#i do have more lace yarn that i bought to finish off a different lace shawl where i lost yarn chicken 😁

[cecilyacat]

"Do you have any high intensity hobbies?" well you see i play a mean game of yarn chicken sometimes 😬

[kaiyonohime]

Here’s the plan: next lace is going to be the Queen Susan.  I’ve got enough Shetland cobweb weight yarn, it doesn’t need beads, and I have the needles.  That’s decided and done with.

Now, here’s the thing.  I’ve been wanting to start up my YouTube channel again.  So I was thinking, as it was a lace knitting YouTube channel anyway, to just do the entirety of the Queen Susan on it.  From cast on to cast off.  Probably a few years worth of content there if I keep to the same schedule of roughly one hour videos twice weekly.

But if I do that I’ll need to have spare lace to knit in my spare time that doesn’t need to be videod.  Which, on the plus side, would give me some relaxing lace to knit and I could still have fun with my beaded lace.  

I think that, if I really do this, I’m going to have to just bite the bullet and get a better camera to do this, because the one I have been using I bought nearly ten years ago for about $10.  In my defense, a lot of webcams don’t play well with Linux, so my attempt to upgrade ended in disaster.  The cheap new webcam I tried to used didn’t play well with Linux and ended up with shit lighting no matter what I did.  What I should do is try the setup on my Windows computer, with the benefit of a different room and probably easier to setup to knit.  The downside is that I am lazy.  So I may end up just shelling out the cash for a new Logitech, which I know plays well with Linux, and call it a day.

Either way I won’t be starting anytime in the next week because I have to finish the Rose of the North shawl first because that’s the yarn for the Queen Susan, so I can play around with the desktop downstairs and see if it likes the newer webcam I have and plays nice with it.  And if the lighting and setup is better down there.

I’ll make myself a marvel of the knitting world, a full video documentation of the knitting of the Queen Susan shawl.  In a thousand parts, or however many it takes.  I’ll just have to remember to record a ton before summer hits because the AC is too loud to use while filming, and it’s impossible to do anything without AC in the worst of summer.  

And hey, if I have any luck I’ll catch more earthquakes on camera too!

[angelofdirewolves]

Weekly Crafting Check-in 8/22

So, once again I forgot to post last week. Sorry about that. I at least have the excuse of finals being distracting, last week, but my summer semester is over at last, and so I’m checking in with progress on my most recent knitting project. 

It is the shawl that I was talking about in the last post, and most of my issues with combining the patterns together was mitigated by finding a different peacock pattern for the opening section, one that increased 4 stitches every other row, instead of the one that did six increases every row. As of this morning, I finished the peacock section of the shawl. 

Five pattern repeats of a lovely feather pattern, in peacock colored yarn that I handspun myself from fiber I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival several years ago now. I forget fiber content (except there is some silk and some alpaca in the mix), and I forget where I bought it from, but I do remember that it was 2 ounces of fiber and that the color way was “Black Iris”. It looks very peacocky to me. I spun it into a very fine laceweight, and it was my first go at spinning a very fine yarn, so it’s a bit slubby, but also very very fine 2 ply, something like 20 wpi. It’s a little too fine for this pattern, but it worked out nicely.

Close up with my hand so that you can see some of the pattern. It’s lace, it’ll block out better than it looks still on the needles. 

The next phase of this shawl involves more handspun.

My pattern notes on how I’m fusing everything together on the left, the two colors of handspun yarn next on the right. The blue is Cheviot, hand-dyed with food coloring by me, and then handspun into a single ply destined to be knit into a circle lace border between this peacock section and the swan feather edging. The grey, white, and black yarn is merino, from a mixed merino grab bag from Paradise Fibers. It was spun a year or so later than the Cheviot and the peacock yarn, so it’s a bit thicker which will fit with the edging and the fact that I want the edging to have some heft to it. I detail the how of how I spun this yarn here.

The peacock section was the only part where the length was uncertain, since I wanted to use most of the yarn, which I have done. The circle pattern is 9 rows (including wrong side rows), with 4 rows of garter edging, two on each side. The swan feather pattern is 28 rows with two rows of garter edging a the beginning, and then the cast off. I’m going to devote most of today to trying to finish the circle lace, trying to get eleven rows knitted up. 

This shawl does have a (self-imposed) deadline of being blocked by September 5th, so I have 9 days in which to knit 43 rows, cast off, and block this. One of those days I’ll be traveling so it’s really 8 days, counting today. This works out to about 6 rows a day, but I am going to try and double that today so that things go easier the rest of the week. 

I will, really and truly, have an update next week. I won’t forget again, and I hope to show you an almost finished shawl then the way I showed you a half finished shawl today. See you all next week!

[sonipanda]

Onto the 2nd pair that was bought from Amsterdam! To be honest I have been holding them back a little due to the awkward UK weather, and even though today was a little rainy, I decided to just go for it and get them reviewed!

In this review I will be showing the difference between natural light and the camera with the flash on 🙂

The Spec

Colour: Nude (with blue top)

Size: S/M

Denier: 20

Materials: Main:85% polyamide, 15% elastane, Trim: 80% polyamide, 20% elastane

Price: £9.00

Website: Hunkemöller – Hold-ups 20 Denier Coloured Lace Top

  My Outfit

I was smart casual for work today wearing my skater polka dot dress (I have a massive thing for polka dots) with my fake converses (I pull these out when it’s wet weather, so I don’t ruin my genuine ones).

I kept my hair at the side in a plait (which I haven’t done for so long) and added small studs to finish the look.

My Deets

Dress: Unknown

Tights: Hunkemöller

Trainers: Primark

  The Review

From The Website: These hold-ups are finished with lovely coloured tops. The silicone strips insides the tops make sure these hold-ups do not slip down – no suspenders are needed.

• “Returns: for reasons of hygiene, only unopened and sealed returns are accepted” • 20 denier • 1 pair • Comfortable • Hosiery • With lace top border

80% Polyamide / 20% Elastane

  The Packaging: so once again we are looking at the model at the front wearing the hosiery at the front (with just lingerie and a blazer on) and then it goes into a little detail at the bacl:

“Our Hunkemöller hosiery is designed with high quality long lasting yarns and a perfect fit. Giving you fabulous & sexy legs. Look at hunkemoller.com for more.”

When you get inside, you will find these wrapped around card) and shaped to the feet and legs, which is great as it makes it easier to roll them right on!

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  Getting Them On: right those gloves are on (the silky kind) to get these badboys rolled up the legs. I scrunched them right down to the toes, so all I had to do was cover them and roll right back up (being mindful of the anklets of course)!

As I was rolling them up, I would take extra care as these feel quite thin and delicate compared to most 20 deniers I have tried in the past, so it will be interesting to find out what the quality is like after a day’s wear!

  On The Legs: right they have been on for the whole day, so let’s see how I got on with them!

The fit of them are great! They aren’t baggy or show any signs of gapping at all, which I was worried about being a S/M pair.

The feel is actually really nice and soft once they are on; I would say to the point that your legs kinda glide off one another a little. I didn’t realise that these were glossy, so during the day in natural light they make your legs look so pasty (these are more for those who don’t really have colouring to their legs) but when the flash hits, they actually glisten really nicely. So I would say this is more of a summer pair than a dull day!

The quality is actually really good this time around. My last pair were quite bad and I wasn’t impressed, but with these they have been great. No sign of snags or ladders on the legs; just a nice clean look!

I mentioned the colour previously above; this is something that I didn’t like about these holdups. They only had this colour in the store when I bought it, and I thought that it wouldn’t be too bad on the legs … was I wrong?! Every time I look down, it doesn’t even look like my legs to be honest. They are a lot lighter than I expected them to be.

