This month I finished and blocked my The Call Me Pine. Tahoe Pine. socks by The Unapologetic Knitter. I used some yarn from Knit Picks which was yarn that was generously gifted to me. I love these socks.
My On the Grass by Joji Locatelli was completed this month using Malabrigo Rios in Teal Feather.
I can't say enough how much I love the quilt I completed last month. It had been bringing me constant joy all month long.
I used my lumpy, bumpy first attempt at spinning yarn to make a hot water bottle cover and it sure does the trick.
To keep my earbuds clean and untangled, I used some leftover fingering weight yarn to quickly make a small and handy Earbud Pouch by Mary Keenan. It functions perfectly and was exactly what I was hoping for!
After finishing a pair of socks, I cast one new pair using Knit Picks Hawthorne Fingering in a colourway called Confetti Speckle.
To combat the dreariness of a dark, chilly month, I was actually able to hunker down and be productive.
Both shawls I knit with the pattern Hitchhiker by Martina Behm have been finished and blocked and both turned out fantastic.
I finished two (!) pairs of plain stockinette socks that I knit while reading, at the same time! Go me.
When I saw the pattern Linnaeus by Kemper Wray, I thought it was so gorgeous and really appealed to my taste and just had to cast it on right away. I chose this radiant purple DK from The Wacky Windmill called Cosmic. The garment was so fun to knit and in the DK weight, it flew off my needles.
I challenged myself to spin something different so decided that would be a single ply. I had this brillant fibre from Kim at The Wacky Windmill called Costal Retreat in a superwash merino, which I do find a bit more difficult to work with. The colours in the fibre were so beautiful, I really didn't want to risk muting the colours down, so a single ply seemed like a reasonable choice. Now that the skein is complete, I'll have to keep my eyes open for the perfect project for this handspun.
Since I've always been curious about knitting from a sock blank, I decided to nab one when I saw one I loved from The Wacky Windmill. This fun sock blank colour was called Saturday Morning Cartoons.
This month I started knitting a new sweater. The sweater I chose to knit is On the Grass by Joji Locatelli. I am a huge fan of Joji and her patterns and the boat neck of this design really appealed to me. I chose to knit this with Malabrigo Rios in the colour Teal Feather.
I even spent some time at my sewing machine this month and did some piecing for a new quilt top.
Spun up a fingering weight skein of yarn in a Southdown fibre, the colourway called Spaghetti Western by The Wacky Windmill.
I experimented with multi-tasking, which is to say combining two of my favourite hobbies, knitting and reading. It was actually much more manageable than I anticipated since I was just knitting in stockinette for days on a sock.
Made some progress on the Hitchhiker by Martina Behm that I was asked to make for someone. The yarn is a really nice MCN (70% Merino wool, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon) and has a very lovely drape.
A finished object for this month is my socks that I knit with my handspun fibre and that feels pretty darn good.
The days are definitely getting darker and the days shorter.
I knit and finished one Hitchhiker by Martina Behm in a stunning and fall perfect colourway called Fallen Leaves, with a hint of glitter which always brings me joy, from The Wacky Windmill.
I have taken stock and am proud to say that I am well on my way to having a sock drawer with all handknit socks ♥
A request for a Hitchhiker from someone was hard to turn down because knitting the first one was so enjoyable, so I conferred with the recipient and we chose a skein of pretty blues called Strange Happenings, also from Kim at The Wacky Windmill.
Oh! And I knit a narwhal because, why the heck not? This pattern was in a book about knitting softies I borrowed from my library.
Finished spinning a beautiful skein of yarn from fibre dyed in the colourway Goodnight My Love from Kim at The Wacky Windmill.
Cast off and blocked my Monkey Socks by Cookie A, this pattern was in a book I borrowed from my library called Knit. Sock. Love.
This month I cast on my very own handspun for socks and am delighted with how the yarn is knitting up. I chose a simple pattern to highlight the colour changes. This fibre is sooo soft, if I remember correctly, I sneezed my way through spinning this fibre up because it has bamboo in it.
