Sweaters

More Knitting Accountability and 1st Ground Cover Snow for Winter 2022-23

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Trying to stay on task for my knitting accountability. I am ready to start on the sleeves of the Tin Can Knits Flax baby sweater, then to weave in ends, wash the sweater and then gift it ;). I’ll get one more picture when it’s done before I gift it. The 2nd picture is another Dandelion Headband. I should have taken the picture on a dark background but it’s already been gifted, so sorry :P. I think I am going to make her a cowl with this design for next year. I need to keep working on the hats for warmth project.

The last picture is the first ground cover snow we had a week or week & 1/2 ago. It didn’t stay long our weather was cold for about 3 or 4 days and then back into the middle to upper 30’s and 40’s. 🙂 I know it’s coming, but every day winter is not fully here yet is one less day of winter before Spring and one day less you have to hear me ask “Is it Spring yet?”

Hope everyone had a good time with family and friends and enjoyed some Thanksgiving dinner. Even the alpaca at my son’s farm got to have carrots for Thanksgiving (one of their favorite snacks) amazing how friendly they are when they know you are bringing them carrots, lol.

Another FO and a WIP Plus Our First Snow Flurries of the Winter

/ LDSVenus / 6 Comments

The FO (finished object) will be the last of the striped Flax baby sweaters. I will still knit the Flax baby sweaters but I have decided to go with muted or mottled colors so I don’t have color management on the sleeve stripes to have to fool with. It will make them faster and less fussy to knit, less weaving in of ends and more enjoyable since I knit so many of them :P.

My WIP (work in progress) is another charity hat, a simple 2X2 with a fold up brim to give extra warmth to the ears. I know it’s a simple stitch and hat construction but I always try to use pretty yarn colors so the recipients will enjoy it in warmth and looks. I should have this done by next week and ready to send a package out to our local homeless shelter with a few hats in it. If any of you knit or crochet or sew and feel so inclined, this would be a great time of year to make some hats, mittens, or scarfs for your local homeless shelters. There is always a need.

I have another WIP that I need to get to, I will get a picture of it after I get started on it. I’m finishing it for a friend and I need to get my head around where she was at in the pattern and what the pattern is all about. I keep telling my self it’s a hat, it can’t be that hard, we will see :).

I knew that this would eventually happen, I mean it is November and Winter is almost upon us, but I was hoping for a few more weeks or months :P. No accumulation just flurries but it’s a reminder of what is coming soon. I know out west they have already been bombarded with that white stuff, ugh. Next week we will be back up into the 40’s but colder nights, most below freezing. I will enjoy those warmer days for as long as I can before our much colder sub zero winter weather gets here, brrrr. I did get my car tuned up, new battery, tires and brakes in prep for winter this year. I hate when all of those come due at the same time for winter because here, if any of that is due, it’s a must. Just a heads up too, my mechanic said tires may be harder to find in the next few months, so my advise is, if you need them, don’t put it off.

Wishing everyone a blessed day!

An FO and And a WIP

/ LDSVenus / 6 Comments

I have finished the comfort shawl I was working on for a friend at church. It’s a free pattern and I have linked it to the Raverly page. It’s a nice mindless knit so you can think about why you’re knitting it, or if it’s not for someone else, you can think about whatever you want :P. I used 4 skeins of Lion Brand Home Spun yarn. It looks like it has grey in it, but that is lavender, again not a great camera or maybe it’s just me :P.

I have started another Flax Baby Sweater by Tin Can Knits , I really like knitting this sweater, it is in sizes 0 to 6XL. The color way I’m using is Teal Stripe and as usually I have to do a little color management on the sleeves. For future baby sweaters, since I am knitting so many of these :P, I will be using Yarn Bee Warm and Cozy that is kinda solid colors, but not quite, they have a slightly shaded feel to them so no color management.

Fall is here, we are still in the 60’s and 70’s (F) which is fine :), but the leaves are starting to change because we are into the 40’s at night off and on now. Only nice thing about fall is my electric bill goes down, lol. Gotta take your blessings where you can, and I wouldn’t mind fall as much but it means winter is right around the corner and I am not a winter kinda girl. 30, 40 and 50F below zero temps are not my cup of tea, but I have to admit, hot chocolate helps, but then chocolate helps most things, lol.

Accountability for WIPs Now FOs, a New Spin and a National Alpaca Farm Day Visit

/ LDSVenus / 4 Comments

Ok, accountability time.

