Road to Success Chic Hat

Road to Success Chic Hat 

I saw this pattern on Facebook back in December and I had the perfect yarn in my stash. The hat is called "Road to Success Chic Hat" and it's by designer Marly Bird.  The pattern calls for Red Heart yarn but the yarn I had was Berroco Comfort (Worsted Weight).  It worked out perfectly and I love my super slouchy hat.  It's been coming in handy ever since I finished it.  It's been cold here in Southern Colorado!'' Here is the FREE pattern link:  Click HERE.

Fabric Ornaments

Fun Christmas Ornaments: No Sew



I had busy, busy time making pillows for my Etsy Shop between Halloween and mid-December.  I had one weekend where I made 25 pillows.  When I got a few more orders after that weekend, I decided to close up my Etsy Shop and take a well needed break.  I was in full "Pillow Burnout!'

Over the next few weeks before Christmas, I had a blast making ornaments for holiday decorations.   I still need to add some ribbon so that these ornaments can be hung up on my Christmas tree, but I kind of like the look of the ornaments in a pretty crystal dish.




These ornaments are fun to make.
Video Tutorial for ornaments above: Click on link HERE.

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I also was wanting to try to make this Fabric Star Ornament.  I made just one.  I found it to be a little tricky and I needed a video tutorial for a little more instruction.






Here is a blog post with instructions for making the Fabric Star. Click HERE.

Shorty Short Socks: #4 Done in 2018

Shorty Short Socks

Woo Hoo!  This is the 4th pair of socks I've finished in 2018.  Nope, I did not knit all four pairs in 2018, but I FINISHED them in 2018.  I have way too many lingering projects.

Just a little information on these socks and I am off to work on another pair of socks that I started way, WAY, WAY back in 2012!  How shameful is that?!?  For my Shorty Short Socks, I had only one ball (50 grams) of Patons Kroy Socks Jacquards so I used a bit of contrasting yarn for the toes. The solid purple yarn matches pretty well and is Knit Picks Stroll.  For my Shorty Short Socks, I used size 2.75 mm needles and cast on 52 stitches. This Patons Kroy sock yarn is a little thicker than other sock or fingering weight yarn.

That's all I have to say about these socks. They are D. O. N. E.

DONE!

Entrelac Socks: #3 Done in 2018

Entrelac Socks





I am on a roll... finishing up lingering projects this month. This is the 3rd pair of socks I've finished this month.  Entrelac sock #1 was finished way back in April 2017, but.... believe it or not... I actually started these socks way back in February 2015, when I took a class at my local yarn shop.

Long story short... they are done!  This is a pattern by Vicki England.  I can't seem to find the pattern on Ravelry.  I did modify the pattern a lot.  The original pattern called for using both the main and contrasting yarn throughout out the entire sock (cuff, heel, foot), but I just used the contrasting yarn for the entrelac portion of the cuff.  I just don't like changing yarn over and over and weaving in all those loose ends.

The yarns used in these socks are Knit Picks stroll (green) and the contrasting yarn is from Western Sky Knits (leftover from another pair of socks).  I told myself I would NEVER, EVER knit a pair of entrelac socks.  Entrelac is such a cool effect but it seems wildly labor intensive.  As it turns out, I think I might actually knit another pair of socks with entrelac cuffs.

Okay, tomorrow I'll show you the 4th pair of socks I've finished this month.  I think I have one more pair to work on after #4.  It's pretty crazy that I have so many unfinished socks laying around.  It feels very good to finish things up!

Striped Socks: #2 Done in 2018

Striped Socks

I am on a roll finishing up lingering projects this month... specifically socks!  This pair #2.  The yarn is Patons Kroy Socks Stripes and the colorway is called "Blue Striped Ragg".  The socks are ribbed (knit 3, purl 1) and I inserted an afterthought heel in navy blue. The navy blue yarn is Knit Picks Stroll.  One thing bad about letting projects linger is that it is difficult to duplicate the second sock if you don't make some notes while making the first sock. That was the case with these socks.  Usually I take some notes!  Oh well.  They are done and I am happy with that!

