WhimsyCraft

 This pretty skein of bulky yarn has been around for a while, and it seemed like time to finally do something with it. I decided on this pair of cabled fingerless mitts . I modified the pattern just a touch - reversed the cable for the second one, and made the thumbholes two rows longer, but mostly according to the pattern, and they are very cozy.

 This is my version of this herringbone rope . It has a very different effect with these big, more rounded triangles, and someday I hope to make it again with the called-for beads, because I like that a lot too. 50 grams of triangles wasn't quite enough, so I added extensions with size 11 Delicas. This was a quick project - started on Saturday and finished today.  This past weekend was the online NEFFA festival, which is why it's been a while since I posted here. While online festivals are not the same as in person ones, I think we did a pretty good job of it, and I ended up substantially more involved than I expected to be. Being the International dance coordinator, being in charge of t-shirts, and helping Marcie put together the closing dance party made for a busy couple of weeks! T-shirt business will continue for a bit, but it's all mostly done now, just in time to start on the taxes...

 It's been a while since this one made an appearance, but it is still progressing - only one more row of letters and it will be finished, and then I will iron it and you will be able to see the embroidery around all the wrinkles. Previous posts for this project are here and here .

 As predicted, these went very quickly once the gussets were done, and are now finished. Here's a photo of the pair, to prove that I really did finish them and so that you can see the fancy patterned foot tops, and one of the wrapped stitch detail along the side. The pattern is Lord, What Fools , and the yarn is Bearfoot (Ravelry links, both of them) that I've probably had for 20 years. Some of this stash is very well-aged at this point.

 Same sock, repair completed, heel and gusset finished, and starting to work down the foot towards the toe. This part goes quickly, so it won't be long now until I have a new pair of socks.

 I made this pretty much as directed, only changing the colors (although actually rather close to the overall color scheme), to learn the technique. It was fun, and may spark other ideas in the future. Video here. It's made of two triangles sewn together at the edges, and the way they interlock and twist is very satisfying.

 I don't think you've seen these socks before. The first one was finished, and the second one almost down to the heel, before I looked at them together like this: You may notice the problem here: the sock in progress has ribbing all the way around, and the completed sock has, as the pattern directs, a six stitch stockinette column on each side. Well, time to grab a crochet hook and get to work! There are four columns that need help. For each of them, I dropped the stitch off the needle, and all the way down to where the stockinette column should begin, at the end of the cuff ribbing. Then, the crochet hook will easily pull each thread bar through and make the desired knit column. If I had wanted a purl column, I would have done the same thing, but from the inside. Now it is all fixed, and ready to continue!  Socks are Lord, what fools and the yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot (which I've had for probably decades). You'll get a better photo when they're done.

 Since the last time you saw this sweater, the sleeves have been separated off from the body, and I've been working downwards. Another inch or so and it will be time to start the body ribbing, and then finish the sleeves. Since I intend to slightly felt this, I'm knitting it quite loosely for the yarn weight, because i expect the yarn to fluff up and fill in the gaps, and I'm going to knit it about 10% longer than I want it to be, to allow for shrinkage. We'll see if that works out.

The sweater is just getting longer, not more interesting, so I will leave you with a picture of a pretty Pi(e) Day pie.  I had wanted to try the apple roses for a while (I've seen them in a few different places), and they came out really well. Here is a recipe, as best as I can remember it.  Ingredients: 1  pie crust of your choice, in a greased 9" pie plate 1 quart sour cherries, frozen or fresh 3 apples 1 t vanilla 1/2 cup sugar 2 T cornstarch 1 t Penzeys cake spice 2T cinnamon sugar, or a little sugar with some more cake spice mixed in   Method: 1. Make apple roses out of 2 of the apples: Quarter and core them, and then, working with one quarter at a time, slice it very thinly, getting about 12-15 slices and reserving the end for later. Put the slices on a plate and microwave them for 30 seconds on High to soften them. Lay out 4 or 5 slices end to end, overlapping them by about half, and roll them up into a rose. Set it aside for later. The 2 apples should make 24...

