January FO's and WIP's

I in no way mean to tell you that I have been more productive than you have.  Although I have been finishing things like CRAZY.

Two blankets are done.

The big stitch blanket - done on size 50 needles.  I used a box of yarn that came out of my friend's grandmother's stash after she passed.

Whites and greens, holding 8 strands of worsted weight arcylic together.  It's crazy squishy.  It went into the washing machine and dryer and stretched in the opposite way than I expected.  I meant to give this to Project Linus, but I think I need to send it through the washer ONE MORE TIME.  To see if I can get it to even out just a little.

I finished a blanket done in Lion Brand Homespun that I striped.  I striped to mask the mismatched dye lots.  I cannot recommend doing this enough.  Looks great, is supper squishy and cozy.  I bound this one off on Jan 1, starting the bind-off row at midnight.  Start the year as you intend to live it!  Finishing things, that's what I want to be doing!

Sit in this chair and wrap up in it right now...

I've finished two sets of footware.  One pair of Seamless Salomas.  Which I made a million pairs of for Christmas, but I know my Grandma R is going to wear her pair out.  She wore out the last pair, so ...

This pair is out of Vanna's Choice in Chocolate, and a lime colored Wool-Ease on the top.  I need to cast on more of these.  I love making them.

These socks are for my Dad, in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Go Packers! Color.  Which is a small-stripes colorway.  In dad's size, 74 stitches, they were just over 1 round thick.  The gold was a little longer than the green, but so pretty.

It's a basic toe-up stockinette with 2x2 rib on the cuff.  I used Jeny's Surprising Stretch Bind Off and an afterthought heel in garter stitch, a basic wedge toe after Judi's Magic Cast On.  Go Packers!

Last finished object was a quick afternoon practice.  A hoodie with ears for a toddler, The Burton Bear Cowl by Heidi May.  It take about 100-150 yrds of a Bulky weight yarn.  I used Malabrigo Bulky, one skein and eeked out, just bearly, a toddler size with ears.

The pattern is clear and there are ton of sizing options.  From newborn to grown-up.  Very fun, you could make a family of these and be the 3 bears for Halloween!  A girl friend on Facebook wanted one for her daughter, and another piped up.  Now this one is for the second vocal knit-requester, but her little one is toddler sized yet.  I modified the ears, free-styled to use the 2 yards of yarn I had left.  The cowl also had an optional boarder, which I did not do either.  My biggest issue with the pattern was that I think the yardage requirements were short.  I am glad I did this test.

I have been working very hard on the third blanket on the needles.  A Building Blocks Blanket by Michelle Hunter.  She made a blanket square booklet with Skacel using Simply Worsted yarn that builds on what you know and adds skills to your toolbox as you work your way through the squares.  It's a great concept and a well done booklet.  I don't care for seaming blocks much.  I'm pulling together some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted that I picked up at an open house warehouse sale a couple years ago.  I've been working on this blanket since last March when I went out to visit my brother in AZ.  Blanket squares were the perfect project for plane knitting.

I picked them back up over late-Christmas stuff with my family.  I finished two squares in January.  I've got this green left for the rest of my squares.

I have cast on the 10th square on Monday.  It's Block number 8 in the book - slipped stitches.  I like it, it has you slip stitches with the yarn in front.  I have already had to fix spots where I slipped with the yarn held in back instead.  Pay attention!

I am working on finishing up my Stephen West's Barndom.  It's a great garter stitch shawl with geometric themes and a slip stitch pattern that really pops.  I did it in Madeline Tosh Light in shades of pink.  It's really girly and pretty.

I was hoping to finish it before I did this post.  It didn't work out that way.  These last few rows are getting very long.  So long, I decided to not do the 3 color version because I don't have another comparable circular needle, I'm running out of room!

The last thing on the needles is the Beekeeper's Quilt.  Still plugging away!  And look at all these fingering weight yarns I worked with here!  More puffs to come. :)

I realize I am now running out of on the needle projects.  Which is perfect!  With the Ravelry Games (to run concurrent to the Olympic Games) I want to have few projects to compete from my attention.  Can't wait to tell you all about my plans!