All Baby Blankets All the Time!

So since last we spoke, I was casting off the beautiful Akimbo blanket for a friend…I learned have also learned that there will be 5 new little ones by the time January gets here. So now it’s all baby blankets all the time!!

My sister-in-law is due first in October. I’m still deciding on what to knit for her little one. They are not going to find out if they are having a boy or a girl so I need to do something gender neutral and fun to knit. Here are the patterns I’m thinking about:

The Garter Rib Baby Blanket by Orange Flower Yarn
The Baby Shane Blanket by Tanis Lavallee
The Walt Painted Chevron Baby Blanket by Danielle Romanetti

But for now, I went ahead and cast on an Autumnal Equinox Blanket. I’m using some Lion Brand Yarn Ice Cream Big Scoop in the Lemon Swirl Colorway. I added my hand in for scale…there are 1117 yards of DK weight yarn here!!

The construction is really cool. I started by casting on in a corner and increasing on one side to create a triangle. After I knit the first triangle, I will pick up along the hypotenuse and knit another triangle. I’m interested to see how the striping will develop.

Also, its a free pattern on Ravelry.

After these two I’ve got to figure out what to knit for a set of twins due in December and another baby due in January. Hopefully my needles will feel speedy 🙂

Linking up with Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm & Craft On and Ginny at Small Things for Yarn Along.

❤
Jenna

Weekly WIP #6

I know I showed you some very fun projects on Monday…the Turia Sweater  and my Foggy Sunset Shawl as well as a Harvest Cardigan in the planning stages, but I’ve really been trying to get over the heel bump of these socks!

They are from Lara Neel’s Sock Architecture (knit your library!!) and are the Strie Socks, Toe Up. I’m using some Zitron Trekking in this fantastic Tobago colorway.

First off, let me tell you this is my first pair of toe-up socks. I thought that if anyone could teach me something new in sock knitting, it would Lara Neel and her amazing book. This book is awesome! There are so many different combinations of heels and toes…she talks about how to get the best fitting sock known to mankind…she even throws in some history about where certain heel techniques originated. The book is a great read through, but on to the bonus time! There are patterns and most of them are written for both toe-up cuff-down construction.

Anyway, I started these bad boys a while ago. The Magic Cast-On went alright. The toe increases were easy. I knit a foot! Yahoo! Then came time for the gusset increases. I did them. Or at least I thought I did. I attempted to turn a heel. It was coming out wonky, but I persevered and had one finished…that took 2 tries…then I started on the second one. I got to the place where I was starting to knit the heel flap and noticed that the smallest part of the little turn was not centered on the foot…I ripped back, tried again…couldn’t get it right. I ripped back again. So I did what any reasonable knitter would do.

I put them in timeout! I’d been spending about 2 days worth of my knitting time wrestling with these heels and I couldn’t figure out why the second one was even more challenging to get right than the first. I thought that things got easier as you practiced! Then I had another reasonable knitter moment.

I counted. The second sock was about 8 stitches short…meaning I didn’t work the gusset increases long enough…I held up the first sock with a heel and had a lightbulb moment…this heel was off center too…probably because I didn’t have enough stitches to start the dang thing…

Here begins the mild swearing and unraveling of yarn…I ended up pulling out the gusset increases I originally did because I did one side in the wrong spot…

Needless to say this time I’m counting my rows. Like any reasonable knitter would do. Here’s hoping I get these finished soon! My friend Korey is working on a mitered square sock yarn blanket and is dying for my scrap!!

Linking up with these lovelies:
Knit Your Library with Emily at Snapdragon Crafts
Yarn Along with Ginny at Small Things
Keep Calm & Craft On with Nicole at Frontier Dreams

❤
Jenna

Weekly WIP #4

Yep, I’ve been missing you guys!! I journeyed to Louisiana for a quick Thanksgiving weekend. Jordan and I had the most wonderful time. I was able to spend time with my adorable niece Payton and of course her parents, my Brother & Rachel, and my Mom.

