I’m so excited to announce that I’ve finally completed the Lindisfarne Scarf/Shawl. I used the pattern for the poncho but didn’t have enough yarn so pivoted. I still have some left over so I’ll probably make a matching set of fingerless gloves to go with my scarf.
I had a goal of finishing my shawl? Scarf? Poncho? By today! I’m on the last panel and then need to knit the ending but that’s not going to happen in the next few hours. Meanwhile I’m working on a cross stitch Pokemon pattern when I’m tired of cabling every other row.
I love this pattern but it’s very involved so I need to take breaks.
I still love the Lindisfarne pattern even if it’s time consuming!
I went to my first fiber festival, my first in person fiber festival, in at least ten years. It’s been a long, long ten years and so many priorities came before spinning, knitting and my own fun. I used to love the Florida Fiber Ins in Orlando but everything was above my price range and I felt completely out of place when in attendance. That’s pre-pandemic, pre-kids, pre-Masters degree, pre-CPA. . . Last year, in the depths of my grief and anxiety, I went head first back into crafts and stumbled upon virtual fiber festivals. It may have even been about this time, but I’m not sure which ones I attended via Facebook. What I remember is bidding on Dunn Spunn’s fiber batts in a frenzy, not knowing what was going on. What I learned from that experience is that even though these batts are indeed gorgeous, I don’t like spinning from art batts. Sorry!
I got out of the house early on Saturday morning and drove up to the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival in Berryville, VA. I stopped at Sheetz for coffee and a breakfast burrito and it was yummy. I definitely recommend it, especially if you are hungry as it’s pretty big.
First of all, I got there early so I got to walk around listening to the vendor’s talk and without the crowds. There were definitely a good bit of people in attendance later. I went through my first walk through, once again, not really knowing what was going on. That is a common theme in my life. I can find out more through other people’s reactions and conversations than I can research before hand. Through three walk throughs of the grounds and some strong will power on my part, I left with a grey gotland fleece, two bags of wool and hand plucked angora roving, one black cat knits hank of fingering weight sock yarn, some sweater stitch markers with instructions, 3 stickers and a shawl/hair pin that is currently holding up my bun. I desperately wanted a monster coffee mug but couldn’t fork over the $39 even if it was well deserved for the craftsmanship. I watched spinning on my dream wheel – a Monarch from Spinolution and watched weaving handspun on a barn loom. I was looking for a few more fiber processing tools but didn’t find the right one at the right price. Also, there were tons of carded batts and braided carded fiber, but I didn’t see anything really in the way of combed fibers. I like to spin worsted and I wish there were more of those combed braids available. I love the stained glass merino from spotted circus, which I ordered at some virtual fiber festival last year. I just wish I had spun it using chained ply instead of regular plying. I muddied the colors that way.
I cannot wait for my next fiber festival but I’ll have to take some time as it seems everything keeps going up in price. I still love it!
I’ve been ordering merino top from Paradise Fibers any time it goes on sale and I spun a three ply soft fingering yarn.
Next I dyed it with Jacquard Acid dye pink combined with brilliant blue.
It took a week and a day to knit this up slightly smaller than the pattern called for with size five needles instead of the seven the pattern called for. I’m thinking of making another for myself.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fichu-bleu
It’s been a long time since I’ve knit something just for myself, especially something to wear. I’ve had so much Christmas knitting and then finished up my kid’s green raglan’s sweaters last winter. I made yet another blanket and finally it was time to make something just for me. I was blessed that in a round about way, I was gifted Claudia’s Hand painted Fingering Silk 55 which is a mix of merino and silk.
The last few years have been tough but toughest on my waist line. My pretty knit sweaters and tee shirts no longer fit, and by far! I’m part of a Facebook group that has plus size patterns and sometime in the last year, the Plant Lady Sweater by “Amanita” Agata Mackiewicz pattern was shared. This has sizes XS (S, M1, M2) L, XL, 2XL, 3XL included. It is a bottom down pattern, which is not my favorite and I think I’ve learned a lot about fitting my own dimensions from my own mistakes. I did not follow the pattern exactly and it unfortunately shows!
