I was up in my atelier knitting away, trying to upload a pattern to my Knit Companion app on my iPad when I heard my hubby downstairs “kind of screaming” in disgust like he was grossed out by a cut or something. The man constantly cuts himself shaving or bumps himself and gets a cut so nothing surprises me but this time it sounded different and when I hollered down a “what’s happening?” his response was “A BAT! There’s a bat in the house.”
I put my iPad down, turned off the television and headed downstairs to “help” get the bat out. I was at the same time grossed out, fearful and anxious. I held the door open hoping it would exit … the big mistake I made is that I turned OFF the lights going up the stairs … bats don’t like the light. SO … up the stairs it went. (I had closed the 2nd floor doors, thank goodness. Can you imagine what would have happened if it had gotten into my yarn stash?!) Anyway, it settled in the highest part of the house and gave us time so hubby could get the fishing net and capture it long enough to get it downstairs and outside. It was a bit tangled in the net but with a little time and patience, it freed itself and flew off. It’ll be a while before we stop looking for bats in the house.
I have finished the knitting part of the two little boy vests. I need to block them next (after my plant is done drinking up the water in the sink) and sew in all the ends and stitch down the “v”. That’ll be two finished gifts in a week. Yay, me!
I’ve also made some good progress on my Sabai Top. I like the yarn pretty well because it’s soft but I am wishing it was that beautiful linen like my green tabard. I loved knitting that yarn. Regardless, I’m at the 18 inches point of the body and the goal is 21 inches so I have a bit more to go and then the ribbing. I suspect that if I applied myself today that I could finish it. I’m torn – because I want to knit the Reverie Socks (see the cute little pale pink sock below) that I cast on on Thursday because I’m really enjoying the pattern (so much better than the Lochside Socks that I didn’t enjoy knitting. It’s in time out and I am considering frogging.)
I also knitted a big circle with some super bulky Lambs Pride yarn that went on clearance at the store for a sample … and hope it’ll sell some yarn and be a useful container for the store. Today I’ll felt it into a “bowl”. My friend and colleague, Carol, found an old Plymouth felted bowl pattern in a donated binder and on the same day the Lambs Pride variegated Burly Spun yarns went to clearance (discontinued). We each brought a hank home to make a sample for the shop – to sell the yarn and to use as display support in the future. Mine is knitted and needs felting. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
It’s going to be another hot one today. I’ve turned on my a/c in the atelier and plan to spend some serious knitting time. The rest of the week is going to be busy – good busy but busy. I’ll take today to recover from my 3-day work week last week and store up some energy for the one that’s coming. How is life for this semi-retired person so busy?
It’s a beautiful morning after a rough night. My bed partner was snoring up a storm and I was coughing. Something new must be in the air. I even took my allergy meds last night! Geesh. Regardless, it’s a beautiful, warm day today after all the rain yesterday and we have been happy to sit out on the porch with our coffee. We chose the side porch today because the front porch was simply too warm in the sun. How lucky we are … and soon it’ll be too cold.
I have two WIPs to report on today.
I have had three balls of Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint that didn’t sell well at the store and ended up on the clearance table. I grabbed it up (a year or more ago) with the plan to make a sweater for a kiddo. Instead, I’ve decided to make two vests for my great-nephews. So, on Saturday, I think, I cast on the larger of the two and got started. I immediately loved the yarn colors because they’re so cheerful and bright. I got the body knitted in a day’s time and a bit of the back and then finished the back and front the following day. Added the ribbing to the arm holes and neckline and all that needs to be done now is to weave in the ends and block it. I decided that I would cast on the second, smaller vest yesterday to get ahead of the gifting season. I will likely get that one done today. Fingers crossed.
#256 Basic Vest for Children by Diane Soucy
This vest is adorable! I love it and I hope the boys will too. I’ve also been working away at my Sabai Top in Cascade’s Hampton yarn which is a cotton/linen blend. I wish the yarn had more linen but alas, it doesn’t and it feels like a cotton sweater. I am hoping that it won’t “grow” like cotton does. Time will tell.
Sabai Top by Susanne Muller
I wasn’t sure about the construction of this top at first. It’s basically a “collar” (boat neck) and shoulders knit all at the same time and rather quickly increasing. Then it splits for front and back. I’ve gotten to the around and around and around part now, having finished all the increases for the underarms and have enjoyed the way it’s knitting up. I do wish that the yarn was more linen than cotton but I made my choice ages ago and this is what I chose. It remains to be seen how it wears (and blocks) when I get to that point. I’m crossing my fingers. I do love the idea of a black top for summer … TBD.
And with that, I’m off to the porch with my knitting bag. I have a new one …
We’ve had a couple of warm days here on the lake and a little bit of rain. We need rain! Today we’re entertaining a friend of my hubby’s from our summer camp days when we were teenagers and the guys have gone into town to see the Odyssey movie and I stayed home to enjoy the beautiful day … and knit.
