WIP it Wednesday

On August 8, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Shawl, WIP9 Comments

Happy WIP Wednesday! That’s so much better than thinking of it as Hump Day, especially when there’s new WIPs involved!

This week I’m all about new travel knitting. Easy stitches and simple patterns are the name of the game. And of course, a bit of stash busting. I just love a pile of half balls.

First up, a quick mitered square baby blanket. It’ll be done before I know it (largely because I don’t have enough yarn, I’m ignoring that though.)

I weighed the yarn I did have and divided it up into four equal portions, one for each mitered square. I’ve got almost 3 squares finished! Gotta love size 7 needles. These squares are practically knitting themselves.

It’s really just a palate cleanser while I pondered my next shawl, which started with a pile of oddballs. At first it’s just throwing yarn in a pile.

Over the course of a few days, it gradually figures out a color scheme.

And then the fine tuning begins. Colors are added and subtracted. More stash is pulled out from the depths. I start to wind up new skeins.

I really love where these colors ended up! I think I’ve found the perfect progression for a fade! It’s a bit of a dragon in my mind. A splash of green for the tail, then fading purple through the body, up into a grey head. I love it!!

Yes, this is going to be fun and it’s garter stitch! Wooo! The pattern is Match & Move from Martina Behm (of Hitchhiker fame). The ultimate result is a triangle, worked sideways. I’m excited to really get this one under way!

Pebble Beach Shawl Finished

On August 6, 2018 By FogKnitsIn FO Friday, Shawl7 Comments

After 48 hours of avoidance, I finally sat down for a game of yarn chicken. I was certain, I was on the losing end and I didn’t want to deal with a suitable alternative. Imagine my surprise when I got to the end with yarn to spare!

Wooo! Disaster averted!

I carried that enthusiasm into immediate blocking. It’s the only way. Just do it before the momentum is lost.

Picot bind off means all the pins come out to play. UGH! I was super happy with my new Knit Blockers though! They saved me a lot of time with the straight edge.

Blocking is always worth the effort though. The lacy bits opened up beautifully.

And so, despite the whining while it’s in progress, this is why we must block our knits. (I need to remind myself frequently!)

Now a few details.

The Pattern: Pebble Beach Shawl by Helen Stewart

Yarn: Kona Sport, hand dyed by my Mom. One 770 yard skein. Yay for only weaving 2 ends!!

Mods: I used sport instead of prescribed fingering weight. I knit the medium size but decided that I had enough yarn to knit a few extra rows in the body. I added maybe 8-10 additional rows. I didn’t really count, just winged it, as always. Despite the yarn chicken scare, I’m glad I went for the expansion.

The finished size does not disappoint, it’s quite large. Aggressive blocking helped too. The tips of this shawl stretch well beyond the edge of the fence panel…just how I like it!

It’s a generously sized, gorgeous, lightweight, drapey bit of fabric. It was fun to knit and I could take pictures of it all day. Sadly, I don’t see it becoming my new favorite thing. The color is wrong for me. I just can’t do it.

It did inspire a little weekend cross stitch though :) And a couple of cast ons, that are more in line with my own personal color palate! Stay tuned for WIP Wednesday to see those and another a couple more finishes later this week too!

Gang’s All Here

On June 28, 2018June 28, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Shawl, Sweater, WIP8 Comments

For a minute there, I was heading towards monogamous knitting. I’m not sure what came over me but I’m feeling much better now. I’ve got WIPs everywhere I look! Finally! and they’re all lovely. Nobody is misbehaving. It’s a small slice of happy place, in a world going mad.

My honeycomb baby blanket is nearing completion (so is the baby!! Wooo! Any day now…I think some baby leg warmers will hit the needles next. Chubby baby legs in cute stripes? Yes, Please!)

My sweater is nearing the sleeve divide! I joked when I cast this on, what can I do faster…knit a sweater or get a job. It’s that time, work needs to become a daily reality for me, soon. It’s not really a joke anymore…in the meantime, it’s sleeve divide Thursday here at FogKnits HQ! No one’s paying me for it, but I’ll certainly feel productive.

My Hitchhiker still has a long way to go…plenty of knitting in public left here! Between World Cup knitting and summer blockbuster movie knitting, I’ve got plenty of excuses to knit in public. This will definitely be ready for Halloween!

And my newest cast on is making delightful progress. It’s the Pebble Beach shawl, in a yarn my Mom dyed for me. I’ve cast it on and frogged this yarn a couple times. I think I’ve finally found the winning combination though! Third times the charm!

Yes, this is a big pile of happy place. Beautiful colors and textures. Yarn from Mom. A little knit along with a friend. Hours of calming work thinking about my hopes and dreams for my new Nephew. A new sweater means no trip to the mall, no spending money on fast fashion (which is, surely, giving money to the wrong people). The benefits of knitting are truly immeasurable. I appreciate it more everyday.

FO Friday – Batad

On June 15, 2018 By FogKnitsIn FO Friday, Shawl5 Comments

In a surprise twist, I’ve got an FO Friday this week. This is my new Batad. It’s unexpected because I thought I had more yarn. Turns out, I don’t. This is what happens when you let gorgeous yarn languish in the deep recesses of the stash. I completely forgot, I poached the other skein of Deep, the dark blue color, for a Doodler, way back in 2015. Fortunately, I still love that shawl lots so no knitter’s remorse here.

Of course, it also helps that the Batad was at a perfect stopping point. I was able to bind off with no ill effects whatsoever. I was only going to add one more wedge, so no harm done really.