I made this pattern long. I should have made it longer. I had trouble following the bottom lace pattern (due to children and distractions). It still looks good but I can tell the difference.
As I worked up the pattern, it wound up being huge, so I made some extra decreases and then made extra increases around the bust. Wearing it, I can tell. I shouldn’t have decreased so much and the bust is tight. My sleeves are tight too and I’m considering ripping them and making them both wider and longer.
All in all, I’m pretty happy. I think this is something I’d like to redo or take a top down raglan pattern and add the lace pattern at the bottom.
It’s happening again. I’m falling into that void where depression meets crafts. Normal people get depression, stay in bed for days with no motivation. Not me. I turn my grief, my anxiety, my huge amount of anger and drive it into a need to create. I have a Facebook feed filled with my creations. The worst part was after Christmas my arm hurt so badly (tennis elbow = knitting elbow?) that I couldn’t knit for about six months. I’d try only to be unable to flex my wrist or twist for days.
What have I been doing since my December knitting madness?
January & February were devoted to skiing. You can’t think while you are skiing. It’s waiting, waiting, waiting, followed by an intense one to five minutes and back up again. I put my audiobook on and let it rip.
March was just intense. I received some devastating news. I attempted to backpack my way out of the anger and grief. Then my body said, you haven’t been doing this for a year, WTH! Then I flipped to planning my garden and starting seedlings. I finished my cross stitch cross from last year. I also, painfully, finished my kids green sweaters.
April was when I really did a lot of work in the garden, doubling it’s size. Plus we got back into camping and I pulled out the spinning wheel again.
May and June were gardening, camping, backpacking, vacation and so much more. I started to realize I was overscheduling myself and coming off the worst of the March shock.
July and August were overscheduled again, but well worth it. The garden was abundant and we have jars of tomato sauce for the winter. I finished my rainbow blanket from knit picks and started a sweater but more importantly, picked up spinning again.
I’ll post about my spinning and dying and sudden returning intense interest in all things fiber in the next post!
This year, a lot of my Christmas presents are cowls. I have one coworker who is allergic to wool, so I was looking for a quick solution as a gift. QUICK. Well, this wasn’t as quick and easy as I thought it would be. It’s a simple pattern to follow but I just didn’t enjoy making it as much as I thought I might. I used redheart acrylic yarn as well as gold thread held with it for the bow.
Here’s the pattern.
https://www.yarnspirations.com/caron-christmas-bow-pillow/CAK0517-007100M.html
Here’s the result. Well – I tried.
It’s the busiest time of the year as the Christmas knitting and crafting bonanza is in full force. My coworkers – who have no idea I have a blog!!! – are all getting cowls except for the one who is allergic to wool. She’s getting a pillow. I wove towels for another friend since she can quilt anything but I have a new to me 4 shaft Leclerc Meco loom.
Then there is the most difficult and prized gift – a baby dress and matching Santa hat. This is the first dress that I’ve knit without a pattern and if her Momma approves, I’ll be posting a picture later. In the meantime, I made it knit up – starting with bulky white chenille like yarn but switching to knit picks mighty stitch which is only 20% wool. Mom’s don’t have a lot of time to hand wash wool knits. I reviewed a few videos and blogs to do the set in sleeves. Since the baby is in South Florida, I went with short sleeves. The pictures look a little off but hopefully it fits just right.
cast on 146
rows1: k1p1
row2: p1k1
repeat rows 1 & 2
Row 10: K1P1K1P1K1 K5, P2K5* repeat til 5 stitches remain K1P1K1P1K1
Row 11: K1P1K1P1K1 P5, K2P2* repeat til 5 stitches remain K1P1K1P1K1
Repeat Rows 10 & 11
Row 16: K1P1K1P1K1 K till five stitches remain, K1P1K1P1K1
Repeat Rows 10-16 for x inches
Repeat rows 1&2 for 10 rows.
Bind Off
5 days post surgery and I thought I’d be knitting a lot more.
1- you can’t knit on fentanyl. Or stay awake for long. You can order from zulily. Unfortunately.
