Good to go.

My mandated one row on the chair pad is done for the day.  It feels freeing to say that.  

I went on to work on my sweater for most of the morning.  In the afternoon, I dug through a stack of bins from the wool closet.

Besides the fact that I have really nice yarn, I found something that changes me red and black sweater plan.  It started with looking at 4 skeins of Red Cascade 220 at the end of a bin.  Not enough for a sweater so I kept my eyes open on yarns that could work with red to help make a whole sweater.  I found the black Regal and was good to go.  It was all looking good till yesterday.  Yesterday I found 4 skeins of red Regal.  Should I be making the sweater with all Regal?  Now I have to think about it again so it is all going back to the bins.  Sigh.  So many great choices.

After digging in the yarn and making that discovery, it was time to put my feet up.  I decided to knit on my bed shawl.  

First up, I realized this isn't going to be a plain triangle.  It's going to be wider.  Oh well.  It will be a shawl and that is the main thing.  I  think I'm making good headway on it.  I have used about a half a ball of yarn so far.  I have 5 skeins of the teal so it will be a good size before the Hyacinth goes on for the edging.  

It feels a bit odd to be knitting on something other than a sweater.  I love knitting sweaters.  They are what I wear all the time but Shawls have their place too.  I usually wear them snuggled close to my neck to keep me cozy and warm.  I have not had a new shawl in years and years so this whole thing is sort of exciting.  

I have one more stack of bins to go through and then that process will be done for a while.  I have sweaters to knit on.  I want to work on a sock today for a little while.  I am thinking of working on my bright yellow Hiraeth sweater for the weekend.  The brilliance of the yellow will be the perfect antidote for the blustery wet weekend weather.  All good to go.

Working Away

Working away on my sweater is a very good thing for my mental health.  

I decided to add a bit of ribbed detail at the underarm.  It will help me keep track of my progress and stop any of those acres and acres of stockinette feelings that might creep in.

I don't usually suffer from that.  I love knitting stockinette in the round.  It is the most perfect thing.  It feeds and soothes me deep in my soul in a hundred ways.  But sometimes, oh those rare times, I just want it done and acres of stockinette can feel like a chore.  

The ribbed detail here feels right for this sweater.  I loved the idea of making it fully ribbed but that would have been too much.  This will be perfect.  

Working away on the chair pad?  It is sucking the life out of me and making me lose the will to live (not really).  I meant to get a whole bunch done on the thing yesterday.  I meant to work till it was done.  Could.  Not.  Do.  It.  

And then I thought, hey you.  It's your project and if you are not enjoying it, why suffer it?  I do want it done but not if it leads me to feeling blah.  I decided that I will commit to a row a day and no more.  I already did it for today and that feels good.  I can handle 5 minutes of hand work chores.

 It's now time for coffee and time to knit on something fun. 

I have always been a morning person.  I got up easily and could do the work of the day without anyone around me.  When my kids were small, it was the only time I was alone.  When I woke in the morning, I.  Had.  Energy.  I never lay in bed.  

These days, not so much.  I love laying there snuggled in the cozy warm cocoon of my blankets.  Luckily, I am retired and there is nothing urgent I need to do.  I can lay there and while away the morning.  Well not really.  There is always that morning privy run But I treasure the long slow waking. It is so wonderfully decadent.  

Because of this mornings long slow start, I am off to start my day.  See ya later.

A bit of a cast on.

I did a good bit of chair pad work yesterday.  I finished the blues with a difference.

When I started started yesterday, my yarn looked like this.

That was not enough to work up another 6 row stripe.  I figured 3, and that is pretty much what I got.  As was, I had to substitute a different blue in to finish up with the other yarns.  I just kept working on the blue rather than switching out to the black.  It just does not matter to me.  I want it finished.  

I knit on my sweater a bit and then did a bit of work in my room because it was time for a good deep sort and order of the yarn closet. I can't do it all in one day anymore.  I only got one stack of bins done, but hey.  One stack is done!  

I pulled out a couple things.

For weeks I have had my closet doors open and at the end of one box, were 4 skeins of red Cascade 220.  Or at least I hoped it was Cascade 220.  It was so I pulled it out.  A nice red sweater is always my jam. With only 4 skeins, I knew I needed something else to do a sweater.  5 or 6 skeins is usually what I need for a long sleeve sweater.  

