Sideways Cardigan is a FO

The Sideways Cardigan KAL is coming to an end on Wednesday

 and I managed to finish it before the deadline!

I couldn't have done this, if I waited until I arrived home on Tuesday evening!

It was knit using an acrylic boucle' in fingering weight yarn.   (1200 yards)

It felt like it took as long to seam together as it did to knit it!

(I might be exaggerating because it is more fun to knit than it is to seam!)

I used a crochet hook to make a chain stitch (slip stitch) 

to attach the double layered band to the front of the sweater. 

 Likewise, the hems of the cuff and sweater bottom were turned up

 so the purl side was used for contrast. 

 I also used the crochet hook to chain stitch these in place.  

The overall look is perfectly matched to what I designed at the start 

so I'd say it is another machine knit success!

  This is why it is important to join in on knitalongs 

so you are pushed to try things you would never attempt on your own!

(Thank you, Sue, of Knit It Now!)

Sunday Swing

I finished the KAL socks last night-

very appropriate to finish the on Sunday;

2 weeks from when I began them!

I have enough yarn to make something else with them;

a pair of shorty socks?    no.

another block on my sock blanket?  yes.

a newborn hat on the knitting machine?  yes.

What wonderful decisions to face!

Recycle or Upcycle?

 I wanted to join in on the sock KAL with Vera and Dee but I have no sock yarn in my stash!

Yes, lots of handspun which isn't practical for my warmer weather sock needs 

so I went to KnitPicks and picked out a yarn....

then I remembered the skein I liked looked familiar and sure enough, 

I  had knit a one skein shawl out of it a few years ago.

 But here's the thing, I never wear the shawl.

And I really like the yarn.

And I wear my socks almost every day of the year.

Yeah, it was obvious I was going to rip out the shawl and make socks instead!!!!

 I soaked it overnight.

I wound it on the yarn winder and hung it by the fire to dry.

I am now ready for the knit-a-long!

See me smile?!

I 💗 FALL KAL SHAWL

 The Silver Leaves Shawlette is off the needles and onto the blocking board!

I knew all along that there wouldn't be enough of the Autumn dyed hand spun wool so that is why this bottom up shawl is a good pattern for this project. 

  I knit up with the colored wool until I ran out 

and then switched to the commercial yarn.

 (Webs Stockbridge in Kiwi, 1 1/2 skeins)  

See the beautiful leaves all along the edge?  

Blocked, this shawl measures 70 "x 14"  Size 8 needles on DK yarn

Meet Autumn Leaves Crescent Shawl!

I am going to knit this shawl again with some major modifications-even more than I did on this first one.   

In the pattern photos, it is knit with some major rookie wrap and turns in the body of the shawl leaving large holes.   

I improved the method of short row stitches for this area of the pattern.  

The designer also decreased too many stitches in the lace section before transitioning to the body of the shawl-

 I left out most of the decreases on this shawl 

and on the next shawl, 

I will not decrease at all.  

I also want the leaf to point down and not up-

a little bit of pattern modification on some graph paper 

and I should be good to go! 

 More to come!

Another Pumpkin for the Patch!

I do like a quick project and this one flew off the needles! 

Just a little knitting after the stuffing and the I-cord stem finishes him off!

Another little pumpkin for the I 💗 FALL KAL!

Pumpking

 KnitPicks had a free pattern for this pumpkin dishcloth. 

 It was a bit fiddly at the bottom but stitch by stitch the pumpkin grew! 

 It doesn't lay flat right now but I have high hopes after it is washed and dried.

Even the back has the purl indents

 that makes this almost reversible on the off side.

It was a good I 💗 FALL KAL !

Better Than One

 A pair of pumpkins is better than one!

And I think I will be making several more before I am done!

These are done on #6 needles with worsted weight yarn.

 While the little guy throws 'big sticks' into the pond, 

I sit on the golf cart and knit and give verbal acclamation!

I was able to finish one sock of the Regia Pairfect yarn. 

 This is a men's size 10 1/2 with fingering on a #1 needle.

In the Pumpkin Patch-I 💗 FALL

Sometimes it's so good to see a day end.

Today was one of those days....

In a year from now, 

when I pull this knitted pumpkin out of a box

and set it back out on a window sill or shelf, 

will I remember that today was hard and long?

I hope not.

This pattern is available on Ravelry.

You can knit it in any weight yarn.

It's easy and nice to work on when you need something positive

 to show for the space you take up.

Dig out some orange yarn and get to knitting!

Autumn Leaves Shawl

I have a new project on the needles for the knit-a-long, 

I 💗 FALL.

 I am doing some major changes

but using the basic layout for the shawl.

We shall see! 

 I am alternating the handspun with some commercial yarn to stretch the yardage but I am having major doubts at this point!

I am going to rip this out 

and make this shawl from one tip to the other

 and not from the middle first and then to be worked out from each side of the central panel.

I have some major figuring to do before I will cast on again!

In the meantime, I also have this on the needles!

A new pair of therapeutic fingerless mitts.

From the decadent Silver Spun Cotton of Feel Good Yarn Company.

This time in their sport weight yarn.

