Sweet as Honey Cowl - Finished!

I also reblocked my Sweet as Honey Cowl as the first blocking didn’t look much better than the unblocked state, mostly because I didn’t actually stretch it out, I just soaked it and laid it out to dry.  I did try to do some stretching of it before I laid it out, but I didn’t pin it at all.  This time I stretched it vertically first, pinning the top and bottom, and then pulled it horizontally pinning it along the folded edge.  The bee section is still a little more lumpy than I would like, but overall I am happy with it.  I love the colors and the design.  The fabric is soft and it will be warm and cozy next winter.  I used the called for yarn in the called for colors.  I did have to go up two needle sizes to get anywhere close to gauge.  I haven’t actually measured my finished gauge - it fits me perfectly and that is good enough for me.  The only other modification I made was to work a 2x2 ribbing instead of the 1x1 ribbing the pattern called for, as I prefer the look of the 2x2 ribbing.

Pattern:  Sweet as Honey Cowl by Simone Van Iderstine

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - January Blocks Done!

Last week I finally finished my Bossy Blue Jay block.  I did an initial block of the block and didn’t like the result.  I don’t think I soaked it long enough and I didn’t block it firmly enough so I decided to reblock it.  I also decided to reblock the other block.  I blocked them right side down as I found it easier to pin the curling edges that way.  I started out with pins in each corner just to set the limits and I quickly realized that I needed to block the Blue Jay to larger dimensions than I had blocked the patterned block.  In fact I was able to block the Blue Jay to 12 inches by 12 inches, which is the called for dimension.  I was also able to reblock the patterned block to the same dimensions, although I had to stretch it rather strenuously.  Both blocks pulled in a little bit side to side when I took them off the blocking mats, but they are the same size.

At one point I thought that I would have to reknit the first block and I realized that the difference in tension was due to the way that I knit them.  I was not comfortable purling continental so I was holding both strands in my right hand and throwing which ever color I needed.  Because I wanted my stitches to be consistent I also used the same technique on the right side, even though I can knit continental and have done that for colorwork in the round.  Unfortunately this resulted in a tighter gauge.  On the plus side, the stitches are beautifully even.  For the Bossy Blue Jay, because I had to trap my floats I used both hands on both the right and wrong side, and because of the design I had to switch which hand was holding which yarn as I only know how to capture the floats when the yarn that needs to be captured is being held in my left hand.  All of that contributed to my stitches not being as even as I would like.  I also had an errant dark blue stitch in the snow flake motif, which I covered with duplicate stitch before I blocked.  I have started the February berries block (the all-over patterned one) and am working it continental on both the right and wrong sides to make sure that my two February blocks have a similar tension.  Depending on how my other blocks come out, I may go back and reknit these two.  I could turn these two into a pillow if I did that.

January colors:  November Sky and A Night Without Stars

February colors:  Mulberry Jam and Lilac

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Ramea - Front and Both Sleeves Done!

The really exciting news is that I have finally finished the front of my Ramea.  I started planning this project over a year ago (after seeing it on the Fleece and Harmony knitting video podcast when I was binging the earlier episodes).  I swatched for it back in January 2024.

Finally casting on in November.  The first sleeve worked up quickly, but the lace front took me a while.

Once I finished the lace front I immediately moved on to sleeve number two.  And after I finished the knitting I blocked before I grafted the sleeve together.

I blocked it right side down to make it easier to pin out, and ended up putting a cookie canister (Pepperidge Farm) in the other sleeve to keep the shape proper.  I’ll use canisters in both sleeves when I do the final block, it worked perfectly.  Now I’m working the back, which is just straight stockinette. It is nice to get some pretty mindless knitting, and to get rid of some of the needles that I had holding stitches.  While working the second sleeve I had needles for both sides of the body, and the other side of the sleeve - so four sets total.  It did get a little crazy at times.  Now I just have two.

Pattern:  Ramea by Jennifer Beale

Yarn:  Karabella Yarns Aurora 4

Needles:  US 1 (2.25 mm), US 1.5 (2.5 mm), US 2.5 (3.0 mm)

 

Nightmare Before Christmas Sally Shawl - Two Skeins Done

I have also been making progress on my latest mindless project that I knit on at work, completing the first two skeins of the mini set and starting the third.  I like the color block thing that is going on here.

Pattern:  Improvised Garter Stitch Boomerang Shawl

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering & Kiri

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - Second January Block - Making Progress

I have slowly been making progress on my second January block.  I did take the time to completely set up the chart in knitCompanion (with magic markers and stitch counts), and am even getting the hang of purling continental.  The blue jay is starting to emerge.

January colors:  A Night Without Stars and November Sky

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)
 

Joy to the World - Dragons - Finished!

I finished this up on February 28 while I was home from work, taking a sick day.  I knit the border and read the third book in The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy by Katherine Arden.  A book recommendation that I had gotten from Harmony Reads, the companion book video podcast to the Fleece and Harmony knitting video podcast.  I highly recommend the trilogy.  It was a very good read.

I’ve already worn this shawl to work twice, and showed it off at a Fruity Knitting Knit & Chat Zoom session.

