First Cast On of 2017

I started the year with chores…end weaving!  UGH!  But I’m so happy it’s done now!  My Building Blocks shawl and My Bad-Ass Bluegrass hat are officially in circulation!  Yippee!!

I tried to keep that momentum going and continue to finish things.  And then I laughed.  January 4th and I still hadn’t cast on anything new for the year?!?!   What better justification for a new project than the new year!  Hooray for rationalization!

Dotted Rays, the third has arrived!

Each of the languishing WIPs has a sticky wicket of some sort, two have colors that need full daylight to distinguish, one requires reading a cable and lace chart.  There are loads of rationalizations here!  I needed some comfort knitting, something I didn’t have to think about.   Time for a new WestKnit!  This is my third Dotted Rays, my second that is scrappy stash busting (because I love weaving ends, obviously?!?)

To minimize the loose ends, I’ve decided, I’m not cutting the yarn at all.  Joining a scrap, working it until it ends and joining the next one.  No new ends created.   We’ll see how long I can stick to that.

I lined my yarns up as close to a gradient as I could.  I think that was ‘Find Your Fade’ envy.  It was pretty but not quite what I wanted.  Instead, I’ve opted to work the scraps in size order.  The wedges grow as the shawl grows, so it’s a logical decision.

With all that in order, things were seeming boring so I had to switch it up, just a little more.  So I’m doing a Doodler mashup.   I’ve substituted the Doodler’s scalloped edge into my Dotted Rays.  It’s a subtle little detail but I’m quite happy with it.   Now to think of something fun to do along the edge…

While I knit and think on that, I cast on my first socks of 2017!  I’m pretty excited about wearing this pair of socks.  It’s the yarn I dyed with my Mom back in October!

 Those colors!!  I can’t wait!  Except I have to…I went down to size 00 for this pair!  Those needles are tiny!!  I didn’t curse, even once, as a cast on.  Not even silently to myself.  It actually went okay??

And, the sweater, let’s not forget about this monstrosity.  It’s re-emerged from a healthy dose of frogging and trip to the time out corner.  New goal:  Have it ready for steeking next weekend!  Ready, Set…GO!