  The Toes & Ankle: the toes have plenty of wiggle room to them and the fit is really great; no excess materials, no bulging bits on the end.

I don’t think these are reinforced, and as they are 20 denier, you will need to think about long/sharp nails in these just to preserve the longevity of them.

Around the ankles, these sit flush against the skin, which means you won’t find any signs of wrinkling!

  The Lace Band: is so nice. I actually got these holdups just for the band to be honest as I have never seen a colour like that before! It’s so vibrant and perfect for summer wear!

During the day, these have held up so well; I have taken them off many times to test out the silicone bands and they still have enough sticky-ness to them which is great. I was a little worried this morning as when I first got them on, they seemed to be slightly baggy at the back and I thought they won’t stick properly so I took a backup pair of tights with me just in case I had to change into them. But they were fine after I sat down on them to push them firmly against my thighs.

It’s around 2 inches in depth (I didn’t exactly measure this – I just guessed) and has a double silicone band at the top. I got these to sit a little higher than the model is wearing them due to being at work and not wanting to expose too much (although they did want to sit slightly lower)!

Now the floral lace is stunning; it’s a basic floral print (nothing too glam about it) but I love the way the blue makes it something so much more than black would do!

One thing I didn’t understand was why the seams (to join the lace together) are white and not the same colour?

Okay so I encountered a problem which I didn’t even spot before until I was taking an under-shot: THESE HAVE BLADDY DONE SOMETHING TO MY THIGH! I don’t know exactly what happened or how, but this horrible raised mark appeared!

  My Thoughts?

Overall I think these are great in quality, the band is so adorable and that shimmer on them is to die for. The only downside I found is the colour of the hosiery and how it actually works against my skin.

If they had it in more of a tan colour, I would defo have gone for that. And if they didn’t leave like friction marks (or whatever they are) on the back of my thighs, that would be great too!

Otherwise, I would recommend this pair for sure!

Hunkemöller Coloured Lace Top Hold-Ups Onto the 2nd pair that was bought from Amsterdam! To be honest I have been holding them back a little due to the awkward UK weather, and even though today was a little rainy, I decided to just go for it and get them reviewed!

[purlgrrrl-blog1]

@octothorpeisareason tagged me in a questions thing related to knitting/crocheting! It’s a super long post (But there’s links to patterns I like in there if that’s any incentive to scroll through!) so it’s going under a read more. :)

General

1.     How did you first learn your craft? My mom taught me. I was a terrible student.

2.     How old were you when you first learned to craft? Twelve. Like I said, such a jerk to my mom.

3.     What was the first project you completed? A scarf that had so many dropped stitches that it came apart eventually! lol

4.     What would you like to make next? I have googly eyes for The Lilli Pill shawl by Ambah O’Brien. Once I’m done with my commissions, I can purchase the yarn for it. ;) Pattern is here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lilli-pilli

5.     Do you use stitch markers? All the time. I like to put my work down and stretch frequently so having stitch markers helps me remember where I am.

6.     Do you watch or listen to anything while you craft? I love to watch crime procedurals! Currently watching Rizzoli & Isles. :)

7.     What aspect of your craft is the most challenging to you? Trying to stay engaged during longer projects. I want to make my blanket soon but I’m worried I’ll make half of it and then stop caring. haha.

8.     Which of your past projects are you the most proud of? My very first shawl. I was going through a horrific breakup and making it really really got me through it. Pattern is here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baja-sunrise-shawl

9.     How long have you been crafting? I learned 13 years ago, but I only got serious about my knitting in college. So let’s say 7 years.

10. Where do you usually buy your yarn? My local yarn shops. Or if I find indie dyers that I love on etsy, I will order. But I like being able to touch the yarn before I buy.

11. Are you a yarn snob? YES. I AM SO TERRIBLE. I do, however, have a few clients with wool sensitivities so I use acrylics/acrylic blends for them.

12. What was the last yarn you purchased? Hedgehog Fibers “Fool’s Gold” in DK weight. I didn’t purchase it for any reason. I just thought it was gorgeous and decided to find a use for it later. haha.

13. What is the last crafting related purchase you made? I just ordered a book on knitting socks two at a time! https://www.amazon.com/2-at-Time-Socks-Revealed-Knitting/dp/1580176917/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492118611&sr=8-1&keywords=2+at+a+time+socks

14. How often do you keep a project you’ve made? I try not to if I can help it! Most everything I make is for sale.

15. What is your workspace like? Currently, it’s my dining room table. My desk in the office I share with my fiance is cluttered and terrible. I need to organize it something fierce. My whole half of the room is a MESS.

16.  Where do you do most of your crafting? Again, dining room table with my laptop playing some silly crime show.

17. How would you describe your crafting style? I kind of fly by the seat of my pants. If I make a mistake, I try to turn it into a design choice (if it’s not a structural problem). My grandma always says that you shouldn’t make anything perfect because “it will make God angry.” Not sure if I believe in God, but that’s a whole nother thing. I appreciate the notion though.

18. What aspect of your craft would you most like to improve? Lace work and chart reading!!!

19. What tool or accessory would you like to acquire next? I want some really pretty stitch markers. Like maybe with lil gems or extra pretty beads or something.

20. How big is your yarn stash? Ridiculously huge. I need to take inventory.

21. How often do you knit/crochet? Every day.

22. Do you always have a project in mind when you buy yarn? Almost never. oops. But when I do, I feel very triumphant!

23. Do you find any crafting tools to be overrated? I don’t think so. But I do think brand comparison shopping is really important for needles. Some cheaper ones are just as good as the expensive ones. You just have to figure out what’s important to you when it comes to your materials.

24. When you want to learn a new stitch, how do you go about it? Find a pattern that uses the new stitch then youtube the stitch.

25. Do you have a devoted yarn bag? I have probably 4 or 5 now. But the one I’m currently using for my commissions is my fave.

26. Does anyone else in your family crochet/knit? My mom and my sister.

27. How do you store your yarn stash? One huge wicker basket, one laundry basket, and one garbage bag of yarn I bought before I knew what fibers I liked working with (mostly acrylics in there).

WIPs:

28. What are your current WIPs? Two big fluffy cowls for a client. One Clementine Cowl by Spincycle Fibers for funsies: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/clementine-11

29. Do you have any projects currently in time out? They’ve been in time out so long that I don’t actually know what they are. When I come across ones like that, I tend to rip them and start over with something new.

30. Which WIP have you been working on the longest? The Clementine Cowl. Mostly because I’ve been working on client stuff.

31. Where do you store your WIPs? In my favorite yarn bag.

32. What was the last project you had to frog? Why? It was a hat that I froggged because I got bored of it.

33. What is the most frustrating experience you’ve had with a project? It wasn’t even my project, but helping my mom start her “Find Your Fade” shawl was a nightmare. I’ve passed her in skill level and so she now thinks I know everything and can fix any mistake she makes. Also going to the yarn store with her has become a huge pet peeve. I can’t go look at anything because she just keeps going “FEEFO LOOK AT THIS!” and if I’m not close to her, she will yell my childhood nickname across the store until I come over to her.

Have you ever…?

34. Sold your work? One of my jobs!

35. Finished a full sized blanket? Never.

36. Had an interesting interaction with a stranger for crafting in public? Not really.

37. Had a household member complain about the size of your yarn stash? My dad! But he tries really hard to understands and buy my stuff for his girlfriend.

38. Been to a crocheting/knitting club or circle? I used to host one!

39. Written a pattern to share with others? In the works.

40. Purchased yarn only to decide you hated it? I think “hate” might be a strong word. But definitely bought something I loved in store and then became lukewarm about later.