This is one of my favorite patterns both to knit and to wear. It’s Stephen West, of course. I love it’s no fuss nature. It stays put with no fiddling and no shawl pins. I tend to wear it on one shoulder but it’s great as a sort of cape, worn to the back as well.

It doesn’t hurt that the yarn is MadTosh Pashmina…yay for merino-silk-cashmere blends! The white speckled color is Cosmic Wonder Dust, my favorite color name ever. I brought this yarn home for this specific project in 2015. I have no idea why I didn’t get to it sooner because I can tell already, it’s my new favorite.

I wore it out last night…complete with ends hanging. LOL. At least they were on the inside (unlike the Schitt’s Creek sweater!) I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who noticed. I was surprised how many people commented on it. I shouldn’t be though…I was at a drag show. Those queens know fashion when they see it!

And so, my Batad collection has grown. I still want another one though! I should probably weave the ends on this one before I wear it again.

“probably”

Me Made May

On May 28, 2018May 28, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Shawl, Sweater, WIP5 Comments

Now that the month is nearly over, let’s talk about ‘Me Made May’.

The idea is to encourage people to wear their handmade wardrobes proudly. Turns out, I’m good in that department. I live in a place that is sweater weather, year round. I haven’t bought, or really, even worn any jackets, hoodies, fleece or other miscellaneous outerwear in a decade. I like wearing sweaters. I wear my sweaters constantly. I love the sweaters I’ve made. I am definitely not deficient in wearing my handmade wardrobe proudly.

I did get me thinking about the usefulness of my knitting though. What would it look like if I were to sort all my knits into two piles, the pile I wear and the pile I don’t? I couldn’t bring myself to start a project of that magnitude but I did take stock of my sweater collection.

I’m happy to say, most of them fall into the useful category. Even novelty pieces like the Bill Murray sweater and the Cassette Tape vest, while gimmicks, do get worn out of the house. So, the moral of the story is…knit more sweaters.

Which brings me to my weekend dilemma.

The Askews Me? shawl. It’s a beauty but it’s not going to be a useful garment. It’s going to be huge and bulky. That’s the stuff that falls into the never worn pile. Even if I trim the size back, there’s no way around the bulk of it. I like looking at the pretty colors. I love the brioche squishiness it’s got going on. I don’t even mind knitting it. I’m just a bit hung up on this question of usefulness, at the moment.

I’m stuck on the idea of frogging it?!? Fortunately, I had a small moment of clarity. I realized I was talking crazy talk and I put it away. Getting it out of sight was a good first step.

Step two: distract myself with new USEFUL knitting.

Aaaahhhhhh! That’s so much better! This is yarn I’ve been sitting on for years. I’m not sure why I’ve put this project off for so long. It’s MadelineTosh Pashmina, in colors Deep and Cosmic Wonder Dust. The pattern is the WestKnits’ Batad. I love the two Batads I’ve already got. It’s a no brainer! This is destined for greatness.

I’m still kind of thinking about that frogging though?!?! I’m not sure. How do you decide when to frog?

WIP Wednesday

On May 23, 2018May 23, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Cowl, Shawl, WIP11 Comments

I’ve been on a cast on kick recently. My goal is to cast on some easy knitting, something I can work on in a dark movie theater. I’ve been failing miserable but at least that means I’ve got interesting knitting on the needles!

I showed you my baby blanket progress yesterday. It’s super fun to knit. I’m loving the progress. Here’s an alternate view…

The beauty of this project…it’s worked in the round. I’m essentially knitting a big tube. This is a view of the seam, aka the spot I plan to cut open. This is such a brilliant idea. I love it! Once I’ve cut it open, it will lay flat and these plain stockinette bits will be unraveled into fringe. And, as the icing on the cake, I’m not purling at all! To get those purl ridges, I’m simply turning the piece inside out and working those stitches as knits! Yay for all knits!

Sadly, this next project, has entire rows of purls. The HORROR!

It’s been tough but I’m managing. Mostly because the yarn is so incredible! This is the qiviut I was recently gifted. It’s going to be a simple feather and fan cowl. This yarn is absolutely wasted if it’s not next to skin. With June Gloom right around the corner, timing could not be more perfect!

I’m making progress on my Askews Me shawl as well. It’s slow going though. I’ll miss the June Gloom but with a bit of luck, it’ll be ready for Fogust. Here at FogKnits, we really love Fogust.

I’m just about to add my first stripe! Assuming I don’t get distracted by another cast on, which is highly likely. I’ve been looking at this neutral palate for weeks. I think it’s time for a Black Panther wrap!

FO Friday – Instant Classic

On May 18, 2018May 18, 2018 By FogKnitsIn FO Friday, Shawl5 Comments

The second in my pair of Dotted Rays is now finished! This is my sixth Dotted Rays so obviously, I like this pattern. My most worn project of 2017 was this Dotted Rays…

I knit many shawls a year, it’s pretty unusual for one to be my favorite for so long. That prompted me to start a new ‘favorite’. You can’t guarantee something will become a favorite but I stacked the deck as much as I could. I picked a pattern I love wearing and knitting equally and I picked all my favorite colors from the stash. It turns out, setting yourself up for success really works!

Judging by the number of pictures alone, this has to be a favorite. I just couldn’t stop.

I’m sure it helped that Golden Gate Park is dressed in gorgeous spring green this week!

And now, it’s time for the weekend! After being virtually monogamous with the Dotted Rays, I plan on fraternizing with ALL the knits the weekend! My old pal crochet might even get involved!

Happy Friday! Hope you’re looking forward to your weekend as well!