sWatch Cap

As I mentioned a couple of days ago Tyler had requested a cap for Christmas having lost the one I knit for him in 2010. The pattern is, sans color work, the swatch cap from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop. I ignored her cast on numbers since she doesn’t provide a gauge and I was figuring on what seemed appropriate given the yarn and needles I felt like using. Yarn is Sundara Silky Merino, a gift many years ago, from Catherine aka 3C whom I haven’t heard from since 2012 so deep stash diving here. Lovely yarn. Simple pattern. The reason I prefer this pattern as a template over the Hat in a Knitters Handy Book of Patterns is that the depth is so much shallower. Tyler wants a Watch Cap not a Slouchy Cap. Slouchy Caps being very popular tend to influence the depth of every other cap pattern I have seen. 4-5″ deep before beginning decreases works for him.

As I suspected this wasn’t much of a digression from my yarn cache clearing goal. I wound the yarn on Thursday morning before work, cast on and did the ribbing on Thursday evening, knit the bulk of cap Friday, did the decreases today and am done. So now to figure out which of the other two yarns that had been living in my dresser to work on next. Until next time

Yarny days and knitterly evenings

Elka

Testing (again)

 

Braided Cuffs

I had an eventful year.  I was laid off in the fall of ’16 and was re-employed there this year.  I also moved this summer after about 6 years at my previous residence.  I also started working for myself as a book keeper and so I really haven’t had time for much knitting *at all*.  So little time that I have neglected Ravelry, my fellow bloggers, and everything else to do with relaxing fiber-y pursuits.

But Helen Gray Designs, aka hgd11 on Ravelry, just happened to have a new pair of wrist warmers up on the odd day that I did pop online which I hearted.  Then the next time I popped online, encouraged by the cooling weather, she had tagged me to test the pattern.  I do enjoy her little projects and have mentioned them before.  So even tho 99.99% of my my yarn is still in boxes I asked for the pattern, went through a couple of jars of shetland yarn oddments and found some promising colors.  It just so happens that the 3 colors I chose to use appear to be  part of my ever favorite Midnight Sun Tam by Sandy Blue.

Braided Cuffs against Midnight Tam

Since I am using oddments I am hoping I have enough for the mate!  The first mitt took about a weekend to complete keeping in mind I do my book keeping on the weekends and is very snug and warm.  As always clearly written and a good introduction to 2, in this case 3, colors a row knitting.  The pattern has not been released yet but should come out soon.  I will update with deets when it does.

As always yarny days and knitterly evenings

(tho this is more a wish than a reality lately)

 

 

YOP#6 week 12

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I am losing track of the weeks 😛

I didn’t knit last week.  I had my monthly Church ladies meeting on Tuesday, and other things throughout the week.  Tyler is being a social butterfly during this senior year and it feels as if I am constantly running around.  I know this is a blessing, or at least will seem like one when he is no longer around to chauffeur but for now I haven’t felt as if I had time to get myself into the knitting groove.  Still I  had done quite a bit by end of last Sunday and worked a few rows into the past few days.  Picture:

 

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My favorite part of the pattern is that XO portion right over the ribbing but the crown decreases, which you really cannot get a feel for in the picture above are also clever.  My knitting is a bit uneven and I am at that part where I am considering moving to dpns.  For some reason I cannot find my 16″ circulars and have been working with a 24″ circular.  I even purchased some Aero 3.25 mm 16″ long circulars last a couple of weeks ago and wouldn’t you know it but they are 3 mm.  Anyway my knitting is fairly stretched out at this point and it is either dpn–which I have no issue using at all–or using a different brand of needles which means different needle material.  I would probably buy some bamboo needles since I like bamboo.

 

Many years ago, when I lived with the ex, he gifted me with the $ to purchase a complete set of needles, dpn, circlular in 16 & 24″, and I pretty much got rid of all the other brands I had which makes not finding my Aero/Inox/Bernat needle in the appropriate size after all this time annoying.  I know the place of origin has changed numerous times over the years so I assume my good ol grays may not be the same good ol grays available nowadays.