She’s the cutest!! Still has those gorgeous blue eyes…one of the blessings my brother inherited 🙂

So I’ve been clicking away on an oldie-but-goodie that has been languishing on my needles for far too long, The Skinty Stripe Scarf.

I was supposed to finish this a while ago…I talked about it when I first started my blog even! There was UFO Wars that was supposed to motivate me. However, nothing has inspired me as much as finishing all other projects for people other than myself EXCEPT for this one thing!

That’s why this week I’m exclusively focusing on this scarf. Giving it a good effort, undivided attention, resisting the urge to cast on a second sock to the Bootstrap Socks or to cast on a hat for Payton using this Squirrel Chart or even just putting any sort of row on any of my WIPs…

Linking with Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm & Craft On.

❤
Jenna

Weekly WIP #3 & a Quick Question…

So I like the little blurb about a WIP I’m dragging around with me until it’s finished. It brings a little focus to my world…keeps me from flinging myself head first into all the projects I want to cast on in favor of clearing off some needles, freeing up a few project bags, and ending up with a slowly expanding knitted wardrobe…except somehow all the little things I cast on are for other people. 🙂

I’ve been ticking away on the Who? hat for my niece Nora. I’m using Berroco Vintage in the lovely purple.

  
Those are some fun beads I found at Michaels. I wanted each owl-cable to have eyes because owls need eyes and I didn’t want to spend a thousand hours sewing on 16 eyes, so I hunted down some beads that look like eyes and slipped them onto stitches. A little tricksy but worth the discomfort on one row over sewing them all on individually.

Linking up with Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On, Ginny at Small Things for Yarn Along, Tammy at Yarn & Life for Stitch Along Wednesday and Beth at iknead2knit for Whatcha Workin On.

Onto the question I mentioned…I’ve been slacking a bit on the Freshly Finished Friday posts. Mostly I don’t have anything finished to show off and it seems not many other bloggers do either. Perhaps it would be better to save it for a monthly post or do away with it all together? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments 🙂

Until next time.

❤
Jenna

Praying for those who are affected by the tragedies all over the world, specifically in Beirut & Paris, by those who have chosen to turn away from God.

Hat Distractions…

Oh My Goodness…I’m still going on the sweater, but I keep getting swept up into hats.

Tiny hats. Medium hats. No large hats, but large shawls.

All of these things go quickly and are nice little fixes to my “WANT TO FINISH” all the knits all the time.

So I’ve put some rows on my Passe-Partout out of Manos Silk Blend. What a lovely single ply yarn…the pattern is the perfect mix of texture & stockinette. Keeps me interested, shows off the yarn and on size 9s…it’s flying! Maybe I can buckle down here shortly and end up with something perfectly snuggly before the weather gets snowy.

The tiny hat I started and completed on Saturday. I wanted to start it for a Gateway Knitters meeting I attended. The group has been working on baby knits for Nurses for Newborns…of course I’m behind the happenings since I haven’t been to a meeting since spring, but I wanted to try and contribute. I didn’t finish the Barley at the meeting but I was at the place to start the decreases by the end of the meeting. I wrapped it up waiting on dinner at my niece, Nora’s house. She’s 5 and loves to “help” me knit. We did a bit together, and I had her thread the last stitches thru with the darning needle. Then she wanted to sew…I guess I need to come up with some sewing cards for her…hello Christmas present idea!!

So of course, she wanted one too! I started another Barley right then…but it’s looking small. And I’m not so sure I will have enough yarn to finish her size. This one may become another charity knit.

I can’t leave my darling Nora with cold ears so I dug out some lovely Berroco Vintage in this sweet purple to start, what I thought was another Barley. As I got going, I realized I am not so sure I want to make another one just yet…that got me thinking about what to do. I tinkered with color work or a swirly pattern, then I came across the Who? pattern by Sara Amoroso. The tiny owl cable would be so cute…now I need to find buttons/beads for eyes.

That’s what my needles are busy with as I take a “short” break from Turia…don’t worry I’m not ready to give her up. I can’t want to! I want to wear it!

