Yarn Along

I have some fun finished items to share on the yarn along this week.

 

But first I have to say congratulations to the Ginny and her family for their newest addition!!!

God Bless your family.

 

Now onto knits. I finished my Coyote Trail.  I was hoping to get better pictures of it, but I had left my tripod in my father's car after the alpaca show and my battery was dead for my remote shutter for my camera. So I had to use my manikin instead.  I love how this turned out and I love the colors of the Fable Fiber Novel Yarn. I used Amelie and Fairy Garden.

 



The pattern says you can do one, two or three repeats of the lace edging. I did two repeats.

 

I was a little worried about the lace edging, but it was such a simple edging. It was so easy to keep the pattern in my head and there were lots of check points so I didn't make any mistakes which was very nice.

 

The pattern calls for the use of like one million stitch markers. Okay maybe more like a hundred or so. I used jump rings.  I usually use jump rings for my stitch markers. I like that they are small and cheap and I can have hundreds of them and they only cost a few dollars for a set of 100.  The designer suggests cutting up straws to use as markers. So that is an option too.

 

I got some finished pictures of my Celes Shawl. I love this knit. I can't wait to get some use out of it.  I used Isager Alpaca 2. It is a blend of 50% alpaca and 50% merino.

 

 

 

 

I also can share pictures of my Antrorse Sweater. I finished this back in September, but the pattern was just released so I can share it here.

 

 

The pattern was designed by Shannon Cook.  She and Jane Richmond just published a book called Journey. I am very excited that as a gift for test knitting I got copies of all the patterns in the book and a copy of the book.  The book is available for pre-order now you can find out more info here.

 

I wanted to get better pictures and hopefully I will soon, but remember my tripod was still missing and I still didn't get a battery for the remote shutter.

 

I wanted to show off the seamless construction of the sweater. I love when I can knit a sweater in the round!

 

I used Cascade Eco Cloud yarn for this sweater. It is soooooo soft. It is a blend of merino and alpaca in natural colors. This sweater is so comfy and I am so glad that the pattern was released so I can enjoy wearing it out and about.

 

 

For my mindless knitting these days. I frogged my Kex scarf and casted on a To Infinity & Beyond Scarf. I just made that name up. I am not following a pattern I am just knitting in around over and over again and occasionally changing colors. I am using the Isager Alapca 2 for this project. I want a big long squishy scarf and I think this will be perfect. I might join the ends together to make an infinity scarf. We'll see. This is truly a mindless knit and it lives in my car and I work on it here and there completely aimlessly.

 

 

I have decided everyone is getting handmade socks from me this year for Christmas.  I have no money, but lots of sock yarn. So let the sock extravaganza begin.  But first I am making myself a pair of Simple Skyp socks. I have made these socks quite a few times before, but never for myself. I am using mystery yarn. I am not totally sure what it is. I think it might be a Miss Bab's yarn, but I'm not 100% sure.

I've also been getting a lot of spinning done. I'm hoping to use the yarn for some socks :)

 

For reading I finished listening to "The Woman in White". I really like it. The audio book was 26 hours long and it got me through the knitting of my Celes.

 

Now I'm listening to "The Dirty Life: a Memoir of Farming, Food & Love". It is the memoirs of a girl who goes from being a city girl to a farmer.

 

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along

 

 **Update**

A pattern I had test knitted was just released so I'm adding it to this post.

 

Temperate Mitts

 

I used Juniper Moon Farm Sabine yarn. It is a combination of cotton, merino and llama.

I love how quick these knitted up. I think they would make a great gift.

BTW it is extra hard to take pics of fingerless mitts without a tripod :)

 

 

 

 

Temperate Hat & Friday Stuff

Another pattern I test knitted was released yesterday. It is the Temperate Hat. I really enjoyed making this hat. I actually made two of them. Also for the record I took entirely too many selfies the other day. I went through entirely too many pictures of myself, yikes!  But really the hats don't look the same laying on the table. Thank goodness for tripods and remote shutters.

The gray hat is done with Sweet Fiber Yarns Silk Cashmere Aran. Soft doesn't even begin to describe this yarn it is dreamy.

 

The redish, green mixed one I made with Malabrigo Twist in the colorway Liquid Amber.  

The pattern calls for the cables to go up the back when it is worn. I was a rebel and wore them to the side.

I believe I will be making more of these hats plus the other one I posted and I will have them for sale at the farm. I also think I will be adding them to my Etsy shop since I have had a lot of requests for my hand knits. I think I'll be posting what I have for sale at the end of the month. I'll keep you posted.