 Finished this one up a couple of weeks ago, but then it needed to be washed/blocked, and get its buttons sewn on, and then wait for a photo opportunity, which finally came yesterday. I am really pleased with it, and the buttons are ones that I made in a ceramics class in Fall 2019, so I feel a very strong sense of ownership for this one. The diamonds around the yoke were inspired by a recent leafing through of some old Kaffe Fassett books from the 80s, and I've given the pattern information in this post . The back is particularly fun. (Photo credit to David)

 This is progressing nicely - the cable section is finished and I'm about to divide off the sleeves from the body, which will make the row length much more manageable. Right now there are over 300 stitches per row.

 So, after knitting the cat bed , I was really enjoying the thick, multistranded fabric, and had some left over. The result was this improvised headband with flaps to keep the ears warm. I made it back when the bed was made but not yet felted, and just came across it again. It would have been handy to remember these last few days, because we were without heat, but we managed OK, and the plumber came today, and warmth is restored. I took some notes, so if you want to make one too, because it is very cozy, here is the pattern. Note that this is the first pattern I have ever made public, and no one has looked at it but me, which is generally bad practice, but also no one reads this blog, so if in the future someone else is reading this and decides to make one: (a) I''d love to know, and (b) please tell me nicely about any errors you find or things which are unclear. EARFLAP HEADBAND: To fit an average-to-large adult size head. It’s pretty stretchy, but you can modify...

 It doesn't look like much yet, but this is the beginning of this lovely top-down sweater with a cabled yoke. It's a bit of a gamble, because I'm working it off a cone of yarn that will change drastically when washed (it should fluff up and become less stringy) and I'm just hoping it will fit then. I did knit and wash a small swatch, but that doesn't really mean a lot. I'm also not completely convinced of the color, so there is some chance that it will become a vehicle for experimenting with dyeing a finished garment. Wow, that sounds like I don't like this sweater, which isn't true at all!

Now finished up to letter R. See this post for more details on this project.  

 is acceptable now. This is a Kitty Pi , made with four strands of yarn held together and then felted, so it's nice and thick. Still a little big, so might run it through the machine one more time. Here is what it looked like before felting:

When I got the roving, it was sort of a strange combination of white, yellow, green, and purple. As soon as I spun it, it became obvious that it was Mardi Gras yarn, and also who it needed to belong to - our lovely friends who throw the best Mardi Gras party every year. So this year, without a party, it was its own celebration to make it into this hat and scarf, and deliver it to them.  The cowl is a simple feather and fan lace, decreased towards the top, and the matching hat starts out with the same pattern, and then switches to white where I ran out of the handspun, decreasing to a swirled top.

 Can you identify this fairly shapeless blob of large-gauge knitting (4 strands held together, 3 sts/in)? It's going pretty quickly - started Tuesday, probably will be finished in another couple of days. Hint - I haven't been able to ask the recipient if she likes it...

 The scrap bin was getting full, so it was time for a stripy sweater. Oddly, although it is almost done, there doesn't seem to be any more room in the scrap bin... The pattern started out with cast-on numbers from the free Less is More pattern, but quickly diverged, with little contrast diamonds added to the yoke, and just working until it seemed to be long enough. I also changed all of the bands to garter, and made a zigzag division in the center back, using mostly cool colors on one side, and mostly warm colors on the other.  

 Today, we have a sweater that I started for Evan in 2014. It was intended to be about a size 8, and didn't get finished at that time. I picked it up again, thinking to finish it, and discovered that it is in no way a child size 8. If I make it a few inches longer than the pattern calls for, it will certainly fit me. Problem is, I don't particularly want it. It would fit Evan even now, but he won't wear anything which isn't black. Oh well, finish it and then figure out who it belongs to, I suppose. Pattern is Lancelot , modified with a v-neck (apologies for the terrible photo.)

 This is a sampler that Miranda and I have both worked on, and it's been fun. Abandoned for several years, I picked it up again a couple of weeks ago, and have done a full row, which gives me hope that it can be finished. It's this one , and Miranda picked the lavender background, so I altered some of the colors to make them go together. Still haven't done the holiday food update; it will happen, though quite belatedly. Mostly right now we're preparing for Miranda to go to college in two days (!!)