41. Bought craft supplies in bulk? nope.

42. Participated in a crochet/knit along? Not yet!

43. Completed a year-long project? (Mood blanket, temperature blanket, etc) I don’t know if anything can hold my attention for a whole year. That’s crazy!

This or that?

44. Knitting, crocheting, or both? Knitting.

45. Patterns or improvise? Patterns until I feel comfortable enough with a concept to improvise.

46. Stick to one project or keep multiple going at once? Multiple. Mostly due to different lighting situations. My two client cowls are really dark so I work those during the day and then my lighter projects at night.

47. Wind new yarn or leave it as is? Leave as is right now. My ball winder broke! And hand winding is not my favorite.

48. Buy supplies online or in person? In person.

49. Make gauge swatches or hope for the best? Hope for the best unless fit is really important (re: sweaters)

Favorites:

50. Hook/needle size? I’ve been working a lot of things on 9s and 13s lately. I don’t really have a preference but I tend to do larger gauge fluffier projects in fall/winter and then small gauge light lacy projects in spring/summer.

51. Yarn you’ve worked with? That’s a tough question!! Really into everything Malabrigo right now. I love the squish and also the price point. It blocks nicely. Drapes well. I do love indie dyer Republic of Wool very much though! And Hedgehog Fibers. But like I said, price is important to me right now and I can’t price my stuff high enough to justify $26 per skein. So those are for personal projects only.

52. Stitch? Good ol’ knit stitch will always be my fave. I like playing with cabling and color before I fux with crazy stitches.

53. Yarn weight to work with? Have lots of love for DK currently.

54. Craft-related gift you’ve received? Gift cards!!

55. Type of project to crochet/knit? Shawls probably.

56. Crafting accessory? I have an enamel pin of a wool moth that says “Fuck off” from Spincycle Yarns. It’s on my small project bag. Find it here: https://spincycleyarns.com/collections/bling-miscellany/products/f-ck-off-wool-moth

57. Online supply store? Etsy! Support independent makers!!!

58. In-Person supply store? Portland has so many amazing yarn shops. Twisted, Close Knit, & Knitting Bee are my go-tos. The first two by my mom’s house and then Knitting Bee is the best one closest to my house. I interviewed to work at Starlight Knitting Society but they picked someone else and broke my heart so I’m temporarily avoiding them even though they have a lot of good stuff.

59. Yarn brand? See above.

60. Place for patterns? Ravelry

61. Hook/needle brand? HiyaHiya

Social media:

62. Do you have any social media accounts just for your craft? https://www.facebook.com/purlgrrrl/ , This tumblr, and working on Insta after FB gets fully launched.

63. Do you post WIPs on social media or just the finished products? I do lots of WIPs on my personal insta. I love seeing other people’s WIPs. They inspire me most.

64. If someone asked you to recommend other crafting blogs, which would you recommend? ahhhhh this could be a whole nother post by itself!! Not tagging those people here, but will do another post after this with my faves.

Post a photo of…?

65. Your yarn stash - It’s all covered up right now. Not super fun.

66. One of your WIPs

The Clementine Cowl and Marceline the puppy. :)

67. A finished project

(This piece is for sale)

68. Your craft space - I’m too lazy. don’t judge me.

69. Your collection of hooks/needles - Still too lazy.

70. Your first project (or earliest you have a photo of) - I don’t have any early photos on this computer!

71. Yourself!

Me, the puppers, and the fiance!

[trnchd]

Made | My Journey Into Socks Part 2

In the last post I wrote, I was barely scratching the surface into sock knitting. I had learned so much in knitting two pairs of socks.

Most patterns are written either cuff-down or toe-up, the bulk of them in the former. This may be great for most, but I get an uneasy feeling knowing I may not have enough yarn to complete the toe. I always pick patterns that ‘require’ more yarn than what I have available so I rather have a shorter leg than having toe-less socks. Designers write patterns using a specific yarn and use that yarn’s yardage as the amount needed to complete the pattern whether it’s a sweater, scarf, socks, wtc. Usually people don’t need that much yarn, but it’s better to overestimate than under and have some leftover for darning and mending. Regardless, I always end up converting socks from cuff-down to toe-up.

Thraw by Clare Devine became my third pair of socks, made from Mrs. Crosby Train Case in a gorgeous raspberry tonal color Hollywood Cerise. I enjoyed working with this yarn, but I feel it doesn’t live up to the hype (it’s also the same base as Lorna’s Laces Solemate). It’s made with 30% Outlast, a rayon that’s supposed to regulate tempature but I didn’t feel any difference. In fact, these were the first pair of socks that made itself a hole :gasp:. I can’t blame the yarn, my feet weren’t in the greatest condition when I discovered the hole, but it’s the only pair I’ve seen a hole so it makes me suspicious.

The pattern itself is gorgeous and the yarn perfectly complements it. I absolutely love the cable and leg lace details on one side and mirrored to match. Converting the pattern to toe-up wasn’t so easy though. Because the cables and lace were charted for a specific length and were located in the middle of my magic loop, I had to do a lot of shifting, recalculating and reversing the charts. In the end, these turned out beautifully, definitely the best looking pair of socks to date. Ravelry notes.

After Thraw, I started to discover I didn’t like the basic trapezoidal shape for my toes. It didn’t look right and it wasn’t fitting my toes correctly, I have a longer 2nd toe on both feet, my mother calls it my ‘alien’ toe, ha ha. I did a little research and came across a method for a more rounded toe and it’s now been the only toe I’ve made since. At the same time, I decided I needed to experiment with other heels. There’s nothing wrong with the heel flap varieties, I personally don’t like the look of them and they were going to ruin the appearance of my next socks.

I can’t remember where I discovered this yarn by Turtlepurl, probably on Instagram when I used to check it everyday, 2-3 times a day... Anyways, I saw Striped Turtle Toes in Trenchcoat that looked like the traditional Burberry checks, except in stripes. I immediately fell in love and needed to get my hands on this. Trouble was they were always sold out, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled with having to pay $30 for yarn shipped from Canada. I eventually threw in the towel and ordered the yarn when I saw my opportunity and didn’t turn back.

You may have noticed up to this point, I’ve only knitted more difficult patterns that a novice wouldn’t dare touching until more experienced. That’s not my MO; I’ve always tackled more interesting patterns/projects first, then work my way backwards, learning as I go. When I first started sewing, I was told by countless people that I should start with pillowcases and stitching across lined paper to learn how to sew in a straight line. Nope, I started with a jersey knit dress and melton wool coat. The dress wasn’t a complete disaster, the grains were in different directions, I used a woven fabric for the waistband and all my seams were disgusting. But it was a completed, mostly wearable dress except it made me look pregnant (it was one of those bad designs), so I only wore it around the house. The coat I finally threw away knowing it was never going to be completed. It has so many problems and looked far to regal for my taste. It was one of those ‘what was I thinking’ moments in royal purple and a shawl type collar, just no.

Anyways, because I didn’t want to distract away from the self-striping, I decided this was going to be my first vanilla sock with an afterthought heel. I think the reason why I stay away from the basic patterns is they’re boring. It’s a nice change to knit TV projects, those that don’t require a lot of attention and can be done while watching a TV show or movie, but my brain gets bored of them. Because I wanted the striping to end right before I knit the heel, these socks are a little too long in the foot. There wasn’t a way to prevent this other than reknit the whole sock, but I can live with my small mistake. Like I’ve said, this is a learning process. Regardless, they turned out exactly as I wanted them to and they’ve worn wonderfully so far without issues. The color is starting to fade a bit after machine washing them a few times, but that’s to be expected with hand dyed yarns.

