Summer Oddments Part I

OFF MY NEEDLES:


The Charlotte Bronte Shawl by Stephanie Swarek that I started on Sept 1, 2011 was finished on June 16th. The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy in November Muse colorway. I used a little more than four skeins or about 1,822 yds. It wasn't part of the pattern, but I added beads to the first lace border (silver lined dark topaz Miyuki-6).  I think if I knit this again and added beads, I would put the beads in both borders. Most likely I would leave out the beads altogether.  This took me what seemed like forever to block since I had to do it in sections (it was way too big for my blocking boards).   This is a bad picture, I know, but I wanted to get a quick picture before I left on vacation.  The blocked shawl measures approximately 60'x34".  It's nice and big and squishy and comfy.  If this coming winter is anything like last year's winter, it will be well used and much appreciated.

I made a Snug Sack and a Baby Hat for baby shower gifts over a three day period (Aug 4-6).  The hat is the Bunny Hugs Hat by Shana Schasteen (without pompoms), and the snug sack is well just a snug sack I made.  The yarn is Bernat Softee in soft fern (green) and Bernat Baby Solids in antique white.  The snug sack is a strand of each and the hat is in just green.  Altogether I used about 505 yds, 177 grams. 

Stash Dash, sponsored by The Knit Girllls, began on May 23rd and ran through August 7th.  This year's goal was 5k or 5,468 yards of yarn.   I managed to finish a number of projects, both knitting and spinning, however, I still fell 681 yds short of my goal.  Regardless, I'm pleased with what I did accomplish.  Hopefully, I'll get to cross the finish line next year.

Dashing Through the FOs

  The finished May Day project - socks knit in Miss Bab's Cosmic yarn in Vlad colorway - was started March 20th and finished May 5th.  The stitch pattern is from Simple SKYP Socks by Adrienne Ku and the heel is from Basic Strong Heel Socks by Gerdine Crawford-Strong.  

  STASH DASH - PART 1:

Stash Dash, sponsored by The Knit Girllls, began on May 23rd and runs through August 7th.  This year our goal is 5k of yarn (5,468 yards).  

Over these first few weeks I finished: 

1) The second bump of Annunaki at Tiaman colorway from Crown Mountain Farms. I started spinning this fiber January 1st-ish and finished May 24th.  All singles were spindle spun and chain plied on either spindle or wheel (depending on whether I was home or on vacation). Some of this fiber was used to teach spindle spinning, which is why my 394 yards weighs only 3.7 ounces. Total singles yardage is 1,182, and the average wpi is 16.  

2) The white Oxford/Border Leicester cross fleece (10.1 oz raw, 8.5 washed) was hand combed then run through my drum carder, and spindle spun semi-woolen for a traditional 3ply yarn that was plied on either spindle or wheel from plying balls.  I got 306 yards (164 grams) of 3ply DK weight from 918 yards of singles.

3) Another leisure hat for the Socks For Soldiers group (168  yds) from leftover sock yarn. Started May 8th, finished June .

4) Spun Cloudlover's merino/cashmere/silk blend in the Mother of Dragons colorway.  This four ounce bump gave me approximately 350 yards (underestimated - twist hasn't been set yet - probably higher) of yarn with an average wpi of 15. It was wheel spun semi-worsted and chain plied. Start/Finish June 6-19. 

5) a small, 17 yd woven rectangle made on a mini loom I got to make washcloths with some old yarn that I don't like knitting or crocheting with.  Not too bad for a first try but I definitely need practice.





Brought To Me By: Crafting accomplished with the following audio/video accompaniment:    
  Audiobooks: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter; The Tale of Briar Bank by Susan Wittig Albert; These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer; The Black Echo by Michael Connelly;          
  DVDs etc:   Murder She Wrote; Veronica Mars Movie; The Big Bang Theory;                  
  Pod/VideoCasts:  The Knit Girllls; Two Tangled Skeins; The Knit Wits; Twinset Designs;                                  
 

Casting Off

OFF MY NEEDLES:

I finished my first pair of socks this year, and had my first Ooops! moment at the same time. These socks were Cast On on January first for The Great Hufflepuff Sock Fest. I finished knitting them on January eighteenth, wove in my ends, tried them on, and this is what I got:



That was a first for me - never had a heel come out with that much excess fabric before. So I ripped back both heels about an inch and did decreases as if it was a hat crown. For one sock I kitchenered the remaining stitches closed. For the other sock I drew the yarn through the remaining stitches and cinched it closed. I prefer the look of the latter closure (top sock in the picture).

Here are the finished and fixed socks, knit on 2.25mm needles in the Monsieur X colorway of Biscotti & Cie's Felix base sock yarn.








Brought To Me By: Crafting accomplished with the following audio/video accompaniment:    
  Audiobooks: Soulless by Gail Carriger;                      
  DVDs etc:   Rizzoli & Isles; Inspector Alleyn Mysteries; Endeavor; Moonlight;            
Pod/VideoCasts:  The Knit Girllls; Round the Twist;  The Knitmore Girls (almost caught up);