Here is a recap for this month:
I finished spinning the singles of my Grandma's Pansies Superwash Merino fibre
My first Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague has been completed using my own handspun 100% merino in Goodnight My Love.
After binding off the first one, I straightaway cast on a new Musselburgh, this one is being knit in some yarn I purchase from Yarn Ink.
Went kayaking again!
I've started to gather my sock yarn scraps with a new project in mind.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
July was a very crafty month indeed. Here's a recap:
Tons of spinning! Tour de Fleece is no joke! Here are the fibres I worked on, all were hand dyed from Crafty That Way (!), I think this is correct:
- Mindfulness - Targhee Bamboo Silk Wool Top (Roving)
- Cherished - Targhee Fibre Wool Top (Roving) - Finished plying
- Mint Chocolate Chip - Targhee Bamboo Silk Wool Top (Roving) - Finished plying
- Hey There Romeo - BFL Silk Wool Top (Roving)
- Grandma's Pansies - Superwash Merino / Nylon Top (Roving)
This month I also finished knitting my Cumulus Blouse by PetiteKnit and the reviews are in, mohair is as incredibly soft as people say it is. This sweater looks incredible on the designer, all loose and flowy on her tiny frame, for me, while I was wearing it, the top did feel as light as a feather, but there is no way this sweater is as flattering on me as it is on others. But, it's so so soft, I might consider petting it much longer in the frog pile. I wonder how incredibly difficult it is going to be to rip back double-held mohair. Maybe impossible.
I starter a Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague, what a great pattern, I love the spreadsheet that calculates the exact measurements and stitch counts. This hat I am proudly knitting with my own handspun, which was a Crafty That Way colourway called Goonight My Love, 100% Superwash Merino. I don't know why but handspun is SO FUN to knit with.
Oh, and I went kayaking!
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
Well if a world wide pandemic isn't a reason to abandon all crafts for a few months/years, I can't think of another excuse! It's been a tough few years and I think in order to ground myself and try to gain a semblance of normalcy, I will resume posting my monthly recaps when I am able to!
To recap June 2022:
It's been awhile, but I participated in this year's Tour de Fleece, so first up a nice Targhee Bamboo Silk Wool Top (Roving) hand dyed in a colourway called Mint Chocolate Chip from Crafty That Way (used to be The Wacky Windmill), which I spun to a heavy fingering weight.
Next up, a BFL Silk Wool Top (Roving) hand dyed in a colourway called Hey There Romeo, also from Crafty That Way, and this again I spun into a heavy fingering.
I am very please with both.
For knitting, I knit the most complicated garment I've knit to date, and that would be the Grandpa Cardigan by Joji Locatelli. This cardigan was so much less complicated than it looks, thanks to the wonderful pattern. Joji is hands down my favourite and most reliable pattern designer, to be honest, I get a bit nervous these days venturing out to new designers when the price of wool and shipping (and literally everything) seems to have skyrocketed the last few years (hence my quilting hiatus, tear).
I used the yarn suggested in the pattern to minimize the risk of yet another cardigan I don't love, so that is West Yorkshire Spinners Bluefaced Leicester DK in the colour Aubergine [side bar - I ordered a purple colour online (no LYS where I live) and received a call that the store didn't actually have the stock that was listed online, and they asked if they could send the Aubergine as a replacement) and wow this yarn (!) it's amazing and I can see why Joji chose to pair it with a cabled sweater because the yarn really allows for outstanding stitch definition. Now I just need buttons.
These days, I have seen a ton of hype about mohair and have never taken the plunge, so I decided to couple the most talked about fibre with the designer that seems to be everywhere, to see what all the hype is about. With that in mind, I chose to knit a Cumulus Blouse by PetiteKnit and it's still in the works.
In other news, over my self-imposed break, I had knit a The Throwover by Andrea Mowry. I have to say the fit on this sweater was all wrong. The body was perfect, but I just could barely fit my shoulders and upper arms into the sweater. It's such a cute sweater, but again, to the frog pile. I also found after the fact, that I had dropped a stitch and didn't notice, so even though I could have secured it after the fact, I took it as a sign that it is officially time to break up with this designer. I think my body type and preferred style just don't work with her designs. She is darling and her designs are really fantastic, just not for me.
For some reason, one day I woke up and had the intense desire to knit a sweater for my Westie, so off to see what Ravelry could offer me and I landed on the Harness-friendly dog sweater by Jaq Cieslak, it knit up very fast and my little puppy took about three minutes to wiggle it up and chewed it up! haha, so like me, she is apparently picky about her sweaters.
As a highlight and for future reference, looking at knitting patterns for dog sweaters is an absolute sure-fire way to lighten up a blue mood. Here are some others I love: Faded Rib Pup Sweater
by Stephen West, Marled Pup Sweater
by Stephen West, Beaded Dog Sweater
by Annie's Attic.
It's been a concern of mine that Gnorman did not yet have a companion, and I felt I had to make right on that as soon as possible. After hunting through my fingering scraps, she came together in no time and and formal introductions were made. Gemma and Gnorman were fast friends, taking to each other right away.
Wait, why have I never knit a Stephen West pattern - time to change that!!
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
After the disappointment last month, I took a bit of a break and spent a lot of time reading and catching up on my "To be read" pile, and that felt good.
I caked up my handspun yarn called Hippy Dippy, hoping inspiration would strike. But sometimes, time outs are healthy.
I knit a Vanilla Fog by Andrea Mowry which is a hat using a brioche stitch, so it's extra squishy.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
Here is a recap for this month:
I knit a new toque, this is Everglade by Woolly Wormhead and the yarn was 100% wool in the colour Island Blue by The Wacky Windmill. I am super pleased with how it came out. I added a pom pom for whimsy, but no matter how hard I try to do a good job, my pom poms never really feel good an secure or even and fluffy.
And since I was in a hat knitting mood, I knit another toque, this one is Happy Happy, Joy Joy! by Melissa Stajda and I knit it out of my own handspun. The fibre I used was called The Cheshire Cat from The Wacky Windmill in Falkland.
I worked on a new sock in Regia sock colourway designed by Arne & Carlos the colour called Tokke, which I learned is the name of a municipality and a river in Telemark county, Norway and maybe their inspiration for this design. It is lovely and I am enjoying knitting on it.
This month I am also knitting on another sock blank. It's a purchase from Black Market Wool. The little pops of bright colours are marvelous.
In the spirit of jumping on the bandwagon, I attempted a pattern that everyone is raving about which is Rose City Rollers by Mara Catherine Bryner. It's a fun free pattern offering an easy ankle sock with a roll-top that can be made with super variegated yarn and pops of colour. For me at this time, they required a bit more attention than I had to give and I think the size or the yarn I chose didn't have much give, so they ended up being too snug for my foot. I will not knit the second sock, but hopefully can try again in the future, because the socks I've seen others making are darling.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
Finished knitting and blocking my Double Eyelet Rib Toe-up Socks by Wendy D. Johnson.
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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 :-)
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
Here we go, a quick wrap up for May.
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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.
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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 ♡
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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".
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
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!
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
Hello again October. I miss you already.
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 ★)
That's it - Happy crafting! Nic ♥