After finishing those, I took a break from socks and knitted sweaters for a change. At the time I had three skeins of sock yarn left and I didn’t have a plan for them. A skein of a cashmere blend, by far the softest sock yarn I’ve touched so far (until I bought more, see below). My only skein of 100% superwash merino, a rare oddity because I’ve always made it a priority to have some nylon for strength and durability. And a skein of white, grey and black marl, my unicorn.

For the longest time I’ve wanted black and white marl socks. I don’t know why, a small rustic side of me had dreamed of them, searching high and low for the right yarn and always coming up empty. Then one day I randomly spotted the yarn I’d longingly desired after it’d been discontinued and I thought I’d never obtain. I fell so hard in love that I went back after the yarn was discounted even more and bought everything this store had because I wanted a classic baseball raglan sweater knitted with the same marl with black sleeves. Here’s the kicker, it’s Cascade Heritage Quatro in Pepper (no link, it's been discontinued). Wait, WHAT??? How could I go back to this yarn after it ruined my first sock experience? The Quatro line was spun in Peru before Cascade moved most of their operations to China, which means this yarn lives up to the previous hype that made me want to knit it in the first place. I could tell the difference between the two, the Peru one was spun tighter, making it a tad less soft, but less likely to pill, and it’s held up after going through the washer once.

I didn’t want anything flashy, but I didn’t want a completely vanilla pair, so I added a touch of Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label in charcoal for a slight hand dyed effect. In hindsight, I should’ve gone with a darker or solid black, but Tanis was another highly recommended dyer that I wanted to try (I wasn’t super impressed). One thing I did differently was knit these on smaller needles for a tighter fit. All the socks I knitted thus far were a little too big, especially after wearing them for a day. I made the mistake of knitting these a tad too short in the foot, oh well, I’m still learning. Ravelry notes.

Soooo... I have a small confession. I’ve become obsessed with sock yarn. I’ve become that person I thought I’d never become. They’ve become my drug. Lately I haven’t been able to help myself. I’ve seen too many extremely great deals on Ravelry from both stores and people trying to destash. How can I pass up some of these beautiful colors for a lot less than I would pay retail, most of them 50% off including shipping? Just take my money. I don’t want to know how many skeins I’ve added to my stash, the above picture is a small amount, but I know I have enough to wear a different pair everyday or more. Imagine a 70 qt. storage box neatly organized, almost full of just sock yarn. I’ll admit I have a problem, but I buy these knowing either I’ll knit, weave or sell them, knowing I can’t buy socks in a store. It’s not entirely about the colors or patterns, it’s about knowing my and/or someone else’s feet will be warm and comfy. Yep, some of it's already planned as Christmas presents for others (I shudder at that time of year thought in April).

Since I’ve acquired all this yarn, I’ve made myself a goal, knit at least one pair for myself per month. This includes the summer months because they don’t make my hands and lap extremely hot as a bigger garment would. So far I’ve held to my word. Because socks are a smaller project taking less time than a sweater, I feel more accomplished faster, therefore the rewarding factor is more satisfying. I don’t know if I’ll feature all of my socks on the blog, but I’ll definitely share the more special ones. The rest will go on the social media accounts so be sure to follow for the continuing journey into sock knitting.

[thesleepstudies]

Knitted Blanket – Our Top Picks Among Chunky & Cable Knit Blankets (Crochet) – Top 2 Out of 144

This guide has been in the works for longer than we expected. When we first received requests to look into the market of knit blankets and separate the wheat from the chaff, we thought that our in-house expertise was going to do the trick.

Boy, were we wrong...the subject of choosing a good knitted blanket (both crochet and chunky knit) turned out to be much more complicated and too twice the projected time. Our initial estimate of 6 months and 2-2,500 work hours ended up being almost a full year of research, testing and gathering data for our statistical analysis. Most importantly, we brought on 3 knitting experts to help us tweak our rating methods to the specifics of the product.

What you'll see

Bottom line - the results you'll see below were chosen out of over 202 products we looked in. The initial choices were made in consultations between our editor, Bob, and 3 experts in the field. That narrowed down the search from 202 to 28 [products that we proceeded to test and gather data on over a period of 8 months. Without much ado, let us get to the results.

Last updated: January 2018

Top-rated - Paulin Cable Knit Crochet Blanket (handmade)

The whole structure of this guide changed when we broadened the search from imported machine-made products to include crochet handmade blankets. We looked into 14 handmade blankets, and one brand stands out in pretty much all quality aspects. The one quality aspect that turned out to be more important than we initially anticipated was the shape retention. It turned out to be more of a problem than we expected, especially with cable knit blankets.

The blanket that outperformed all the tested products comes from a small exclusive brand - Paulin. There were a few models of similar quality to the Paulin, but what gave Paulin an "edge" is the category of value for money. Nostalgia about owning a hand-crafted piece aside, handmade blankets did outperform the machine-made products.

The downside is usually the price. It's understandable if you have in mind the fact that it takes 4-5 days to craft a piece like this...so, that part gave us pause about the pricing of the Paulin, since it was significantly cheaper than similar products.

To eliminate the guesswork, we contacted the seller directly. We got a response from a kind senior woman explaining that they can afford to sell it at these prices because the woman knitting the Paulin products is located in Eastern Europe. Yes, you read that right, there is only one person knitting Paulin on the Globe. In our interview with Paulina Ristinski we asked her about this and the response we got is that it that won't change because it's her knitting that makes Paulin different and she feels that hiring more people might compromise the quality. She also shared that she did try it and wasn't happy with the results.

Why is Paulin not as expensive as similar products?

With both the cost of living and material (yarn) being significantly lower in the part of the world.

The downside of Paulin products is the scarcity. Since it's a one-person operaton and all the products are handmade, they are not always available. Getting a Paulin knitted blanket sometimes means waiting for the exciting orders to be fulfilled. You can check the availability on Etsy - if you visit their page (orange button below) and the order button is active, it means that they women knitting Paulin are available to start working on your order right away.

Ratings of the Paulin Cable Knit Handmade Blankets:

Materials / yarn - 92 / 100 Craftmanship / design - 92 / 100 Comfort - 96 / 100 Shape retention - 94 / 100 Value for $ - 91 / 100

Choosing a good knitted blanket - step 1: the right yarn

The results above are done-for-you testing and research...ho help you minimize the guesswork when choosing. In the rest of the guide, we give way to one of our knitting experts - Katya Juris to explain the ins and outs of choosing a knitted blanket. It should shed some light on how we choose the top picks and give you some reference info on what to look for if you're knitting it yourself - from yarn to patterns.

The yarn

If you make a mistake when choosing the yarn, there's no pattern of crafty hands that can knit a good throw. The information out there can be confusing...most knitting enthusiasts know it. That's rings even more true if we're talking about knitted cable and chunky blankets. Even if you have some experience in the "arena" but this is your first time choosing a knit blanket (or making one yourself) it's the most common mistake people make. It's only natural to reach for the softest yarn with a color you like.\But, choosing yarn for a throw is a sensitive matter and goes beyond the basics. To put it simply, even if you do know your yarn and have knitted or bought knit products like caps, scarfs or stoles, choosing right when it comes to a chunky cable knit throw blanket is a whole different story.

So let us dive right in. Let us look into the yarn types available, their characteristics and why they may (or may not be) right for a knitted blanket.