 

In other Friday news. I had to take the boys to the dentist. Brady needed sealers on his molars and Tiny needed a frenectomy.  I have known for over a year that he has had to have this done and I have been dreading this appointment. His fernum (the small piece of tissue the goes from inside the lip  to the gums in-between the front two incisors) was very very tight. So tight his top lip didn't move. So today he had to have it cut. He was so brave and sat perfectly still and the dentist got the job done.

 

After we left the dentist I told Tiny the reason the dentist had to do that to his lip was so that he could talk better. For the rest of the day my typically very shy kid around strangers announced to everyone he met very proudly "The dentist cut my lip with a pointy thing and now I can talk!"

 



 

He was getting such a kick out of moving his top lip he was cracking me up.

I am very glad I didn't give him any heads up about the procedure. I am so glad it is over and I am so glad to see Tiny so happy about being able to talk now. 

After the dentist appointment we came home and I got some work done and Rudee was begging to go outside. She wanted to lay on the deck and sun bath. So I decided to bring my knitting outside and keep an eye on her. I can't let her out by herself because she can sneak through the fence. Although she doesn't really try we still have to keep a close eye on her. I also enjoyed the excuse to knit during the day! Even if it was only for twenty minutes.



 

I left my yarn on the chair and ran inside quickly to check my work email. Within seconds Rudee came running through the house with my Coyote Trail Shawl on my needles and yarn dragging behind her. You have no idea how fast I ran to catch her. She made it under Tiny's bed with her prize and luckily I was able to get it from her without a stitch out of place!

 

How could I ever get mad at her cute little face. I think she felt bad and hasn't tried to get my yarn again.

 

 

In exciting news look at what I got in the mail!

 

 

A prize I won from My Sister's Knitter KAL. I won a skein of Tosh Light. I love it!!! Andi who runs the Ravelry group is some what of a sock knitting junkie. I think I will have to make myself a pair of socks. I have never made myself socks before. I have made them, but never for myself.  I can't wait to get them casted on.

 

Saturday we are heading to the Laurita Winery Harvest Festival. We went last year and had so much fun (you can see my post about it here). We have been looking forward to going back all year!

 

I hope you have a great weekend!



Yarn Along- Starfish Hat

I have had cast on fever over here. I have so many projects going on my needles and off I can't seem to keep up with all my notes and photographs.

I have made huge progress on my Celes shawl.  Thanks to the audiobook "The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins narrated by Roger Rees, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, Judy Geeson.

I am enjoying the book so much! I have been suffereing from Downton Abbey withdraw and this book is totally filling that void.  I don't think I would be enjoying it as much if I hadn't seen all the season of Downton Abbey. But since I have I can really picture what is going on in the book. If you are having Downton Abbey withdraw I highly recommend this read. My Celes shawl is a pattern that I have to look at the pattern the entire time I am working on it. So to have an audio book to listen to is fantastic. I was finding it difficult to watch TV or movies with this pattern since my eyes always have to be on the paper.  I think one more night of knitting and I'll be blocking this!

For the times that I do want to watch TV I am working on my Coyote Trail. The pattern is by Romi and I just love it. I have started it before but I didn't love the colors I was using. I am much happier with these fun colors.  I wish I could wear it to the wine festival this weekend, but I don't think that is going to happen. The yarn is by Fable Fibers and I purchased it at Chelsea Yarn.

In other fun knitting I have or am about to release one of my original patterns. It is a Starfish Hat. Or if you prefer a Sea Star Hat.  It is a basic beanie hat, but the decrease is done in the way to create the look of a starfish.

 

I've made several of them, but have gifted them before I've had the chance to photograph them for clean up my notes so I could write up a proper pattern.  The hat above I gifted to a friend of ours and I decided to get another one on the needles quick, write my notes and get it published as a free pattern on Ravelry. Because doesn't everyone need a Starfish hat? I think so.

 

Tiny and Rudee helped me out with pictures. Although the hat is slightly smaller than it should be for Tiny's head it still gives you the idea of the Starfish.

 

The Anzula Squishy yarn is a fingering weight yarn. It is 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon and 100% oh la la. It is even machine washable.

 

My super talented sister is saving my pattern as a PDF and I should have it posted on Ravelry today. I can't wait to see everyone's versions of it.  Since I am posting it as a free pattern I didn't include gauges and many other sizes. I will however update it as I make new ones.

 

In movie news did you see the teaser trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire??? I got chills from head to toe when I saw it. It is in theaters on my birthday. Guess what I'm doing on my Birthday :) I have been very excited about the release of this movie and I loved seeing all the handknits in the trailer! We are going to HAVE to do a Hunger Games Knit Along!!!

 

That gray sweater vest thing Katniss is wearing. I have to have one!

 

Joining with Ginny's Yarn Along