WIP Wednesday

On July 19, 2017July 19, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Cowl, Shawl, WIP9 Comments

I’m back up to 10 WIPs. Did you notice how I tried to slide that piece of information right by you? Buried right under a big pile of stash acquisition! LOL! Knitter’s guilt, I tell ya…I think I might have to do a destash — for real. In the fall, I think.

For now, I’m assuaging my knitter’s guilt by giving one of the older WIPs some long overdue love. My Rockefeller. Here’s what it looked like, last you saw…

I still really like this photo. It doesn’t bother me that it’s been hanging out on my Ravelry page, right at the top for over a year. LOL. I would really like to wear this though. The yarn is Jade Sapphire’s Sylph — a cashmere-linen blend! Yummy!

The only bits left to knit are a process knitter’s dream, row after row of striped garter stitch. There should not be a hangup here.

Finger’s crossed that Knitter’s Guilt keeps me motivated!

I’ve also started and nearly finished another cowl with the yarn that shall not be named.

Even though it’s not totally finished, the knitting is done so really, I’m down to 9 WIPs.

I’ll try not to cast on anything new. I’m still pretty enamored with my Speckled, Faded, Dotted Rays, so it shouldn’t be too hard!

Despite frequent use of #beerandknitting, the knitting is pretty outstanding!

I’m going to start fading color #3 tonight!! Guilt Free!

Come back tomorrow to see my Surpreyes Bag from Stephen! Not only has it already arrived but it’s awesome!!

WestKnits Stash Acquistion

On July 15, 2017July 15, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Shawl, WIP8 Comments

It’s a WestKnits kinda weekend around here. I kicked it off with some WestKnits Stash acquisition. Not acquiring stash for WestKnits patterns, no acquiring Mr. West’s actual stash.

I couldn’t resist when this popped up yesterday. It’s a project bag. (Just this week, I was noticing all my project bags are full. After a long dip, my WIP count is back to 10. Don’t worry, I love it.) It’s a book. (The one I don’t have. What are the odds of that?) and it’s at least 400 g of Stephen’s destashed yarn. I appreciate his tastes in color and fiber so I think I’ll like whatever I get.

Especially now that I’ve made my next Speckled, Faded, Dotted Rays decision!

We’ve grown from the Hedgehog Skinny Singles Boombox and now faded into the Western Sky Knits Magnolia Sock with No Name. (so glad there’s no desert here.)

So far I’m loving what’s going on!

The next fade is going to have a bit more zing. I can’t wait! Who knows, maybe this mystery yarn will show up from Stephen and it’ll be the perfect thing. It’s simply fate working it’s magic. (totally not my fault when it goes wrong either.)

Stay tuned for progress, I think this one is going to proceed quickly!

WestKnits Fade Along

On July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Shawl4 Comments

Stephen West’s latest knitalong is Fade themed. It’s not a mystery knitalong. It’s a pick any WestKnit design and fade it. Although, with so many choices, it is still a bit of a mystery what I’m going to do.

I pulled a bunch of skeins for consideration. There was a lot to consider.

Colors? Speckles? Solids?

Even if I could narrow it down to which skeins, deciding the order can still be scrutinized for days!

And of course, which pattern I wanted to knit changed just as often.

^This^ particular set really grabbed me. I think it’s going to be Exploration Station inspired. Pulling those skeins from the pile and setting them aside for that project helped narrow things down a bit! And it left 3 skeins of Hedgehog Fiber in the pile.

Obviously those beauties have WestKnits Fade Along written all over them. I finally settled on, at least, the skein I wanted to cast on with and a pattern.

I spent so much time making decisions I didn’t cast on until after bedtime last night but it’s a start! No one will be surprised to hear, I didn’t decide on anything else. Even after all that thought and attempts at planning, my best plan is to wing it!

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, eh?

Where ever this goes, I can tell already, it’s going to be awesome!

Can’t Win ‘Em All

On July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 By FogKnitsIn FO Friday, Shawl10 Comments

I’ve created a monster and for once, I’m NOT talking about the cat. No, I’m talking about that big, weird splat behind him. I was foolishly optimistic that blocking would improve my latest FO, the Vee Vee shawl.

It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever knit but it’s certainly not the best. It has some good parts.

But, it’s got some wonky parts too.

It’s also got some green splotchy parts. Thanks KnitPicks. <- sarcasm.

The yarn is KnitPicks Chroma Worsted and it bled. Green. Ugh. I’d care, if this thing wasn’t such a monstrosity already.

I’m kinda over it. Oh well. You learn just as much from failed experiments as you do successful ones. The lesson here: Good intention isn’t enough. Sometimes, planning things in advance actually helps.

And so, for my next trick, I’ll knit a sweater from a pattern! Hard to believe but so far, I’m mostly on pattern with this one.