I found 2 lone skeins of black Regal.  Wouldn't that make a great striped sweater?  I know there is a skein of cream in the stash too, and that might come into the mix of red and black too.  

I also pulled out a few yarns for a bed shawl or jacket.  I hate when my shoulders aren't covered by blankets.  Too chilly.  I need sleeves or a wrap to cover them.  

I have tons of yarn which would be great for this.  I picked out these.  They were sitting in a bag together and looked really good.  I pulled out a second but very different skein of the Hyacinth Eden yarn from the now long gone RCY.  I am going to make a basic triangle shawl with the teal Ultra Alpaca Light and will add a deep lace edging in the two skeins of Eden.  Games might have to be played with gauge.  The Eden is heavier than the Ultra Alpaca Light but I think I can make it work.  I started with a 4.5 mm needle.  That is loose for the teal, but perfect for the Eden.  

It took quite a few tries to get it going but everything is good now.

It will be fine no matter how it turns out.  It's for me in bed so looks are not a huge thing.  Warmth is and the Ultra Alpaca Light will be great for that.

So, the day will be busy and full.  Knitting and crochet in the morning and digging in yarn in the afternoon.  Sounds like a great day to me.

Time to be getting on

I did a try on of my Sock Monkey and or Work Sock sweater yesterday.  I knew it would fit one way or the other but I worried that it may have too much ease.  I wanted comfortable, not sloppy.  

It's perfectly comfortable.  

I think I am falling in love with this yarn all over again too.  Knitting back and forth with it on the yoke was great but in the round on blunt tipped wood needles?  Sublime.  It has such a great texture too.  It's crepe structure gives it a completely different look but it is subtle in the most beautiful way. 

It makes me wish Australia was closer to Canada so I could order it more often.  Ah well.

I intend to be responsible today and work on my chair pad.  I really want to get that out of my way.  I want to get them all out of the way.  I keep telling myself one step at a time.  If I have to force myself to do it, I have to force myself.  

The other thing I need to get to work on is shoes. My search for a comfortable pair has produced nothing in my budget so since it is now time to wear socks again, it is time.  I have assembled all the parts and just need to start.   The goal is to get going by Friday.

I have also avoided tidying my sewing room and it is well past time to get in some sewing.  This is a task I need to get into in a big way.  I talk about sewing but the two pairs of leggings/pants that are waiting have been sitting there, unfinished for a year now.  Past time.  

Much to do and though I have not regained everything summer took out of me, I have regained enough to be getting on with things.   

Forever.

Yeah.  No.  Not getting it done in one week of desultory work.  I had to stop yesterday because I took a stitch and looked at it and thought, good heavens, I hate this.  I made it to thenext blue stripe though so I am good with that.  

I am going to knit today and enjoy it.  Because I can.  The Sock Monkey sweater is almost ready for a try on so that is what I will aim for this weekend.  Good to go.

Determined

Made it!  

I made it to the next black stripe and am officially halfway.  Or mostly halfway.  This is going to get done this week by gosh.  

I am determined.

I did not get to the sewing room.  Maybe today.

Crocheting again!

I did not knit at all yesterday.  I did however, go back to a work project.  

My wing has sorted itself out enough to crochet and I dearly want to get this project done.  Today I am devoting my time to getting this done.  

It isn't that I don't like crochet.  I do.  I have done that much longer than knitting.  What I don't enjoy is making towel toppers and that kind of serviceable things that have no creativity in them.  Like chair pads.  I really appreciate the wool to sit on but I deeply dislike the making process.  Plus I just want this yarn out of my wool closet!

It may take a day or two to get the chair pad done but it is going to get done. And then I am going into my sewing room to sort it out.  It's been a while since I did anything in there and it shows.  Time to get it prepped and tidied for actual sewing.  

I hope to get to those things today.  We shall see.  

Victorious

I did almost no knitting since Friday.  It was just a wonderfully busy weekend.  I played with kids and had so much fun. My entire knit time for Saturday, Sunday and Monday was a few rows on a sock toe.  

I did get in a good bit of knitting on Friday though.  

Underarm join!  

It is barely a join but it is a join.  

Take your victories where you can.

