WIP Wednesday

It's seems I've mainly done WIP posts this month. I swear I have finished things but when Friday comes around the energy I use for blogging is long gone. Maybe I should start scheduling posts again? Think I was a better blogger when I did that. 

Anyway, here are my WIP's for this week. At the end is a spoiler of Jen's latest MKAL. 

I finished crocheting all the snowflakes for my Tree of Snowflakes. Ran out of yarn making the bigger flakes so I frogged the mini ones. Then crocheted new mini ones in plain white yarn. Hopefully having 5 mini snowflakes being different is better than having 2 big snowflakes different.

Now I need to weave in a bunch of ends, block them and attach them to the fabric. 

Prairie Hills shawl saw some attention this week. Yarn seems to pool every couple repeats which is okay. Won't be as noticeable once it's wrapped around my neck. Right?

Lifesavers cardigan got most of the attention this week. It has been great television knitting for Star Trek: Discovery and Alias Grace. Need to knit about 10 more rows and then I can separate the sleeves from the body.

And I signed up to do another test knit for Sarah of Imagined Landscapes. I won't be able to show you any progress pictures until the pattern is published but I can share the yarn I'm going to use. The pattern is part of her +1 Pop Collection. I'm using a bit of Cascade Heritage sock I had leftover from my Low Tide cardigan (which I finished two years ago but still haven't added finished pics to my ravelry page? But it's in a blog post here.). And some lovely yarn from Dragon Strings bought at my LYS, Stix and Stones. It's an OOAK on their Phoenix Wings base, in the Mirrored colourway. Website for Dragon Strings can be found here.

Spoiler for Jen's MKAL is next.

Making slow progress on clue 1. Need to knit two more pattern repeats. Clue 2 comes out Friday so you still have plenty of time to join and get caught up. As a patron of Jen's, I've already seen a little sneak peek of clue 2, and I think I'm going to change to blue for it. 

What have you been working on this week? My poor second sock is still waiting for me to knit it's heel so it wasn't included this week. Maybe next week? And I think I might have to challenge myself to another Socktober next month to finish up the second sock and get a couple pairs knit for Christmas. I'm way behind on that (as in I don't have any gift socks knit up yet!)

Friday Finishes - 3 Shawls!

Hope everyone who celebrates had a good Thanksgiving yesterday. And I hope to do a little shopping today, then I'll be watching Gilmore Girls with my daughter. Very excited! 

Anyway, I'm finally getting around to posting these shawls today. They have been finished for a while but getting modeled pictures taken just kept being forgotten. Let's get to it.

Flower Garden shawl. Pattern by Jen Lucas of Knitting Like Crazy. I picked this yarn (knit picks Stroll sock yarn in the Forest Heather colourway) and pattern the night my mom called to say she had lung cancer. We now know it wasn't cancer but a slightly rare infection but she still had part of her lung removed last month- which helped with the clear diagnosis and saved her from endless tests while they tried to figure it out. She will now be taking medication for four months to try and kill the infection completely. I knew I wanted to knit her something that would stay on her shoulders while she rested, watched tv or read. I've had it finished for a while but didn't want to post it until she received it. I'm actually wearing a tank top and shorts in the modeled photos.

It's nice and light, but provides that extra bit of warmth you sometimes need when your upper half is covered by the warmth of a quilt on the couch.

Sits nicely on the shoulders. I still need a picture of my mom using it.

Nice, simple pattern was quick to knit up. Think it would be fun in a worsted weight yarn. Then it would be perfect for sitting outside on cool evenings.

Close-up of the flower border detail.

Bradway shawl. Pattern by Shannon of Very Shannon. A worsted weight shawl, it is so warm and comfy. It will be hard to put this one under the tree for somebody else next month, but I will. Can you tell I have plans to make myself a nice, warm, worsted weight shawl soon? Once the Christmas knitting is complete... one is going on the needles for me.

It was really cold when we took these pictures.

So warm! Love it.

I haven't taken measurements but the shawl is huge. 

Love the colours. Yarn is Cascade 220 but I don't know which colours. I thought I bought them at The Loopy Ewe but I can't find them in my order history. I was a little unsure about using two dark colours but I was trying to use stash and not buy yarn. I think the blue/teal really helps. I added a few extra garter rows in the last section since I was trying to use up all the yarn and I wanted the shawl to have more colour. I then knit one brown row before binding off with the brown. Think the dark colour on the edge really helped define it.