Opal Socks: #1 Done in 2018

Opal Socks




Opal is a brand of sock yarn and it comes from Germany.  Over the years, I've seen other folks using Opal yarn when making socks but I had never seen Opal yarn at any yarn shops I had visited. I was in Des Moines, Iowa, visiting my mother-in-law several years ago.  There is a cute little old historic shopping district called Valley Junction not too far from my mother-in-law's home and I discovered a super nice yarn shop there.  They had Opal yarn there so I had to get two balls of yarn.

I started this pair of socks a number of years ago. I needed to bring a pair of socks to work on when I was flying to go visit my folks in Oregon. I started the sock (toe up, one at a time) and got to the heel. I made a mistake in the heel and just tossed the sock aside.  Why do I do that?

This month I am determined to finish up works in progress.  This is one of three pairs I've finished this month!

Here are some photos of the yarn label. I think the colors in the yarn are inspired by the beetle-looking creature on the lower right hand corner of the label.  I think Opal must have had a series of yarns inspired by rainforest creatures. This colorway is called "Ecuador Elly".




I knit these socks on two circular needles (needle size 2.25 mm), and I knit the socks from the toe up. I only cast on 16 stitches to start (8 stitches per needle using Judy's Magic Cast on).  Next time I make toe up socks, I need to start with more stitches; these socks have a very pointy toe which does not suit the shape of my foot. Live and learn!  I increased to 64 stitches and then worked a Fleegle Heel.  To bind off, I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.



I'll have more posts about completed socks in the next few days.  I am working on finishing up pair #4 right now and it's only the 15th of January. Woo hoo! I am on a roll!

Trillian No. 2

Trillian No. 2



Trillian is a very nice shawl pattern from Martina Behm.  I like her designs.  This is the second Trillian I've made.  The yarn I used in this Trillian was a super nice gift from my friend, Belinda. She got this yarn for me a few years back.  We enjoy getting souvineer yarn for one another when we travel.

This yarn is called "Wandering Wool Ausable Sock Yarn" and is in the Bering Sea colorway.  The yarn is 80 percent Merino wool, 10 percent nylon, and 10 percent Cashmere goat! So nice. The yarn shop Belinda visited is called "Looped Yarn Works" in Washington, D.C.

The Trillian pattern calls for 150 grams of fingering weight yarn.  Most fingering yarn I find is just 100 grams so my Trillian is on the smaller side but I still love it. The project really grows when you block it.  If one were so inclined, you could purchase two 100 gram balls of yarn and make an even larger Trillian. I may just have to do that some day.  It's a fun knit and the pattern is very easy to memorize.  I like to work on this type of project when I am traveling or hanging out at the knit shop.

Sylvia’s Socks

Sylvia's Socks

My son and his girlfriend joined us for Christmas this year. Of course I had to make some handmade gifts for Sylvia.  I decided to make her some socks; my son selected the yarn for her socks out of my yarn stash.  This is Wisdom Yarns "Pix" in the colorway called "Paisley".  As you can tell, I worked hard to make the socks matchy-matchy.  I used 2.25 mm needles, 64 stitches, and a Fish Lips Kiss Heel.  I got this yarn in Seattle after returning from a cruise to Alaska. 

Sylvia wore the socks a few times while she was here and I think they fit her well.  She had gotten a cute pair of shoes from one of her aunts for Christmas and I noticed that her socks kind of matched her new shoes.



I liked how Sylvia wore her socks. She tucked her jeans in the cuff of the socks. Here she is wearing the socks with leggings.

I have been finishing a lot of knitting projects lately.  I have a lot of catching up to do.  Stay tuned!

A Knitter Goes for a Walk

I went for a walk this morning

Handknit cowl.

Handknit hat. 

Handknit mittens.

Handknit socks. 

Still froze my butt off. 

Brrrrrrr!!!!

That is all...