The big news of the month is that I finished my Leaf Stole by Annie Rowden. It is so luxurious in Candy Skein's sweet fingering, which is 50% silk and 50% wool and the perfect choice for this stole. I actually feel a bit sad that it is finished. Almost like when you finish a series on TV or a really good book and there is a sense of loneliness that the ride is over. I ended up donating this item to an auction that raises money for a charity, I'm not sure the winning bidder will have the same love for it that I do.
This month I finished spinning my Hippy Dippy fibre and started on a new fibre called Minty Fresh. I am good at fingering consistency, which is what I am usually going for, but for this second spin, I wanted to see if I could get to a sport or DK.
In an attempt to satisfy a request for a quilt, I bought a little fabric bundle that was on sale at my local quilt store, added some of my scraps and sewed up a quilt top using a free block from I'm a Ginger Monkey that came together really quickly into a queen sized top.
Quite a bit of progress on my Leaf Stole by Annie Rowden. Still loving how this knit forces me to slow down and be present.
Started up a new sock. This one I'm excited about because there is a lot of hype around Monkey Socks by Cookie A, and it definitely lives up to it! The cheery yarn I am using is a colourway called Call Me Cupcake by The Wacky Windmill.
June brought with it a moderate amount of productivity. My crafting has been seriously waylaid by some budget cuts and I'm trying to figure out a way to be a poor crafter.
Fiona Alice has so many very beautiful patterns and is so talented, I couldn't resist knitting a pattern of hers using some yarn I had in stash. The pattern is called Salt Air and is a really clever design. This scarf/cow didn't take me very long at all and it was gifted to a special teacher who is retiring this year.
I worked on some socks I cast on last month, the yarn is from The Wacky Windmill and the colourway is Dougal, which I think is an Outlander book reference, but I honestly have read the series, so I'm not 100% sure. I am knitting the pattern Double Eyelet Rib Toe-up Socks by Wendy D. Johnson from her book Socks from the Toe-Up.
I managed to get some spinning practice in this month and spun up a fibre dyed in a colourway called Hippy Dippy from The Wacky Windmill.
I finished a pair of stockinette socks in a self-patterning yarn, I think Regia, but I lost the ball band, so I can't be certain.
In an attempt to get better at hand piecing, I have purchased some light template plastic and cut out a number of hexagons to use in place of paper. I think I am having more luck basting the fabric around the homemade plastic hexagons over the paper I had tried previously. I'm just working these hexagons up with a bit of scrap vomit :-)
I spun two skeins of yarn. I wanna say the green based skein is fibre colourway called Patina and the muted purples and blues are a colourway called Get Outta Town both from The Wacky Windmill.
I finished my Taos cardigan by Kate Ray. Quince & Co. fibre really is hard to beat.
Off the needles is a pair of socks I knit using the pattern Bickersstraat by Kemper Wray and the gorgeous colourway I used for these socks was called Ulysses by Lynai Yarns.
Cast on a new cardigan project using always bouncy Quince & Co yarn in the colourway much coveted colourway Honey. The cardigan du jour is Taos by Kate Ray.
Big news! I invested in the purchase of my very own spinning wheel! This is partly to celebrate a milestone birthday but mostly to indulge all my crafting instinct to pick up every new craft in the most extra way possible. I purchased a Lendrum and have been busy learning how to use it, and seem to be getting more and more consistent with my spinnning.
I cast on a couple new socks this month to keep myself busy.
I continued to work on and finished my Germinate by Kirsten Kapur. The photos don't really do it just, mostly because my photography skills leave a lot to be desired, but also because it's hard to translate the feel and drape of a garment in a photograph, especially with the aforementioned lack of photography skills.
Made some great progress spinning up a beautiful fibre I acquire from The Wacky Windmill.
OK so when money is tight and I'm desperate, I take actions that may be ill-advised, such as ripping back a perfectly good cardigan just to get the sweater quantity of yarn back in order to pursue more knitting.
Ok, so I invested in a new drop spindle that will make your jaws drop and rock your socks. The workmanship is truly stunning and man does this thing spin like a dream!
