Missing in Action

Hi!!! I’ve missed you guys and this space! It’s been a day or two.

I have been knitting, but mostly I’ve been trying to catch up on my blog roll…I subbed 4 of 5 days last week and that left very little time for all this. When things get hectic, I try to unplug a bit from being online and use my free time to actually knit!

The weather here has been awesome! Even Sis has found a cozy spot in the sun with the window open.

Speaking of knitting, I have been working on this:

It’s a sample for McNeedles. It’s a version of the Taiyo Linier Top in some beautiful bright purple Firefly by Classic Elite Yarns.

Firefly is 75% viscose & 25% linen. It’s a little stiff in the ball, but as I’m knitting it up, it’s so soft and lustrous!

I’m also still reading Come Be My Light about Mother Teresa. Did I mention I’ve been trying to knit in my free time? Sadly, that means that reading has taken a backseat…I shouldn’t be doing that since these are on loan from the library.

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

You should head over to some of those link ups if you are looking for inspiration or just have a moment or maybe a few hours to spend browsing!

❤

Jenna

A Stash Dive on a Steamy Saturday

What a glorious Saturday!!! It’s definitely very warm outside, but the sun is shining and I couldn’t ask for more. Growing up in South Louisiana, I know heat & humidity. Bring it on, St. Louis 🙂

Today is a stash dive day! But before we get to that, let me tell you just a little about our morning adventure. My sister-in-law, Deana and the kiddos, Will & Nora, picked up Jordan and I this morning to go to the Soulard Farmer’s Market. It was huge and buzzing and full of delicious fresh produce. If you find yourself in St. Louis, Missouri, I recommend a trip.

We bought a huge watermelon, peaches, cucumbers to pickle, tomatoes, mangoes, green beans and even some fresh baked bread. The place was so busy and my hands were so full I wasn’t able to snap any photos of the market. But here’s our giant melon!

On to the stash diving! Today is sort of a cheater day as this is also a highlight of my most recent stash enhancement. Yes, that means that I did break the diet, but it is for a good cause. I was supporting my favorite LYS McNeedles on my  most recent trip to Louisiana. They did just add on to their shop and it is summer so yarn is not flying off the shelves as quickly as it normally does in the colder times. Plus it’s pretty.

See!? It’s Alegria by Manos del Uruguay in Columbina. I’ve used this before in my Color Affection Shawl, but this is a new (to me) fun colorway. Pam says it reminds her of Funfetti Cake. I couldn’t agree more.

Now the question arises, what should this become??
1. maybe some socks? Like moonrivercottager’s Painter’s Palate socks…
2. or perhaps a shawl like tracieknits’ Kvothe scarf…I love the dropped stitch design…
3. Or Newdknit’s Fairy Bread Cowl…I even already have this pattern in my queue and it could look super cool in the dotty colors.
4. mayhaps it could be a part of another design by Veera Valimaki (Color Affection) like the Happy Street pattern?

I just have about 4 more projects to finish before I can cast on something new…at least finishing four projects would make me feel better about casting on something new. We shall see. I’m going to continue to try to just pick up the computer 1 time a day to read blogs, play on pinterest, and make a blog post. So far this week it has helped me to knock out my secret project for my swap partner! It is blocking now! I’ll try to send it out Monday so I can post about it next week and share the fun with you guys 🙂

Until then, what would you do with one lovely skein of Alegria??

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Tall Birds & Slinky Yarn

For this Saturday’s Stash Dive, I decided to highlight my Blue Heron Rayon Metallic in Celadon. It’s a DK weight and comes in at 550 yards. Woah woah woah!! Check out all the yards! The possibilities are endless…

I did wind this right after I bought it for a specific shawl. Of course the lovely ladies at McNeedles made a Saroyan in this gorgeous yarn which inspired my Mom to make one.

Then I saw the lovely and wanted to make one myself. We all know that I tend to have many a project going and that was no different when I had this inspiration. Therefore, this lovely skein is waiting in the wings of my stash.

Since this gorgeous skein has been waiting so long, I am considering other options for this yarn, but I’m not sold. I just know it will have to be something that needs drape and luster.

Also, today is WORLD WIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC day!!! I’m planning to grab my needles and yarn and head to Sophie’s Fine Yarn Shoppe in Louisville for some stitchin’! I hope you get out there too and knit it up with friends. If you are looking for an event in your area, you can visit this website to locate one.

