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 #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.

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

Fall is in the Air

Oh my goodness does it feel like fall or what!!! The weather has been wonderful and breezy for about 4 days. Maybe 75 degrees Fahrenheit outside, low humidity…so low that we have our windows open and the air conditioning off! And each time I get in the car to drive somewhere I open those windows too!

I always feel like fall arrives in a very quick fashion. I was still thinking that I was in the sweltering depths of summer, but with a few nice days, my hands are itching to knit. And to knit wool. Not the light linen of summer, but squishy, warm wool. And pumpkin. I crave pumpkin! Beer, bread, beer bread, cake, coffee…all sounds good right now 🙂

 

I finally attacked finishing up the heel on this sock.

It’s my Bootstrap Sock from Lara Neel’s Sock Architecture…so cool!

The Balbriggan heel involves working a heel flap and then kitchener stitching the bottom up…I don’t know what it’s called, but it was fun to practice that special technique that I generally avoid save for the end of the sock process 🙂

Now to pick up the stitches again and get on down the foot!! Then I can start the next one!

I’ve also picked up my Cerise Curl again…I tried to get more yarn, but the shop was out 😦 I really wanted a LARGE shawl. I’m a tall girl, I’m not dainty and I like a lot of wool to keep me warm and/or stylish. I am hoping that once I get it off the needles, it will block out substantially. There isn’t much yarn left, maybe 12 grams? I’m hoping by next Friday, I’ll have it finished.

Here’s linking up with some wonderful people! I’ve missed for a while now and it just feels right to get back into the habit 🙂
Yarn Along with Ginny @ Small Things
Keep Calm Craft On with Nicole @ Frontier Dreams
Whatcha Workin’ On with Beth @ iknead2knit
Stitch Along Wednesday with Tammy @ Life & Yarn

What is gracing your needles this week? Anything make you feel like fall is right around the corner??

❤
Jenna

Needles Clicking

Since Monday, I’ve been knitting almost exclusively on my Turia sweater. I really, really want to be able to wear it soon and it’s just miles of stockinette stitch so I can read or watch anything while I’m working on it. I’m about to start working the 3rd round of decreases for the very subtle waist shaping.

I’m trying a little tip/trick I think I heard while listening to the knit.fm podcast with Hannah Fettig interviewing Amy Herzog on Episode 10. I was listening to this while driving on one of my epic trips, maybe the December one? I enjoy the knit.fm podcast though. It’s meaty. Lots of information and Hannah tends to have some really fantastic and knowledgeable guests to interview. Be warned, there is no fluff here unlike a lighter listen like the Knitmore Girls (also full of great information but a bit more lighthearted with segments like “When Knitting Attacks!!”).

Anyway, the tip I thought I remembered hearing was to do the waist shaping in the middle of rounds/rows instead of on the edges. I just went back and scanned the show notes from the episode to learn that Amy suggests doing the shaping in the back of the sweater. Oh well, we shall see how this one turns out and if it even makes a difference. Like I said, the shaping is very, very subtle. I’m alright with this since the piece is supposed to be relaxed.

In other news, remember I was talking about knitting the next Curl, Cerise, by Hunter Hammersen for my next cast on? Maybe? Well, I initially thought I wanted to use the Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Glitter Sock in the OOAK Jewel colorway.

But then, as I also mentioned, my yarn cabinet has been staring at me. I remembered I had some of this.

It’s Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Silk DK in the Coral Sea colorway. I’ve had these 4 balls in my stash for a good amount of time. I bought them at McNeedles before I moved away to teach school in 2011. And I’ve got 480 yards of this as opposed to the 400 yards I’ve got of the sock yarn. And it’s DK. I think it may make a bigger Curl and could be a really great, versatile weight since it is a bamboo/wool/silk blend.

What do you think? Should I stick with the Serenity Glitter Sock or go with the Panda Silk DK?

Linking up with these lovelies!
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

Until Friday for our Freshly Finished post!!