Cast on, knit, and blocked a whole darn pair of socks this month. Not that impressive to some, but I'll take mediocre productivity in the dark days of Februrary.
I finished a skein of my first handspun yarn *wait for applause*. It is glorious in it's uneven, over/under-spun unity. I look forward to future improvement.
In other news, I cast on a new shawl. I don't actually wear shawls and can't even stand to have my hair down around my neck, but I sure love knitting them. Suggestions for solutions to this conundrum? Anyone? This shawl is another mystery knit-a-long and so far, very very fun to knit. The pattern is called Germinate and is written/release by Kirsten Kapur.
I have been eyeballing an especially challenging skein of yarn. The yarn is Mano Del Uruguary in Locura Fluo. The colourway is bold, bright, and made up of all the colours of the rainbow. How to knit this up in a fun way without losing the party vibe? I found the perfect solution in Michele Zatarian's Slippery Slope socks.
New year, same me. Here's what happened in January, hold onto your hats.
Worked on my arching theme project, my Leaf Stole by Annie Rowden, started in July last year and it's comforting to pull out once in awhile and just admire the luxury yarn I splashed out for. Might as well make it last. It's not weird to stroke your wool. Ok maybe it is, well call me weird then (one of the nicer things I've been called).
I finished Expanding CommuKnitty socks by Megan William. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly isn't floating my boat about these socks. Perhaps the colour pooling that I was trying to avoid when picking this pattern. Or I simply have realized that I... don't ...like... green.. gasp! I know, it felt wrong saying it. Very controversial opinion. Alas, they are done, they fit. Someone else has claimed them as their own. Moving on.
In the meantime, I have cast on some socks that are bringing me much joy. In a lighthearted blue colourway called Ethereal...sigh.. from Northbound Knitting...sigh again. And the pattern is just as delightful to look at and to knit. I fully expect to trot around town with these adorning my feet to the adoration of my fellow townspeople. To that end, I give you Hedera by Cookie A.
This month I sewed four bags, or rather Baggy Pouch by the darling Aneela Hooey, who melts my heart with everything she does ♡
Ok, so last month, I enjoyed knitting thrummed mittens to much, and they are literally the softest things ever on the inside. I thought, I wonder if I could make...ready for it...thrummed socks.. so I back I dove into Ravelry and honestly couldn't come up with much that would suffice, so I just went for it and am going ahead and making my thrummed socks (slippers? They definitely won't fit inside a shoe) without a plan. Wish me luck ✰
Ok, oh my gosh, so I acquired the most Christmassy, delightful, fun yarn yet and I am so excited to have cast on and finished The Weasley Homestead by Erica Lueder because the Peppermint Twist colourway by Lynai might just be the most perfect Christmas sock yarn I've ever seen. Vanessa did an amazing job with this one and knock it right out of the park (sleigh?). I like them so much, I just might wear them all year long. Just try to stop me.
I received the most beautiful thoughtful parcel from the most beautiful thoughtful person ever and I literally am still in shock. If there were super powers given out for everyday things, Jesse would for sure get flagged as having a Best Gift Giver superpower and I stand by it. It seems like putting together an amazing, thoughtful, locally sourced parcel to send miles and miles away would be something that most people would be good at, but it's just not true. In fact, as hard as I try, my gift baskets just never seem to hit the mark and it makes me sad that I can't give back the joy that I've received.
I got a some new hand dyed fibre to keep up practice on my drop spindle. Still going well, my shoulders have never looked better.
Got another paid of socks on the go, I'm not loving this pattern/yarn combo, but there are people who have told me that the socks will be perfectly acceptable and they have thusly enacted the rights and obligations set forth by the utterance of "dibs".
The cross-stitch pattern I started last month has been completed and even framed. The pattern was called Autumn Harvest Festival by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
I finished my mittens using the pattern Thrummed Mittens, Stuffed Mittens ...or Fluffies by Joan Janes and they really are divine. They will for sure ward off the evil cold and keep my hands toasty warm, unless they end up getting gifted away. Which is very likely to happen. I've had a few people mutter interest in snatching them.