Linking up with Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm & Craft On and Ginny at Small Things at Yarn Along and Beth at iknead2knit for Whatcha Working On Wednesday and Tammy at Life & Yarn for Stitch Along Wednesday. Click on over and see what everyone is working on 🙂

❤
Jenna

Barleys for Everyone!!!

Hi!!

I’m here!

I’m still knitting!

It’s been a few days…weeks…almost…a month? Perhaps?

I feel like October has come and is almost gone before I even got used to writing the date. Volleyball season kicked into high gear, I traveled to a wedding, and overall, things have been pretty non-stop. Until Monday, the 19th, I had been ending every night very late after very full days…

But I’ve felt like I’ve been missing you guys! In the Knitting Blogosphere!! I haven’t been reading or commenting…my inspiration has been waning…and what a shame as its FALL!! The season of knitting.

So I thought I’d ease back in. On a Wednesday. With a little WIP update…

It’s a Barley hat for my neighbor, a charming free pattern from Tin Can Knits 🙂

I whipped up one for his darling daughter who is a little past her 1st birthday and had outgrown the one I knit her for her arrival into this world and I thought, hm, wouldn’t it just be fantastic if their whole family had matching hats?

I can see you shaking your head yes, and I am too! So I pulled out some Berroco Vintage Chunky in a lovely khaki that I’ve been hoarding, er, holding onto in my stash for a while and cast on for the largest size.

I made it about 4 inches and slipped it over my head. Now, I don’t have a large head, but this thing was huge!!! So I ripped it back, cast on 12 fewer stitches and have been merrily clicking along.

With any luck, I’ll have it finished soon and I can start on one for his wife 🙂 I’m stuck trying to decide on a color for hers…

What do you vote for?

Perhaps I’ll stripe it a bit…

Linking up with Ginny’s Yarn Along & Nicole’s Keep Calm Craft On & Beth’s Whatcha Workin’ On?

❤
Jenna

Getting There

So we knit and knit and knit, but sometimes the things stay on the needles! I can’t understand why even after all the stitches (I think) I put onto these lovely Technicolor Socks, I still feel like I’m a few rows from actually starting the toe decreases on the right sock!! I think the left sock is ready.

 

Maybe I’ll blame it on my long toes. Or on the US 0 needles.

Maybe I shouldn’t blame them at all. It’s so nice to have a mindless knitting project to cart around in my purse that’s not huge (here’s looking at you Turia)

or doesn’t need a book to travel with it (Bootstrap Socks that are ready for the heel)

or doesn’t need to be really looked at every stitch (Curl #2 Cerise)

or isn’t turning out like I think I want (Colour Change Scarf)

or isn’t a general pain in the bum (Skinty Stripe Scarf) with a kitty supervisor

or doesn’t need a chart, pencil, row counter and complete silence (Catkin Shawl)…

That’s all the current WIPs and most of them are not travel worthy…maybe I should just finish these socks and turn the heel on the Bootstrap Socks so I can have more things to travel with and some empty needles?

Or the alternative…

I could start something new! Maybe keep it in line with my Love Your Library Challenge and work on a Curl or another pair of socks from Sock Architecture? I could go and check out all the lovelies at Keep Calm & Craft On for inspiration…

What would you do in this situation, keep your nose down and finish or venture into the stash for something fresh and new?

❤
Jenna

Along for the Yarn

 

It’s been a day or two since I’ve connected here. I’ve been knee-deep in preparing a 7th grade math lesson for a job interview this week. Prayers, good vibes, and crossed fingers are all welcome 🙂

On to the yarn!

I’ve been working almost exclusively on my Cerise Curl, trying to finish by today for the KAL…obviously I didn’t quite make it. I’ve also been working on my Technicolor Socks. Just decreasing on the gusset. It’s taking a while because I’m using US size 0s and after picking up gusset stitches, I had 98 stitches on the needles and need to get down to 72.

I’m still reading some. I finished A Severe Mercy. A wonderfully moving story about loving a partner and loving God. Beautiful. I picked up Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light. I did not realize how little I actually knew about Mother Teresa and her amazing life.

