A Friday Finish!

On July 27, 2018July 27, 2018 By FogKnitsIn FO Friday, Scarf, Uncategorized12 Comments

I finally finished knitting something! It’s a Hitchhiker.

I could tell you (again) how the Hitchhiker is the best scarf pattern ever. I could tell you I love the color. I could tell you about manually striping a solid and variegated yarn to break up the pooling even more.

I could tell you how happy I am to have frogged this yarn from a different project to reclaim it for one. I could sing the praises of neon green. I could tell you it’s perfect timing because Fogust is arriving in style, it’s super foggy this week.

I could tell you it took me 15 movies to knit this. I could even give you reviews of those movies.

Unfortunately, I’m short on time, heading to another movie. With no knitting?!? For my next trick, I will be crocheting in the dark! I’ll let you know how it goes!

5 Weeks

On July 23, 2018July 23, 2018 By FogKnitsIn cross stitch, WIP6 Comments

5 Weeks.

That’s how long it’s been since I’ve had finished knitting to share. There are just. so. many. summer. distractions.

Museums to see…

Knitting machines to pedal…

And whatever was going on here…

I really have been trying though. I’m dutifully carrying my Pebble Beach Scarf with me on all my adventures. It comes out of the bag a lot.

Man, those rows have gotten long though.

And then, of course, there’s the big news. My nephew has arrived! Everyone is happy and healthy. He’s adorable and perfect! It’ll be some time before I get to meet him but the baby knitting has ramped up again.

The blanket is getting very close.

I just need to come with a top & bottom border.

I’m working on turning some cat toys into baby rattles.

It’s a Purl Soho pattern, super fun! I can’t wait until the kid figures out how his hands work!

I couldn’t resist making him a cross stitch birth announcement.

And, oh yeah, a couple other cross stitches I’ve been working on. Despite all the crafty goings on, my poor knitting is definitely being neglected.

I think I’ll finish 3 or 4 projects this week though. Critical mass has been reached in so many places. Stick around, it’s bound to be exciting one of these days!

WIP Wednesday – All Cross Stitch Edition

On July 11, 2018July 11, 2018 By FogKnitsIn cross stitch, Uncategorized6 Comments

Happy Wednesday! It’s been a while. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer and staying cool. While much of the country has been having a heat wave, we’ve been enjoying really perfect weather here in San Francisco.

It’s pretty much always knitting weather here. There’s no summer break because it’s too hot to even think about wool. Despite that, I don’t have any progress to show. I am making progress though. It’s just that my WIPS have all grown to the point where progress is lost to the jumble of fabric crammed on the needles. Soon though, I’m sure to have a breakthrough and get something finished.

In the meantime, I’ve turned to cross stitch for my instant gratification fix. I love a project that only takes a couple hours. Song lyrics are perfect for that! From idea to execution to finishing in no time!

I’ve been watching the World Cup. Our regular knit night takes place in an English pub so when they opened for a 7 am game, I had to go. That was the inspiration for this piece…

and once I’ve got a taste of instant gratification, I want more. These two came in rapid succession, as well.

My lettuce looks more like a pea, but he’s happy about it so I can’t be mad at him. I’m contemplating an upgrade for him, though. In the meantime, I’ve got a jellyfish going on.

His shading is so perfect. I’ve finally found the ideal use for the variegated thread I’ve got. I love him so far! He’ll be joining his friends on the wall soon.

It’s getting crowded…definitely making it’s way to full quickly! I’ve still got a plenty of ideas left!

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.

WIP Wednesday

On June 20, 2018June 20, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Scarf, Sweater11 Comments

After months of threatening, my next sweater is, finally, on the needles! It doesn’t look like much yet but it’s gonna be perfect! I can say this with authority because it’s a nearly identical copy of my last sweater.

The pattern is Vivido by Carol Feller. It’ll be my fourth one. It’s a cardigan with raglan shaping and a shallow v-neck. Nothing fancy, just a sweater that is comfortable and looks good. It’s easy knitting and easy math when doing gauge conversions. I really couldn’t ask for more. Unless maybe someone wants to knit it for me? :)

As for the yarn, I’m keeping the same stripes (Noro Rainbow Roll) but changing the main color (unspun Icelandic Plutolopi) from brown to navy blue. I’m actually expecting it to be significantly different. You never know what’s going to happen with Noro stripes, after all. I can’t wait to see it develop…the ‘stripes make you knit faster’ phenomenon has definitely kicked in! I’m making good progress.

Of course, I am easily distracted and this also fell onto my needles yesterday…

It’s been 3 months since I knit a Hitchhiker. It’s definitely time for another one! This is my 15th Hitchhiker, one of nearly 30,000 on Ravelry. I assume you already know how awesome this pattern is but in case you don’t…it’s awesome. There are literally 29,670 Hitchhiker projects on Ravelry. Imagine the people who don’t maintain Rav Notebook pages?!? There could be 50,000 Hitchhikers in the world! It’s amazing! That’s just how perfect it is.

Here’s the pitch, just in case you need it…

It’s garter stitch, gotta love no purls! The pattern is committed to memory easily. It’s perfect for difficult yarn…that variegated skein you just couldn’t resist but turns into a horrible nightmare every time you attempt to knit with it. The Hitchhiker’s continually growing rows in combination with the garter stitch tame those hard to use yarns. From horrible pooling and clown barf to lovely scarf in no time at all. And, perhaps most important, it’s easy to wear and always looks great.

Be warned though: this is knitter’s crack. You will be hooked. Once is not enough. The addiction is real. ;)

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”

Qiviut FO

On June 11, 2018July 30, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Casting On, Cowl, FO Friday, Scarf2 Comments

I’ve finished my qiviut cowl! It’s amazing! It’s the softest thing I’ve ever knit. It’s warm. It’s fuzzy. AND, I don’t have to feed it or clean it’s poop up! Yes, I’d say qiviut is worth it’s price. I’m not rushing out to buy more, but if anyone wants to send me some, I’m happy to give you my address!

I used a simple 18 stitch feather and fan repeat. It’s about as close to lace as I get. Given the halo of qiviut, it was the perfect choice. The one thing worse than knitting lace is knitting lace only to have it obscured by the yarn. I’m happy to have avoided that pitfall. It might be the most perfect little accessory ever.

And, of course, let’s not forget, the best part of finishing…starting the next big thing! Despite constantly threatening you with a sweater, I’ve started another accessory. This is going to be a Wonder Woman Wrap.

I’ve foregone the classic colors in favor of something more wearable. I’m not into the ketchup & mustard color scheme and I had this gorgeous Sweet Georgia Merino Silk Fine languishing in the stash. It’s a 50/50 merino/silk blend and an absolute treat to work with.

I mean, it’s not qiviut, but it’ll do…