Fiber Friday

So happy to be blogging again!

I haven't done much with fiber lately but I have some yarn projects queued up for 2017.

The Lex Shawl from a Quince & Co

I purchased a booklet of shawls last year and it included this lovely pattern. I received some beautiful blue yarn for Christmas that I hope will become this shawl!

Blanche from YOTH yarns

I started this sweater in Brooklyn Tweed yarn, colorway fern. I think it will be a nice addition to my post pregnancy wardrobe and it is fairly straightforward. I haven't done much seaming so it will be a good challenge.

Lucy Hats from Quince & Co

I have the exact yarn shown in this photo so I think I will make this hat. I love having a slouchy hat to cover up bed head in the winter. Plus, it should go faster than the other projects, right?

Project Peace Cowl

So I didn't finish this in December, but I'm enjoying the project so I hope to finally nish it up this year. I am using some YOTH yarn from a previously frogged project and would love to actually wear this yarn, since I purchased it 4 years ago.

I have a few other WIPs:

1. Onward Shawl
2. Ribbed Blanket
3. Featherweight Cardigan (which I may have to frog)

Here's to hoping 2017 has a few more finished projects so I can enjoy the wearing of these beautiful yarns!

fiber friday - 2015 recap

Another great year for fiber projects! I tried counting it all up and here is what I recorded and remember (it's quite possible I've left something out!).

Yarn project were bountiful once again! Not quite as many projects as last year, but I nearly doubled my production just in the last three months alone!

When making this list, I was pleasantly surprised at how much sewing I did. Again, December really amped up my numbers as I made gifts for my favorite people.

What an awesome year 2015 was for fiber. I'm looking forward to more fiber friday posts in 2016! Hopefully some of those unfinished projects will move to my "completed" list :) Off to go work on my featherweight cardigan. I'm loving my Brooklyn Tweed Loft yarn and am eager to wear this sweater! Happy knitting and sewing!

To see details about knitting projects, visit my ravelry.com project page.

30 days of lists

Weekend Dreaming

1. wear hoodie
2. go for a run
3. drink coffee
4. knit
5. laugh with a friend
6. take a nap
7. read a book
8. clean the kitchen
9. change the linens
10. make a meal
11. draw or color
12. watch a show or two
13. take another nap
14. eat popcorn
15. sip tea
16. bake something yummy (granola maybe...)

30 days of lists

Things that go well with coffee...

1. Pie

2. Books

3. Conversation

4. Knitting

5. Cupcakes

6. Bacon

7. Toast

8. Boots and winter jackets

9. Donuts

10. The soundtrack to "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Fiber Friday

So many fiber takes to tell!

This is a washcloth I made on a road trip last week. I'm on a mission to use up my stash and leftovers so I packed all my cotton yarn in a bag and have been picking away making simple garter stitch washcloths. This is organic cotton from various other patterns.

Yesterday I made progress on my quilt, thanks to a little sewing date with Juliann.

I also cut the leaves to start the appliqué border just outside this center square. I'm hoping to go to the fabric store this weekend to pick up some neutral greys for backgrounds.

So fun to dive back into the fiber world! Hoping to get to clue 4 on my summertide mystery knit along this weekend. Happy stitching!

 

fiber friday (delayed for revisions)

This will be part one because I am 6 rows from finishing my guernsey shawl! This has been a fun knit and I'm curious to see how blocking goes. The center increases were new for me and I'm a little unsure if the tension, but only time will tell. Edit: I delayed posting this because I was determined to finished! It's done!

I have already dreamed of wearing this with at least 4 different outfits! A major increase in progress happened after I found this beautiful ceramic bowl from my mother in law. I decided it would be a great place for my knitting to live so that it would be both decorative and practical for storage. This quickly became "at home" knitting since it felt complicated but by now I can read the repeats just from the previous row! Edit: I finished at midnight! I got it all set and blocking so when I woke up, it was ready to wear! LOVE IT! Much less bulky than I imagines, which is nice since it is textured.

I'm also about to start clue 2 of My mystery shawl! I'm so glad to be back in the fiber world. It is my sole source of relaxation these days. Edit: I woke up early and finished clue 1 so I could start clue 2! Loving the lace pattern so far. Hoping to stay up to speed on this project so with each new clue I can keep plugging away!

In the sewing world I purchased a new pattern! I've read through it and am totally pumped! Now I just need to get  fabric and interfacing. I will probably take my Quince&Co yarn with me so that I can be sure to have some coordinating handmade items. Handmade wardrobe seemed so far fetched when I started but now I'm finding it fun motivation to keep up with my creative dreams :)

fiber friday

I'm making tons of progress on my Guernsey Triangle Shawl. I love this project, even though I had to tear out a few rows. I feel good about my choice to go back and fix a few tiny things because it looks so nice now. I'm close to finishing and hope the rain will pause for long enough to get some good photos outside.

