended up where I am now, and my experience thus far returning to the brick and mortar school. I talked about some other random adventures this week as well.
Then I talked about my Finished Objects. I had two this week! My vanilla socks out of Plymouth Happy Feet 100 Splash. I also finished Baby B's Blanket out of Plymouth Encore Worsted in lime and navy.
I have two other pairs of socks on the needles. Both are vanilla sock patterns. The green pair are for G, and are getting very close to being done. The striped socks are made even stripey-er by having two self striping yarns stripe every two rows. I really like it, and have one sock completely done and the other one's toe done. The self striping yarn were both Berroco Sox. I'm working both on US Size 1 needles. I'm also working both using the Magic Loop method, which is my favorite method for knitting socks.
I am also working on the Hippy Hippy Shawl by Gabrielle Vezina, a free Ravelry download. I'm working it with a mystery chocolate colored acrylic fingering weight yarn and Knitpicks Chroma fingering weight. I'm working it on US Size 2 needles. I'm going to keep going until I run out of KnitPicks Chroma and then I'm going to switch to the Old Shale (formerly, mistakenly, known as Feather and Fan) stitch pattern with Boboli Lace yarn.
I am also working on my Project Linus blanket that I am knitting using the ballband dishcloth stitch pattern that I just added extra stitch repeats to make it wide enough. I am using Red Heart Super Saver in the Primary colorway as the variegated yarn in the background, and then I'm using Red Heart with Love in the Lettuce colorway for the overlaying rows.
I also started a sweater for Knit for Kids charity, which sends sweaters, hats, and baby blankets to children all throughout the world. I am working a size 4 sweater, but I think my gauge is off because when I measured it had the bust size of a size 6. To fix this I am going to work the length of a size 6 and not worry about the stitch difference, but just keep it in mind for future projects. It is a free pattern from the Knit for Kids website, just a top down raglan pattern, and I have already split for the sleeves. It's coming along pretty fast, and I'm enjoying the process.
I also had some stash enhancement this week. First, from Fabric Recycles, a local craft consignment shop for craft supplies I got some discontinued acrylic in Light Moss for another Knit for Kids sweater, and I also got some Baby Bee in Bare Blue for a striping color in that sweater. I also found a roll of fabric that was printed to look like the knit stitch that I'm going to use to make project bags, one for me and then one or two to put up in the Etsy shop. I also went to Hobby Lobby and got I Love This Yarn in the Peacock and Royal colorways and then I Love This Yarn Overdyed in the Jamie and Caitlyn. I also got a skein of Yarn Bee Lace in the Sun Valley colorway. I plan to use the I Love This Yarn to make more sweaters for Knit for Kids and I'm going to hold the Yarn Bee Lace either double or with a cream to make a cowl and submit it to the Knitworthy Comfort and Joy KAL which is asking everyone to knit something for the Christmas giving season.
My thought of the week was about being grateful and how it's important to take a moment and think about the good things in life, because no matter how hard things get there are still little moments of something to be grateful for everyday. Thanks for joining me and I'll see you next week!
The newest episode of my podcast is up! I'm sorry that the lighting is so bad, I had to film in a different location, and thought that it looked fine on my screen when I first set up, it wasn't until I was editing that I realized that I look like Casper the ghost for most of it! I am very pale in general, so just having direct sunlight on me like that really washed me out. This is a good lesson to keep in mind for the future, just in case I am tempted to do something crazy, like record outside or something (yeah, right).
In this episode I go on and on about my failed vegetable garden that I planted this spring, as well as my personal struggle with social anxiety, which is just one facet of Generalized Anxiety Disorder that I am diagnosed with. I have been getting up early this week to try and adjust my sleeping schedule to better work with getting up early to go to school, which starts next week. This has given me even more time for crafting, so I finished two crocheted blankets for Project Linus this month. Project Linus is a charity that accepts handmade blankets, whether they be crocheted, knitted, or quilted, and then distributes them to children that are either sick or have been through trauma. I have been making blankets for Project Linus since the 7th grade, about 13 years ago.
The pattern for these two blankets came from the 100 Colorful Ripples to Crochet by Leonie Morgan. They are made from different acrylics that have been donated to me by people for Project Linus.
This week I also finished half of a pair of socks. I just couldn't resist casting them on, even though I already had two pairs on the needles. I striped two different colorways of Berroco Sox. One was a green colorway and the other was a red, pink, puce, blue, and green colorway. They go together surprisingly well, and I really like the result. I cast off just before recording, so I will definitely work on a matching sock this upcoming week.
Along the lines of half finished socks I finished the cuff and the heel on the speckle dyed socks that I am making from Plymouth Happy Feet 100 Splash. They are going well, but I'm kinda falling out of love with the speckles. I am planning to use the left overs to make striping socks like I am doing with the Berroco Sox with some other stash yarn that I have.
And for the last of the socks, I have the pair of socks for G that I finished both the heels on and am now working on the cuff. I should have them done before I go and see him this Saturday, because I think that that would be a nice present, since I don't get to see him very often. They are made out of JaWoll Lang Color and Cascade Sock. I am working them toe up two at a time.
