I Knit Something!

 This is my 4th post this year. Wow. A new low. That indicates also, how little I've knit (or sewn, or crafted) this year. Until the end of June I was too swamped with work. Then I started the summer out with an injured toe. I was sitting a lot, but researching a vacation, learning Canva, and doing digital art. The toe recovery created knee issues which required more time doing nothing. As vacation loomed, I realized I didn't want to (or needed to) knit dish cloths again. I really wanted a couple shrugs. They're so versatile. When the air conditioning is blasting in the truck, when you go into a building with A/C, in the fall when you're warm inside but need a bit more on your arms under your coat. I had a "white" one I knit on the Singer 327 a long time ago (2010?!). I like that one, but the ruffle on the sleeves is a bit much sometimes, especially inside a jacket. I did a lot of searching of the books I have, and my "queue" on Ravelry, and opted for 

A shrug would be perfect road trip knitting, right? Haaa Haaa. I'm not sure exactly when I started, but it was before we actually left. I have a swatch picture from July 23, though it's not the stitch pattern I ended up using. I ended up using Drop Stitch Shrug pattern but modified the shape a bit.

We left on Aug 6 (at 4:38AM!), and I'm sure I had cast on before we left because I knew I would not be able to do that in the dark. I remember I did a crochet cast on so that the cast on and cast off would match. I sort of recall doing it at a "Brass on the Grass" concert (free summer concert by our local brass band), and trying to remember how to do it, especially since I didn't have a crochet hook with me.

As I got into this, I realized I had probably misjudged the gauge and so I increased more for the arm. I had a hard time working the increases into the double rib pattern. As such, the seam on one arm is okay, the other arm, not so much. When I finally got to sewing up, I was done with it. 

I also had a hard time remembering to add the yarn over to the first group of stitches on every other pattern repeat. When the pattern had you drop the yarn over in the first group, it was easy to remember, but when it started with just a knit 2, it was hard to remember to yarn over--even though it came right after a marker!! Then I'd discover this 6 rows later. The yarn over is not just for lace, it creates a stitch that gets dropped after six rows, and it only drops down to the yarn over row. You can't add in that extra width that is created by the dropped stitch (like how with a lace pattern you can squeeze in a yarn over and ladder up a few rows...if you then try to drop that stitch, the ones on either side close in again). So, I'd knit 12 rows, take out 6. After a few times, I'd take out four, then twist the strand into a yarn over two rows below.  Eventually I started to check more carefully. It probably didn't help that most of the trip was raining, or I was navigating.

I added length to the sleeves. I added width to the cast on bit (I was basically trying to recreate the white shrug). Apparently I didn't add the same to both edges (these get sewn together at one underarm). Then, on the back, I apparently added a whole new column to the stitch pattern instead of ribbing it (I had lost the stitch marker for the left edge). I was not ripping back. It is noticeable :( as it's in the middle of the back. I thought maybe if the top rolled over, it wouldn't show. The top doesn't roll over, the bottom doesn't roll under, but it's under my hair if I wear it with the mistake at the top.

I actually started two shrugs. I thought this was going to be a quick knit. I underestimated the yarn thickness. It's Sirdar "Country Style" Double Knitting  (45% acrylic 40% nylon, 15% wool). I had found a stash of it years ago on sale at a yarn store (I think) and bought it up to make a cardigan. I had envisioned a Fair Isle band around the bottom and a shawl collar (yes, I might be an 80 year old man). Then I found even more of it somewhere else....so I have a few colours. The recommended gauge is 4mm, 22st/28rows. I ended up using 3.5mm. What?! That's the needles on the end table beside where I had been knitting the last few rows. No way I knit this on 3.5mm. I know it couldn't be knit too loose or the dropped stitches would lose their shape, but 3.5mm?! No wonder it took me so bloody long.

Once school started again, I really didn't have many opportunities to knit. I don't watch TV anymore. We switched from Rogers to Bell, so I lost hours of recorded series, movies, and special shows. I tried to watch TV again, but 1)the commercials drove me crazy 2) I couldn't find my stations and the guide channel was in French and not helpful and 3) I couldn't figure out the recording options. Finally, I was determined to finish.

I didn't do the greatest job with seaming one sleeve. I couldn't tell where to go in the edge stitch. When I had set up the pattern, I didn't think ahead to seaming. All in all, not my greatest knit. I do love the finished result though! Exactly what I wanted, even if one sleeve seems to be 6 rows (1 repeat) longer than the other. I also can't bend my arm/shoulder enough to grab the bottom edge to stretch it out once I put it one (I have to put it on over my head like a hoodie LOL). I might give it a shot of steam. 

Maybe I'll have the other one finished by Christmas. I just don't know what else to knit. Megan didn't want a gnome for her college residence :( I have lots of shawls (barely wear them, mainly as scarves), enough hats, mitts, scarves...the charity I used to make blankets for folded (I had 7 or 8 still to donate so they went to the Christmas bazaar at my inlaw's church). I made the hat and mitts for Lucy's boyfriend but I don't know if he wants anything more. Megan's boyfriend is in Thunder Bay, but I doubt she'll want me to make anything for him. I have plenty of wool socks that I rarely wear. I don't knit for newborn photographers anymore. So what? Someone tell me what to knit so I can use up some yarn!

Yarn In:  0g
Yarn Out: 150gr + 470gr = 620gr
Balance: 620gr more OUT than in
Costs: $0

Tiny Mittens

 One thing I knit over the past year was some tiny mittens. When I worked as a lunch supervisor in a kindergarten room, I made a bunch of wool mittens as back ups for when kids got cold, or their mittens got too wet, etc. The kids loved them! This past year, I was in a kindergarten class for 4 hours a week, but no duty. I took the bag of mittens, but the teacher didn't think they were needed. There were only 14 kids in the class too. But I kept knitting mittens anyway. They're an easy "purse project". 

