Tag: knit

Knitting, Crochet & More

I Am Attempting Stephen West Mystery MusiKAL

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If you are unaware, every year Stephen West does a mystery shawl knitalong that takes place in October. For years I have wished to take part in this event of sorts, but never have because I was on the fence about dedicating a whole month to a single project while trying to clear my knitting needles for the next year. This year I decided to change this and join along regardless of what is on my needles.

The main reason I want to take part in this knitalong is to learn some new techniques, every year there seems to be different things integrated in the pattern that are new to me. I always love to challenge myself so this is a win-win for me because he creates videos for each clue that is released. The second is because I want the challenge of keeping up with the weekly clues that are set to releases on October 2, October 9, October 16 and October 23. While that is a very busy month for my personally, I think I will be able to do it if this is my only project or at least my main project I worked on.

screenshot of yarn order

As for the yarn, I was going to buy a kit, but with all the unknowns with tariffs and international shipping I didn’t want to take a chance. I am hoping maybe one day in the future I will be able to. I ended up buying from Cape May Fiber who I have met a few times as well as test knit for. I decided to get their sock base to ensure I have the right yardage and picked a pale neutral yarn called Shellfish, a light purple color called Luscious Lavender, a really beautiful peach tonal called Jersey Peach, and a neon yellow/green color called Chartreuse Button that is inspired by the movie Coraline.

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Current Reads and WIPs

Current WIPs & Reads | July 2024

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Hello and welcome to a little post about my current knitting WIPs and current books I am reading. Yes, I am reading books, who would have thought?

Current WIPs

All yarn and projects laid out on a bed.

Trifle Wrap by Helen Stewart, this is a really exciting project since I am making it to wear on my wedding day next Spring. I figured it was best to give myself a ton of time to work on it between other projects that I need done sooner. I am using yarn from Cape May Fiber, Chelsea Luxe Yarn, and Sewrella Yarn.

Shell Cottage Socks by Helen Stewart, this pattern/sock is going to be used for Sock Week 2024 hosted by Knitty Natty. I decided I want to finish a sock before sock week so at the end I have a finished pair of socks. I am slowly trying to make my way through my Helen Stewart socks and this pattern is a great mixture of mindless and action. I am using yarn from Urban Girl Yarns, which is really an awesome sock yarn I have been enjoying very much working with.

Current Reads

For the first book I am about 5% from finishing, it is Who Censored Roger Rabbit by Gary K. Wolf, it is actually the book Disney took to create their movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It has been very interesting to see the characters I know from the screen and rewatches put in different situations and be a bit different. I do reccomend if you enjoyed the movie for sure, but keep in mind it is different. Disney took some leeway.

The second book I picked up this past weekend at a bookstore about an hour away from where I live. It is called People From My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami and transalted by Ted Goossen. I read half of it in a single day, I love it so far. It is broken up into small chapters, where each chapter tells a story about someone or something that happened in the neighborhood. It also has a little touch of magic, giving this a feel of a magical realism. Also, it is great fun to slowly get bits and pieces of this town to slowly build your own picture.

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For the record: everything I’ve written here is entirely my own opinion.These views do not reflect or represent those of my current or past employers.

Knitting, Crochet & More

I Am Finally Sock Knitting Again!

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Hello and welcome to a little post where I share my excitement of finally getting back into sock knitting in earnest. A while ago I wrote a post where I was making my way through the 52 Weeks of Socks | Week 01: Intersections. It was fun, but after that I really lost my sock knitting desire. At least with more “complicated” patterns.

This past month I ended up looking through my pattern library and one really caught my eye, Winter Rose Socks by Helen Stewart. I cast them on so fast and moved through the leg like lightning speed it was a ton of fun and really ignited my enjoyment of patterned socks. I still need to finish these, but I am already on the foot of each sock since I decided to knit them in tandem.

Instagram picture of lace weight sock leg laying on leg in a cozy room.