I added about another repeat of the stitch pattern to my brother's sweater sleeve. Without time that was really quiet and focused it's hard to make myself concentrate enough to knit on the sweater. I am nearing the end of the increases though, and then it will just be the top shaping, since the sweater has set-in sleeves. Then I will work the other sleeve and then the body. I hope to have the sweater done sometime this winter. It is the Hedge Fence Pullover by Elinor Burn, it's a paid for pattern available on Ravelry. It is being worked in Plymouth Encore Worsted Tweed.
I also added a few rows to the Hippy Hippy shawl by Gabrielle Vezina, a free Ravelry download. I am making it out of a mystery acrylic yarn and Knitpicks Chroma. It's a crescent shape shawl and is worked with pinstripes in stockinette.
I added quite a bit to the baby blanket for Baby B. My cousin that is now a few months old. It is Tunisian crochet, worked in the honeycomb stitch, and I change color every row, which gives it a hound's tooth appearance. It is worked in Plymouth Encore Worsted in lime green and navy.
Finally, last but not least, I worked on the knitted ball-band dishcloth blanket that I am also knitting for Project Linus. I am making it out of Red Heart Super Saver in the primary colorway and Red Heart with Love in the Lettuce colorway. It is coming along nicely, and I am almost done with the first two skeins.
My thought of the week this was about how I am going to try to start knitting sweaters for the charity Knit for Kids that is put through World Vision. They look really great and I think it will help me develop as a knitter as well. I also talked about my knitted goodies basket that I put out every Christmas to make the holidays easier on me as a crafter.
I just posted my new podcast episode, and the title of this blog post and the episode comes from a slip of the tongue that I had while talking about how I knit socks. Enjoy the video for this week, it's a little longer, and I think I'm a bit more charismatic in it.
This week I finished three blankets. Two for Project Linus, and one for Baby J that will be born in November, and who's baby shower isn't until September. So I am way ahead of schedule.
This is Baby J's blanket. It was made with Plymouth Dreambaby DK using the Walt Paint Chevron Baby Blanket by Danielle Romanetti that's a free pattern on Ravelry. I like how all the colors play together and the yarn is very soft.
This blanket I just pieced together. I got the squares at a thrift store, and then used donated Red Heart Super Saver one pound skein to go around and make a border. I used almost the entire skein. I probably have 20-15 yards left. I used a size H hook, because that's the size that fit into the loops on the squares that were already made. I prefer to use a size J or I usually.
This is a log cabin that I improvised that is just garter stitch worked in really bulky acrylic that is all discontinued now. It got a little stuffy working on it during the summer, but at least now it is finished.
Then I have my WIPs that I am working on right now. There are three more blankets, a hat, two pairs of socks, and a shawl.
This is Baby B's blanket. I'm working it using tunisian crochet honeycomb stitch in Plymouth Encore Worsted in lime green and navy.
This is another knit blanket for Project Linus. It's being worked using the ballband dishcloth stitch pattern, and it works up quick and easy to to see progress. I like working with a variegated yarn in the background, I think it gives it more interest than just a plain color would. I'm working this blanket on size US 7 knitting needles.
This is a ripple blanket from the 100 Colorful Ripple Stitches to Crochet by Leonie Morgan. I love this book. It has so many great stitch patterns in it, and the patterns are charted and the instructions are written out so it's super easy to figure out what the pattern is doing. I almost exclusively use the charts, but not everybody like charts so it's great that both are included. This is being made using scraps of Red Heart Super Saver, and I'm using a size J hook.
These are the socks for G. I almost have one heel done, so I'm pretty much half way on them. I am using a contrasting color for the toes and heels and upper cuffs, just because there's not enough yarn to really go all the way, and heels and toes use up a fair bit of yarn. These are being worked on size 1 circular needles using the two at a time magic loop technique.
This sock is from the Plymouth Happy Feet Splatter Dye. I'm working it on an 8" circular, US size 2. It goes really fast and there's no patterning to it, just plain stockinette stitch. I really like this yarn, it's soft and all the colors make it fun to work with.
This hat is a modified sock head hat pattern, that's also a free pattern on Ravelry. I am making it out of Sausalito yarn by Crystal Palace Yarn. I wanted this to be my "summer" hat, but my mom keeps insisting that I don't need a hat in the summer, so all my hats are languishing, waiting for the weather to cool down so I can wear them again and not have a naked head.
This is the Hippy Hippy Shawl by Gabrielle Vezina. I like how it's turning out so far. I'm just going to do the body until I run out of yarn in these two skeins, then I have a skein of Boboli Lace that I'm going to do a border on it. I'm making this out of mystery chocolate yarn from a consignment shop and Knitpicks Chroma, on size US 2 needles, Karbonz.
Last but not least I have my spinning wheel still going, this time spinning chocolate colored alpaca fiber that I will ply with a single from Barefoot on the Farm, and hopefully get a DK weight, with enough to make a nice cowl or shawlette.
Those are all my FOs and WIPs. My thought for the week was trying to encourage everyone to think of what they can do to give back to the community. I was working exclusively on Project Linus blankets for several days, working on them instead of whatever I wanted to work on to try and donate my time and talents that way.