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Running Behind

Technically, I’m not really behind on anything except maybe housework and reading my blog roll. It’s funny how just taking a few weekend trips really racks up the backlog on those two things!

But I have made some progress on my Squishy Socks.

They are coming right along. I’m knitting just the basic sock pattern from a Paton’s book using some Regia Adventure 6-ply on US size 2 needles. I have had a few little snags…like when I started my toe decreases too soon because I really want to wear them!! Just a little ripping back and I’m back to knitting the foot a little longer.

And my first Curl from Hunter Hammersen’s new book.

It’s Caesious. I’m using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport. It’s 100% Merino in the Montrose colorway. I picked it up back in December when I was visiting Louisiana for my brother’s graduation. I love the colors, a grayish blue, almost cornflower blue, a light brown and a springy yellow. I love how it is growing so quickly and I don’t have to count! Yahoo!! And it means I’m Loving my Library 🙂

Last project getting some love is this Manly Scarf for my friend Sam.

A moment of confession: You haven’t seen this yet, mostly because I’m a little embarrassed I bought yarn for this after the new year. Let me justify. After our fist trip to Memphis for my birthday, my husband’s friend Sam admired my husband’s Cozy Warm Man scarf I finished for him back in October. He was saying just how much he would love to have one so I had to make him one. I’m using some Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in a dark brown held with some Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Addiction in the River Bank Grass green colorway on US size 7. And technically I didn’t buy the yarn, my husband did 🙂

Linking up with some great people:
Emily for Love Your Library
Tammy for her Stitch Along Wednesday
Ginny for Yarn Along
Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On
iknead2knit’s Whatcha Workin’ On Wednesday

See you again soon!!

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Crazy Sock Knitting

Since it’s Wednesday, I thought I’d share one of the things I’ve been diligently stitching on every day, my Squishy Socks. I’m using the Schachenmayr Regia Adventure Color 6 ply on some US 2 (3.00mm) Addi Sock Rockets. I’m working off of the Paton’s Basic Sock pattern from a booklet I bought a few years ago (loving my library). If you think back to maybe a few posts ago, they looked like this:

They may have even looked a little longer. I posted some of their progress over on Instagram (@hardknitlife) and I really love how they are coming along and I love that I was working them two-at-a-time style.

Confession: While I have worked 4 of my 6 completed socks two-at-a-time, I have never done so ON THE SAME NEEDLES! Previously I have used either two sets of double-pointed needles or two sets of two circular needles.

Well this time, I braved sticking them on the same two circulars and everything was buzzing along just fine. I knit the leg. I knit the heel flap.

 

I “turned” the heel. I even picked up my gusset stitches. Here is where the tricky part began. I fiddled a bit with the craziness of all those stitches on the two circulars, but I just couldn’t figure out how I was going to actually KNIT! So I wandered over to my bag-o-needles and pulled out some double points. Luck must have really been on my side because I found two sets!!

Doing what any sensible knitter would do, I used them both and transferred each sock to it’s new needle home. I started knitting on the left one (using bamboo needles) and thought that they felt a little smaller than my Sock Rockets. I picked up the right sock (using metal needles) and thought the same thing. So I pulled out the packaging of all three and noticed while each set of needle is labeled as a US 2, the Sock Rockets are 3.00mm while both sets of my DPNs are 2.75mm.

Oh well. I guess that will make for a nice firm fabric in the heel!

You may find yourself wondering where all those other planned WIPs are. Don’t worry, they are still floating around in their little bags, just waiting to be worked on. I have just been feeling the sock mojo lately and I was amused by my adventures using double points. Aren’t they just lovely?

A contributing factor to wanting to work on socks? Knitting Sarah just finished up her year long KAL last week called Socks with Sarah. I didn’t come across the knit-along until maybe November, but I really love that it’s main goal is to promote daily sock knitting. How many socks could you knit in a year if you did a little each day? Even though the KAL is over, Sarah is still keeping the group open on her Ravelry group. I know I set forth some goals a few weeks ago and I’d like to add daily sock stitching to it. Maybe this is just the kick start I need to get my sock drawer into shape!