The main reason I wanted to share this is because sometimes I feel guilty just leaving projects to the wayside, but I shouldn’t. If I am not finding that type of fiber crafting fun, it is best left to the side until something really pulls you in and makes you excited about it again! Sometimes I know I need to hear this and maybe you do as well.

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For the record: everything I’ve written here is entirely my own opinion.These views do not reflect or represent those of my current or past employers.

Let's Talk

What I Want 2024 to Look Like

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Hello and welcome to another little post from my small part of the internet. Every year I take the time to write up some goals for myself and do my best to stick with them. This past year things have changed in my life, which is why I am not on here as much as I used to be, serious how did I have time to write two posts a week? Anyway, I didn’t want to make goals in the way I usually do, but more so wanted to talk about what I wanted the year to look like for me.

Kindle, two note books, a winter themed project bag, and a clear box sitting on a made bed.

Reading

This year I realized I have not read many books. In total I have read 7 books in all of 2023. If you want to see which books I read, you can see those here in my Year in Books 2023 recap. While this is no where near what I used to read when I was reading more than 100 a year a lot has changed in my life. I think my reading is going to stay reduced as far as I can tell, but I would like to read at least 6 books next year. I say that because I still want to have a little bit of daily reading in my life and that is what I have been doing. I read a few pages when I have the time and brain space to do so. in 2024, I want to keep that up.

Knitting, Crochet, and Crafting

This year I did a lot of making, which I am happy about. I think I did so much because it is easier to knit and crochet while chatting with someone, watching a movie, or just out and about during my spare moments. I ended up making 31 items this year. These include socks, sweaters, cowls, scarfs, shawls, dresses, and other items. I am really proud of the things I created this year and I just want to keep that up as well throughout the year. Finding me time while doing something relaxing is something I have really come to enjoy.

Life in General

I have started going back to yoga a few months ago and I have been really enjoying how it has made me feel. I feel stronger, agile, and overall more relaxed. I really want to keep this up as well, even if it is just once a week. On top of that, I would really like to go on more adventures throughout the year. That could be trying a new place to eat, exploring a few place, or going on a day trip. I just want to experience some new things.

As you can see, my “goals” for this year are really just to continue to do the things that make my happy. I want to read a few pages a day, do some crafting to calm me down, maintain my yoga practice, and just do something new and exciting. Nothing to out there, but I really want to focus on what makes me happy this year and not worry about specific numbers or items. Will I make some mini goals for myself throughout the year, most likely, but I feel like this year I want to go easy on myself.

I really hope you had a wonderful 2023 and that 2024 is even better for you!

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For the record: everything I’ve written here is entirely my own opinion.These views do not reflect or represent those of my current or past employers.

Hauls & Unhauls

What I Got for Christmas

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Hello and welcome to a little post where I share the things I was lucky enough to get from my loved ones in my life. I am attaching some pictures from my instagram account and then I am going to go into some detail into what they are.

The first picture is showing the cover of a knitting book called Mouche & Friends by Cinthia Vallet it is accompanied by the yarn to make two of the stuffed animals described in the book. There are three pink, 1 orange, 1 cream, and 1 brown to make the adorable pigs inside.

The second picture are an assortment of Maple and Thread items. My parents got me the jumbo binder so all my knitting needles can be in one home all together. They also got two pages for my needles to fit in as well as the holders for the needles themselves. They also got me the project page as well. I am really excited to get organizing!

The third picture is an array of small items. There is a brown patch work square based bag from Joji & Co, there is also a bunch from stuff from Katrinkles, these include a darning loom, sweater tags, and project hibernating tags. There is also purl strings so I can try on my sweaters as I knit them, a coco knits makers keep, and really cute needle minders by Hawthorn Handmade that look like a basket of yarn and cup of tea with cookies.

The last picture is of my new boots in a brown color. These boots are called Blundstone and I got the Chelsea Boots to be exact. I have heard really great things about their quality and how they age so I am really thrilled to get these.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read what I got for Christmas this year, in my next post I am going to be sharing my goals and ambitions for 2024!

