Perseverance MKAL - Clue 8 Done

I also finished up Clue 8 of the Expression Fiber Arts Perseverance MKAL.  Clue 9 for both the MCAL and MKAL should be coming out this week.  As we have gone past the midpoint of the blanket we are now working the same patterns, in the reverse order.  Thus Clue 7 was the same as Clue 6 and this one is the same as Clue 5.  Luckily I had made a note of the needle sizes that I had used.  I’m guessing that with the next clue we wills start to decrease back down to a point.

Pattern:  Perseverance by Jane Vanselous

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Enduring Worsted

Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm), US 7 (4.5 mm), US 8 (5.0 mm)

Slipped September Artyarns KAL - Part 1

Yesterday I cast on and finished part 1 of the Slipped September 2022 Artyarns KAL.  I am knitting the top, and will probably do the short sleeve version.  I am not a huge fan of these Artyarn KALs because you have to post a picture of each part to get the next clue, and sometimes that just doesn’t fit in with my knitting plans.  But, I really like the design, and I love my colors, so here we are.  I have Part 2 now and need to get it set up in my knitCompanion app.

Pattern:  Slipped September (Top)

Yarn:  Artyarns Merino Cloud

Needle:  US 7 (4.5 mm)

Mermaid - Cast On!

For the past several years, I have been bitten by the Advent Calendar bug - to an extent that I could probably do a year of Advent Calendars - so I decided to start working though some of my old ones.  This is a set from The Unique Sheep, and is on a sport weight yarn - not the usual fingering weight that I typically get.  The colorway is called Mermaid.  I want to use it all as I have an aversion to having leftovers so last week I began searching for patterns.  I found several possibilities, both crochet and knit, but in the end I went with a simple raglan top from an iPad app called KnitsThatFit.  It is my first time using the app.  I had previously used an app on my laptop called SweaterWizard.  There is absolutely no patterning, just straight stockinette, except for some ribbing.

It is hard to see much at this point as it is scrunched up on my 24” needles.

Pattern:  Simple Raglan from KnitsThatFit

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Rare Breed Advent Calendar - Sport Weight

Needle:  US 5 ( 3.75 mm)

Perseverance Knit Along - Clue 7 Done

When I picked this back up again to start on Clue 7 I discovered that I hadn’t actually completed Clue 6.  I had missed working a repeat, so I finished that up and took another picture of Clue 6.

I then started in on Clue 7, but made a mistake somewhere along the line and decided to rip back.  In the end I ripped all the way back to the start of the pattern in Clue 6.  I knit Clue 6 over again and Clue 7.  By the end I had the pattern pretty well memorized.  I used US 8 needles for all of the slipped stitch pattern.

Pattern:  Perseverance by Jane Vanselous

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Enduring Worsted

Needle:  US 8 (5.0 mm)

Hearthside Crochet Along - Clue 8 Done

Last weekend I decided to try and get caught up on my Hearthside, as well as my Perseverance, blankets.  The last four clues have been easy.  Once I did the first row and verified that I had the correct number of stitches I didn’t have to check again, and by this clue I had the pattern memorized.  The only tricky thing was connecting to the bottom of clue 5, where we had to chain on new stitches.  I am pleased that the blanket is lying pretty flat at this point, and, as you can see, it meets with the approval of our cat, Jezebel.

Pattern:  Hearthside by Jane Vanselous

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Worsted

Hook:  5.0 mm (H)

Hearthside Crochet Along - Clue 7 Done

These last two clues have basically been the same, and pretty easy.  I have the yarn for clue 8, so will start that right away.  I’m pleased that it is starting to lay nice and flat.

Pattern:  Hearthside by Jane Vanselous

Yarn:  Expression Fiber Arts Luster Worsted

Hook:  H (5.0 mm)

Seascair Blanket - Fourteen Squares Done

I also finished up all of the easy squares for my Seascair blanket, so now I just have the patterned squares left to do.  But now I need an easy knitting project for my work bag.  I do have two partial squares on the needles.  I have been carrying the yellow one in my work bag.  It isn’t completely mindless knitting, but can be worked during meetings.

Pattern:  Seascair Blanket by Carol Feller

Yarn:  Stolen Stitches Blasta

Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

Rumo - Finished!

I finished Rumo this week, and figured out how to do the sleeves top-down and set-in.  It did take some trial and error, and some pondering.  In the end I focused on two numbers - the maximum number of sleeve stitches that I wanted to end up with, and the number of rows in the sleeve cap.  

The maximum number of sleeve stitches that I wanted to end up with dictated the number of stitches I needed to start out with around the armhole, and that was my first challenge - getting the pickup right without having gaps.  The other issue that I had run into was keeping the garter stitch pattern going due to the fact that you have to knit up to the first turning point, which gives a partial row of knit stitches that just looked a bit odd.  I solved both problems by simple picking up stitches in a consistent and even fashion, not worrying too much about the number, but focusing instead on picking up the stitches evenly.  I then did a complete purl round where I decreased to the correct number of stitches.

The number of rows in the sleeve cap dictated the number of short rows that I wanted to work.  Basically, the number of stitches that you start out with in the first short row is the difference between the number of sleeve stitches and the number of rows in the sleeve cap.  In this case, I started with 12 stitches.  I did knit the sleeves at a slightly bigger size than the body pattern as when I knitted the pattern size they were just a bit too tight.

Pattern:  Rumo by Alice Caetano 

Yarn:  SpaceCadet Yarns Cressida 

Needle:  US 6 (4.0 mm)