Birthday Bliss - Finished!

I finished this up on 17 January, but haven’t really figured out how to get a good photo of it.  It is long.  Blocking it was a little bit of a challenge - mostly just finding a long enough stretch of floor space that was out of the way (so not in a hallway).  I did use up pretty much all of my yarn.  I had a few scraps left over, but nothing worth saving.  Here are the colors and the charts that I knit with them.  I made the shawl symmetric from a chart perspective.

Color 1:  Day 3 - Fathom - Chart 1

Color 2:  Day 4 - Charcoal - Chart 2

Color 3:  Day 6 - Medieval - Chart 3

Color 4:  Day 7 - Tart - Chart 4

Color 5:  Day 8 - Nocturne - Chart 5

Color 6:  Day 10 - Liquid Gold - Chart 6

Color 7:  Day 12 - Dirty Panther - Chart 7

Color 8:  Day 13 - Yucca - Chart 6

Color 9:  Day 15 - Phantasm - Chart 5

Color 10:  Day 16 - Ceremony - Chart 4

Color 11:  Day 18 - Esoteric - Chart 4

Color 12:  Day 19 - Madonna - Chart 5

Color 13:  Day 21 - Leopard - Chart 6

Color 14:  Day 22 - Wino Forever - Chart 7

Color 15:  Day 24 - Gilded - Chart 6

Color 16:  Day 25 - Cousteau - Chart 5

Color 17:  Day 26 - Beautiful Liar - Chart 4

Color 18:  Day 28 - Snake - Chart 3

Color 19:  Day 29 - Aura - Chart 2

Color 20:  Day 30 - The Feels - Chart 1

Pattern:  Birthday Bliss by Amy Gunderson

Yarns:  madelinetosh Euro Sock

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Birthday Bliss - Day 25, Color 16

Once I finished up Joy to the World I focused on Birthday Bliss.  When I last set it down I was on Day 16 Color 10.  I have done 6 more colors, well almost.  I have a few more rows of Color 10 to work.  It has felt like a bit of a slog at times, but that is partly my own fault as I am working 10 more rows than the pattern calls for in order to use up as much of the yarn as possible.  The two sections at the very bottom of the photo that are worked in the same pattern are the midpoint.  I am working the charts to make the lace pattern symmetric about the middle.  I have four more colors to go.

Color 1:  Day 3 - Fathom - Chart 1

Color 2:  Day 4 - Charcoal - Chart 2

Color 3:  Day 6 - Medieval - Chart 3

Color 4:  Day 7 - Tart - Chart 4

Color 5:  Day 8 - Nocturne - Chart 5

Color 6:  Day 10 - Liquid Gold - Chart 6

Color 7:  Day 12 - Dirty Panther - Chart 7

Color 8:  Day 13 - Yucca - Chart 6

Color 9:  Day 15 - Phantasm - Chart 5

Color 10:  Day 16 - Ceremony - Chart 4

Color 11:  Day 18 - Esoteric - Chart 4

Color 12:  Day 19 - Madonna - Chart 5

Color 13:  Day 21 - Leopard - Chart 6

Color 14:  Day 22 - Wino Forever - Chart 7

Color 15:  Day 24 - Gilded - Chart 6

Color 16:  Day 25 - Cousteau - Chart 5

Pattern:  Birthday Bliss by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  madelinetosh Euro Sock

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Birthday Bliss - Day 16, Color 10

This was another of the four projects that I took with me to Florida, although this one did not get worked on while I was down there.  All of this progress represents knitting done prior to the trip.  When I finished chart 7, the pattern instructions were to work the charts in reverse order until chart 1 and then work back up through them until you finish all of the different balls of yarn.  I decided to make my shawl symmetrical by working back through the charts until day 10, work the same chart with Day 11, then work back up to chart 7 and then work back through them to chart 1.  Because I am working extra rows to use up my yarn this is going to end up being a long scarf/shawl.

Color 1:  Day 3 - Fathom - Chart 1

Color 2:  Day 4 - Charcoal - Chart 2

Color 3:  Day 6 - Medieval - Chart 3

Color 4:  Day 7 - Tart - Chart 4

Color 5:  Day 8 - Nocturne - Chart 5

Color 6:  Day 10 - Liquid Gold - Chart 6

Color 7:  Day 12 - Dirty Panther - Chart 7

Color 8:  Day 13 - Yucca - Chart 6

Color 9:  Day 15 - Phantasm - Chart 5

Color 10:  Day 16 - Ceremony - Chart 4

Pattern:  Birthday Bliss by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  madelinetosh Euro Sock

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Birthday Bliss - Cast On

Last year Jimmy Beans Wool came out with Birthday Boxes.  They are sort of like an advent calendar but they have 31 days and they are for your birthday.  I ordered one right away and when it came I stood it in an out of the way spot to await my birthday month.  Last weekend I finally started it, ten days late.  I have to admit that I really love these sorts of set ups.  Everything that I need is right there, the knitting needles, the code for the pattern, the yarn already caked up and ready to go.  And I like opening the drawers.  This is a pretty nice box too. 