All-natural yarn - animal and plant fiber

Most widely available - wool

When you hear "wool" in the context of knitting, 9/10 people will assume you're talking about sheep wool. The popularity of wool is well-earned, it's a gift from nature...moisture-wicking, breathable and yet good at temperature isolation. It's also naturally resistant to microbes and fire-retardant.\

All of the above made it a very popular choice for yarn, but doesn't necessarily apply to knitted blankets...especially if you are using it as a throw and it will be touching your skin directly in those lazy afternoons as you fall asleep on your sofa

Many people will find it a bit rough and "scratchy" if used on its own for a piece of bedding.

Types of wool most commonly used for yarn

Merino

Although the first associations are Australia and New Zealand, if you follow the traces of merino through the ages, you'll find its origins in Spain.

The reason why most of us associate it with the lands "down under" is the fact that Australia produces close to a quarter of all merino wool made in the world - closing in on 500,000 tons.

Alpaca

Alpaca wool is softer against the skin and better suited for knitting blankets and throws that might be touching your skin directly (especially for those with sensitive skin or allergic to lanolin). If you see the word "cria" on a knit blanket or yarn you're considering, it means that that the wool comes from the first shearing of an alpaca.

Leicester wool (Blue-faced)

Because it makes for a smoother finish (velvet-like) and is gentler to the skin, this dense British wool would make for a more comfortable knit blanket or throw.

Peruvian

The wool from the Peruvian highlands is known to be "tough" and hold shape well. The toughness comes at a price - the feel against the skin. The rugged Peruvian will rarely be used for blankets or throws.

Yak

Not many people fully appreciate Yak wool because, to get the most out of it, one would have to know how to combine it with other fiber. Used on its own, its likely to be too delicate to knit a blanket that would last without losing shape. Combined with, for example, some types of acrylic, yarn that include some percentage of yak can result is soft and lightweight but warm blankets.

If you get this part right, you'll be surprised by the durability of yak wool fiber.

Mohair

Expensive and not as widely known, Mohair is a luxury fuzzy yarn. It's made from Agora goats fleece. One of its main advantages is how well is takes to color and dye and how color-fast it is. This allows for more vivid colors to with low risk of the yarn "bleeding."

Bottom line - for knitted blankets and throws, even the softer wool would feel too rugged and scratchy against the skin. That's why it's combined with materials like acrylic or licra to take that "prickly" edge off.

Cable knit blanket - choosing the yarn

I wouldn't dare say that the 80:20 rule applies. It's probably more accurate to say that the choice of yarn and pattern are 65-70% and the craftsmanship and know-how are 30-35 % of ending up with a solid blanket.

Once you've chosen the yarn that meets the main criteria - you being comfortable with how it feels against the skin, the next task it choosing a pattern that's suitable for a hand, cable knit blanket or throw. Here, we have some good and some "bad" news.

The good news is that we can share a few patterns that meet the criteria (paragraph below).

The "bad" news (if one can call it that) is that most of the suitable patterns won't be easy and probably too difficult for a beginner. The ones that meet all the criteria would require at least intermediate skill like (Zigging or Garter), while the best knitting patterns for a blanket (either cable or chunky) will call for advanced knitting skills (like laced cable knit, squares).

Bottom line - appearance aside, a well-chosen pattern will ensure that the final product retains shape or pill. If you are a beginner, it's smart to start with something simple like a garter cable knit blanket or a handmade crochet throw.

To be blunt for a second, if you're not experimenting and learning and actually need the blanket for a gift for someone who appreciates handmade stuff, we would recommend doing the research. It's fairly easy to find a good, say, handmade afghan blanket for sale - made by people who have been doing it for all their lives and have perfected their skills. If the person you are getting it for is a young girl, you might even go out on the limb with a knitted mermaid tail blanket (cotton crochet works wonderfully for a project this intricate).

Now that we have the basics down, let's get a bit more specific and look at some yarn-knit (or crochet) blanket combos.

Cable knit blanket

Good handmade cable knit blankets are scarce because they require serious skill to make, the process is slow (takes about 4-5 days of full-time work). That's why getting one of these locally (in the USA) is costly. That's why the recommendations we have here are from arts & crafts websites like Etsy that connect skilled people from smaller countries (the best ones come from Eastern Europe) and people from the US who can appreciate the work.

What is a cable knit blanket?

People tend to confuse a few terms used in the "industry" (like knitting, crochet and cabling). It's understandable because the differences are subtle and they overlap. For example, cabling is just another word for cable knitting. The main difference is that the later term is broader. To put it simply - cable knit blanket is one made using cable needles of different thicknesses.

It's the most versatile type of knitting, and people skilled with a cable needle can make mind-boggling patterns. Our top pick is a cable knit throw blanket is Paulina.

Sweater knit blanket

If the pattern and yarn used match those commonly used for sweaters you might see products described as "sweater knit blankets." Don't be confused by this; it's just a way to describe cable knit blankets made of specific yarn type using specific patterns (sweater-like).

Knit throw blanket

The two terms (knit throw and blanket) are a common source of confusion because their purposes overlap. So, let us take a moment here to clarify the difference because the terms are not interchangeable.

To put it simply, a throw's primary purpose is decorative. They are smaller and can be used as an added layer of comfort for bedroom or daily naps on your sofa.

You might find it defined as a blanket sub-type in terms of size (52 x 60 inches) but knit throw blankets do come as standalone products up to 10 smaller than the size we mentioned and up to 20 or 30 larger.

Knitted mermaid tail

A knitted mermaid tail blanket is simply a specific design that has become increasingly popular over the last decade. They are typically made of the same yarn-knit combos, and it all comes down to the pattern (mermaid-tail shaped).

Crochet temperature blanket knit

This one is specific with the main (and sometimes the only) difference being the choice of colors - that's what the "temperature" stands for. The terms are a source of confusion because people tend to interpreter the wording and jump to the conclusion that a "temperature blanket knit" is somehow warmer. It's not; it is all about the color that corresponds to the "color of the day."

The idea is to knit (crochet) one row of the crochet blanket per day, depending on the temperature outside. They make for great heirloom pieces and, I dare say, a temperature handmade crochet blanket with a personalized writing pattern is as good and well thought-out as a knitted gift can get.

To get an idea about a pattern, you can use the guidelines shown in the temperature blanket chart below.

You might see similar products described as "rainbow crochet blanket."

How long does it take to knit a crochet blanket?

It can take anywhere from a day to a full year to knit a blanket, all depending on the type of yarn, pattern and size. A chunky hand knit blanket can even be finished within an hour or two, while intricate patterns and styles (like temperature heirloom throws) take a year to make.

A few popular patterns

Some of the patterns used are evergreen (like a virus pattern) while some are part of more or less fleeting trends (like owl, pizza, hexagon, rainbow, elephant and Tunisian blankets and throws.

Size of knit lap blankets, duvets (comforters), quits (coverlets) and throws

Another "gray" area is the sizing. Things got confusing as some manufacturers started using the terminology in different ways to describe their products. To clarify the size issue, let us take a moment here and look at the standards for the knitted bedding:

[table id=56 /]

Chunky knit blanket - yarn, material combos & patterns

Chunky knit blankets have grown in popularity with the increasing number of people embracing the minimal designs because they work so well in adding "texture & dynamics" to a calm space without making it "flat". They stand out more than a regular cable-knit throws (crochet) for minimal spaces. In the guide below we look at them from all angles possible, from yarn and materials to the knitting process and possible patterns.

The popularity of the luscious look led to an avalanche of information about it available online; I have to be blunt and say that some of them are misleading...you'll find tutorials on how a "beginner" can knit it in no time, which is not exactly accurate.

While researching for this guide, we've established 3 things:

Handmade chunky knit blankets are indeed superior in terms of knot and overall shape retention.

The needle crochet blankets were superior to the arm-knit products. The space between the knots with the arm knit products seems to be too "loose" for long term shape retention, washing and maintenance.