Linking up with these wonderful communities:
Ginny at Small Things for Yarn Along
Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm & Craft On
Tammy at Life & Yarn for Stitch Along
Beth at iknead2knit for Whatcha Workin’ On

❤

Jenna

 

Yarn Along

An online “yarnie” community I love being a part of is created by Ginny of the Small Things blog. Each Wednesday she invites everyone to share what they are working on and what they are reading on her Yarn Along link up post. She’s recently expanded to include those on Instagram using the #yarnalong .

I love being able to post my little button there and then visit all the wonderful people out there who have also linked up. I get so many new ideas for projects to start. I even make notes about what books people are reading and what they say about them when I’m ready to pick up a book again.

Until recently, I haven’t really been reading many books. I spent my time reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and the occasional audiobook (Game of Thrones is sooooo long). I was talking with my husband the other day and expressing some frustration over not knowing more about “things.” These “things” were money/investing & Catholicism. The money “thing” is something I feel I should know about because I am an adult. The Catholicism “thing” is something I feel I should know about because my husband is Catholic and it’s something I want to understand and one day, find my way towards.

Jordan suggested I read up on these things in my free time. So that meant cutting back a bit on reading blogs but I think it will be for the good of my brain and my relationship and my adulthood in the long run.

I am still working on my Cerise Curl. I realized the deadline for the little KAL running in Hunter Hammersen’s Ravelry group (Violently Domestic) ends April 15 for this one, not to mention another was started on March 15, totally missed that. I’m finally feeling the rhythm with the pattern, but I have to watch what I’m doing most of the time. I also started reading A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken. It’s about a couple’s journey to finding God. It’s been beautiful and thought provoking so far. I think I read about this book on Ginny’s blog? I also read Mark Shea’s This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence. This got the ball rolling around in my mind.

Anyway, here’s to a lovely Wednesday and hoping you are all finding yourselves well.

Here’s the link to this week’s:
Yarn Along post with Ginny.
Keep Calm & Craft On post with Nicole.
Stitch Along post with Tammy.
Whatcha Workin’ On post with Beth.

❤

Jenna

Things I “Dislike”

I read this quote last week on a blog post by Karen on Pumpkin Sunrise. (You should definitely check out her site. Karen is someone to relate to and always seems to have the most thoughtful, beautiful posts.)

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.      -Lao Tzu

Talk about perfect timing! This came right after my post last week about happiness. It really made me think about how I do think about happiness. Couple this with all the kind, thoughtful comments from you guys and I was feeling incredibly encouraged. Such a fantastic reminder to “rejoice in the way things are.”

This helped me reflect on another aspect of happiness, “dislike.”

I was in bed last night and thinking about things. My brain was just buzzing and I couldn’t fall asleep until I thought a few things through. I pulled out my journal and jotted down this:

“Things I dislike? –retrain the brain/feelings to try new thinks”

Seems a little silly, but I thought I’d try. I think disliking most things is all about the way we think about them. What if, instead of completing a chore like sweeping and vacuuming with an attitude of dread, I undertook the chore as something good, productive, dare I say-fun? That will be my experiment for the coming month: retraining my brain to think about things I initially dislike and thinking about them in a new way or “new thinks.”

Your waiting for when this comes to knitting.

Well, you remember those socks I started a while ago, like a long while ago, the Technicolor Socks?

They are still kicking around in my WIP pile, but they aren’t that far from being done. Why are they stalling? I don’t like knitting heels and picking up gusset stitches. You are thinking, “why didn’t you just throw in a ripcord and do an afterthought heel?” or “It’s not that bad” or “what in the world are you talking about?”

I don’t love this part of the knitting and I think this would be a great way to try out my new way of thinking 🙂 I will keep you posted on how this goes.

I’ve also got these Bootstrap Socks (at least one) that is dangerously close to the heel here, but it’s going to be a different heel experience thanks to Lara Neel & Sock Architecture (some Love Your Library progress!).

I’ll let you know if this changes the way I feel about heels too.

I love that little blip of pink! So Spring-y 🙂

Linking up with:
Emily for Love Your Library
Nicole for Keep Calm & Craft On

❤
Jenna