Also, I joined Helen Stewart's Mystery Knit Along! Many factors in my choice:

1. I love her percentage patterns, easy to follow and I always feel accomplished!
2. I am ready for a new pattern and shawl not that the Guernsey is close to done.
3. My dear friend is going to knit it as well so we will have another reason to check in on each other and chat knitting! I love the idea of accountability to be working on it steadily.
4. It means I get to go yarn shopping with my mom (love this!)
5. I feel confident in my skills to try this type of project. When I told someone about it they asked if i was nervous there would be a stitch that I didn't know. I love that I feel like I have the ability to work through new stitches and try something new!
6. I love Helen's patterns, they are beautiful

I'm off to the yarn shop this weekend but to prepare I assessed my current stash of shawls to look for colors I don't have much of. I'm leaning toward coral, pinkish, orange since I have a lot of blues, greens and grey in my collection.

I'm also using this cool tool from Quince & Co Yarns so compare colors online. I'd love to use their yarn for this and while I'm not sure if that will work out, it's fun to play with their colors.

I also want to dive back into some sewing. I love my new mustard yellow dress and think that a long weekend is the perfect time to get out the sewing machine! Happy weekend!

fiber friday

So many projects to share! We're going bullet points today:

Knitting

• Blocking my Whispering Pines shawl, yippee!!

• Using Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Almanac and Soot I started the Glebe Wrap as a gift for my Mother in-law:

• I am making progress on my Guernsey Triangle Shawl in Brooklyn Tweed Loft - Fossil

• Updating my Ravelry Project Page - it's a fun way to see how much I've been working on!

Sewing

• I've cut the pieces and am prepping to start sewing this top from Purlbee. I'm using a charcoal linen which should go with all my new shawls!

• I've been ironing freezer paper and cutting little triangles to join the Jen Kingwell Quilt Along. I'm making Midnight at the Oasis  - at least hoping to :)

Fiber Friday

I finished the winter sea shawl! It's funny because I knit this in the summer in the woods, but I still love it :) it was a fun quick knit and great for working on during our road trip, movies and while listening to podcasts. I am so excited to officially block this when I get home. I did a makeshift blocking since I'm away from home because I wanted it to lay a little more flat for the photos.

 

I'm so close to being done with my whispering pines. After the shawl recovered from surgery I have just 58 more stitches to bind off. That picot binding is tricky for me so I'm taking it slow. Maybe next week I'll have photos! For now here is a photo of me working on the bind off while at Holland Lake. The island just behind me we dubbed "Whispering Pines" :)

In the fabric realm I'm considering joining this Quilt along and making this quilt. I have tons of fun vibrant colors and just need to figure out a good goal and rhythm for regularly working on it.

I cast on my guernsey triangle shawl and will have to give more details later. So far I'm taking it little by little so I do it well. I also need to get yarn for a gift shawl so lots of fun projects on the horizon!

 

 

fiber friday

Oh the adventures it had this week!

First, my whispering pines shawl had major surgery. In my traveling I misread the stitch count needed for the lace and ended up with 18 rows TOO MANY!!!! That's right, 36 extra stitches and 18 extra ROWS! Of course I notice this late at night when the lighting is bad, my eyes are very weak and tired, and my emotions are high. My darling husband came to my rescue and while I held a lantern over the project, he meticulously picked up each of 233 stitches onto a life line so I could resume in the morning. At one point I realized ridiculous we must've looked as we both were sprawled out on the floor taking over the entire living room and acting like we were in a scene from a medical drama. "Metal crochet hook," he would say when stitches were getting small then, "clamp this while I grab my other tool." I bust out laughing so hard at his seriousness and the absurdity that I almost compromised the entire project. After a five minute break I kept my cool with just a random giggle here or there and we finished. Oh the adventures!

I other news, I hand-wound my second skein of malabrigo from my trip. I started this shawl and am loving it! I can't wait to block it and see the zig zags more neatly. They scrunch up quite a bit while I work.

I'm also studying the chart for and prepping to make the guernsey triangle shawl by Brooklyn Tweed. I'm excited about my yarn (Fossil color way in Loft) because it is light in color and will hopefully show off the pattern well. I've also been wanting a cream colored shawl for awhile as it should go with most everything I wear!

I hope you're having less dramatic fiber days than I but iPad love to hear about a project you want to dive into! Off to, very carefully, work on lace....!

 

 

fiber friday

It's been too long! I've been working with mostly paper these days and while that's technically fiber, it's not quite the same.

