Serenity

Jan. 6: My friend Kristin has a new baby girl named Kaylee. What better gift than a baby blanket with the name Serenity? I learned a new cast on - Emily Ocker’s Circular Cast On - but I’m not sure it was 100% successful because although it did turn out (on the second try), I wasn’t able to pull the hole closed like the instructions for the cast on said it could be. But the hole is fairly small and if it bothers me too much, I’ll just close it up when I weave in the end there.

Jan. 14: At first this blanket seemed to be knitting up rather quickly, but now I think that was because each round was still pretty small. I’ve just finished round 51 and it’s taking me about 20-25 minutes per round now. Eek! But I’m happy with how it’s turning out so far.

March 18: Back to work a little more on this one (I need to get an updated picture). I’m liking the pattern but hating the yarn, mostly because each skein has 1-3 knots in it. At only 80 yards per skein, that’s rather ridiculous, and it leaves me with a ton of ends to weave in.

April 17: I’ve worked on this a bit more the past couple of days. Another 10 or so rounds finihsed. It’s taking me about an hour and a half to do two rounds now, so I’m trying to work on it a little here and there. Slow and steady progress is better than none at all!

June 10: So I really haven’t worked on this at all since the last update. But I did knit 2 rounds today, which took over an hour. I do like how it looks, but I’m just not enjoying this project, which is why it’s hard to feel motivated to work on it.

June 14: Knit 4 rounds today.

June 19: Knit 4 rounds today.

June 20: I’m really determined to finish this project. Knit 4 more rounds today and 3/4 of a fifth.

June 21: Knit 5-1/4 rounds today.

June 23: Knit 6 rounds today. I’m fast approaching 500 stitches per round!

June 25: I can’t believe it. The knitting is done!! I used a size 10 needle to bind off and that seems to have worked. The edge is just the right tension. Now I just have to weave in a gazillion ends (and I’m not exaggerating that much) and block it.

June 26: Added pictures of blanket blocking.

Pattern: Serenity
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cotton Rich

Something Brown

March 28: I’ve been wanting to make one of these for quite a while so I’ve decided to jump right in and start working on it.

March 31: I’ve finished up the raglan increases, so I’m ready now to divide for the sleeves.

April 6: I’m down to the ribbing on the bottom of the cardigan with about 6 more inches to go on it. Then I’ll do the sleeves and then the ribbing around the edge. I tried it on and it’s fitting quite nicely so far.

May 3: Finally got back to this project. I have about 1-2 more inches to go on the bottom of the cardigan. Then I’ll be moving onto the sleeves.

May 13: I finished off the body. Sleeves and edging around the front remaining.

May 15: Finished first sleeve.

June 6: Finally picked this back up and finished the second sleeve. Now I just have the collar and button band, but that will have to wait as I had to order some new 60” cables for my Harmony interchangeables (since the other one broke), and I don’t think I can fit 184 stitches comfortably on the 40” ones.

June 13: The 60” cables arrived today, so I spent the evening working on the collar and button band. I think I’m ready to cast off, but I’m going to do that in the morning. I also need to get a button. But this project should be finished soon!

June 14: Finished but for the button. But I’m not sure it’s turned out. I tend to be a tight knitter and I cast off pretty tightly, too. So I used a larger needle (9) to cast off and tried to do it loosely. But it was still too tight and when I tried it on, I realized that the button band pulls the cardigan up on each side, making it really just not look good. It’s currently blocking and I tried to stretch it out as much as possible, so we’ll see if that helps.

June 23: Finally sewed on the button, so this is finished. You can see in the picture how the button band pulls up the sides of the cardigan. Alas, the blocking helped but not enough.

Pattern: Something Red
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton in Expresso

Gretel

May 31: I’ve been thinking about this project for a while so I decided to go ahead and start on it. It took me a little time to get through the cast on (new technique for me) but I think I got it and have now moved through row 18, so it’s well under way. I did go up a needle size from the suggested size (since I’m a tight knitter). I’ve tried on what I have so far and it fits my head rather nicely. Now it’s just a matter of whether or not it will actually be slouchy!

June 1: Got to work a bit more on it. I think it’s turning into a slouchy hat, which is good! I’m not sure yet if I will go though the slouchy version or if I’ll do the regular (which is the one in the middle). I’ve got 6 more rounds before I have to decide. By the way, the yarn is gorgeous!

June 3: I went with the slouchy version. I got to the decrease rounds, so I hope those go more quickly and I can finish up in the next day or two!

June 4: Oh no! The cable came lose while I was working and about two dozen stitches came loose. I didn’t panic (although I felt like it), but I immediately grabbed a DPN, a crochet hook, and some patience, and I got all the stitches back in their proper places. I’ve now fixed the cable but it did put me behind a little in my schedule to finish it since that took quite some time to fix.

June 4 (later): Good news and bad news. First the good: the hat is finished and it is absolutely beautiful. I love the combination of yarn and pattern. Now the bad news: the hat looks awful on me. I’ve never really been able to wear berets, but I was hoping this one would be different somehow (perhaps magically?). Alas, it is not. I shall have to find the right person for this hat so that it doesn’t just sit on my styrofoam manikin head forever.

Pattern: Gretel by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: JulieSpins Juno (60% merino, 40% silk) in