Knitting it UP!!

The stash! And the WIPs! And the WIP stash!!! I’m trying to stay away from spending money and knit some of the beautiful things I already have. My stash is gorgeously curated…from travels and impulses, I feel so inspired when I look at my cabinet! I’m trying to refrain from casting on though and just working through my WIPs…old and new!

In fact, I’ve been working pretty hard to finish things up. I know I’ve featured this cute little hat, the Aviatrix. But I actually technically finished it since I put the super cute button on!

And I’m working on weaving in the ends on my awesome 3 Color Cashmere Cowl.

SO MANY ENDS!!

And I’ve been tackling these Technicolor Socks…I’m about an inch away from starting the toe decreases and I’m excited to explore some toes in Lara Neel’s Sock Architecture. That’s where I got the heel from. Shout out to the Love Your Library Challenge!!!

I’m so loving the way the fabric looks…It’s some gorgeous Pagewood Farms Denali Sock Yarn in the Sky Blue Pink colorway.

And of course, I’ve been working on the Turia Sweater. I’m loving it and I so want to wear the thing…we’ve had a couple of cooler days (55-66 degrees Fahrenheit) that would make wearing this linen blend sweater so cozy without being hot.

I wandered out onto the front steps to take these photos in the fading daylight…so much better than trying to capture them inside where I can’t seem to get enough light!

Head on over the Snapdragon Crafts to see how everyone else’s Love Your Library Challenge is coming 🙂

Or to Nicole’s Keep Calm & Craft On 🙂

Until next time!
❤
Jenna

Freshly Finished Friday #11

Welcome to a link-up party for your Friday Finished Object posts! In an effort to connect everyone who creates and blogs about it here on the web, I thought providing a place to link up and share your freshly finished creations would be a great way to see what everyone is working on. Please feel free to share ANY of your finished crafty pursuits from knitting and crocheting to sewing and scrapbooking.

I’ve been traveling this week to visit my friend, Brenna, in Salt Lake City, Utah. No worries, I’ve seen the insides of a few yarn stores, but nothing finished this week 😦 You’d think with the flight times I’d have some significant progress, but I’ve been stitching away on my 3 Color Cashmere Cowl, Turia sweater, and my Cerise curl all in turn. You can click their names to head to the Ravelry pages and see what’s been going on with them.

To join in the fun, click the link up below to see all the others participating in a Freshly Finished Friday! It will take you away from this page, but don’t worry, you will always be able to find your way back. It’s especially helpful if the linked up blog has a link back here. Please add your specific blog post link and remember to link back here in your blog so we can all be connected 🙂

 

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Must. Have. Coffee!!

It’s Monday and I’m already exhausted! I substituted for a 3rd grade class today, a bunch of 8 & 9 year-olds who have way more energy than I do! It was actually pretty good because I’ve subbed for this teacher a few times and know the kids pretty well. Just a long day of school, when I’ve been enjoying so many to myself, spending 8 hours away is a challenge! I guess I should start gearing up since I am job hunting for teaching positions! I could really, really use a nice strong cup of coffee to keep knitting & to make it through my volleyball games tonight!

I’ve also had a wonderful moment of startitis…

You remember the yarn for the 3 Color Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli?

Well…I couldn’t resist! I wound it all up on Thursday or Friday and I just couldn’t wait any more! It fits perfectly on some US 2.5, 3.0mm Addi Sock Rockets and I’ve been clicking away! It’s taking way longer than something similar in a DK or worsted weight would, but I’m ok with that. Rav link

Recently KnittingSarah  finished up her version of the cowl and posted about it here. She really has a way with words and this post was just the “gentle shove” I needed to get started on mine! KnittingSarah says that wearing her cowl is like wearing “soft, super warm heaven clouds.” How could I not want one??

Now I just need spring to hold off until I’m done 😉 Yeah right!! Bring on the sun!

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

PS. I’ve been doing some research on various blogs/web hosting things (squarespace, wordpress, etc) and I’m curious what you guys use? If you are on your own website (no blogger, wordpress, blogspot in your web address) which one do you use and do you like it? Is it easy to use? I’m a total novice when it comes to coding and web design and I usually have to look everything up and open multiple windows and click back and forth until I can get something “done.”

monday, Monday, MONDAY!!