Completion of this shawl uses up the The Unique Sheep Dragon Advent Calendar from 2018, and most of another skein in my stash - the brown border, which was part of a neutral trio that I picked up at a Unique Sheep Retreat, when those were still happening.

Pattern:  Joy to the World by Louise Robert

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering and Kiri

Needle:  US 3 (3.25 mm)

Electric Oogie Boogie Shawl - Border Started!

It took me some pondering before I finally settled on a color for the border.  I also considered a bright yellow, but in the end I decided to go for a gold.  I am also using dark purple silver lined beads from deep stash.  I tried a bright blue silver lined bead but it just didn’t work.  This skein is from my Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere collection.  The color is Gold Experience.  Loving color as I do, I do love Dream in Color yarns.

Pattern:  Over the Moon by Vicki Mikulak

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering & Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Nightmare Before Christmas Sally Shawl - Cast On!

When I got home from my 10.5 hour day on Monday I knew that I was going to need another simple project for my work bag, so I caked up another six mini-skeins from the Nightmare Before Christmas Advent set.  This set was inspired by the character Sally.  There were two skeins that were labeled as Speckle even though they obviously were not so I guessed, based on the other skeins in the Advent set, that they belonged here and assumed that the number on the label was correct even if the name was wrong.  The dark red skein at the top is the one that I was hoping to use on both this shawl and the Speckles Shawl, but it doesn’t really go with the Speckles Shawl.  I was casting this shawl on just as I was signing in to my year end review with my supervisor.  She mentioned that she had sought feedback from my peers (the other Chief Engineers) and that someone had mentioned my knitting in meetings, and that folks might think that I wasn’t paying attention.  Fortunately she didn’t think it was a big deal, but she did feel that she had to mention it.  Some years ago a previous supervisor actually wrote me a disciplinary letter regarding knitting in meetings.  I explained to my current supervisor why I knit in meetings and when I’m reading documents (it helps keep me focused), and also mentioned that I was knitting in our meeting.  I’m retiring at the end of the year, so I really don’t care at this point.

Pattern:  Improvised Garter Stitch Boomerang Shawl

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering & Kiri

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Nightmare Before Christmas Speckles Shawl - Body Done, and Border Started!

I was in an all day class on Monday, so I got a lot of knitting done on this shawl, getting to the last mini-skein.  I finished it up Tuesday in some virtual meetings, so yesterday when I got home from work I picked through my stash and found a color for the border.  I knew I wanted red.  I was going to go for a dark red, but it didn’t really work with the colors of the shawl, so in the end I went with a brighter red.  It is another skein of Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Fingering Merino that was dyed up for a temperature blanket that I bought and never knit.  This color was for temperatures 91-100.

It definitely pops.

Pattern:  Improvised Garter Stitch Boomerang Shawl

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply Merino Fingering and Sundara Yarn Extra Fine Fingering Merino

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Nightmare Before Christmas Speckles Shawl - Three Skeins Done!

I managed to get a fair bit of knitting done this past week at the office, thanks to meetings, and having to read documents.  I am actually about half way through the fourth skein.  I do like the way that this is working up.  I have a skein of dark red that I may use for the border.  I have another set of six skeins from this Advent set that will also become a Garter Stitch Boomerang Shawl, and I can get the edging for both shawls out of a single skein.

Pattern:  Improvised Garter Stitch Boomerang Shawl

Yarn:  The Unique Sheep 4 Ply SW Merino Fingering

Needle: US 4 (3.5 mm)
 

Sweet as Honey Cowl - Cast On, Take Two

After working my Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 gauge swatch I decided to restart my Sweet as Honey Cowl on larger needles.  I ended up going with a US 5 (3.75 mm) needle instead of the US 3 (3.25 mm) needle that the pattern recommended.  I’m thinking the designer is a looser knitting than I am.  I am working this on 20 inch circulars, and it fits easily without the stitches being crowded (I was working the previous version on 16 inch circulars) so I am more confident that I will actually be able to wear this as a cowl and will not be forced to turn it into a hat, or a small pillow.  If you look close, you can see the bees starting to emerge.  I also switched the 1x1 rib to a 2x2 rib, which I prefer.

Pattern:  Sweet as Honey Cowl by Simone Van Iderstine

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted in Autumn Birch and Plover

Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)

Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024 - One January Block Done, Second One Cast On

I finished one of the January blocks, and blocked it.  It is not quite square, and it is a bit smaller than the pattern calls for, but I am pretty happy with it.  I started with the easy block, from a pattern perspective, just to get the hang of working stranded knitting on the purl side.  I’ve cast on the second January block.

This one has much bigger blocks of color, and in those areas I am holding the color that I am not knitting with in my left hand so I can catch the floats easier as I knit.  When I’m working Fair Isle in the round I will put the yarn that I need to catch floats on in my left hand, so depending on what is going on that round I may have to switch my yarns.  I’m still not comfortable purling continental, so in those areas where I’m working with both colors I hold both yarns in my right hand.  It makes for some yarn adjusting as I work the pattern, which just takes a little time and interrupts the flow.

January colors:  A Night Without Stars and November Sky

Pattern:  Fleece and Harmony Mystery Blanket 2024

Yarn:  Fleece and Harmony Selkirk Worsted

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)