Blankets

Winter is the best time for blanket making. There's nothing like having a lap full of wool and warmth while I'm crafting. But... I think I have a problem. I`m pretty sure I have at least 5 blankets on the go and another one that I`m planning for.

Some are old WIPs and some are actually getting worked on but slowly. Of the old WIPs, 2 have been on the needles for more than 3 years. I`ve made a goal to get the crochet hexi blanket finished this year and I know that the big crochet granny square blanket will also be completed this year if I stick to my sock making plan. The other`s though...



hexi blanket

I have a quilt top for my niece that's sewn but not quilted. It's my first quilt and I'm totally intimidated by the idea of quilting it. I have another quilt on my vision board. I thought I'd quilt this one as I go and I have a small section done. I really think this will be a beautiful low volume quilt but I'm not inspired to finish it yet. I'm not as savvy with my sewing machine as I'd like to be and I'm honestly a little scared of it.

I'm excited to be starting a new blanket soon. I'm just gathering ideas and supplies right now. My son has been in the same daycare since he was a small baby and now that phase is almost over for our family. I'd like to make something for his caregiver. She's been amazing all these years and I'm so grateful for all the love she's given my littlest.

I'm thinking of a crochet ripple blanket in grey, white, rider green and black. It should be potato chip crafting and hopefully that will be all I need to finish it. I have most of the yarn already. I know once I start it though I won't be making anything else so I'll finish up a few other projects first.

Maybe this is why I live where winter is so long... So I have so much time to work on all these blankets!

granny square blanket

This week's WIPs

I took a brief (only I can call 2 and a half years brief) break from blogging but I haven't taken a break from knitting.

I cast on a new sweater on Christmas Eve. I've had Herbarium queued for a while on Ravelry and I bought the yarn for it a few months ago. I'm using Rustic Fingering by Northbound Knitting in the "sterling" colourway, its a nice steel grey.

This is a very rustic yarn, probably best suited to outerwear garments but I'm planning on wearing this sweater over a shirt anyway and scratchy wool doesn't bother me.

The next WIP is really close to being finished but I have a feeling it's going to be too small. Actually I know it is and I don't really have enough yardage to knit it larger. I'll finish it but probably gift it to a niece. The hat is called Guggeren Mutze by Brigitte Kalin. It's such a lovely hat and I think it'll be perfect in a cream yarn. So I'll be on the look out for 574 yards of cream fingering weight... and I'll be going up a needle size or two to make it fit better.

What would life be without a sock on the needles? I've knit a few pairs in the last few months mostly for Beth but this pair is for me. The pattern is called Skedaddle Socks by Lena Gjerald. It's a free pattern on Ravelry and one that's been in my queue for a year at least. I first saw these knit by Dani from the Little Bobbins Knits Podcast. They're a simple pattern with a cable down the back of the leg and down the heel flap. I'm just about to turn the heel and work the gusset.

The yarn I'm using is an Opal yarn but I've lost the ballband. I like the colours though and Opal is a good long wearing yarn that washes well. I should have lots left over for my granny square crochet blanket. I'll share that in another post. It's a fun stash busting project that I work on whenever I have some sock yarn to use up.

Although I don't have a ton of projects on my needles and I've really scaled back the crafting in general, I think I would be lost without making things. I love living a handcrafted life.

Snowbird Mittens

I started these mittens earlier this week. They are fun and pretty and knitting up very slowly! I think I need to find more hours in the day so I can knit (or sleep less?).

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

The Rug

I started a rag rug last week out of some old Barbie and Bratz bed sheets that don't fit the Superstar's new bed (and she's totally outgrown Barbie now anyway). I was pretty excited and this is what it looked like...

I was less than thrilled. I think my crochet hook was too small and I increased too much along the curves so it made this terrible wave. No matter how I pulled and tugged and I really pulled and tugged, this rug would not lie flat. So we went to the fair...

I bought a huge crochet hook in the city, frogged the whole thing and started again, using this you-tube video. Thank goodness for you-tube I tell you!

The second attempt is much better. I'm paying attention to my increases and the rug is turning out great! I love how fast it is to make. I'm not finished yet though, it needs more purple and maybe some more pink...

These are addictive and what a great way to use up old sheets or t-shirts! They also look great all over my old house! I'll be making more for sure. In fact Mr. Man asked for one for his room.

WIPs - Adrift

I've been slogging away on this lightweight sweater pattern by Carol Feller for the last week. It's slow going because it's sock weight yarn knit on 3.75mm needles. Lots and lots of stockinette.

I like it though, it's mindless and simple and oddly meditative. Kind of what I'm looking for right now.

The pattern is called Adrift and there are almost 250 projects on Ravelry. I really admire a few example which you can see linked on the bottom of my Rav project page, here. I'm not making any mods so far, although my gauge is off (too small) and the yarn I'm using is a sock not a lace weight. I'm knitting the smallest size and trying it on as I go so I'm holding on to faith and simple math that everything will work out.

The yarn I'm using is Malabrigo Sock in Black. I like working with Malabrigo and one day I'll branch out and work with the worsted weight.

I'm also getting impatient about some yarn I ordered (I have 3 or 4 orders held up somewhere in the postal system). I don't know whether it's politically correct to be thankful that the postal workers are being legislated back to work (especially because I'm only waiting for yarn) but there you have it. I ordered some Sanguine Gryphon and I've never used it before. I have the perfect pattern lined up and I can not wait to get started!

Hope your Thursday is a good one (Thursday's are my Friday at work so it's always a good day for me)!

Cheers.

WIPs - Elmer

He's pretty cute! I've been wanting to make this pattern for ages.  I'm not very far along right now but it really doesn't take much time to knit up. I think I should have him finished up before next week.

WIPs - Ripple Blanket

Remember way back when I posted about wanting to crochet a blanket for the superstar? Well I started it a few weeks ago. I'm really happy with the way it's turning out, all bright and cheerful and fun.

I'm just pulling random balls of girly coloured acrylic out of the bin in the basement. It seems to be working.

I can't believe how much yarn this blanket is eating up!

I can't believe how huge this blanket is going to be!

look at this!

I started! I'm so excited! I love this yarn! I've wanted a cream cabled cardigan for so long now!

I also seem to have thing with exclamation marks today, whats with that?

WIPs - Prime Mittens

I've been working on these mittens by Brooklyn Tweed. I've talked about them in a previous Queue Revue and I bought some yarn for them before Christmas. I'm knitting them as part of a challenge in Nerd Wars (a group and game on Ravelry). I'd like to enter them in the Prime Numbers Challenge, hence the name.

It's been fun trying to note down the prime numbers as they come up in the pattern. There are far more of them than I thought at first. Thank goodness, I thought I'd have to stretch to make it all work.

I'm still struggling with my colourwork. I find that it looks all bunchy and lumpy and I'm not sure if blocking will help or if I just need to practice more. I'm knitting them with Quince and Co Chickadee in Peacock and Chantrell. The yarn is lovely and squishy, just like the thicker weight Lark I used to knit Marsh.

I really love this yarn, and can't wait to try the Tern I bought to make these mittens for myself. Maybe by then I'll have this colourwork tension thing figured out.