Knitting – FOs (finished objects) I finished the last Flax baby sweater I was working on, it’s in the Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek in Coral colorway, size 6 to 12 months. I follow directions on this pattern, but when I add the extra stitches called for when I pick the stitches for the sleeves I add up a couple of extra stitches on the body of the sweater on each side to close holes when picking up the stitches at the bottom of the sleeves and then knit 2 together in the next round when I get to the extra stitches to reduce the stitch count back to where it is suppose to be, works well :). I also finished the charity hat I was working on. Both are pictured above. I will be starting a new flax baby sweater (a mom is due in Nov would really like one :P) and a new charity hat. Will post pictures of the yarn when I get them started.

Spinning – I finished the cria (baby alpaca) spin. I over spun the ply a bit accidentally and a friend is going to post a youtube video about taking some of the extra ply spin out. She’s really cool, she is Fiber Love Diary on Youtube, she has a lot of nice spinning, dying and weaving videos. Anyway, it was over plied because I was spinning at my son’s National Alpaca Farm day and I was sitting in the shade and I couldn’t see the ply well and I over plyed, sigh. Picture of the yarn above, it was 18 wpi (wraps per inch for my non spinning friends), and 3 1/2 ozs and about 330 yds, a nice fingering weight. Was very soft spinning, but to be honest, plying is boring lol. I have already started a new WIP (work in progress), it is a CVM/Alpaca blend – (CVM = California Variegated Mutant, it is a Romney sheep, courser fleece (less soft), from NZ, bred with Rambouillet sheep, finer fleece (soft), and has to do with a mutation coloration that was re-bred and stayed in the line, look it up on line for more information. It is interesting). This is much less soft than Alpaca but I don’t think it will be too course for next to skin wear. I’m not sure how much alpaca was blended in, it seem to be mostly CVM. It also has lanolin (Alpaca does not have lanolin) that was not completely washed out that gives it a slightly tacky feel, but it’s not hard to spin. The picture shows the ball of roving (2 ozs, I have 2 of these for 4 ozs) as a lighter color, it is actually a little darker, tho not much darker, and shows up a little better as spun on the bobbin, it has a mottled look.

Last picture to talk about, on Sunday at their National Alpaca Farm day event (I only went Saturday to spin, so my son in law was kind enough to send me this picture he took :P) a friend of theirs teaches yoga and she had a class in the alpaca pasture. Fun was had by all, the alpaca were as curious as the people doing yoga. Dotty to her mother Summit, “what the heck are those humans doing?” :p.

Hope everyone is enjoying their fall weather, winter isn’t far behind.

Happy Labor Day and Some Knitting Accountablity

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day week end!

Taking a moment for some knitting accountability, otherwise some times I just wouldn’t get anything done, like the socks I have not been working on, sigh, but I am working on the last sleeve of this flax baby sweater and then just to weave in ends. Seems, for some reason, there is more color management than normal, not sure why, hoping I’m not playing yarn chicken with the lightest color before going back to the darkest color on the sleeve. Time will tell. I’ve also been putting in a bit of work on the current charity hat, time to give them to the shelter is coming up fast.

I have been spinning the cria roving as well. Two more small re-wrapped pieces of the roving to go (had to unwind and re-wind the larger 3.5 oz bump into smaller pieces to handle better), then on to plying :).

One FO and Getting Ready for the Heel on the Sock

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Tin Can Knits Flax baby sweater is done! I wish to color was better, blame my phone :(. It goes from dark brown to light brown to cream to white. It’s really a nice striping yarn, I give more info on the yarn here, you’ll need to scroll down a bit. I just did a reg bind off on the sweater bottom without following the knits and pearls, not sure I like that, so I did the bind off on the sleeves following the knits and the pearls, and I like that better.

My sock is almost ready for the heel, I have two more rows before I start it. The heel is always the fidgety part for me, maybe someday will be use to it :).

My back is slowly getting better, herniated disks that decide to bulge are a pain, literally. My son will be picking up the love birds they gave me because cleaning up after them (they are very messy birds, they love to chew up paper, which is fine but it gets under the cages so that I have to get on my hands and knees to clean up the larger paper strips before I can vacuum) and with my back it’s getting too hard. They were his and his husband’s before they gave them to me and I’m sure they will make a spot for them again. I will miss their unique calls and sounds, but not necessarily cleaning up after them :P. I will still have my cockatiel, who is much easier to clean up after and is much more quiet :P.