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For the record: everything I’ve written here is entirely my own opinion.These views do not reflect or represent those of my current or past employers.

Current Reads and WIPs

Current WIPs and Reads | August 2023

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Hello and welcome to a little mid-month check in with the book or books I am reading and projects that are keeping me busy. I will say, I already finished a book this month…who am I?! But, I am still working on another that I believe will last me the rest of the month because it a TOME. As for projects I am, as always, working on a few.

Current Reads

American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which is about J. Robert Oppenheimer. Yes, I did see the movie Oppenheimer and then promptly picked up the book the next time I went to a bookstore. This is a tome, but I am reading a little bit at a time and really enjoying learning a bit more about Oppenheimer. I can’t say that this is an aspect of history I really ever delved in, I never thought to look up who or whom created the atomic bomb and their stories. After seeing the movie, I became curious and as is customary, not everything can be kept in a movie so I am already seeing some information that is new to me.

Current WIPs

Completed ribbing on knitting needles on couch next to lemon themed yarn bag.

While I have about four WIPs or works in progress on the go, I am really focusing on two at this point in time. The first being Wyethia by Jessica McDonald (Ravelry | Website) This is a really nice shirt with lace along the bottom that I really would love to finish ASAP so I get some wear out of it before the weather cools off. As of writing this I am done with the lace, body, and have split for front and back. I am currently working on the back, so I don’t have a ton more to do. I am using Concept by Katia Cotton-Merino in color 59 (gray), which is 70% cotton and 30% wool.

The second project I am really just starting is my Tessellated Vest by Andrea Mowry (Ravelry | Website) for New York Sheep and Wool this year. I am using a kit I picked up from Farmer’s Daughter Fibers using pincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool in the color ghost ranch (wool), The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Oh Dang! in the color clay dreaming (alpaca suri silk blend), and The Farmer’s Daughter Fibers Spinster’s Daughter in the color willow creek (wool). My goal is to work on this and finish in time to actually wear it to the festival. Since I decided to work on the vest, I think I will be able to do it in time.

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For the record: everything I’ve written here is entirely my own opinion.These views do not reflect or represent those of my current or past employers.

Monthly Digest & Wrap Up

Monthly Digest & Wrap Up | July 2023

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Hello and welcome to my monthly recap! This months post is going to be short and sweet, but I did some reading and got a few projects off of my needles. I didn’t go outside too much due to the heat so I was able to get a bunch done on my projects.

Books

As for reading this month, I am making my way through The Spite House by Johnny Compton. So far, I am enjoying it, but I will say the building at the start is a bit slow. I am at a point where things are getting real and the pace is more something I enjoy. I am curious to see where this story brings this family in this apparent haunted house. I feel like it might get very intense, but I can’t be too sure.

Crochet & Knitting

Tee shirt with short balloon sleeves in a cream color with specs of various colors.


Ghost Whisperer by Park Williams (Ravelry | Website), this is the first project I finished this past month. I really enjoyed making this pattern, although I did enjoy up adding a few inches to the body for my preference. My plan is to wear this over a dress for a little bit of a cover when in the air conditioning this summer as well. This pattern is made with a single strand of mohair for most of it, but in certain points it is held double.

A pair of red socks with stitch markers counting rows.


My second completed project was a modified version of the Dorsal Socks by Helen Stewart (Ravelry). I actually made this pair in a single week as part of Knitty Natty’s Sock Week. It takes place every year in the Summer where you do your best to knit a single sock within the week, she also runs something similar in the winter that is a bit longer where the goal is to knit a pair. Anyway, I modified this pattern by only adding a single fin on the back of the socks and using a shadow wrap heel created by EarthtonesGirl. This is also my first pair of shortie socks and I can see myself making more of them to wear around the house in the warmer weather.

Adventures

Collage of yarn store, comic store, bubble tea, and knitting at a restaurant with a tea.