On our Epic Road trip we were able to visit a few yarn shops which definitely got me back in the mood to pick up my needles. It's interesting to me how two shops can have the same supplies but arrange it very differently. I find that this greatly effects my interest level. In one shop it was all neat and orderly, white matching shelves and very bright artificial light. Beautiful but I didn't want to touch anything for fear of messing it up. Another shop was quirky with baskets overflowing with yarn, wooden crates as storage and tiered tables. I think I spent an hour here and touch almost every skein of yarn!

I ended up arriving there on day one of a sale! And because it was Friday, not many people were around so we had the shop to ourselves. I dug around the 50% off tables (6 of them!) and found a color that I couldn't put down. It's a sage green sort of. Reminds me of a muted versions of my elementary school favorite: jungle green. Did you have that marker? If so, i probably borrowed it from you.

So, the yarn is a worsted weight and with the 2 skeins I have about 400+ yards. Now... what am I making with it? So glad you asked. I DON'T KNOW!

But here are some things I'm considering:

Winter Sea Shawl by Liz Abinante
This looks like a fun knit but also a good repeating pattern. Since the yarn is solid, I think it will look nice with some texture.

Dominika by Ardilanak
This looks interesting, but I'm not sure it it's big enough. I like the option of tying the ends together around my neck, but I love the drop stitches that cross along the bottom!

Blue Heather Shawl by Leonore Bogat
This one is beautiful, but with a solid yarn I think it might be too plain. It would be great for a variegated or stripy yarn!

Cherry Wrap by Cath Ward
This one is pretty and has a great texture! I would probably have to pay close attention to what I'm doing... problem? Maybe...

Persimmon Wrap by Nikki Slipp
This is awesome! It ends up like a circle and I definitely have enough yarn. Plus the texture is cool.
Can you knit something called "persimmon" in green? Perhaps!


Decision making time! I'm going to knit a bit with needles size 7-9 to see what looks best with the yarn and that should help me narrow it down. Can't wait to show you progress! Until then, I'm to the lace on my Whispering Pines Shawl! It's only taken me 4 months to start it back up again. It was great car knitting since it's a 4 row repeat and all odd rows are purl across. Looking forward to seeing how the lace turns out!

fiber fridays

Fiber Fridays are back!

Hopefully they are back for a while, because that will mean I'm actually making and working on projects. I took a little break over Christmas. I think I got worn down by the very full year of knitting. I'm hoping to do a little numbers post about the projects I completed last year. Stay tuned!

Currently I am working on three shawls and a cowl. Progress is not much on any of them, though the cowl will likely be finished soon.

Lightweight Cowl

Yarn: Quince & Co Chickadee
Color: Chanterelle
Pattern: Girlfriend Cowls with slight adaptation

This was meant to be a fun and easy knit. Success! I've not worked on it very many times and have made great progress during each session due to the simplicity of the tweed stitch. This is also small enough and simple enough that I just carry it in my bag without accouterments and a pattern. A round of knit then a round of k1 sly with yarn in front and repeat! I'm excited to wear this as the color is feels neutral but will add variation to my current wardrobe favorites, which are mostly shades gray.

Cozy Shawl

Yarn: Bumblebirch Fingering
Color: Drizzle
Pattern: Whispering Pines

I'd love to get back to working on this shawl because it's a fun knit and it has a subtle detailing that isn't terribly difficult. I can't wait to get to the edging as I think it will be an interesting pattern. This one is for me, and it will be fun to wear, as I don't have any grey cowls or shawls!

Beaded Shawl

Yarn: YOTH Yarn Little Brother
Color: Thyme (not available on website)
Pattern: Jana by Veronica Jobe

The shawl is meant to be a gift for someone. It is my first shawl knit end to end and has inspired me to look at more patterns in this style. The beading isn't hard but to get set up and ready to knit is not inspiring me. It takes more concentration than other projects (lots of seed stitch) and a flat surface to rest the beads on. Since I am not currently finding more than 15 consecutive (distraction-free) minutes to work on projects, this one has been hiding in a project bag. Perhaps the upcoming long weekend will allow me an opportuniity to resist this shawl. I'm nearing the center of the shawl and can soon start the decreases!

list no. 7 - gratitude

today i'm thankful for...

1. leftover chestnut praline latte that can be reheated

2. multiple knitting projects

3. layers upon layers of quilts

4. blank journaling pages

5. colorful pens and writing tools

6. cold quiet mornings

7. fresh laundry

8. a cozy hooded sweatshirt

9. lists

10. creative outlets

What little things are you thankful for today?

*the idea for this post came from here and is part of the 30 Days Of Lists Project

currently - August 2014

tending to my plants that are somehow still thriving
planning lessons
eating olives and berries (not together)
racing to finish this sweater before school starts
opening this book with the goal of making time to read during the school year
snapping photos of the little people in my life
savoring the last days of summer freedom and sunshine
enjoying my clean and quiet house
sipping coffee
choosing to be joyful always and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5.16-18)

fiber friday (on the road edition)

Were on the road today and I'm casting on the levenwick sweater from Brooklyn Tweed. I'm so excited! Details will come later as car photos are just not that great.