I had an extra couple skeins of yarn leftover from my Mama Vertebrae and went searching down the rabbit hole that is Ravlery. The result is that I successful found a pattern that both appealed to me and used the yarn up. And now I have a toque on my needles, which is Molly by Erin Ruth.
I made a GAP-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley for someone who requested a scarf that could also double as a hood. This was definitely a bit of a slog, lots of repetitive knitting in the same colour without any changes happening and not really something I would chose to knit for myself, and to be honest, I'm not sure the recipient it even that thrilled with it. Oh well, I tried.
On the bright side, I think I got the hang of this drop spindle spinning technique and I'm quite enjoying the process. The drop spindle that came with the kit leaves a lot to be desired and the hook at the top keeps popping out as there seems to be a small crack in the head. I think I can remedy this with some online shopping!
This month I received a very exciting parcel that was actually a collaboration of a few brilliant minds. The package came with a huge project bag made with fabric designed specifically for the collaboration, an exclusive yarn dyed for the collaboration, and a special sock knitting pattern released only as part of the kit. The whole package is even better than I could have hoped. The yarn is to dye for gorgeous, the bag will be used for, basically ever, and the pattern, since I have it, I definitely will knit again. I love it all so much.
I started another new cross-stitch pattern. The new pattern is called Autumn Harvest Festival by The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.
Cast on and finished a sock that really felt uninspiring to me. It happens. The yarn I used was Sockittome Impulse from Estelle Yarns.
I've seen thrummed mittens before, but this was my first time attempting to make them. They are much easier than they appear to be and it was enjoyable to play with the fibre. I especially love how the hand dyed fibre create it's own gradient against the neutral charcoal of the main body of the mittens. I used the pattern Thrummed Mittens, Stuffed Mittens ...or Fluffies by Joan Janes.
Having recently acquired my first Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball® Crazy I was very excited to knit up some socks and I am not surprised that these worked up so quickly. The quick changes is the marled colourway really made me want to knit faster and faster to see what colour was going to be popping up next. I will absolutely be knitting more Zauberballs.
And because I finished two pairs of socks. My sock needles were empty and I had to rectify that immediately by casting on another sock. I've decided to knit one sock at a time, just to try it out.
My Color Affection by Veera Välimäki has been soaked and blocked and it ready to parade around town in this fall. Watch out trees, I'll give your leaves a run for their money wearing this showstopper.
Oh! And I ordered a kit. Apparently I am going to teach myself how to spin fibre with a drop spindle. (wish me luck ★)
I have another finished quilt under my belt! I am really proud of this one, I think it turned out just stunning and I really think the Liberty of London fabrics takes centre stage.
Finished the cross-stitch project I started last month. Were you able to recognize the characters? They are from the series Arrested Development! This is cross-stich pattern is literally so clever and so cute, I love it.
I cast on and knit another pair of socks, this was yet another challenging skein of yarn, the colour is as bright neon as neon comes, so much fun! But what pattern would pair well with this epic neon pink? I found one! And this pattern is truly a keeper, what a wonderful stretchy fit, the pattern is Vestigial by Beata Jezek. The delightful yarn is suitably named Pink Panther by Lynai Yarns.
Finished knitting and blocking my Mama Vertebrae by Kelly van Niekerk!
Newly cast on shawl, I've always wanted to knit one of these and that is a Color Affection by Veera Välimäki. I chose to knit mine in Red, Orange, and Grey.
Lots of progress on a project I started last month which is Leaf Stole by Annie Rowden. It is a stunning scarf/stole that is absolutely wonderful to knit with the lace chart it is not necessarily intuitive knitting, but engaging knitting that is keeping me on my toes.
Another cross-stitch project in progress! This one is very unique, can you identify the characters? The pattern is from Little Wee Stitches.
Apparently I can't get enough of sweater knitting and cast on another new sweater. This time I chose the pattern Mama Vertebra by Kelly van Niekerk, I'm using Malabrigo Yarn Rios in the colourway Indecita.