A one skein pattern comes with the purchase of yarn. 

I have not checked for Errata but I am finding quite a few!

It's a good thing I have been knitting a long time

so I can 'see' a mistake before I make it in the knitting!

 This isn't a Fall color, 

but the cooler weather's bite to joints will be just what this mitt will  alleviate!

I 💗 Fall KAL

Foliage Feet are complete!

The camera won't show the color right but you get the idea.

This is a true rendition of the sock yarn colors!

I used the gusset and heel turn from the Cranberry Harvest Socks

even if I didn't use the stitch patterning.  

I will try the gusset and heel 

for future pairs of toe-up socks.

I really like the way these fit!

A Fall Mitten Pattern

I ran across this pattern for mittens and thought of the I 💗 Fall KAL!

I'm thinking of translating it into a fingerless mitt pattern instead!

Here is the link for this free pattern if anyone is interested in downloading it, too.

It is knit in sock weight yarn on #2 needles.

Fall Sock Scenery

 I was working along on the newest sock for the I 💗 FALL KAL 

when I realized, I wasn't enjoying it. 

 I wanted to whiz around and around with stockinette stitch 

and just watch the autumnal colors grow under my needles!

 I ripped back the lace and took the sock with me back to the doctor's (again) and managed to knit quite a few inches!

 "Oh, my!  How do you manage to keep your bp so low?" 

 Knit, darling, knit!

I might be knitting some beautiful *Fall socks but it still looks like summer outside;  this field on the way home was all cut for hay-they will still get one more cutting if the weather stays cooperative!

*The sock yarn will look familiar to Nancy of Wyoming Breezes because

I ordered some after seeing the yarn on her blog.

It is Berrocco Sock yarn;  

since I liked their DK, I wanted to give the sock weight yarn a try, too!

I 💗 FALL KAL

 Cascading Leaves socks are finished!  

What a great knit!

 Using the Berrocco Comfort DK yarn on #3 needles 

really made the socks fly off the needles!

These socks were knit toe-up over 52 stitches.

 This is the only tree that turns orange in the Fall.

I don't know what it is but it is pretty!

 Right behind that tree is this cluster of Candlestick Cassia.

It is planted around a tortoise burrow.

We have seen several after the hurricane

so we know they made it through alright, too!

 Some of our trees didn't make it though!

This is in the grove of my Live Oaks.

There is hours of work with the chainsaw ahead.

 Most of the beautiful trails my husband cleared for me on our property looks like this.  Hours of raking needed here!

This is just the debris we picked up in the front yard 

and around the house!

And the reason for the spotty blogging-I am trying to catch up from the storm!

When Bill comes home,

he will have plenty of work to do for the next month!

I also had the wonderful distraction of two additional grandkids!

My Fernandina Beach sweethearts came for an overnighter

to check out the storm damage and give me a hug!

Priceless!

Irma's Fall Socks

 I have a pair of socks done for the I 💛Fall KAL!

The yarn is hand spun and dyed Merino , 56 stitches on #3 needles.

 Nancy asked about my 'foot form';  I draw everyone's foot for a record 

to fit socks I knit for them! 

 This way I can make sure the width and length is spot on.

 When  make toe-up socks, I can see how long it takes to increase to the width of the foot, then I measure this distance from the heel

 and take away an additional 1/2" of the foot length 

to allow for negative ease in a sock.  

That's my foot formula!

 As for the storm-the plants are all moved back against the house

 so they will not be knocked about by the storm!

 Everything is put away at the pool patio...it looks sad.

But the house is still inviting!  

I hope everything stays in place after Irma visits!

I 💗 Fall

 I couldn't wait to cast on for the new KAL and did great from the starting line...

 but stumbled on the first turn!   I remember from a year ago when I tried to knit the pattern Nutkin, I just don't like it!  Then the sock had too many stitches and it didn't fit right so I ripped again.

 Then I dug through my extensive pattern collection and found a good fit!

Ah, yes, I have found a good fit and a pattern to make me smile;  an old one called Red Dwarf Sock.  A few minor tweaks to make it fit my stitch count and  we're off!

Endurance and Expectations

It was a grueling week of health tests in Jacksonville M-T-W this week.  The drive was hard, the testing was barbaric and the drive home exhausting.  (Thank you, Bill, for chauffeuring me, and keeping me emotionally supported through this hurdle!)

No, we did not learn anything new.  I am done talking about my health with 'HealthCareProfessionals'  just for the record.   

We did like being by the ocean each time but it was too cold to enjoy any up close and personal beach time. 

I did finish the hat for David.  What a good knit.

UNLIKE the Mystery KAL shawl....I ran out of yarn 4 critical rows before finish.

When I get done being mad at it, I will rip back the hundreds of stitches several rows to make my own grand finish because I can't just bind off now;  it would look horrid after all my hard work.

Oh, well. 

My little orchid that got attacked by some pest while it was outside for the summer still managed to produce three lovely blooms right on schedule!   I so enjoy them and it was just the kind of beauty I needed right now! 

This is another great therapy-Georgia Peaches!

(Bruce flies in later on Sunday!)