In the meantime, I knit up a new washcloth. A good reminder to read the entire pattern first, this one is a 14" square! So it's more of a towel, which is fine by me. The yarn is organic natural cotton from Lion Brand (links and color way later). It was a fun knit and is beautiful and soft.

Happy knitting!

one little word wednesday

As August approaches I am working staying positive. It's hard to thinking about saying goodbye to slow mornings, fresh food and lots and lots of friends and family time.

So instead of saying "goodbye" to these things, I'm trying hard to choose a different attitude. So I choose gratitude. I am grateful for:

The next season brings back work, meetings, students, families, lessons, grading and much more. I hope to spend August looking at ways to incorporate my summer activities into daily life. I realize that knitting all day while reading my nook is not really an option come September, yet I know there is a way to make time for knitting and reading. Waking up early is usually my go to when I want to add things to my schedule but I rethinking the evenings a bit and wondering how to better utilize my time.

What activities do you make time for during your busy seasons so that you can stay sane?

fiber friday

I love knitted dishrags/washcloths. They are absorbent, easy to launder, and simple knitting projects perfect for the car or a dark movie theater! We use them a lot around the house to try an avoid the extra cost of sponges and paper towels. 

When my mom asked about some knitted washcloths for the project Days for Girls, I jumped at the chance! I've been wanting to try some new patterns and stitches so I started with this basic washcloth while I searched around for more options.  I found some bold and bright colors from the Sugar and Cream line: Blue Mod and Playtime featured below.

Then I decided to try a new pattern I found on Ravelry called Waffle Knit Dishcloth. I really like how this one looks and it is an interesting knit, however the stitches are looser.  If you are looking for a tighter weave, I'd recommend either going down a needle size (to a US 5 from a US 6) or use a different cotton yarn.

Next I'm thinking I'll try something from this website. I especially like the Two Square Washcloth, so we'll see how they turn out!

knitting as art

The other morning I was adjusting a small wall quilt the other day and I started thinking about how much I love to be able to display my sewing. A lot of my sewing is practical and by nature is out and used daily (pillow cases, kitchen towels, quilts, etc). That got me thinking about my knitting.

Sure, I am regularly found with a scarf, shawl or cowl around my neck. This is a great way to display my knitting, but what about the rest of it? The pieces that are not in current rotation? The shawls that have lace panels are beautiful and a lot of work and I wanted a way to display them as art pieces, so that I can continually be inspired by what I've done. 

After realizing a "shawl wall" wasn't very practical if I wanted to be able to wear anything from the display, I decided to try a quilt ladder, only this one would hold knitting projects.**

I used this tutorial because it seemed affordable, simple and matched some of the furniture styles in our house already. I can also disassemble it if needed. Mine is about 5 feet tall and then it leans about 4-6 inches from the wall. I haven't decided if I want to paint it or stain it but for now we're enjoying the natural wood tones. After arranging things over and over again I realized that i've never knit anything in yellow! I love a deep golden, mustard tone of yellow so that will be next on my list. Not pictured is my lavender/pinkish Romney Kerchief but even so, it is easy to see that I favor blues and greens in my knitting! 

I'm also picturing a few draw pulls on the sides for cowls and hats as they don't drape as easily over the rungs of the ladder. Maybe something like these:

source: 1/2/3/4/5

**side note: i brought the ladder outside to photograph as the lighting is far superior. Also, I can show off my plants that I've managed to keep alive!

Fiber Friday

Finishing projects seems to be the theme of this summer and that is OK with me!

In the knitting department I've been trying to finish an older project before starting a new one. In theist week I've finished a blanket for world vision (no photo), dishcloths (more later), and this raspberry colored version of the honey cowl in a cotton blend from Michaels a few years back. I love this pattern!

For my grand finale... drumroll please... 

...my fireflies rising shawlette!!!!! I feel extra excited about this one because I really took time and care to do it well, plus it looks so fancy! I really loved knitting this piece and would absolutely make it again, but not quite yet, I have a few things in the queue that I'm anxious to try.

We took a recon trip to the yarn shop yesterday (sans gift certificate so I would truly just look). I have my eye set on a golden, mustardy yellow tone after realizing ice ever knitting with that color.

I'm contemplating another shawl because they are fun, fairly simple but really satisfying, but we shall see. I took photos of potential yarns including price yardage and weight so that I could look more seriously at my pattern options and decide what's next for the needles.

I've been back on track with planning out and writing blog posts so we'll see if I can get back in a groove before fall! Happy creating!