The differences between brands of hand knit chunky blankets were too significant to make any general claims...it called for extensive testing of each product in a few quality categories to precisely separate the wheat from the chaff. And there's a lot of chaff out there.

We reported on our findings above, so in the rest of this guide we'll look into a few quality aspects to look for should you decide to shop on your own, whether it's offline or online and look for a regular or super chunky knit blanket on Etsy or similar websites.

Choosing the yarn for a chunky wool blanket

Chunky Merino wool

The most popular choice for both chunky knit blankets is the soft super chunky merino wool.

It's the go-to yarn and the first choice of the knitting experts we contacted for the project of putting this guide together. It was their first recommendation for both cable-knit and braid patterns.

Skinny wool

If you are looking to make or buy a more closely knit chunky blanket, you might go for a "skinnier" version of Merino wool threads.

It's the preferred choice for clothing and footwear knitting projects (like sweaters or knitted slippers).

The project will be lengthier compared to that of merino wool chunky blanket. The result will be a closer knit. The choice between the two comes down to your taste, what works better for your space.

Finally, think about the intended use - will you be using it as decorative gray throw blanket or cuddling underneath it for weekend binge-watching of Friend re-runs.

Vegan options - synthetic yarn

For some people, natural wool might not be an option. Whether it goes against your beliefs and a vegan lifestyle or you're simply allergic to sheep wool and natural yarn, you still have options.

There are yarn options out there that "mimic" the look and feel of wool almost perfectly (like Chenille).

Chenille knit

I absolutely love chenille as an alternative to animal product-based yarn.

The durability and easy of maintenance is nothing short of amazing. I rarely use words like "amazing," but I'm making an exception for chenille.

It's also lighter and packs smaller than Merino so it makes for a better travel companion for the outdoors.

Yarn weight and ply

Yarn weight that you might see on the ball speaks towards the thickness, not the weight of the ball itself. It's related to ply (how many strands are used to make the yarn).

If you see yarn described as "chunky", it will usually mean that it's 16 or 20-ply.

The weight and the ply combined will determine the gauge of the pattern. That goes for pretty much every project - from finer cable-knit / hand crochet blankets to giant chunky (made using jumbo yarn, over 20-ply).

How we rated the products

Our regular readers will remember that we announced starting the work on this guide well over a year before it actually published. It did take more than most of our guides because we have no knitting experts on the team. This meant that even crafting the resting and reviewing process took the know-how of outside consultants. We did extensive reviews on similar sleep-related product like electric blankets (you can see our guide on best heated electric blankets here) but those turned out to be simpler.

It took 2 months only to tweak and adjust our rating methods to knitted blankets. Once we had that part in place, the next step was budgeting for the project. That's where our consultants contributed by making the initial choices  to be tested and reviewed. There was no way to test the hundreds of blankets available, so we narrowed down the search to about a dozen products in each category (cable-knit, crochet and chunky) and proceeded to test the blankets.

Apart from the 4 knitting experts, our featured testers include people from all walks of life. The larger the sample (number of people testing the blankets) the more accurate the results.

We sent out 37 blankets in total and asked our testers to make notes on the use - everything from comfort to maintenance.

Materials/yarn rating

Rating the material and yarn used for the blankets was tricky and the ratings are not absolute. If it were, it would be comparing apples to oranges and taking a stand on what's the best material. Instead, this rating speaks about the quality of the yarn within its category (wool compared to wool and synthetics yarn compared to its counterparts). Simply put, this rating speaks about the yarn in terms of how accurately it was described by the seller...things like:

how uniform the thickness of the thread

the tightness of the ply

yardage for the money

Comfort rating

This is subjective category, so it was crucial to make the sample as big as possible. That's why we had each tester use the product and sent it back to us after 6 months of use. We assessed the changes, dry-cleaned the blankets and sent them back out to our second group of testers.

If it sounds like a bit of improvisation it's because it was, we simply couldn't afford to increase the testing samples in any other way. The double-testing allowed us to test more products and make the testing more versatile and include intangible quality aspects like comfort.

Craftsmanship / design rating

This was one of the simpler categories to rate - 60 % of the rating is attributed to the scores a throw received in-house, 20 % are the ratings of our testers and 20 % is attributed to the data we pooled from user satisfaction.

It was only natural to attribute more "weight" to the opinions of the people who are experts in the field and a bit less to subjective owner opinions.

Shape retention rating

This category is a median between the shape retention after 6 months and 1 year of use. Before sending the products out for the second round of testing, we rated each product in the categories of overall shape retention (like pilling, curling of the sides & size changes with washing) and gauge retention.

Value for money

This is probably the most intricate category we rated the throws & blankets in because it involved the most variables (from yardage used per inch square to craftsmanship). It's another score we couldn't have reached without outside help.

3-month updates

We don't know of any similar guide on the quality of the knitted blankets available out there. We're not saying that our rating methodology is flawless because it includes subjective ratings like "Comfort" that will be different depending on what you consider as comfortable (how lightweight, soft or warm a blanket is).

We did our best to make it more accurate by increasing the size of the testing sample and we've committed to re-rate the products on quarterly basis by including new data to keep the information relevant. If we see a significant change in the user ratings (+/- 10 %) of specific products, we might decide to re-test that product only.

As per the advice of our expert panel, we'll do a full re-testing update once every 18 months. You can see the last time this guide was updated with fresh info both at the top and the bottom of the guide.

Finally, if you have any question, feel free to ask us in the comment section. We typically respond to all inquiries within 24 hours. If we don't know the answer, we'll find out.

Stay smart in your choices,

The Sleep Studies team

Last updated: January 2018

Knitted Blanket – Our Top Picks Among Chunky & Cable Knit Blankets (Crochet) – Top 2 Out of 144 is available on TheSleepStudies

[banaandbean-blog]

Its hard to believe I’ve almost been knitting for a year.  I started out 2016  by taking a knitting class in January with my oldest daughter and I started my first actual project on February 20th, 2016.  I’ve definitely learned a lot since starting my first project.  I can now actually read my stitches which is a huge help!!.  I can now figure out where I was without having to count rows or stitches.  Yay!!  Those two things were so tedious when I first started and I’m so very glad I don’t have to do that every time I pick up my project like I did in the beginning. I also can cast on without having to watch a YouTube Video to jog my memory and I can do several different types of stitches although I still sometimes have to check out the YouTube on some of those.  Thank goodness for YouTube!!  I can also read patterns and have learned quite a bit of the lingo,  my stash is growing along with my needle inventory, and I no longer feel uncertain about trying something new.

So here is my thought.  Since everyone is doing their last year in review I was thinking maybe I would do a little different take on it.  Instead of just talking about what I accomplished, I’m going to list out the projects I took on, what I learned from the project, and whether or not I finished it and my thoughts on the pattern.  I hope this will not only be informative for anyone who is just starting out, but will also give some insight to those of you looking for different patterns to try.

Project #1:

Lovely Ruffly Shawl by Rebekah Liddicoat Cast on to February 20th, 2016

Savannah’s shawl

I made this for my youngest daughter to wear in Hawaii.  See I had this amazing idea that I was going to knit my youngest daughter and myself a shawl and my oldest would knit herself a shawl and then we would all wear them when my hubby and I renewed our vows in Hawaii in June.  Being my first project this took me until May to finish only leaving me 6 weeks to actually finish my shawl.  I came close to finishing, but my oldest dropped a stitch and didn’t realize it until her shawl was unraveling, so she basically had to start over and I decided I would not finish mine so she didn’t feel left out.  The good news is my youngest wore her’s in Hawaii and absolutely loves it!!