Close

I made it close to my goals that were not goals.  I have 4 rows left to knit till it's time for the joining at the underarms.

 It's looking like a mess at the moment.  I would show you the other side but that might depress you.  It's all ends and stitches on hold and other needle ends.

I would have made it to the join but I realized I was having a major issue.  When I picked out a needle to work on making the back longer, I picked from several lengths and sizes.  I knew there was at least one 4 mm in there.  However as I was sizing them, I grabbed the 5 mm needle.  I knit several rows with the 5 and had to pull back and redo with the proper needle.  I'm just glad I noticed it before the sweater was half done.  

It's going to be a long day.  Kids are coming for Thanksgiving and I need to do a deep clean.  Busy busy.  But first coffee and a bit of knitting.  

I love knitting.

I was putzing around yesterday and ended up doing something unexpected.  

I was getting ready to join for the underarms.  When I do that, I like to pin it together along the sleeve edges and make certain that both parts are the right length.  Most often this means they ought to match. And they did but...the whole thing looked awfully short.  I measured and it should be fine.  

That niggling feeling stayed with me and I made a brave and foolish decision.  Go longer.  The front was completed yesterday so today I have to make the back longer.  With a bit of luck and some steady knitting, I hope to get the underarm join done today.  

I realize that this extra inch or so may make the whole sweater look looser and larger and sloppier.  That is sort of what I am aiming for anyway.  All good.

All these little things, these little choices, little decisions are so much fun.  It keeps it all deeply interesting and supremely fulfilling.  I love knitting.  I love, love, love knitting. 

I have great neighbour's.

Simply the best.

Updated to give you the whole yard.

Joined

I made it. I joined fronts!

It's got a nice wide neck opening so I can make a good warm doubled over collar.  

As I approach the bottom of the sleeve opening, I am thinking a lot about knitting the collar and the sleeves.  Lots of people feel it is easier and that it gives you a better idea about how it will fit. I'm not so sure.  I hate all the end flopping in and out with no place to tuck them and I hate dealing with the bottom stitches on hold.  For me, this is usually an option I don't go for.

Besides, I'm eagerly looking forward to knitting the body in the round.  It's a combination of yarn and needles and just eagerly awaiting brainless knitting.  All of my sweaters are at thinking places, and I just want to get over that.  I feel a bit like a kid stuck in a car, asking are we there yet hoping this will be over soon.

I hope to get to the front and back join today.  That would be the nicest treat for myself.  One more day of a big push to get this fun sweater well on the way to complete.

A toe is a toe is a toe.

So here we are.  It's Monday again.  Wasn't it just Wednesday?  

I kept working on my Farmer Sock sweater.  

 I have two more increases to go before I can scoot across to join both fronts.  I am trying to make a more open neckline so I can have a wider ribbed neckline.  We shall see how that plan goes.

On Sunday I did not want to think.  So I didn't.   I was so lazy I did not even dig in the WIPs bin for an ongoing project.  I grabbed the sock yarn bag and started a new sock.

First yarn at the top was some Kroy.  Too bad Kroy is now shipped from the US. It has been one of my favourite sock yarn and  I don't buy from US sources these days.  I haven't since 2016.  I try to stick to European makers instead.  

I didn't get huge amounts of work done, but a toe is a toe is a toe.  Good enough for me.  I kind of like the way this colourway is working up.  It is so much nicer looking than in the skein.  The only part I don't really like is the grey.  It just feels wrong with the richness of the browns and oranges. Too bad it isn't a deep purple.  Still, when it's all done up it might be just right.  We shall wait and see.

And that was my weekend.  I need to go back to one day a week for socks and working on a different sweater on the weekends. It will keep my mind fresh and strong and vibrant.  I am going to try that this week.

The long way

I am almost finished with the first front piece and I am miffed.

I need to pull it back and redo.  Le sigh.

I did a ratio of neckline increases that doesn't work.  I debated doing a shawl style collars but that is not what I had in mind for this sweater.  Back to the drawing board.  I have also realized that I don't really want a v neck either.  I want a nice crew neck.  A workman type crew neck.  Something simple to show off a good work sock edging with a nice clean red stripe.  

So if everyone else is going forward with their knitting, great.  I am too but I am taking the long way around to get there.