This month I went on a few adventures, but I am going to only share a few. The first one I want to share is the fact I went on a little day trip my with boyfriend to Doyles Town, PA. There we went to a yarn shop, comic shop, and ate some yummy ramen. It was a lovely day just walking around a little downtown together and exploring a new place. Another day I took myself out to breakfast, not something I normally do, but I was bored and I wanted breakfast food. So I took myself and my knitting out to breakfast and worked on my Twisted Tea Shirt by The Little Wolf Knits. I also ended up going to get my hair done that day and running to a little local yarn store and picked up some yarn to make a pair of socks.

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Knitting, Crochet & More

52 Weeks of Socks | Week 01: Intersections

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Hello and welcome! Todays post is going to be a little walk through in my experience in knitting my first pair of socks from 52 Weeks of Socks published by Laine. For this first week I ended up actually picking the first pattern in the book, who would have thought? When I first brought up this series in my post, 52 Weeks of Socks | Series Introduction, I said I was going to pick pattern from a bottle. I ended up getting my hands on some beautiful yarn that wouldn’t work with just any pattern so I ended up picking differently. The name of this pattern is Intersections (Ravelry) and was written by Marceline Smith. Anyway, here is how it went!

Casting On

52 Weeks of Sock Book with the completed toes of two socks in a multi colored yarn and a mini skin of a golden solid placed on the floor.

I ended up casting this pair of socks in early March of 2023. I ended up using a limited edition color way from TheLittleWolfKnits in her Catamaran base. This pattern is written toe up, which is something I am new to, but casting on and completing the toes went well and flew by. At this point in time I was thinking about having a contrasting heel and cuff, so I wound up a mini skein as well.

The Process

These socks took me some time, not because I was not enjoying them, but because I had a lot of gift knits I needed to get done. I picked them up for a bit then would put them on the back burning, leading to these taking about 3 months. I will say, I really did like working on these socks. The pattern repeat was really easily memorized and even after putting it down for a few weeks at a time I had no problem picking up where I left off.

I think the only downside to working on these socks or frustrations I had was purely my own fault. I ended up knitting these in tandum, which is something I usually do. I decided for some reason to pull from the inside of the ball and the outside to do this. Usually I am smart and split the skein, but I don’t know why I felt it was a great idea to pull from both ends of the ball. This led to tangles needing to be fixed before starting my knitting session. It wasn’t horrible or a huge deal, but it cut into my knitting time and was annoying.

Final Socks

I ended up finished June 30th, 2023! I am in love with these socks. They are my first all over lace socks and I will say I really learned a lot from them. Always split my yarn if I knit in tandem was a huge one. On top of the practical lesson I learned I like doing a heel flap and gusset from the toe up more than cuff down. While I can and do pick up stitches in my socks normally, I enjoyed this process a ton more and it has inspired me to try some other heel, options such as the Shadow Wrap Heel (Ravelry Link). Spoiler alert, I used it this heel last week and I loved it so much. Anyway, I also realized if I do lace I might invest in US 1.5 needles. While they do fit very well while wearing them, I really have to tug to get them over my ankle. Overall, I feel like this first sock was a huge success and I am inspired to keep on going with this series/challenge.

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Current Reads and WIPs · Let's Talk

The Book and Projects I am Taking On Vacation

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Four skeins of textured yarn surrounding a kindle with The Only One Left cover displayed.

Hello dear reader! Today I am going to share the books and projects I will be taking with my on vacation this year. Last year I went a little over the top with packing, I actually wrote two separate blog posts, Books I Took With Me On Vacation and What’s In My Project Bag, Vacation Edition. I only read one book the entire time I was there and as for the projects, I only worked on one as well. So looking back at this and reflecting, I don’t need to overpack again…or at least try not to. While looking at my shelves and yarn stash I ended up settling on what to bring with me, here they are!

