Practically Anything - Finished!

I finished this up this past Monday, but haven't been able to get a picture until today.  We had rain most of the week, but today we actually had some sun.

The pictures were a little awkward to take.  Usually I kneel on the futon, which gets me at a good height and gives me some stability, but Jasmine was stretched out in a sunbeam and I couldn't disturb her.

This is the yarn that I dyed at the retreat this past April.  This was basically an experiment, so I stuck with basic colors - no mixing.  Next year I really need to play with some other colors and try a subtle gradiance.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Wild Thing
Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm)

Practically Anything - Five Skeins Done

I spent most of yesterday working on this, listening to classical radio (WETA) and reading Electra by Kerry Greenwood.  Kerry wrote the Phryne Fisher mysteries, which I thoroughly enjoyed and the Corinna Chapman mysteries, which I also enjoyed although I still don't understand how a bakery can survive if it isn't open on weekends, especially when it is supplying local restaurants.  Electra is the third book in the Delphic Woman series, which has been a lot of fun to read.  The three books are Medea, Cassandra and Electra.  Three iconic women.  I like how she has told their stories, and I like the fact that she does her homework.

I came home early from work - only worked a half day - so we could mow the lawn before it started raining.  It is forecast to start raining tonight and rain for most of the rest of the week.  We've been experimenting with our yard, which was taken over by an invasive ground cover that thrives in the woods around here.  We like it because we are not big on yard work, but it had gotten a little out of hand in the sunny spots.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Wild Thing
Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm)

Practically Anything - Four Skeins Done

For the past 20 days I've been working on a test knit, but before I had started that project I had almost gotten through the fourth skein of my vest.  I have another test knit I need to get started on, but I decided to take a little break today and work on some of my other projects.  This morning I finished up the last few rows of the blue-green skein and joined the blue skein.

I can't share any details of the test knit that I just finished up, as it is for a club and must remain a surprise.  I will say that I really like the colorway.  I can share my yarn choice for the next test knit I need to work on - The Velveteen Rabbit, which is the next Unique Sheep Mystery Knit Along.  Ellen of Earthfaire has been working with Kelly of The Unique Sheep on some wonderful circle colorways made up of 12 skeins.  I offered to do my test knit in one of those circles so we would be able to provide the transition points for those sets as well as the traditional 6-skein sets.  This is the colorway that I chose - Enchanted Garden.

I still haven't decided on the bead color yet, but I have several options in my bead stash.  I spent some of last night grooming the charts and setting up the project in my knitCompanion, and putting together my Excel spreadsheet to calculate the stitch count and transition points.  I even cast on and worked a few rows, but I think I'm going to restart and go up a needle size before I really get going on the first clue.

I also got some new yarn in over the last few weeks - as if I need any more yarn in this house.  I did successfully complete all three projects this past summer for Camp Loopy, so I had to select my reward.  I ended up picking the skein on the left in the picture below.

I then had to pick a coordinating color to go with it as I have really been wanting to make Sivia's Layer Cake Shawl.  This is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Color in the Clouds and Grapevine.  And of course while I was at the The Loopy Ewe web site some other yarn found its way into my cart.

This is madelinetosh Tosh DK in Liquid Gold and I bought it to make Sinua, from the Fall 2016 Twist Collective.

I also had some Jimmy Beans Bucks that were set to expire at the end of this month, so of course I had to find something there to spend them on and ended up with this yarn, which is also madelinetosh Tosh DK, in Havana.  I'm going to use this to make Caledonia, from the Fall 2014 Twist Collective.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Wild Thing
Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm)

Practically Anything - Three Skeins Done

I finished up the green skein yesterday and started on the green-blue skein.  The body knitting goes very quickly, and this is perfect knitting for movie watching.

This project is taking a bit of a back seat now though as I have two test knits that I need to work on.  I cast on one of the test knits yesterday - a shawl for a new Unique Sheep club.  I also have the test knit for the next Unique Sheep Mystery Knit Along.


Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Wild Thing
Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm)

Practically Anything - 2 skeins down

This project knits up fairly quickly, and I've gone through my yellow skein and my yellow-green skein.  I have knit a few rows with the green skein.  I have cast off the overarm stitches, cast on the underarm stitches, and am now working the body.  This is an easy, soothing and satisfying knit.  A project that allows you to enjoy the yarn.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Wild Thing
Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm)

Practically Anything

I dyed this yarn at The Unique Sheep Retreat this past April.  I decided to try an experiment.  I wanted saturated colors and simple changes, so I dyed a solid yellow, a yellow-green, a green, a green-blue, a blue and a blue-purple.  We'll see how it turns out.  The yarn is Wild Thing, a worsted weight silk-wool blend that I first used on the Lothlorien Cape.  It is very nice to work with.

For a pattern I picked the Practically Vest, a pattern which I've knit before.  I wanted something top-down so I could use all of my yarn, and simple.

Pattern:  Practically by Kelly Herdrich
Yarn:  The Unique Sheep Wild Thing
Needles:  US 6 (4.0 mm)