I used US size 7 needles for this with a 32 inch cable.  In my knitting class we were taught on straight wood needles so this was my first time using a cable.  The needles were wood and I can not for the life of me remember the brand.  They were ok to knit with.  After trying lots of different needles I’ve decided I much prefer medal needles as the stitches slide easier.  My main struggle with this project was moving my stitches on the needles as I am a really tight knitter.

Skills I learned: Cast on, Stretchy Bind Off, KF&B, Blocking

  I finished the project May 5, 2016.  For the most part I really enjoyed knitting this shawl and I love how it turned out with the ruffly edge.  The only part I didn’t like about the project was the rows that were KF&B the entire row (especially that last two rows after having what felt like a million stitches already on the needles, but it was necessary as this is what makes the ruffle) and this pattern had no stitch count which was tough for me being a new knitter.   Otherwise the pattern was an easy knit and super easy to follow.

Project #2:

Firefly by Lydia Brown Cast on to March 2016

This project was the shawl I was knitting for myself for my vow renewal.  I decided to cast on to it while I was working on my youngest daughters shawl to hopefully make enough progress that I would be able to finish both by June.

I used US size 8 needles for this with a 32 inch cable.  This was my first time using medal needles and it was so much better than the wood needles I was using on my daughters shawl, but I hadn’t made the jump to Hiya Hiya Sharps yet so the tip was a little fiddly for picking up the stitches.  I used Medelinetosh Merino Light in 293 Sun Rose and absolutely love the feel and color of my shawl.

Skills I learned: K2tog tbl, PM, SM, YO, Aggressibely blocking to exaggerate the diamond shape

I didn’t actually finish this project until September. Once I decided to not finish it in Hawaii I set it aside for a bit and worked on a few other things.  I absolutely love the way this shawl turned out and the pattern was amazing.  It was really easy to read and memorize and it had a stitch count which made it easy to make sure I had the correct number of stitches for each section.  Plus you don’t end up with a ton of stitches to bind off at the end which is really nice considering most shawls aren’t this way.  Total stitches at the end were 391.

Project #3:

Pretty Lace Hand Warmers by Purl Soho Cast on May 2016

This is a project I started because my friend and I were going to go to a Hot August Nights event at our local winery and we had to dress up as people from the 40’s.  I wanted some lacey knit gloves to go with my dress and I stumbled across this free pattern on Ravelry and thought it would be perfect.

I used US size 5 needles for this with a 32 inch cable.  I ordered a pair of addi needles for this.  I also used Oh! Loops Twist Knot in The Queen and Her Games colorway.  I absolutely loved the color, but the needles were impossible.  At one point I was using another pair of needles just to help me get under the stitches.  A single row was taking me over an hour and it was so frustrating.  Every time I worked on it I wanted to throw it across the room.  I eventually bought a pair of hiya hiya sharps and my friend helped me move the project to those needles and then it was a bit better.

Skills I Learned:  Knitting with magic loop technique, knitting in the round, SSK, K2tog, M1R, M1L

Does this count as a WIP if I don’t like it??

I never finished this project.  I finished one glove with some help from my best friend.  The glove fits weird.  Its really tight and the cuff rolls down and won’t stay where it should.  The pattern in my opinion was probably the worst pattern I’ve ever read.  There were so many pictures and pages it was hard to navigate through.  It didn’t help that I didn’t see the tiny page numbers until I was almost done, but overall it was not a fun knit for me.

  Project #4:

Lydia & Sarah’s Oh! Memories by Lydia Brown Cast on end of May 2016

My First Square

This project I started over memorial day weekend while I was camping before I went to Hawaii with the intention I would work on it during the plane ride and any time I was in the car or had any downtime while I was on vacation.  When I started it I was thinking in my mind that my blanket would be big enough by the time fall soccer started to cover myself to keep warm and knit on it during soccer games and practices.  This was not quite the case for me.  I ended up getting 4 squares done by the time soccer started so it was big enough to keep my knee warm or a small patch of my leg, but I could not figure out how to knit on it and stay warm since it was so small.

I was gifted a pair of US size 1 carbon straight needles for this project and I absolutely love them.  They are so light and easy to use and even though they are really long and straight they don’t bother me at all.  The only downside I have found to these needles is every once in a while because they are so long, they have managed to poke themselves through the side of my project bag.

Skills I Learned: All the stitches were ones I’ve already done, but I did learn how to pick up stitches to add on a new square and this knit has helped me understand better the meaning of RS and WS.

Knitting on my memories blanket. 

I love this knit and am hoping to do a lot more work on it in 2017.  It is super easy and relaxing to work on.  Even with being super easy I’ve made my fair share of mistakes to learn from.  One time I picked it up after setting it down for a month and started knitting the RS on the WS, so that had to be taken back out, and one of my miters is going the wrong way since I started the square wrong.  I like that its something that I can make mistakes on and learn and grow and not be stressed out about the mistakes.

Project #5:

Just Another Vanilla Sock by Sarah Stevens Cast on end of July 2016

The toe is so cute!!

This project I started for my hubby.  I bought yarn and needles in April to make my hubby a pair of socks and just hadn’t gotten around to it.  So on the way to the lake I YouTubed how to cast on to a toe up sock and cast on to his sock and continued to work on it while at the lake that day.  I was so excited I got the toe done in one day!!  I was going to have his socks done in no time…or not.

I used US Size 1 1/2 and Malibrigo Sock Caribeno (474).  I absolutely love this colorway and the yarn feels so soft.  My hubby has tried them on at different times to make sure everything was fitting and he is so excited for me to finish.

The heel is done

  Skills I learned: CO for toe up sock (I used the Judy’s Magic Cast On), P2tog

I have not finished these yet and to be honest hadn’t even touched them since September.  I finally picked it back up last weekend and finished the heel and now am on the leg for the first sock.  I am bound and determined I am going to finish both socks in the first quarter of this year.  One thing I have realized by knitting these, my hubby has huge feet.  I can’t wait to knit a pair of socks for my youngest.  They are going to go so quick!!

Project #6

Looking at Her by Lydia Brown Cast on August 28th, 2016

I had the yarn so I started another shawl even though I knew I was going to be participating in a HPKAL. 

I cast on to this pattern to by some time until my Harry Potter yarn arrived.  I knew I wasn’t going to finish it in 2016, but am hoping to have it finished by the spring so I can wear it.  So far I absolutely love how the two colors and knitting up together.

I’m using US size 5 Hiya Hiya Sharp needs and yarn is Cottage Garden by Oh!Loops and Alcaucil by Malabrigo.

Project #7:

Rikke Hat by Sarah Young Cast on September 1, 2016

Mom’s hat is all done!!

I cast on to this hat to make for my mom for Christmas.  My good friend had made several of these Rikke Hats and I thought they were super cool looking and thought my mom would just love it.

I used US Size 4 and 7 Hiya Hiya Sharp needles with a 16″ cable with the Oh! Loops Loop to Loop Madam Rolanda Hooch colorway.

Skills I learned:  Switching to a different needle size during the project.  Switching to magic loop once the stitches were too tight.  Closing off the top of a hat.

I really liked this pattern. It was super easy to knit and easy to follow.  It did surprise me how long it felt like it took to get through the pattern as it got really repetitive after a while.  This being one of the reasons why I didn’t finish it until January 7th.  I missed Christmas with this one, but my mom absolutely loves it and I love how the colors pooled to make this beautiful diagonal strip pattern.  I will definitely make another one of these hats.  I have even purchased yarn to make one for myself and it’s on my to do list for 2017.

Project #8:

Drop Stitch Cowl by Abi Gregorio Cast on the middle of September 2016

Working on a cowl for Savannah. 