The Book

The Only One Left by Riley Sager: I really fell in love with Riley Sager when I read The House Across the Lake last summer. It was a perfect summer read that kept me on my toes, engaged, but also had unexpected twists and elements I was not expecting. Since The Only One Left just came out on June 20th, I new I needed to read it sooner rather than later. So, I am bringing it along with me as I travel. From the description it looks like it is going to focus on a gruesome crime that took place in the early 1900s, from my impression that the individual is inspired by Lizzie Borden. The book itself takes place years later, when our narrator moves into the house the crime took place to take care of the one many believe to have committed the crimes.

Projects

The main project I am going to be bringing with me is Hedgerows Shawl (Ravelry | Website) by Fox & Folk using Chelsea Luxe Cozy in the color Spring Chicken. This is a fresh start project, I wanted a brand new cast on for my travels. Not only that, but this shawl is simple, beautiful and meditative. It is mostly garter worked from the largest edge to the smallest. It features an edging of flowers along the longest edge. I felt that this was perfect for travel, it only needs one set of needles and is a singular color. Plus, I am spending my vacation in the woods so creating something with wild flowers on it sounds like a perfect combination. I will admit, I am planning on bringing another project along with me, but I am unsure of how much I am going to be working on it. I am planning on bringing along a sock project that is more portable for when I am out and about. The sock pattern I have settled on is 04 Ipseitas by Emilie Hallet from 52 Weeks of Socks Vol. 2. At the time of writing this I have no idea what yarn I will be using or at least no idea what it looks like, I am in a sock yarn swap so I am planning on using that.

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Knitting, Crochet & More

Knitting WIP Parade

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Hello and welcome to a what is going to shape up to be a post on the longer side. Since I have been on the quite side and updating some things on the blog (I still have some things to do as well), I wanted to take a moment to share all the projects I am currently working on. So, if you are not familiar with what a WIP parade is. It pretty much is just showing all of the projects you are currently working on. In some cases others will take this as a moment to maybe determine to frog or unravel a project as well. I am not going to frog any of my WIPs I am talking about because I recently posted, Projects I Decided to Frog, but I will be evaluating my project priorities.


Coming Together (Website | Ravelry) by Lisa K. Ross

The start of a multicolored and textured shawl in a bag full of balls of yarn.

This is a gift project, they picked out the pattern and yarn in October 2022. I ended up casting it on in March. I am in the fourth section of it and I am enjoying the process. The only thing is I really need to pay attention while I am working on this pattern since the sections are so different and I am learning a lot of new stitches. I am planning on slowly working my way through each section and hopefully be done by October.


Intersections (Website | Ravelry) by Marceline Smith

The feet of two textured zigzag socks that are partially done connected to the ball of yarn and knitting needles.

These socks are my first socks I am knitting from the book 52 Weeks of Socks, I did a post a while ago called 52 Weeks of Socks | Series Introduction. I am still planning on keeping track of my experiences knitting from this book, but a lot of other things got it in the way. As with the last pattern, this as well as others from the book, I need to pay attention to and isn’t a pattern I can just watch tv or read a book while working on. I would really love to finish these by the end of the month since I only have the legs and cuffs to do at this time.

Test Knit Seashore Dress by TheLittleWolfKnits – Unreleased at this time

Start of a dress on the knitting needles sitting on a couch.

This is a really fun test knit I am flying through for TheLittleWolfKnits. I have never knit a dress before, but I am really loving the process so far. This picture is a little outdated at this point, but I finished the body of the body of the skirt as well as the bottom ruffle. It is shaping up to being a really awesome me made wardrobe piece. I am planning to finish this by Mid-July.


Ghost Whisperer (Payhip | Ravelry)by Park Williams

Start of a mohair (lace weight) shirt on the knitting needles.

This is a summer cast on that I have been wanting to make since the middle of Winter. I ended up casting it on during the last week or so of May and I am flying through. This is an older picture once again. I am actually on the back shaping currently. I am planning on finishing this project this month as well. I am excited to throw this over a dress during the hotter months.

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For the record: everything I’ve written here is entirely my own opinion.These views do not reflect or represent those of my current or past employers.