Linking up with some great people:
Emily for Love Your Library
Tammy for her Stitch Along Wednesday
Ginny for Yarn Along
Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On
iknead2knit’s Whatcha Workin’ On Wednesday

Until Friday 🙂

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

The WIPs that Won’t Quit

I know I’ve posted some about trying to clear up the needles so I can start new things for the new year and NEWS FLASH!
I’m still working on some of those things.

Like this Flurfy Scarf.

I feel like if I can keep giving it a few rows here and there I can save myself some insanity and get it finished. I love the fabric this is creating and I know that blocking it when it’s done will be simply fantastic. But I’m not so sure of the project fitting the original recipient.

Then there are these Squishy Socks I’ve been working on since right before Christmas.

I’m loving them and I carry them around to stitch a row or two. Oh Regia! 🙂

Last but not least, I did start the Very PDX Hat by Liz Abinante for my husband.

I’m calling it his Extra Warm Ears Hat. It’s like 8 degrees Fahrenheit here today and I was blocking his other warm hat so I felt like I should work on giving him something just a cozy. I like this pattern because it’s worked with a double thick brim. I’m using some of the Empty Pockets Alpaca yarn from my stash that I picked up with him at the Kentucky Sheep & Fiber Festival last May and some leftover Alpaca yarn from my Equilibrium cowl out of Juniper Moon Farms Herriot.

That’s all I’m really giving my knitting attention to for now. Linking with Tammy for her Stitch Along Wednesday & Ginny for Yarn Along & Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On & (**edit to add an additional link-up) iknead2knit’s Whatcha Workin’ On Wednesday.

See you guys Friday for a Freshly Finished link up party!!

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Enable Me Please!!

Monday I mentioned that fellow bloggers have been oh-so-kind and generous lately. I thought I’d share just what their favor has brought me…

First up, Kat at Knittin’ in the Sun ran a giveaway for her 100th post!! She was generously donating a pattern of your choice under $10 on Ravelry. Kat very kindly gifted me the Daybreak Shawl pattern by Stephen West. I’m planning to make this with some Mini Mochi I received in a swap package back in August paired with some Tibetan Cloud Fingering.

Next, Christina at Feel Good Knitting interviewed Sashka Macievich of SashkaKnits for the Indie Gift-A-Long. Christina and Sashka very kindly donated a pattern to one lucky commenter and it turned out to be me!! I love Sashka’s Auberge Shawl and am definitely looking forward to searching the stash for a lovely to knit up 🙂

 

Maybe the Holiday Flock Sock in Queen of Hearts red…or the Susquehanna Sparkle Sock in the Trumpet colorway which has a nice strand of shimmer running through the peachy pink..or maybe my most recent purchase of some Dyeabolical Tenacious Sock in the Raja grey color. Any of these would make a gorgeous Auberge shawl…I just have quite a few WIPs to finish and needles to clear up before I can start something new.

Last bit of generous bloggery, Sarah from A Little Knit just posted about some of her favorite blogs to read here and I made the cut!! Sarah says, “Jenna’s blog is full of tasty looking yarns and the intricate projects that she is working on.” So kind 🙂 She also highlights Pia of Noget Uldent, Tahnee of Woollen Wilderness, and Nadia from Abso-knitting-lutely.

If you haven’t had the chance to check out Sarah over at her blog, A Little Knit, I highly recommend it. She is a self-taught knitter and crocheter who is so relatable. I love reading about her fearless adventures into pattern modification on the fly and the challenges she works through on her super cool patchwork blanket. She’s definitely someone I enjoy hearing from and find her work super cool and inspiring 🙂

Since it is a WIP Wednesday, I thought I’d give you a quick update on the thing I enjoy working on the most…I’m about 2/3 of the way through the garter portion of the shawl and I’m absolutely loving it! Behold, The Settler Shawl!!