I started this for my youngest daughter with my first ever Harry Potter yarn purchase for Oh!Loops.  I actually bought I think around 12 skeins of yarn from her different Harry Potter updates and I had each of my girls pick a cowl pattern, hat pattern, and glove pattern that I was going to use to knit them items using this beautiful Harry Potter yarn I had purchased.  I had also purchased Harry Potter yarn for a pair of socks for my hubby, a hat and shawl for myself, and a hat for my mom.  Of all those items I only got this cowl done for Savannah and the hat done for my mom.  I am however still planning on knitting the rest and have come to the conclusion that I now have until next winter to get them done.  Stress adverted!!

I used US size 15 Hiya Hiya sharp needles and Oh!Loops Bulky in the Tonks colorway.  I absolutely love how this knit up and the bulky was amazing to work with with these huge needles.

Skills I learned: dropping YO without working them

It’s all done and I LOVE how squishy it is!!

I finished this item by the beginning of October.  Its the first project I’ve ever finished in two weeks.  The pattern is super easy and fast and fun to knit and I love how it turned out.  I’ve even purchased yarn to make myself one.  Although for mine I will add more stitches and make the cowl bigger as I don’t like things tight on my neck.  For my daughter this was perfect and she absolutely loves it.

Project #9:

Here’s Looking at You by Lydia Brown Cast on September 28th, 2016

The start of Savannah’s hat to match her cowl

When I cast onto this hat for Savannah to go with her Cowl, the only Christmas knitting I was doing was making a hat for my mom.  I cast on and figured I would have this done in a month and she would be able to wear it with her cowl this winter.  In my mind I was thinking “she is going to look so cute wearing her hat and matching cowl when we go to Ice Fest in January.”  Well unfortunately this did not happen.  By the beginning of October I had decided I was going to knit my two sweet nieces hats for Christmas and because I was making them hats I also needed to make my other two sweet nieces and nephew hats too so no one felt left out.  Needless to say I did not finish the project in 2016 and its not much farther than it is in the pictures.  My goal is to finish this in time for her to wear it for winter in 2017.

For this I am using US size 3 Hiya Hiya sharp needles on a 16″ cable with the Oh! Loops Fashion Knot Tonks colorway.  Since the needles are so small, I am thinking I am going to be working on this for a while.

Project #10:

Sous Son Aile by Lydia Brown Cast on October 1, 2016

I cast on to this pattern to participate for the first time in the Harry Potter Kal hosted by Oh!Loops.  Lets just say this was a sock-tastrophe.  It took me several tries to even cast on to the sock and then I made several mistakes that I had to rip back out and start again.  My last mistake being knitting the wrong row in the pattern.  That was when I got a bit discouraged and that is where my sock sits.  I have every intention of knitting this pattern and starting again, but with the Christmas knitting that happened, I have yet to do it.

I used US size 2 needles with a 32″ cable and Oh! Loops Fashion Knot in the Loyal Companion colorway.

This pattern looks amazing and is easy to follow.  I saw in the Kal that lots of people finished it and it looked amazing.  I’m not sure what why I was struggling, but like I said it was a sock-tastrophe for me.

Projects #11 & 12:

Be Mine by Lydia Brown Cast on October 16th and November 1st 2016

Zoey’s yarn on the left, Lilly’s Yarn on the right

I originally decided to make two of these hats, one for each of my nieces, as part of the Harry Potter Kal extra curricular activity for October.  I felt this was the perfect opportunity to make my nieces something for Christmas.  So now instead of just having my mom’s hat to knit for Christmas I had added two more project to knit too.  I did come really close to finishing the first hat for the Kal as I finished it on November 5th.  Only 5 days late!!

I used US size 8 hiya hiya sharps on a 16″ cable and a natural skein and blue and purple skein for my niece Zoey’s Hat and a natural skein and a pink and black skein for my niece Lilly’s hat.

B3 stitch so pretty, but a killer on my hands

  Skills I learned: B3 (bind 3 stitches together. Slip 1 stitch with yarn in back purl wise, knit 1, yarn over, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over last 3 stitches) This was by far probably the hardest stitch I have done so far.  I think with DK weight yarn or fingering it wouldn’t be so bad, but trying to do this stitch with bulky yarn was super hard for me.  Something I am going to work on.

Zoey’s Hat turned out so cute

Lilly’s hat almost done

I knit the first hat super fast and overall it was a fun knit.  The only issue I had was the bulky yarn and the US size 8 needles.  After a while my hands were killing me.  I did run into a huge catastrophe with Lilly’s hat.  I’m literally working on it a couple weeks before Christmas and I can’t find the second skein of the colored yarn I will need to finish it.  I looked everywhere!!  In the car, in all my project bags, under my bed…everywhere.  I could not find the second ball of yarn anywhere!!  With time ticking down to Christmas I ripped out everything I had done so far on her hat to use another skein of yarn I had two of in the bulky that were the same colors.  The pink was just a bit darker.  Needless to say I did not get her hat done before Christmas!!  I was feeling pretty bad about it too!!  I felt like the worst aunt ever!!  How do you explain to a two year old that you just didn’t get her hat finished in time.  Fortunately my niece is super sweet and I showed her what I had finished on her hat at Christmas and she is really excited for me to finish it.  I only have 5 rows left!!  YAY!!

Projects #13, 14 & 15:

Barley by tincanknits Cast on to Mia’s Hat November 21st, Dominic’s November 30th, and Emma’s December 13th, 2016

Yarn for the three hats

I decided to do these three projects in November after I realized that I was giving two of my nieces hats for Christmas and leaving the other two and my nephew out.  My friend told me this pattern was a super fast knit so I decided it would be the perfect pattern to use to quickly knit three more hats for Christmas.

Dominic’s hat

Mia’s hat

I did not have US size 6 needles on a 16″ cable like the pattern calls for so I knit the whole hat on my US size 8 Hiya Hiya sharps with a 16″ cable.  I used three skeins of yarn from Oh!loops that miss Lydia dyed up for me.  The purple was for my niece Mia, the seahawk colors for my nephew Dominic, and the burgundy for my niece Emma.

Emma’s hat

I was able to finish all three of these hats by Christmas!!  YAY!!!  And everyone love them.  The knit was fun, super easy, and really fast.  The only thing I would do differently next time is add a few more rows to Emma’s hat.  I used the adult size small for her hat and it didn’t quite cover her ears.  I also changed Emma’s hat to have a hole in the top so she could wear her messy bun out the top of it.  She loved this!!

Looking Back:

Looking back at 2016 and being my first year of knitting I am really happy with how the year went.  I leaned a lot of new skills and became a ton more confident in my knitting skills.  I cast onto 15 projects and completed 8 of them by the end of the year.  I found my preferred needles being the Hiya Hiya Sharps and have collected a ton of different sizes in those needles.  One thing I have not found yet is my preferred type of yarn.  So far I like everything I have knit with and I feel there are pro’s and cons’s to each type.  I am hoping to expand on that this next year.  In 2016 all my knits were with fingering, bulky, or worsted.  My goal for 2017 will be to find patterns that use some different weights than what I’ve already tried and to expand my knowledge of yarn a bit.

I think my favorite part of knitting is being able to share this wonderful hobby with other fellow knitters and share items I make with those I love in my life.  There is no better feeling than finishing a knit and knowing I made the whole thing myself with my own two hands!!

I can’t wait to see what all I can accomplish for 2017!!

  2016 in Review Its hard to believe I've almost been knitting for a year.  I started out 2016  by taking a knitting class in January with my oldest daughter and I started my first actual project on February 20th, 2016.