The yarn is one that I don’t think I’ve used before - madelinetosh Euro Sock.  It has a great feel and is really nice to work with.  I am working extra rows with each color to use up as much of the yarn as possible.  I have been consistently working 36 rows instead of 26.  I just restart the chart at the appropriate spot when I get to the end.  Here are the colors so far:

Day 3 - Fathom

Day 4 - Charcoal 

Day 6 - Medieval 

Day 7 - Tart

Day 8 - Nocturne 

Day 10 - Liquid Gold

Pattern:  Birthday Bliss by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  madelinetosh Euro Sock

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)

Spirits of the Season - Finished!

Well, that was a fun and surprisingly addictive knit.  I think it would be fun to knit it up in two colors.  Blocking was reasonably straightforward.

It took me several tries to get the pick up of the edging so that things lined up correctly.  The shawl wears surprisingly well also.  I wasn’t sure with the tapered design, but it actually works.  I was a little nervous knitting the last contrast color section wondering if I would have enough yarn, but I finished with almost 2 grams to spare.  Here are all the yarns used.

MC - Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock - Edwards Volvo

CC1 - Spun Right Round Merino Singles - Belly Flop

CC2 - the periwinkle sheep merino single - You Are Loved

CC3 - Hedgehog Fibres Sock - Birthday Cake

CC4 - madelinetosh Tosh Sock - Hosta Blue

CC5 - Spun Right Round Merino Singles - Moon Dance

CC6 - the periwinkle sheep merino single - Fuschia Agate

CC7 - Koigu KPPPM - P127

Pattern:  Spirits of the Season by Amy Gunderson

Yarn: Various

Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

 

Spirits of the Season - Cast On

 

Continuing my tradition of working past Advent Kits, this is the 2019 Craftvent kit from Jimmy Beans Wool.  I cast this on last Saturday as well.  Even though I get these advent kits, I don’t always abide by the open daily rule, especially if I’m not going to be working it during the intended month.  This was the first year that Jimmy Beans used the tins with magnetic bottoms on the steel plate.

I opened all of the tins and pulled out the goodies and put them into my Namaste Maker’s case.  When I discovered the mohair main color, I hunted down all of those mini-skeins and put them in a plastic bag for disposal.  I do not do mohair.  I then found another gray skein to use for the main color - a skein of Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock in Edwards Volvo.  Even though I have the pattern in electronic form and even set it up in knitCompanion I am knitting this one from the cards.  Sometimes old school is better.

Here is my progress to date.  I am currently working Day 12.  The contrast colors so far:

CC1 - Spun Right Round Merino Singles - Belly Flop

CC2 - the periwinkle sheep merino single - You Are Loved

CC3 - Hedgehog Fibres Sock - Birthday Cake

CC4 - madelinetosh Tosh Sock - Hosta Blue

I did not have a slip of paper with CC1 to tell me what the color was, only the information on the card in the tin, which at least identified the yarn.  I pulled the color name from the project page of another knitter.  Once I finish up with my four knit rows I’ll be starting on CC4.  I am weaving my ends in as I go, and carrying the main color up the side rather than cutting it.

Pattern:  Spirits of the Season by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  Various fingering weight

Needle:  US 6 (4 mm)

Jimmy Beans Craftvent 2020 - Tidings to Yew

 

I purchased a Craftvent set from Jimmy Beans Wool again this year.  This is the fifth year I have done this,  although I have only knit three of the projects.  I went a little Advent kit crazy this year.  Along with the past kits that I’ve bought that I haven’t knit up yet I think I can do a year of Advent, which is what I may do in 2021.  I haven’t even opened all of the Advent kits that I bought this year.  For some reason I decided to open this one, but obviously I did not abide by the open one a day rule.  I started this on December 3 and finished it on December 12.  I don’t feel bad about spoiling the mystery, as Jimmy Bean posts pictures of the finished project on their product page.  I think they learned one year that not everyone likes surprises.  This was an interesting knit.  The texture is a bit different because you have lace sections that are separated by slip stitch and fisherman’s rib.  I wasn’t sure how it was going to block out when I was working it, but am pleased with the result.  I couldn’t stretch the lace out as much as I normally would, but it still looks good.

170 g yarn used

Day 2 (A)- Filtered Day Dreams

Day 3 (B) - Eleven Dark

Day 5 (C) - Tiny House

Day 6 (D) - Saffron

Day 8 (E) - Donkey Ote

Day 9 (F) - Coffee Grounds

Day 11 (G) - Liquid Gold

Day 12 (H) - Ristretto

Day 14 (I) - Mars Rover

Day 16 (J) - Blood Runs Cold

Day 17 (K) - Glazed Pecan

Day 19 (L) - Oscuro

Day 20 (M) - Pink Clay

Day 22 (F) - Coffee Grounds

Day 23 (G) - Liquid Gold

Pattern:  Tidings to Yew by Amy Gunderson

Yarn:  Madeline Tosh Merino Light

Needle:  US 4 (3.5 mm)