Hope everyone is having a nice week end and that all the fathers have a great Father’s Day!

Finishing Some and Casting on All the Things!

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Spring has finally brought back my knitting and spinning mojo!

First my finished spinning project that has been on my wheel for about 10 months? I finished the wool/alpaca singles I was spinning and plyed them. Well you can’t really call it finished because now it will become something haha, I will be knitting that into a hat for a family member who moved to AZ and complained this past winter it was cold HAHAHAHA, I’m laughing because I live in the Midwest which is where she grew up too, Cold My Foot! sigh. I dyed the yarn lavender, and it will become the Snowtracks Cap by Timothy Peters, free download. My yarn is not dk but a light sport weight so I will knit the medium size instead of the small that I usually do for her. Hopefully it will fit :P.

2nd, Knitting, I am working on the Ara Fingerless Mitts, free Ravelry download. One is done except the thumb and I’m at the start of the design on the 2nd one. Should have those done this week, yeah!! They are only 3 1/2 months late :P. I am using left over yarn from the wedding shawl I knit last fall I am using a ChaoGoo size 3 9″ needle and I always have to go down a needle size because I knit a little loosely, the combination continental knitting style seems to do that, but because that yarn is a light fingering I would use a size 2 needle next time if I make them again.

Next I started another hat to donate to the homeless shelter this next fall. I like knitting them, they are a mindless comforting knit when I need to unwind and think about things, or just not think at all, so not only am I doing good I’m also finding comfort in them. I’m using I love this yarn and my new Knitters Pride Ginger Special interchangeable needle set, size 5 needle with a 16″ cord. These needles are so nice to knit with, not as grabby as bamboo but not as slippery as metal. I love these sets!

Next I’m also working on a long term project that I have had on my needles for a couple of years, eventually it will get done and I will probably give it away and then start another, it is just for something to knit when I need some mindless knitting that has pretty colors to pick my spirits up, is just a long skinny diagonal scarf. We all need those mindless knits. I’m using a bamboo size 5 needle 12″ and Yarn Bee, Glowing, in purple multi from Hobby Lobby.

Finally I have started another baby sweater using Hobby Lobby, Yarn Bee, Soft and Sleek, in Neutral Stripe and a Knitters Pride Karbonz size 5 needle 16″ for the neck and ChaoGoo size 5 needle 9″ for the cuffs and KnitPiks Radiant (wooden) needle size 7 16″ for the body and ChaoGoo Bamboo size 7 needle 9″ for the sleeves. After I get past the yoke the body and sleeves are mindless knitting too. There must be a theme here!

I generally do not have so many things going at once I usually find it stressful to have so many things on the back burner, but I just want to knit all the things!!

I hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful Spring, it’s been warm and cooler, warm and cooler, rainy and sunny etc, but it’s not COLD!! The birds are out and singing, lawn mowers are humming, the grass is green and leaves and flowers are budding and the Spring smells are amazing! Gotta love it!!

Summer Solstice, New Progress Keepers and Lace Bookmarks

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Sorry Word Press has changed some things and I don’t know how to get around in it yet, sigh.

Ok it’s the Summer Solstice, which for me means our daylight hrs will start to get shorter.  I only pay attention to the solstices because they signal days getting shorter or longer.  I always look more forward to the Winter Solstice, because it means the daylight hrs are increasing and Spring is coming. 🙂  I guess I shouldn’t look at Summer Solstice as a negative and just enjoy the summer and fall without worrying about winter yet.  Can you tell I am not a winter person, and yet I live in the Mid West?

I have been working on the lace book marks and they are now all sent out to their intended recipients.  I knit them on size 1 (US size) needles using left over sock yarn, used about 4 to 5 grams including the tassle, depending on how thick your sock yarn is.  They are quick and easy.

This past week I got a surprise package in the mail.  I opened it up and it was from one of my favorite stitch marker/progress keeper makers, Adoreknit .  She knows I am an huge Mandalorian fan.  I was so excited when I opened it and found these two Mandalorian progress keepers!  Put a big smile on my face, baby Yoda is adorning one of my WIPs, is he not so cute!  Makers are the best people!