 

I think this may also be part of the reason I haven’t knit much. I am rambling now :-/

 

yarny days and knitterly evenings

Tea–YOP#6 Week 11 post

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It seems as if the only times I post is for YOP.  Mainly because I have been good about staying on track with my highly mutable list. Woo hoo

I finally finished the My Cup of Tea Socks.  I guess I shouldn’t say finally but it basically took me a week to sit down and graft together the last toe so yeah not too inspired to finish.  The yarn was purchased on Etsy from Hedgehog fibres in 2009 so deep stash being used up here.  I am going to end up giving them to Tyler and here he is modeling the socks:

My Cup of Tea socks

My Cup of Tea socks

 

The yarn was darker and glossier pre-knitting and washing.  The water was pretty green when I dunked them in for the washing and I suspect it will continue to bleed for a while.  Tyler has been asking for them while I was knitting them but I told him he was out of luck.  I am a sneaky Christmas gift knitter that way o.0.

Anywho they were laid out to dry Friday night and I started winding yarn for some tamalicious fun.  Hey I have news!

So before we went on vacation last month I was looking for some papers I had on my desk and the desk basically gave up the ghost when I moved it to check to see if they had fallen off the back or side.  It was one of those inexpensive particle board desks from Target I believe about 15 yrs ago for the kids and has been moved multiple times.  Anyway it kinda collapsed and instead of having the beloved one reassemble it I threw it out in a fit.  Which means I am concentrating on the yarn piles that were on my desk.  Which takes us back to my first YOP post and a list check up so to speak.

I originally listed several piles or bags of yarn to tackle along with general project goals since the yarn piles were too numerous for me to get through.  The first list of yarn piles started with my desk yarns and it makes sense that I now focus on these items since the desk is no more.  They were:

On the Desk:

  • kypria
  • hedgehog fibres fingering in merino, bamboo & silk @350 meters per Etsy listing = My Cup of Tea Socks
  • the yarn for Angharad
  • Lamoramere-gift from Angela on my birthday eep 12 yrs ago.
  • yarn for 2 tams <missing a few colors here or there. Purchasing piecemeal due to job hours being cut. (purchased 7.15.16)
  • 400 yds of cashmere-gift from Stitching girl Toni years and years ago
  • and sock yarn remnants. Some of these remnants are practically full balls for example the orange Eidos I used for stripes on my gentleman’s railway socks

Project wise we had (I edited my wording to make it easier to track):

1)Socks:

  • Husband 4 pairs 3 pairs
  • Tyler 3 pairs 2 pairs
  • Myself 3 pairs

2)Sweater for me.

3)Something Lace

4)Purchase Reef Yarns

& “My Tams. Please I need the preciousness.”

 

AHA this digression is going somewhere.  My friend Lorraine, aka Sheriff of Knittingham, aka Twisted Traditions designed a lovely tam I admired called The West Wind, based upon a painting of the same name by Tom Thomson. She is a fabulous designer if you are unfamiliar with her work.  Anyway I had all the colors but 2 called for in the tam and, as you can see above,  it was one of my on both the desk piles and the project list.  I started winding the yarn Friday after washing the socks and they are lovely:

The West Wind yarns

The West Wind yarns

This is another stash buster project for me, despite having to pick up a couple of balls, because I had the yellow, dark green, dark blue, burgundy, and pink in my stash.  In fact they had been in my stash so long that they were in hank form. J & S yarns switched to ball form in 2002 per their blog.  It is also a fairly simple project with only 7 colors.  Compare that to the Midnight Tam which calls for 11 shades and  you can imagine how much easier it is to work.  Also it starts off with a XO pattern which is easier to work than something pictorial such as the Neeps Heid.

And if that were not enough I almost felt like crying when I started knitting it.  The pure joy of working fair isle is so overwhelmingly happy making I cannot even begin to describe it.  I suspect I will have a FO soon unless I put off weaving in the ends forever {It took about a  year for me to sit down and weave in the ends for Neeps}

 

yarny days and knitterly evenings to all

Elka