A texture pic.

And last, but certainly not least. Another shawl designed by Jen. This was her MKAL this fall. I don't think the shawl has an official name yet. I ended up making a few mods to this pattern since the one clue was causing me a lot of trouble. Go here to see what the shawl is actually suppose to look like. I think I like mine better.

All wrapped up.

Ended up being a fairly long shawl.

Detail shot. Even with aggressive blocking, my points didn't stay pointy. Got an almost ruffley edge which is okay. Wish they had stayed a little pointy.

Have you finished anything this week? I have a quilt to share next week and I'm close to finishing several other projects. Guess I better go watch some Gilmore Girls and get them done.

Blocking Day!

Well, last week seemed like a good week to take off from blogging and just craft. Today I'm back with a couple finished knits that are finally being blocked. Both were finished last week but I didn't get them blocked until today. Hopefully they'll be dry and have some nicer pictures of them taken to share on Friday.

Here are the two shawls that have been patiently waiting. Top is the MKAL shawl designed by Jen of Knitting Like Crazy. The bottom shawl is Bradway, designed by Shannon of Very Shannon. Bradway is a Christmas present, while I might keep the MKAL shawl for myself. Still waiting to hear what Jen will call this shawl design so for now it is the MKAL shawl.

The MKAL shawl needed a lot of blocking wires and pins to take shape. Should be lovely once it's dry. Apologies for the lighting in the blocking photos. Our bedroom doesn't have the best lighting when things are on the floor.

Bradway shawl much easier to block. No pins or wires. Just straightened it out and am hoping it dries quickly. It is worsted weight yarn and really sucked up the water during it's bath. A nice, warm shawl for winter.

What have you been up to the past week?

WIP Wednesday - 2 Weeks Worth

     Last week was a little stressful and busy, and some things, like blogging, got ignored. My mother had surgery last week. She is doing well now and is back home. Good news is what they thought was cancer, isn't. Now she's learning how to live with part of her lung removed while doctors figure out exactly what the growth in her lung was. I've been very happy to have knitting and other crafts to help distract me while I sat at home waiting to hear news about my mom. It was really nice talking to her yesterday for about 30 minutes, laughing and catching up (i.e. complaining about the kids), knowing she was finally healing.

     Anyway, I took pictures to post for WIP Wednesday last week, but just didn't get them posted. Thought I'd include them in this week's post.

     By last Wednesday I had finished the first clue of the MKAL that Jen is doing. A nice, simple, straight forward clue.

     By this Wednesday I had the second clue complete. It's best seen in close ups as the leaves tend to curl up when I lay it out flat. There are 25 leaves, each knit individually so there are a lot of ends to weave in. I also started Clue 3 last night (not seen above) which is really neat.

     Floyd had turned the flash on, without my knowing, before I took this photo. Think it kind of helped see the pattern. This should look awesome after blocking.

      Last Wednesday, I was done the leg and heel and was working on the foot of a sock. I finished knitting the foot and started the toe decreases during the final debate last Wednesday. 

     Thursday, I finished the sock. I cast on the second sock this weekend. It's been going a little slower. I did my first Fish Lips Kiss heel with this sock and I'm wondering what took me so long. Love it. It's also my first time using 2.25mm needles and 72 stitches for a sock. 

     Last week I felt like crocheting so I got out the yarn to make more snowflakes. I now have 12 of 22 made. I think I need to decide what fabric these snowflakes will go on. That might help me get motivated to finish them up. And weave in all those ends.

     And this week, when I haven't been working on the MKAL shawl or the sock, I've been working on this shawl. It's kind of close to being done; you just knit until you run out of yarn or like the length. I think I'm going to make it a bit bigger. Sorry for the crappy location for the picture. It is rainy and overcast today and this was the only spot in the whole house with any decent light.

What have you been working on this week?

I have 4 finishes to share. I'll probably share a couple on Friday, but not all as some are gifts. I know I still need to take pictures of one so I hope it stops raining soon.