Another new pair of socks off the needles, this pair is not knit from a pattern, I made is up and call it Chain Link and the yarn is, of course, another Candy Skein and the colourway is Robin's Egg Malt Ball and I love it.
A second pair of socks I finished this month is in a very interesting yarn colourway. The fun part about participating in mystery clubs is you definitely get yarn in colours that you wouldn't necessarily gravitate to, and that's what happened in this case. The yarn is from The Wacky Windmill and the colourway was called Schrodinger's Cat, inspired by the dyer , Kim, by The Big Bang Theory. The yarn kept reminding me of snakes or maybe Slytherin from Harry Potter, so I decided to knit a pattern that had a snake-like feel. The pattern I chose was Nutkin by BL. I think the only downside was that the pattern doesn't allow for much stretch. These socks were gifted as they ended up being a bit too snug for me.
Well this month I finished an entire sweater! It's cozy and snuggly and warm and oversized, not at all appropriate for July, but I can't wait to layer up in the winter months. The sweater is Antrorose by Shannon Cook from the collaborative book with Jane Richmond called Journey and features a unique funnel neck.
Cast on a new pair of socks. This pattern is called Papillotes by Yvette Noel, only I knit them toe-up. I love this subtle muted pink and purple in the yarn I chose from Black Market Wool called Please Don't Tease.
Also from Journey, I knit up a pair of wrist warmers using the pattern Spate by Jane Richmond, using my leftover yarn from my Antrorose sweater.
In an impromptu desire to cross-stich something, I stitched up another pattern from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery called Sweet Tooth.
I got a grand start on a new quilt, using my precious Liberty of London fabrics. I really wanted to use big fabric blocks to show off the delicate patterns of the fabric and I think I picked a really great option.
Another pair of socks on and off! I decided to make up a matching pair of socks for my Antrorose sweater, so I used the same chart, just stuck it on the insole of a sock. The yarn I used for these socks is by Candy Skein and the colourway is called Watermelon. These socks are extra squishy because I knit a garter heel and toe.
New on the needles is a scarf pattern that I am really excited about in a colour that is on the spectrum of my favourite turquoise colour, which is also by Candy Skein and the luminous colour is Blue Raspberry.
I liked my first embroidered flour sack tea towel so much that I decided to embellish two more! Both embroidered images were templates from Wild Olive.
Unfortunately had to do some major ripping back on my second attempt at a sweater. Not sure where I went wrong, but my Antrorose sweater by Shannon Cook was going to be about four sizes too big for me.
After petting my Liberty of London fabric for as long as I desired, I finally started cutting it up with plans for a new quilt project.
I dabbled a bit in handmade children clothes, sewing up a couple of Pleated Spring Skirts and Bubble Pocket Shorts by Elegance and Elephants.
Broke out my Little Stitches book by Aneela Hooey, I really, really love this book. I completed the project Cherry on the Tree Swing and am SO HAPPY with her. Aneela's book really makes embroidery approachable for a beginner like me.
Another pair of socks was cast on and finished this month in a colourway called Starry Trails by one of my favourite independent dyers, Lynai Yarns. I love the yarn so much I decided to just knit a plain stockinette sock that let the colours in the yarn shine.
Firstly, I completed my Garter Rib by Charlene Schurch and surprise, surprise... got right to casting on a new pair of socks. I absolutely love the fit of the garter rib, they really hug my feet and offer wonderful stretch without being loose.
The socks I cast on this month are in a fun and challenging colourway by Candy Skein called Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and the pattern I picked was "Ein Hauch von Nichts" Socks by Melly A. Mathews.
This month I was also charmed by the sweetest wrist warmers by Fiona Alice, the pattern is called Foxy Friends. It was honestly hard to chose, because Curious Cats and Wild Wolves were just as darling.
I bound off and blocked my finished Neon cardigan and then patted myself on the back for achieving something that I never thought I would be able to do!
In fact, I was so inspired by my success knitting my first cardigan that I purchase another sweater's quantity of yarn (splurging and indulging in gorgeous yarn from Quince & Co. for it) knit my first pattern from my new book, Journey. The pattern is Antrorose by Shannon Cook.