Pair these sweet giveaways with all the sales going on around the internet for the holidays and you’ve got yourself a habit…the habit of spending too much, casting on too much, and reading blogs too much.

Enjoy 🙂

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Linking up with Nicole at Frontier Dreams, Stitch Along Wednesday over on Life & Yarn, and Whatcha Workin’ On Wednesday over on iKnead2Knit.

Do What You Know

You know how when you want to try something new everything seems more difficult to get started or get going. I’ve had this feeling that I wanted to do something new for my 60th blog post (since I missed my 50th) but I’m not sure what to do.

Looking online, people who celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary traditionally get diamonds! Sign me up! Not so sure I can afford to run out and buy myself some diamonds for my 60th blog post. Those may need to wait until my actual 60th wedding anniversary 🙂 So I looked at people celebrating their 60th birthday. A common theme for those celebrating their 60th seem to be “do what you want to do.”

That brings me back to doing what I know.

Here are some of the things I’ve been working on, since I haven’t been posting here.

First up, my Technicolor Socks Take 2 in the Show-off Stranded Socks pattern in the gorgeous Pagewood Farms Denali Sock yarn. Its in the Sky Blue Pink colorway. I’m knitting them on US size 0 Karbonz double points. They are living in my Bird Leg Bags Halloween Bag I received as part of a Halloween order a few years ago from Simply Socks Yarn Co.

I love the fabric I’m creating. It’s nice and tight. I’m really hoping they will wear well.

I think I’ve only knit 6 pairs of socks since I’ve been knitting. 2 pairs were in worsted weight as house socks, 1 pair was knit in DK for a baby, and the last 3 pairs were knit in sock yarn. Two of those three were gifts. I’ve only kept 1 pair for myself. I knit them on 2 circulars in a US size 2. Those are a little loose in terms of fabric and by the end of a day of wear, they are quite baggy. These are coming along. Maybe another inch or two on the cuff before I start the heel.

Since I’ve started the blog in May, I’ve fallen into the knitting rabbit hole. Yes, prior to May, I was knitting. A lot. But since I’ve started blogging and reading blogs, I’ve started to see my knitting in a different way. I’m more aware of all the things on my needles. I’m picking patterns and yarns in a more intentional way. If I don’t like something, I’m ripping it out and trying again. I’m actually attempting garments that fit, not just accessories. And the accessories I am knitting are more intentional. I’m trying to match yarn in terms of its composition with a pattern that will work with it.

Enough about that. On to another WIP!

The Colorful Cozy Cowl I’ve been working on for Lyndsay is coming along slowly. It’s the Shibui Array Cowl pattern in some scrumptious Malabrigo Rios in the Teal Feather & Liquidambar colorways. Right side & wrong side view here.

 

It’s coming along super slowly with all the slipped stitches. I do love the way it looks though. I’m sure it doesn’t help the speed of it when I keep starting new things.

Like casting on my PostStitch project for my darling niece Payton. It’s the Wee Envelope pattern in the Luna Grey Fiber Arts Aspen Sport in the Primrose colorway. It’s not a hard knit. In fact, I was just trucking right along. Then I went to join the two yokes for the right sleeve. I picked up the stitches for the back yoke incorrectly.

So I ripped it back. It’s in timeout. I will not let a baby sweater defeat me! So I picked up the socks. Don’t worry. I’ll try it again today.

 

You may also be wondering what happened to my Two Grey Dogs yarn…It’s still in the ball. I’m trying to knock out a few things WIP wise before starting something new….not sure if this has ever stopped me before. I may just be a little chicken when it comes to just trying something new with the yarn.

Anyway, I feel like this post was very me, and thus very appropriate for my 60th post 🙂 What are you working on?

v’s & bumps,

Jenna

Linking up with Nicole at Frontier Dreams and Gracey is not my name at Life and Yarn or Yarn and Life..