Yep, you guessed it! It’s Monday and I just wanted to stop by and say hello. We’ve gotten a good amount of snow over the last few days. Maybe about 4-6 inches. No worries though, the city was prepared and the roads were clear! We had a few slippery moments when driving home from my brother-in-law’s house yesterday morning, but we made it all the same.

There is something about this cold weather that just makes me want to curl up with lots of coffee and knit. Sometimes, I will read blogs or watch tv or catch up on audio or video podcasts while I knit. Especially since the things I’m knitting are pretty simple as of right now. I do have one challenging piece to work on.

It’s my Catkin Shawl I started back in September for a knit-along at Knitorious. I love the yarn. It’s Madeline Tosh Merino Light in the Fig (brownish/purplish) & Thyme (minty green) colorways. I was a little hesitant to use a single ply yarn because they tend not to wear as well for me. I love the stitch definition I’m getting but in the past with singles I find they pill quite a bit. But I couldn’t resist these colors! And it’s been just fantastic to work with 🙂

I also love the pattern. I love that it is showcasing my yarn so well and I’m enjoying the construction. It’s going to end up being a giant square shape with the “opening” cutting through one of the corners. I think it will be super wearable. I just have to get knitting on it!

You’re probably thinking, Jenna, why don’t you just knock it out if you think you’ll love the end product so much? Well, remember that part about not knitting on it with visual distractions? How am I supposed to catch up on my tv shows or blogs or video podcasts if I’m too busy watching the chart and my knitting? I bet I could do it. I don’t even watch that much tv, just a few episodes of Intervention, First 48, and random weight-loss transformation shows. It’s not like its episodes that are linked up to tell a story each week like a Homeland or Walking Dead or The Good Wife. I watch documentary types. I find them fascinating.

And I’m distracted by my other knits…

Turia

Technicolor Socks: I bought a scale and started turning my heel!!

Skinty Stripe Scarf

I really want to start this Curl, Cerise in some Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Glitter Sock in a OOAK Jewel colorway.

And that cozy looking 3 Color Cashmere Cowl in my Smooshy & Paradigm.

As I sit here and gaze at my yarn cabinet, I’m getting more ideas!

And there’s one more shelf below that with 3 sweater quantities on it So much to knit and yet Ravelry still tempts me to buy patterns and indulge in new yarn! I’m a bit weak willed when it comes to this it seems.

Oh well, I guess there are worse things to spend my time and money on.

Are you tempted by any patterns or yarns right now?

Until we speak again (hopefully soon!).

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

WIPs for ME!

A first WIP Wednesday post in a while…I’m a little disappointed I missed my Monday post, but I was out of town and visiting with my family in Louisiana. Best part of that trip?

Getting to see Mom, my brother & his girlfriend, and my cute niece Payton!! And I visited McNeedles…I may or may not have bought a little yarn…more on that when I cast it on, I’m really thinking 3 Color Cashmere Cowl by Joji Locatelli.

I already had the Smooshy in the Emerald Darkness color but I picked up another skein of Smooshy in the Peacock Shadow colorway and a skein of Vice Paradigm in the Concrete colorway. I’m dying to get going on that but I have these other two current WIPs along with several inactive WIPs I’d like to make some progress on.

On to a current WIP.

It’s another Rikke hat but for me. I’m using some Malabrigo Rios in the Candombe colorway. So rich and beautiful. I’m hoping to finish it here soon before the snow and such quits.

I’ve also made some good progress on my Turia sweater. I’m to the point where the pattern says I should do some waist shaping, but I may want to move that up a little further and make the sweater a bit longer before I start waist shaping. I’m loving the fabric this is creating. I was initially a little worried that it would a bit scratchy with the linen content, but it’s alright, soft even.

Linking up with these wonderful friends 🙂
Emily for Love Your Library
Tammy for her Stitch Along Wednesday
Ginny for Yarn Along
Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On
Beth for Whatcha Workin’ On Wednesday