March Shenangians

 And I'm back for the monthly fiber update!

I've multiple projects on the go: the pink sparkly scarf that I decided to do a puff stitch crochet, the silk & cashmere scarf that I've decided to do as a sampler style of crochet and knit stitches, and a baby blanket for a colleague.

I'm so pleased with how this is turning out. And still surprised how much I adore it for not being a fan about shades of pink.

This is the silk and cashmere from 2007. I decided to do stitches that are various types of patterns. And I quite enjoy it.

I got to the part where I wanted to do something with chain ply, but I don't have a spinning wheel or electric wheel. So I opted to crochet chain the yarn. 

I've quite a bit to go, but I find it meditative when I'm listening to my various favorite podcasts. I do have to limit it to about 30 mins at a time, max of 4 hours per day and do plenty of stretches to keep carpal tunnel at bay.

The baby blanket has had a lot of stops and starts. I'd try one pattern, then another, then just become frustrated with the yarn. I really hate working with 100% acrylic, but I don't know if even superwash wool would work for the person that will be gifted it. The yarn is soft, but the fucker is so splitty. I hope it holds up with use and multiple wash/dry cycles.

Next month, I'll have further updates, and possibly some spinning?

Guess Who's Back

It's been a long, stressful, exhausting seven years away from the blog. 

 But here we are... 

First thing, I do not have another dog. Right now, I'm just too busy with my own work, my podcast, and several other items to take care of one. And also, they won't be Tank. 

In the years I've been away, I have still managed to knit and crochet. Reduced my stash by gifting the yarns, if not using my stash to knit for folx. I'm trying to reduce it further because really, as the book says, No One Wants Your Shit (good book, highly recommend it). I've plans to go through and sort the remaining yarns and match them up with future projects. I've also plans to go through old projects and if I've not been wearing them, either gift them or frog them for reuse. I do have it on my list to do Project Completion History 2017 to 2024 to catch y'all up to speed.

I've roving and my spindles, and I'm trying to figure out how to get back into that craft without pissing off my osteoarthritis. 

Meanwhile, I decided that if I'm going to jumpstart this blog, I'm going to learn additional crochet stitches. I found one that's dead easy, one row repeat, and works beautifully with the Rose Gold merino yarn I bought from Celtic Memory eons ago (serious, back in 2007 or was it 2010?) Anyway, I talk about that yarn over here. And you may remember I'm not a fan of pink, but YOWZA. This pattern works well with it. 

I'm also getting back into stitching: cross-stitch as well as embroidery.

Stay tuned...

Changes

April. I've not posted one damn thing since April.

Granted, I was busy with studying for my clinical national board exam (passed), was busy with family, and also work. There's not been a whole lot of fiber action.

I was going to get back to spinning yarn.
Nope.


I was going to knit three pairs of socks for myself.
Nope.


I was going to clear out my projects list.
Ah, kinda.


Then Photobucket decided not to host third party things, blah blah blah, unless one coughed up $400 a year to do so. Not on my budget. So I removed a lot of my widget off the side bar.

I still read many knitting blogs, even if so many of us have fallen off from posting daily. I don't know about for the others, but for me it's due to being busier and social media. FB is a major focus for me. I don't Twitter. I just got on Snapchat which I completely underutilize. And just reactivated Instagram.

I'm not ready to give up my blog.

So I'm going to try to post once a week here with a photo or two until Photobucket spasms again and blackmails me for my yarn photos.

Also, finished several items, but can't say what they are until the recipients open their gifts.

Blatant

I'm useless at fibbing, I'm usually laughing before I can get three words out in a lie, but I managed to pull off a bit of a whopper with a friend. She adores purple. I kind of dislike it intensely. Purple lies in the realm of my distaste for pink. However, she's in a bit of difficult period in her life, so I sucked it up and created this scarf for her. She stays over once in a while for work reasons, so I had to think of how to cover my tracks on this project. I actually managed to fib about it being a "border for a baby blanket" which it totally could be, but it wasn't. She bought the fib.

Section one was done side to side, alternating honeycomb stitch with garter stitch.
Section two was three kinds: garter, honeycomb, and seed stitch.

I cannot tell you how pleased I was knitting on this textured scarf. Even though it's purple.












Details:

Needle
US 8 - 5.0 mm

Yarn
Plymouth Yarn Encore Colorspun Worsted

How much?
1 skein = 200.0 yards (182.9 meters), 100 grams

Purchased at
Jimmy Beans Wool in Reno, Nevada

Season Of The Cowl

I finished the daughter's cowl (pink and cream colors) and then whipped one for me (blue and black).






Needle US 7 - 4.5 mm

Yarn used
187 yards = 1.25 skeins

Yarn
Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino

How much?
1 skein = 150.0 yards (137.2 meters), 50 grams

Colorway
427 Party Pink

Yarn
Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino

How much?
0.25 skeins = 37.5 yards (34.3 meters), 12 grams

Colorway
63 Natural










Needle
US 8 - 5.0 mm

Yarn Used
315 yards = 1.5 skeins

Yarn
Malabrigo Yarn Rios

How much?
0.7 skeins = 147.0 yards (134.4 meters), 70 grams

Colorway
195 Black

Yarn
Malabrigo Yarn Rios

How much?
0.8 skeins = 168.0 yards (153.6 meters), 80 grams

Colorway
150 Azul profundo

***

I realized in updating my blog today that due to my work schedule, my health issues, and personal losses in the past two years that my writing has significantly dropped. I miss writing, but I want to do justice to putting down the words. Since I'll be rearranging my schedule to fit in work, stupid exercise for said health issues, hanging out with the SnB once again, fun reading, knitting while watching documentaries (damn you, YouTube BBC playlists!), and I'm going to be studying to take my independent license exam this fall, maybe I'll do Sunday updates.

We'll see how it goes, yes?

Adoration Of The Hat

I love this hat pattern more than any other I have knit in the past 12 years. And you know that I've knit quite a few by now.

I knit it first in red and black for myself. I showed it to a friend who was smitten with it and I offered to knit one for him in his favorite colors, blue and black.

I love it just as much as in red and black.










* * *
Down and dirty details

Needles
US 6 - 4.0 mm


Yarn for cabled brim
Malabrigo Yarn Rios

How much?
0.5 skeins = 105.0 yards (96.0 meters), 50 grams

Colorway
Azul Profundo

Purchased at
Jimmy Beans Wool in Reno, Nevada


Yarn for crown
Malabrigo Yarn Rios

How much?
0.25 skeins = 52.5 yards (48.0 meters), 25 grams

Colorway
Black

Purchased at
Jimmy Beans Wool in Reno, Nevada

Smoke Around The Throat

It started out a bit fiddly and on size 5 16" circs. There was no way that cowl was going to fit around a regular adult noggin and not end up choking the life out of the person receiving it. So, I upped the circs to 24" and was much happier with it.

I am just delighted with the Vikkel braids ("horizontal knitting" or Estonian braid knitting) on it. And the lace panel wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be; I could easily read the yarn to see where I messed up on it and it was quick to show you when you messed up a row.

I didn't like the gathers on the one edge, so I finished with the the stockinette and Vikkel braid combination.








Overall, I'm quite pleased with the project. And the yarn is so deliciously soft. I'm pretty sure my "adopted" daughter will enjoy it.

* * *
Down and dirty details

Needles
US 5 - 3.75 mm

Yarn
The Fibre Co. Road to China Light

How much?
2 skeins = 318.0 yards (290.8 meters), 100 grams

Colorway
Hematite

Purchased at
Yarn Junction Co in West Des Moines, Iowa