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!

24 Hours Later…

On July 4, 2017July 4, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, WIP, Yarn6 Comments

…It seems like it’s been much longer though! I’ve gotten a lot done. It started with cat sweater sleeves.

I’m STILL following the pattern! It’s on the verge of completion and it’s perfect!

Knitting ADD kicked in though. I wanted to do some relaxation knitting. I pulled out the Spice Market Shawl.

Frankly, this project isn’t going to get far. It would be gorgeous if I had the desire to finish it but I hate the stitch that makes that little flower dot thing. It’s m3f3 – make 3 from 3 – essentially you K3tog, yo, K3tog all into the same three stitches. It’s a pain. I’m not feeling it. It’s in the time out corner so I can think about it for a bit but I’m pretty sure my mind is made up.

By then it was about 5 o’clock and I was thinking about what I was going to bring to knit night. The mailman came and saved the day!

A box of yarn from my Mom arrived! While I’m certainly a yarn snob, I like to try new things. And here’s a whole bunch of stuff from Lion Brand, I’ve never tried. The lower right hand corner is their Ball in a Shawl. One Ball = One Shawl and they have several pattern choices on their website. I chose a simple garter stitch, boomerang shawl.

I did rewind the Lion ball…it was dreadful and destined to be a tangled mess otherwise. So far, this yarn is okay. I see why people with a small yarn budget would be drawn to it. It’s a cotton/acrylic blend with a metallic thread. Aran weight, 518 yards. I’m using a size 8 needle, so it’s going quickly.

I even took it for a little bus ride today. My favorite kind of knitting is the kind that be successfully executed on the bus.

The six skeins on the left are Landscape, another aran weight yarn. It’s soft, sure, but it’s also barely spun making it a tangly mess, despite being 100% acrylic. I kind of hate it already.

I’m thinking maybe some quick cowls in fun stitches…herringbone, brioche, linen stitch? If you hated Lion Brand Homespun, I don’t recommend this one at all! Consider yourself warned!

And the rainbow Mandala, I think that’s destined to become a crochet mandala circle vest. It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Summer of Love here in San Francisco. Every local institution is pushing it hard. A rainbow crochet vest seems completely appropriate!

But first, a cat sweater. Fingers crossed, the next time you hear from me it will be with news of a finished sweater!!

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!

Smooth Sailing

On June 5, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Sweater, WIP4 Comments

Professor Meow has hit the halfway point, according to plan. I’ve probably just jinxed myself saying that. So far, so good though.

I could complain about the intarsia, but really…

professor meow sweater intarsia knitting ends

It looks worse than it really is.

The front is blocking and I’ve cast on the back piece. I am going to veer off course though. I can’t leave well enough alone. It’s only going to be a moment. (fingers crossed)

The back, as written, is plain. I’m going to add a little intarsia paw print. I saw it on Ravelry and knew I had to steal the idea. It’s barely a change at all. It’s still just 16.5 monochromatic inches of stockinette stitch with no shaping. I feel good that I’m not going to invoke the law of unintended consequences with this one.

That leaves me with nothing to complain about except purling. I’m not even worked up about that. I’ve got the week off work! Funny how that changes things! I’m looking forward to a creative & crafty week!

WIP Wednesday Round Up

On May 24, 2017May 24, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Shawl, Sweater, WIP4 Comments

Last time we talked about the sweater currently on the needles, it was having some trouble. Happy to report I fixed the problem and was making good progress. WAS.

Sadly, I encountered a fatal flaw. The knitting is perfect. This problem is a dumbass mistake. I picked the wrong size to knit. My size fell between two pattern sizes. I decided to knit the larger one. Except, when it comes to bulky yarn, a too big sweater can be a very poor choice. I have enough bulk of my own. I don’t need my clothes to add bulk. And that’s what bulky sweaters do, especially if they’re a size too big.

Ooopps. To the frog pond we go.

Factor in the new box of yarn being delivered tomorrow, perfectly timed, just in advance of the three day weekend, containing yarn for the next sweater…this poor sweater had no chance.

I can’t wait! I’m planning not just one, but TWO new sweaters with this new box of yarn.

Cat Sweaters!

How am I supposed to resist that? Especially when my sister agreed to a day of twinning, if I made sweaters for both of us. I can’t wait! I’m okay with being a crazy cat lady. I’ll proudly declare it while knitting my cat sweater. It’s not like I created the stereotype. I promise to represent crazy knitting cat ladies everywhere properly!

Of course, I needed a new project in the interim. I’m always ready to cast on! This time, in a surprise twist, I cast on a new shawl. (<-not really a surprise)

The yarn is KnitPicks Chroma Fingering, so it goes without saying, the colors are much better than my late night cell pic represents. The pattern is Vee Vee by Mariana Martins. It’s a triangle shawl that uses short rows to created a series of Vs in asymmetric rows. With the Chroma, I think it’s going to look fabulous!

Rocky is just glad I’m distracted from cat sweaters at the moment! He’s trying to avoid the topic entirely!

Happy WIP Wednesday! Hope you’re equally as excited about your impending weekend!