Sometimes though, if I don't have the pattern with me, or a ruler, the ratios get a little messed up. I really should go back and fix those pink ones LOL. 

I usually just cast on 32, 36, or 40 sts, depending on how much yarn I have. Once I get into the thumb gusset increases, I measure the gauge and see what size that matches. I have the schematic from Anne Budd's "Handy Book of Patterns" but I can't find the actual pattern pages anymore and my library doesn't seem to have the book any more! 

I have actually started two projects because we're going on a road trip! I still have dishcloths in my drawer unused from the last round of vacation knitting, so I decided it was time to make something for myself. I've decided on shrugs. I thought they'd be a good way to use up single balls/skeins, but appreantly not. They're more the mid-amount--not as much as a sweater needs (obviously) but more than a small scarf. I have some skeins of lovely yarns I'd like to use, but I don't need anymore socks, mittens, scarves or hats. Ideas?

These took about 120gr in total. 

Yarn In:  0g
Yarn Out: 350gr + 120gr = 470gr
Balance: 470gr more OUT than in
Costs: $0

Hello!

 Well. That was a long break! I unexpectedly started working full time in October. It was only supposed to be 5 days. Then 10 more days. Then a few weeks. Then a month...another month....another month...At the start of May I was told it would definitely go until the end of June. So, needless to say, I haven't been knitting much. Another factor was that in December we switched cable providers, and I lost everything I had saved on the PVR. When I tried to figure out the new cable service, it was confusing, and I just never got back into watching TV. I'm doing a lot of drawing if I have spare time. Right now it's summer break, so a perfect time to get caught up here. 

Last summer Lucy and her boyfriend were visiting Kingston, and I heard that Topsy Farms was having a pop up yard sale in Kingston. I told her, jokingly, that she should go and buy me some yarn. They did! They came back with two skeins of cream, and one of a brown marl. The boyfriend, Liam, was hoping for a pair of mitts.

The brown marl was a little thinner than the cream. When I finally got to this in mid December, I thought the Newfie mitt style would be a good fit (bottom swatch).

However, Lucy didn't really like that. I tried out some brioche variations. It worked best with the cream as the main yarn, though I was skeptical about functionality as these were going to be worn during field study classes, out in the forest. I went ahead anyway, and made them flip top so they'd be usuable during note taking outside.

I felt they kind of looked a little funny, the way the top part is bigger than where it joins. I figured once a pair of man hands were inside, they'd look fine. 

He says they're very warm and practical for out in the forest. This guy is awesome.

I had some left, so I thought I should do a simple hat. Liam has very long hair and wears it in a bun, and he thought something that could accomodate that would be fantastic.

My first attempts were a little too pouffy at the top. I'm so glad I ripped it back.

Such nice smooth decreases. It’s really worth it to rip back and retry something if you’re not happy. 

 Most hats for ponytails/buns just leave the top open, but I knew that wouldn't work, so I started the hat in the round and separated at the slit and knit flat. I also switched it to the opposite of the mittens, with the brown as the main colour.

Liam is very happy with the hat! It's also reversible, which is pretty cool. I'm so glad to be done these though LOL. 

The hat weighed 170gr and I don't have a weight for the mittens. The yarn was 450gr total, and I have some left, so I'm going to just put this down as 350gr for the set. 

I have received a bit of yarn when we cleaned out a kindergarten room, but I'm not going to include that.

Yarn In:  0g
Yarn Out: 350gr
Balance: 350gr more OUT than in
Costs: $0

The Next Generation

This summer,  the first cousin on either side of my family announced they were  becoming a grandparent!! So, I had to make a bear. I haven't made a Jean Greenhowe bear in a long time,  it seems since 2017. I got started in the summer, baby was predicted for towards the end of November. 

It was going pretty good, I got a bit done on our trip to Quebec in the summer  (loved the knitting pattern on the carpet!). And then....Covid, and then I unexpectedly started working full time. That really put a dent in my knitting time. 

I buckled down and got the bear finished last week. 

A simple pink I-cord for the tie.

Yarn was Bernat "Haven" which has an interesting fiber composition: 59% acrylic, 22% cotton, 16% alpaca, 3% nylon. It took 294gr before sewing up. I'm going to round it up to 300gr. The I-cord is 8gr of Patons "Decor". 

This bear always surprises me by how big it is! Quite likely, as tall as the baby! I hope it is well loved. I haven't really gotten any feedback on these bears in the past. I hope they were well loved. I don't knit them to be sitting on a shelf!

I also finished about half the giant ball of Handicrafter Cotton for dishcloths. That's an ongoing thing, so I might as well claim what I've used (170g) LOL.

I didn't do a big post to compare 2021 to previous years, but here's 2021:

Yarn In:  3109gr

Yarn Out:  1053gr + 4586gr =  5369gr

Balance: 2530 gr more OUT than in

Cost:   $44.66, 365 days, $0.12/day

And this is 2022....My stash is definitely shrinking, though you wouldn't know it to look at it LOL. It needs a big clean up. I'm hoping I can be a bit more productive with knitting this year, but I feel so split with all my hobbies, and work too. I can't believe I spent under $30 on yarn in 2022! I did get most of my yarn through donations.

Yarn In: 940gr

Yarn Out: 308gr +170gr + 786gr = 1264gr OUT

Difference:  324gr more OUT than in.

Costs: $13.56 +$15.22 = $28.78/365 days = $0.08/day