I know this is a short post, but hopefully you can relate. The weather is gorgeous, there is a farmer’s market to visit and some knitting to put together to take to WWKIP!! Have a fantastic Saturday!!!!

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

The project goes on forever and the knitting never ends…

Today is my first WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday! Since this is a new blog, I thought I’d start at the beginning of my knitting journey. I started at McNeedles in Lacombe, Louisiana (you can visit them virtually here) during the Christmas holidays with my mom. The walls in the cute little shotgun house turned yarn shop are covered in yarn, needles, and finished projects. After some talk with the kind staff and offhand calculations, I walked out with 4 balls of Artful Yarns Vineyard in a gorgeous brown and some size 9 needles. I think my mom helped me cast on about 20 stitches. She used a slingshot style cast-on. I took those off and cast-on again so I could say, “I did this myself!”

I certainly struggled with holding the yarn but got the hang of it. I ended up knitting about 4 or 5 inches. I didn’t like the way it was working up, so I yanked it all out and tried again. I think I cast on and pulled out at least 3 more times before I started my official second project, setting this yarn aside for.ev.er.

I guess my first finished project would be this gorgeous blanket for my niece, Nora. I really had to focus to get it finished. I wish I had a picture of the blanket by itself, but who can fault the most adorable little lady for being a part of it too?

Pattern:Pattern 309 My Family Green, Blue, and White Baby Blanket
Yarn: MY Family in Green, Yellow, & Orange
Ravelry Link: Nora’s Blanket

After finishing her sweet blanket, I switched back to the scarf and eventually settled on a long, long, long cast-on and knit in a basketweave pattern. Sometimes I get to work on it 🙂 Since prepping for this blog and post, I did dig it out and have it in my car to knit on while I’m at redlights or waiting in lines. Maybe we’ll see some real progress on this bad boy soon!

 

Pattern: Personal Pattern
Yarn: Artful Yarns Vineyard in Brown 7908
Ravelry Link: Never Ending First Project

On a more exciting note, my current WIP is Purl Soho’s Colour Change Scarf for my friend Jabes’ birthday. I’m using Silky Alpaca Lace by Classic Elite Yarns on Size 7 needles. I also altered the pattern by only using 4 colors and using them to create a more total gradient effect. I started with carrying 2 strands of white for 12 inches, then a white and multi green for 6 inches, solid multi green for another 12 inches, multi green and solid green for 6 inches, solid green for 12 inches, solid green and blue-green multi for 6 inches, and ending with 12 inches of the blue-green multi. The lace pattern is easy to memorize and the project is coming along!

I rewound the balls of yarn so I could pull from the center and the outside, or maybe I just really, really like using my ball winder?
 

I’ve got the first section of white done and the first 2 color section. Just started the solid multi green section on Monday evening while watching the St. Louis Cards play the Braves.

A close up look at the lace pattern. 

Another close up but at the white/green multi section. This will certainly need some blocking so the lace will lie flatter. The alpaca is making it spring up. 

I’m also linked in to Tami’s Amis WIP Wednesday. I love that she hosts such a neat forum for everyone to share their projects in progress.

I think the most dangerous type of WIP is the mental one; you know, all the projects you have going in your brain for all the stash yarn and yarn lining the shelves of your LYS. I think my next cast-on for a friend’s birthday gift is going to be the Wine Country Cowl in Aria I bought on a trip to San Francisco’s ImagiKnit. At least I’ve already got the yarn in my stash.

These balls look a little messy. I may have yet another excuse to break out the ball winder!

I’ve also got another friend who’s birthday is the same day (May 31) and I’m thinking the Karma Scarf by Loop Knits, but I still need yarn. I’ve come across a wonderful LYS here in Louisville, Sophie’s Fine Yarn Shoppe. They’ve been incredibly welcoming and should have just the yarn I need. I may need to dedicate a future post or two to all the great LYS’s I’ve had the honor of visiting.

I certainly have other WIPs going. Sometimes, I am easily distracted by beautiful new yarn or patterns and tend to cast on without an end date in sight. You can check out my other WIPs on my ravelry page. Hopefully I can locate and pick up those projects again soon. It seems my other “deadline” knitting  projects are taking precedence.

What WIPs are you working on, physically & mentally? I’d love to know!

v’s & bumps

Jenna