Cat Sweater #1 is nearing completion! This one is for my sister, who’s a smaller size than I am. I couldn’t resist trying it on anyhow. I think it’s going to be perfect! I can’t wait to start mine. I think instead of making a larger size, I may just go up a couple needle sizes for myself. (because while I can follow a pattern, I can’t do it for long!)

FO>CO

On June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Bind Off, Casting On, Shawl, WIP9 Comments

When one door closes, another opens. The end of one chapter is just the beginning of the next chapter. And so it goes with knitting, as well. Binding off one project leads to casting on for the next.

I’ve finished the Vee Vee shawl, complete with my own modifications to the edge & bind off.

It’s hard to see the details since I haven’t blocked it yet. In addition to the stripes you see, I added a series of YO holes that increased in size. Then, I bound off with a crochet hook!

I thought maybe I wanted to continue with the loopiness and a crochet picot seemed easier than a knit version.

Turns out, it was! Far less fiddly than a knit picot. I enjoyed doing it. After a short while I decided, perhaps, just maybe I was going too far with all the loopy bits. Ultimately, I finished the rest of the bind off, in a plain chain bind off, still with the crochet hook.

There’s a section bound off with the grey yarn as well. That was my attempt to make my frankenstein bind off look planned. Until it’s blocked, it’s hard to tell. And, I was in no mood for end weaving.

Instead, I started something new! This is a Miss Bab’s 2-ply Yummy Polydactyl kit! Yay rainbow! I’ve had this in the stash for several years. Being Pride weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to finally but it out!

I’m pairing it with a skein of MadelineTosh Euro Sock in color Void. Turns out I actually have two skeins of fingering weight yarn in black?!? I guess I never counted this one because it’s got some variegation going on.

The pattern I picked is Melanie Berg’s Spice Market Shawl. I’m very excited! Rainbow yarn knits faster than non-rainbow yarn. Fact! Much progress has been made already!

I really do intend to finish my cat sweater soon but for the meantime, I’m stuck in rainbow-land! I’m loving this so far! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend just as much! :)

Change of Plans

On June 18, 2017June 18, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Shawl, WIP3 Comments

The latest shawl, Vee Vee, was nearing completion yesterday. With half a row plus the bind off to go, a loss seemed imminent. I wasn’t too worried though. I had a second ball of the white yarn I could borrow a few yards from.

Then it occurred to me that I could use the whole ball. It was just stash, not being saved for anything in particular. Annnnnd, I have wanted to do some more loopy Esjan inspired shawl borders. Problem solved and enhancements made! Yay! I love when a new plan seems like it should have been the original plan all along! As usual, I was congratulating myself,

Until…

I read the yarn label. The spare ball of yarn was worsted, not fingering like I was using. In the fingering weight department I had black.

Not stoked about that. The color is a bit too harsh, and thrown on the edge like that, it will scream afterthought. Maybe rip back that last white section and replace it with black and white stripes? That will provide at least a little consistency. Okay. New, new plan not as great but could work.

I surprise myself all the time. Like, why, seriously, do I have black fingering weight yarn in my stash?? What the heck was I thinking. Every time I try to use it, after a fit of profanity, it goes back into the stash. So, perhaps it was just waiting for today!

Except I compared the two yarns and they were definitely not the same? Bizarre. After a bit of sleuthing, (aka reading the knitpicks invoice in my email), I decided, I was, in fact, using worsted weight all along.

D’oh!

Suddenly it all made sense. I was very short on my yardage, which I’m used to because of my loose gauge. The knitting flew though, I worked through one ball in just a couple days. I made the usual adjustments to account for what I thought was a typical scenario.

No, turns out, I’d just forgotten what yarn I was actually using. Dumbass.

So, back to the original new plan! Two balls of white yarn! and in a surprise find, half a ball of grey yarn!

I can do the stripey bit! I can do the loopy bit! I can do extra stripey, loopy bits! The new modified original plan is even better than ever!

I even get to play yarn chicken all over again! I can hardly wait!

WIP Wednesday

On May 31, 2017May 31, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Shawl5 Comments

The casting on continues with a new shawl! The photographs aren’t doing it justice.

It’s a classic top down triangle in shape but through a series of short rows, the classic shaping is spiced up a bit! The sections are more wedge shaped than plain stripes so the design within the shawl triangle is comprised of asymmetric triangles. It becomes more pronounced as the knitting continues. I can’t wait to get to that part…I just love asymmetry!

The yarn is knitpicks Chroma Fingering. The slow fade of the colors is perfect to highlight the pattern, Vee Vee by Mariana Martins.

Hopefully, my excitement for this project continues. I’ve made it to the cat sweater’s face so it’s kind of hard to tear myself away from that! More pics to follow!