I’ve taken a walk around the yard and the cone flowers, daisies and black-eyed Susans are blooming like crazy and the hydrangeas are completely abuzz with bees and other pollinators. It’s wonderful to see all the bugs because it means our property is healthy for them. Yay! The veggie garden gave us the gift of another cucumber and another zucchini today and there are a couple of summer squash still on the vine. The tomatoes are coming along … I’m still waiting for my native tomato sandwich!
And I have two FOs that I finished on Thursday night and Friday while I was teaching. I’ve finished my Easy Folded Poncho in the charcoal gray colorway. I had blocked it and just needed to seam the 13″ because I am not adding any neck. They call for a slouchy neckline but I like the poncho just as it is. I can wear it with a blouse or a tee and it works. I am so excited to have a gray poncho to wear once the weather turns cooler.
I also finished my Broadgate Tabard and I wore it to work on Friday. I am happy as can be with this project. The linen yarn has the most incredible drape and it fits beautifully. I haven’t taken a completely finished photo yet but I do have photos. I will knit with this yarn again (I just have to find it in the United States.) This is a garment that I can wear in all four seasons with different shirts underneath … tank top, tee shirt and blouse will all be great under it. I’m thrilled with this project and it wasn’t a particularly difficult knit … at least once I got the hang of the pattern and could see the crossed stitches and the “lines”. Highly recommend!
The last photo is of me trying it on after the shoulders were seamed and before I added the neckline or the ties. I chose to knit about an inch of ribbing at the neckline rather than the long turtleneck because it’ll allow me to wear it all year long (Yes, I wear linen all year!) I have already worn it once and the green colorway is still stunning and I am thrilled with how this came out.
Friday afternoon I worked some more on my Sabai Top in a cotton/linen blend yarn by Cascade. I wish I had a 100% linen for this top! The pattern begins with the neckline and then splits the front and back and each side is worked down with increases at each side for the underarms.
I’ve finished one side’s increases and have begun the second side. Once they’re both done, I’ll join them in the round and knit around and around and around forever or to the bottom ribbing. I love that I won’t have to go back and pick up stitches for the sleeve openings. I think this will be a great piece and I’m happy to be making it in black. If I love it, there may be another one in my future … this time in linen (I’ll find my green linen yarn in another great color … maybe a tomato red?) Anyway, I am enjoying the construction and the yarn and I think it’ll be a great summer top.
I also decided to cast on a new project. I have three balls of Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint that I grabbed out of the clearance section at work ages ago. I had thought I’d make something for one of the kiddos with it and I decided to do just that and knit vests for my grand-nephews in Salem. I love the cheerful yarn and I got the larger of the two vests knitted to the split of the front for the neckline in one day – admittedly, I didn’t get much done yesterday – and it was a wonderfully written pattern (by Knitting Pure and Simple). I have knitted several of her patterns and the only “complaints” that I have are twofold: 1) the sweaters are often knitted at a very loose gauge on larger than I think are reasonable needles and 2) stitch counts are various key points at a minimum should be added. I know that knitters today are more needy than their predecessors but I think, at a minimum, key spots need to know how many stitches in total there should be but it would be nice to have a breakdown of those stitches, too. My humble opinion.
I’m very happy with this yarn and the pattern and I think it’s adorable. I can’t wait to see the boys wearing them! I’ll likely gift them in early fall and I hope we get down for a visit before too long! I miss seeing the Massachusetts family and I hate leaving home at this time of year when I can enjoy the porches and the warm. Soon enough it’ll be cold again and we’ll be complaning about that just like we complain about the heat now. Right?
My TWT Sock Sprint socks are in time out. I don’t like the yarn or the pattern that I’m knitting them with. I have to decide if I want to frog the socks entirely or keep struggling and finish them. In the meantime, I think I’m going to buy another pattern by Summer Lee, actually it’s her first cuff club collection and I really really love the socks with the flower cuff (it’s the first one in the photos on her cuff club page on Ravelry). I bought the yarn for these socks in Quebec City and I think I’ll enjoy knitting them more than the ones I’m currently working on … so, why not enjoy what I’m knitting? And having said that, I think I’ll frog the Lochside socks that I am not enjoying at all and use the yarn for another project.
I spent some time going through my stash this past week-ish and found several skeins that I’ve finished the projects for and didn’t use all the yarn that I bought. I am fortunate to work in a LYS that has a liberal return policy and I have returned twelve hanks of yarn for credit which means that I have some shopping to do. I have an extensive queue of projects that I want to knit and need to knit a Christmas sweater for my granddaughter and a Santa hat as well. I’d like to knit a Christmas sweater for my grandson, too. I passed the little Santa hat on to his mom when they were here. It’ll be perfect for him this year.
I have also procured some new yarn this week. I loved the design by Isabell Kraemer called It is Magic and I liked the pop of color. I’ve sat on that thought for quite a while and bit the bullet this week and bought the kit which was discounted by mYak yarn company. I am excited to get the yarn and knit the sweater including the little patch (mine won’t say “I want magic” but will likely say “be kind” or similar). I sitll have the two hanks of hand-dyed silk mohair from Art Yarns, too, and the pattern to make the boxy sweater that I saw on Tribe Yarns socials. Good grief, I need to get off social media, it’s costing me a fortune. (*wink)
Queen Bee Knits 