I got the new yarn I ordered for the wedding shawl that I need to have done before October.   The yarn I ordered before was too coarse for bare shoulders and I returned it.  I ordered both yarns from LoveCrafts and they were very good about taking the previous order back.   I’m using my Daisy Rectangular Shawl pattern.  I hope I have corrected the error (miscalculation) on two rows being too close.  I haven’t updated my pattern yet because I want to knit up my correction to make sure I didn’t make it worse :P.  If this corrects it, I will update the pattern.  I will post more on this shawl (yarn, needles etc) as I get further in the pattern as I have only finished the border on the bottom at the moment.

I’m on the last sleeve of the Flax baby sweater.  I will post a picture when it’s done :).

New Bobbins, New Baby Flax on the Needles, Lace Bookmark and New Needles!

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

Lots of pictures today!  Ok, the first picture is the one of the Rick Reeves bobbins I had made by a furniture maker (on the left) and the bobbin I sent him to copy (on the right) from a few months ago. The hole was a little off center, didn’t have the metal sheath in it to protect the wood when it was spinning and the hole was actually to small to fit on the flyer (the flyer is pictured underneath that one.) I did find another wood worker who has made these bobbins before and I had him make me two. He did and as you can see they fix perfectly and look exactly like the original one!! Makes me a happy camper :).

I have made 4 of these lace bookmarks in the last month or so but keep forgetting to get a picture before giving them to the friends I made them for.  But this time I remembered!!!  These are easy to knit and because they are small they don’t take very long to make, an hr or two depending on how fast you knit.  The pattern is Bookmark Tri which is a free pattern on Ravelry.  I used the lace pattern.  It is a fun pattern to knit and a quick gift that looks really nice :).

I did start a new Flax baby sweater, size 6 month to 1 year, in Hobby Lobby’s Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek yarn in the color Denim Stripe, eventually I will need a little boy sweater ;).  Using size 5 needles for neck and sleeve cuffs and size 7 for yoke, body and sleeves.  After you get the yoke done this is a mindless knit and since it’s a baby sweater it goes pretty fast.  I will get to give the pink and purple sweaters to the intended recipients (hopefully) on Tuesday! One was born last month and the other one is due soon.

I was hoping I would be knitting this on the new needles I ordered.  They were on sale on line at Webs (about $25 off) and I was so excited to order them since I had wanted this set for almost 2 years, but since they were on sale they ran out and had to wait for more stock to get in, so I had to wait 2 weeks.   When it came in my mail, I opened it up and realized that they hadn’t sent me the Knitter’s Pride Ginger Interchangeable Special Set, but instead the Knitter’s Pride Ginger Interchangeable Deluxe set.  They are both the same cost and beautiful needle sets, and I eventually wanted to get the Deluxe set but the Special set has shorter needles for the size 16″ and 20″ cable lengths they come with, which I wanted for the hats and baby sweaters I knit.  The Deluxe set is nice and has the same sizes in the needles but the needles are longer and have size 24″, 34″ and 40″ cable lengths.  I told them I would keep this set, since I wanted it eventually anyway and will just save for another 6 months and wait for another sale, as they are anything but cheap.  But they are beautiful wooden needles with a very nice case.

We have already had one 90F degree day a week or so ago, and it looks like tomorrow will be 90F again.  On Wednesday it looks like it will go back into 70’s for about 4 days then back up into the 80’s.  Summer is here!

Hope everyone is in a safe place.

General Conference! And Progress on the Flax Baby Sweater

/ LDSVenus / 4 Comments

Semi Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  will be this morning’s session (11 am to 1 pm central time) and this afternoon’s session (3 pm to 5 pm central time) and tomorrow morning and afternoon sessions will be at the same times as today’s.  I love these weekend semi annual conferences, they are so uplifting and bring much peace.  Tho I always look forward to this, we can especially use peace and comfort right now.

Baby Flax sweater 3b  I didn’t realize when I bought this yarn, it would be in stripes, maybe because I didn’t look at the color name, just thought the pink shades would be perfect for a little girl’s sweater.  I was stunned at the way this color has turned out.  The color name is Pink Stripe, well duh!  I love the color blocking on a baby sweater because of it’s smaller diameter!  I will probably have to do a bit of color management and weaving in ends on the sleeves, but it will be well worth it. :).  I bought two skeins because this is worsted weight and only has 186 yards per 4 ozs and I’m sure I will need 200 and something yards especially doing color management.  I’m knitting this in a 6 to 12 months size because her baby is due in May and I wanted the baby to be able to wear it this coming winter.  Hope it will be well loved.  Plus it will be nice knitting during the conference sessions!

Hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying knitting, or art or whatever you are doing to keep busy and be comforted.