2- you can’t knit well with an IV in you, especially if the tube goes across your body. It seemed cruel. I still tried
3- no matter how therapeutic, it’s hard to focus on knitting a row when they say cancer. And then tell you it’ll be a few weeks before you know what’s next
I have ovarian cancer and the surgeon may have gotten it all but we won’t know for some time. In the meantime I get to sit, unable to work or clean or even drive. I knit a row and think. I think too much to focus on even this sock.
What does cancer mean? It was caught early so I’m not investing in a casket any time soon. It means at worst, chemo. I’d be a horrible chemo patient. At best, a whole lot more filling out of doctors’ forms and not being able to put off said appointments. It means my body doesn’t function correctly, which I’ve known for years. It means I won’t hear- it’s just stress- when I get weird rashes or sharp pains in my stomach. It means everything changes.
And it means I’m knitting these socks for ME!
2019 was supposed to be the year of me. After getting my master’s degree, CPA, fostering and adopting three kids, one special needs and two with medical challenges, I was ready to focus on me. I have gained 60 lbs in two years and have had some weird ailments pop up. Hives that don’t sway. Jaw infections. Cold after cold after cold. It turns out I have masses on my ovaries and am going in this week for some major surgery. I’ll be out of work for 3-8 weeks and already stocked up on my stash. I’m thinking a sock yarn blanket!
This sucks.
I hope the doctor is better at sewing than I am!
I’m back into knitting socks big time and giving them as presents. I can whip up a pair in a few days (or a trip from Florida to New York.) I don’t make them fancy and I’m back to the point where I don’t need instructions.
A simple pair of toe up socks is more like a recipe than a pattern. It’s easily modified to go bigger, smaller or adjust to yarn weight.
For my latest socks, I’m using sock weight yarn on size two circular needles.
Using magic loop, cast on twenty stitches (10 each needle). Knit first row. Next row knit 1 make 1 knit to last two stitches on first needle make 1 knit 1. Repeat on second needle. So you’ve added four stitches. Knit the next row. Repeat this until you have 22-26 stitches on each needle or 48-52 stitches total. Continue knit to the ankle bone or about 7 inches for a woman’s size 8.5 foot.
Start heel
Slip 1 knit
Slip 1 purl
Continue for half the number of stitches on food. (22-26 rows)
Start short rows
Row1: Knit half the rows stitches (11/13) knit 2 together, k1, turn
Row2: slip one, purl 2, purl 2 together, k1, turn
When you’ve knit all the stitches, pick up the heel rows (slipped stitches) usually 11-13 stitches on each side of the heel.
Ankle:
Row1: knit
Row 2: knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end of other side of heel, slip 2, knit together, knit rest or row
Repeat these two until you are back to 48-52 stitches (fewer of you have skinny ankles)
From here you can add ribbing, create a short ankle socks or add more design.
I’m trying to write this on my phone, so I’ll update it later.
It’s worked for the last six pairs of socks and I’ve added a different design feature into each, including ribbing and seed stitch.
I started a simple but beautiful blanket pattern a few months ago for my soon to be five year old. I used Woolf of the Andes superwash wool from Knitpicks. Then I finished it! Finally! I trimmed the loose pieces and sewed in bits. I had to wash it because when we returned from our road trip it was covered in cat hair and had dried cat vomit.
I put it in the washer machine carefully. I set it to gentle and came back a few hours later. I was hanging it over the banister and I saw a huge hole right smack in the middle. I walked away and cried and cried. When I told the husband I had destroyed $180 of yarn and months of my time, he asked if I knit it too loosely. 😡
When I woke the next day, I posted it in a Facebook group and they suggested I knit bottom up and graft it in. It worked.
I will never wash it again!!!!
We drove to NY and back. Most of the time, I was the passenger, knitting and handing back snacks. I blew up our data plan basically posting pictures of the progress of two pairs of socks I made. They aren’t fancy and I didn’t follow a pattern. 
This week we gave two pairs of socks and had time to work on the blanket in between wrapping presents and packing for our upcoming trip.
The socks were a hit and another pair was requested. I have plenty of driving time to whip them up.
We are approaching the end of the blanket. Finally!!! Thank goodness. I still love the yarn and the feel. I already bought brown yarn for a second blanket.
Knitwerks 