WIP Wednesday

A post on my two current projects is long overdue, but even though we still have lots of daylight hours, I can never seem to get the camera out while the light is still decent.

Both of these were supposed to be Ravelympics projects, but overcommitments, an allergy ridden family, and a monster infection in Monkeyboy's right ear sidelined these two projects.

First up are my sock blank swap socks. I love how they are have turned out, and in fact, I'm about to start the ribbing. They remind me of an Impressionist painting. I think I should have enough left over for a pair of socks for Sweetpea.

They aren't really flipped on the needles; I did that for the photo to show the front and back. I'm not following the Two at Once Toe Up socks pattern, I'm just knitting them with the different elements I've picked up from patterns here and there. I did do an Eye of Partridge heel on this pair, which I really like :)

Next is the Marihone cardigan for Sweetpea. I'm about 2/3 of the way through the body, and then I will knit the sleeves. I haven't decided yet what to do with the neckline. Since the pattern was for a pullover for a baby, one shoulder was not seamed but had a placket and buttons. The collar was turned and hemmed. I am making this into a cardigan, to be more suitable to our Oklahoma weather. I prefer collars on my cardigans, but that isn't really done on fair isles as far as I can tell. And if I did a cardigan how would I do it? Ribbed? Garter stitch? I may just turn it under and hem it - maybe with a picot edge?

Opinions are welcome and encouraged :)

WIP Wednesday

I started this post yesterday, and intended to take photos and post last night, but Sweetpea got sick - so two of the photos were taken in my parking garage this morning, and the last one was already on my camera :D (Oh, and Sweetpea has fully recovered.)

I have a ton of WIPs now! I narrowed it down to five projects to knit for the Ravelympics, which now seems laughable, one of them specifically. I also finished a few WIPs before the Olympics began, and will be posting about those in the coming days.

OK, now for the good stuff! The project that started it all, my Sock Blank Swap Socks from Melanie. I am on the Sock Blank Swappers team, and cast on for these Saturday night. Incidentally, there is talk on this group of a seasonal swap, so join the group if you think you might be interested. Rumor is the next swap may happen in late September / early October.

Next up is a baby cardigan for some friends who are expecting a boy in September. The shower is this Saturday, so I have to finish this really soon. I was initially going to make Rocketry, but dying my own yarn. I could only decide on the three colors - honestly, the baby registry influenced my color choices. My row and stitch gauge are off from the pattern so I'm recalculating as I go, and changing up some of the details as well. I've picked up stitches all the way around for the ribbing and button bands, so you are looking at the back. When the ribbing is complete, I'll go back and knit the sleeves.

The now-laughable project is Marihone - this has been in my queue long before Ravelry even existed. I think I've had the yarn maybe 2 years? Anyway, I also cast on for it Saturday night. I'm knitting it in sort of a 3T size, but the pattern sizing only goes up to 24 months. My cast on was 252 stitches on size 2.0mm needles - US 0. After a few rows of that the rest of the body is knit on size 2.5 mm / US 1/2. Oh, and I added 10 stitches for a steek because it will be a cardigan instead of a pullover.

Besides those, I also pledged to knit another February baby sweater for our new niece. She is nearly 3 months old (yikes! time is flying), and we will be hosting a baby shower at some point if we can ever get our schedule to match up with the new parents. This cardi will be one of her gifts from us. Really it will be more of a meet the baby party - the parents live out of town, and we offered to host a party for all of there friends who still live here.

Finally, I really thought I could possible finish all four of those projects before the Olympics were over, including the 262 stitch fair isle, so I threw in a final project of more socks from another sock blank I dyed.

On the Needles

I have new projects to report! I think I'm finally coming out of my knitting slump :) I have a couple if inches worked on a Jaywalker cuff, size small instead of large. I'm using stash yarn - Dancing from Knitpicks, and I think it has been discontinued. It is cotton, wool, and nylon, plus a bit of elastic, and I'm knitting it on size 1's. This is my to-go project, so it's not moving very fast right now.

I've also started a top down raglan cardi in Peace Fleece. No pattern, I'm making it up as I go along, using Barbara Walker's book. I had thought this would be a pretty quick one, given I'm knitting it on size 9s, but I keep ripping back a few rows once in a while to ensure proper fit. So far, I've used nearly 2 hanks of yarn, and have knit the body to the bottom of the arm holes, and have knit about halfway down one sleeve. The color is Sheplova Mushroom. The yarn is a little scratchy, but my washed swatch softened up very nicely. Plus there is some lanolin left in the yarn, so my hands are always super soft after a bit of knitting :)

I do want to get this one finished pretty quick though, because I really want to cast on for Marihone, a Dale of Norway toddler pattern. I can't start until the size 0s circs I ordered get here. I am making a few changes to this pattern though. I am making it a cardigan instead of a pullover, probably with a separating zipper. Also, the largest pattern size is 24 months, and Sweetpea will be 2 in August. I'm going to calculate what a 36 month size would be and knit that instead. She is a petite little thing, but for the amount of work that will go into this knit, I want her to be able to wear it for more than a few months. (ETA: the needles arrived today!)

On a final note, my life is slowly getting back to normal. I still have about 500 posts to read in my Bloglines, but I'm trying to clear a few off each day. My house is getting cleaner, and I'm even cleaning and organizing my sewing room / office. I mopped every floor that wasn't carpet or wood tonight! I will say I think I just finished my last tax season. More on that as it develops....