WIP Wednesday

     It's time for another edition of WIP Wednesday. I have a few knit WIP's to share this week and a quilt WIP. I've been trying to focus on just a couple projects at a time to get more finished. It's working as I have several finishes to show you this Friday.  Let's get started.

     The Flower Garden shawl has been my main knitting focus. I would like to get this finished as soon as possible. I force myself to knit several rows before doing any selfish knitting (see WIP's below). I'm on my fourth pattern repeat. There's suppose to be one more but I might add an extra repeat (24 rows) since I have enough yarn. The yarn is dark green and almost impossible to take a picture of.

I've done a few more rows of the MKAL since yesterday. Still have lots more to go for this clue.

     And one of the finishes I'll share on Friday is an Astrid hat. I still had some yarn leftover from it and the Beacon Hill cardigan so I altered the hat pattern to make an Astrid cowl. I added extra stitches and will do at least 8 pattern repeats before doing the top border. This has become my take along project since I have the pattern memorized. 

      Last week was a crazy one. I spent 20 hours working on a fundraiser at my older son's school. So, I spent the weekend trying to get in some selfish time. Saturday afternoon I had a 4 hour nap (yeah, it was pretty great) and that evening, I sewed the Cuzco Corners quilt blocks together into a quilt top. The quilt is lap size, roughly 57 x 66.5 inches. Above it is laying on our full size bed.

Love the little pops of colour on the black background.

More pops of colour.

     Today I enjoyed the afternoon sunshine in the living room and basted it. Pins are at a weird angle as I plan to quilt this with diagonal lines. I placed the pins so they won't be in my way. Or at least that's the plan. We'll see what happens when I get the quilt under the needle.

What have you been working on this week?

A New Knitting Book and MKAL time!

     I should have titled this post a Jen Lucas Designs/Knitting Like Crazy post since that is all I'm going to write about. Last month, Jen went on vacation and asked those who are part of her ravelry group to help answer any questions knitters might have while she was away. I helped answer two questions and as a thank you...

... Jen sent me this book. Totally unexpected, it arrived on my doorstep last week.

Above is the hat designed by Jen. Of course, it's my favourite from the book.

But I like this hat, too.

     And this smocked one looks fun to knit. This book arrived just in time for some holiday knitting. Thanks, Jen.

     And Jen usually does a Mystery Knit-Along (MKAL) in November. This year she moved the start date to October as some have commented that the MKAL was too close to the holidays. The first clue was released today so there is plenty of time to join. Go here to find out more.

Floyd helped wind yarn yesterday.

Hoping there is enough contrast between the two yarns.

This isn't much of a spoiler but I couldn't resist casting on today. 

I've been Quilting. And some knitting too.

My quilting mojo, which has been missing for most of the year, hit me hard about a week ago. Since then I've finished one quilt (which I'll share here tomorrow). Ironed, cut fabrics and started piecing two more. I also basted and started quilting another quilt. I also pulled out fabric and planned another.

I finished piecing this top in Idaho in 2011. I had planned to quilt it and put it on our bed but never did. I finally pieced a back for it earlier this year but it has been sitting crumpled in a heap under my quilt table waiting to be basted. I laid it out on our bed for a day hoping that would be enough to avoid yet another ironing. I've ironed the quilt top several times thinking I was going to quilt it soon but didn't.

I had to use almost a whole nap time to baste it as I had to redo half of it, but here it is waiting to be quilted.

And under the needle. I am doing all over free-motion quilting with white thread. Not sure I'll have enough white thread to finish but my fingers are crossed. I'm probably going to give this as a gift this Christmas. I love it but I'm okay parting with it.

Here is Floyd "helping" me when I took it out to see if I had to iron it.

And helping me put the binding on the quilt I'll show tomorrow.

Here is the beginning of the third Christmas quilt my mother requested. There will be 15 of each colour.

The beginnings of a wintery quilt for us.

 I've squeezed in a little knitting too. This is the beginning of clue 2 of Jen's Mystery KAL. I'm not even going to try and explain what's going on but it sure is fun knitting.

And I started a pair of fingerless gloves for my daughter's stocking. Pattern is Cobblestone Mitts in Jen's latest book, Sock Yarn Accessories. 

And don't worry mom, I'm still working on my NaNoWriMo novel. I'll give an update on that tomorrow, too.