Friday, December 29, 2017

Final Counts 2017

I gave myself a full week of rest following the end of Christmas/Academy knitting. My right wrist  had been regularly complaining after what I think was a hyper-extension on Cookie Day.*  I usually seem to end up with some kind of holiday related/knitting related injury in December every year. One year it was in the backs of my hands; another year my shoulder. Maybe if I don't have Academy for the back half of 2018.... 

And yes, for those curious, I'm twitchy. I don't know how to watch television or listen to an audiobook without knitting.  Never mind that there is plenty of cleaning to do around Chez Hedgehog that could be done with an audiobook. Or that I could sort the stash again, which also needs to be done, while watching a movie. 

I have read multiple print books, which is more than I usually get thru in a week these days.

Overall it was a productive knitting year: I completed 31 projects and have a few outstanding that will bleed into 2018. My first completed projects were Pussy Hats for the Women's March. I'm still proud of having been able to knit an entire one and then pop it onto AudioGirl's head *at* the March. She added ribbing later and has been wearing it all winter so far.

The last completed project was the Vitamarie Shawl that you just saw. Still waiting on Loopy Ewe to approve that, but I cannot see that one going wrong. There were multiple  charts in Franklin's pattern.

Favorite?  I don't know if there was one. I looked through my projects and thought Oh Of Course and then saw another and chose that one, or that one.

Overall Counts: 

Adult Hats: 7
Infant Hats: 3
Shawls: 9
Cowls: 1
Mitts/Gloves: 4
Toys: 1
Socks: 1
Toddler Sweater: 2
Scarf: 1
Earwarmers: 2

Yes, I'm stunned that I only knit one pair of socks too. I worked on two other pairs but never made much progress. I've lost a few pair this year due to blow outs or finding moth issues that I hadn't known about when I went through everything three times last year. So 2018 may see a few new pairs on the sock drawer.  I'll also be looking for "things to do with the remaining sock or slightly well worn sock yarn that I don't want to forget." I have a feeling a sock yarn blanket is in my future--to be knit for a few decades to come.

Wishing you a restful end to the year and that you start 2018 refreshed and ready to tackle all the challenges ahead. There will be many. And I hope we have enough yarn for all of them.

*Cookie Day -- somewhere between 8-10 women descend upon the kitchen of a Lutheran church who graciously rents it to us every year and bakes for 10 hours. The result this year was 2.5 8' tables of different kinds of cookies. Something like 24 different recipes. It's delicious.





Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Dusting...

I would say Done and Dusted but there's still a lot of cat hair around Chez Hedgehog.


 However, my last Loopy Academy homework has been uploaded for the semester and I'm even a week early! I finished this on the 22nd and blocked it overnight. It was wrapped on the 23rd and gifted on the 24th and now lives with Sibling-the-Elder.

This was not my first Franklin Habit pattern but I believe it was the first time I'd knit one of his lace pieces. The charts are incredibly clear and the final product is really lovely.  I was a little skeptical on the anticipated measurements and added 4 repeats -- 2 on each side of center. I probably didn't need them -- the final measurements were something close to 3 feet wide and 7 feet long.


I know, not my best photo either.  It was about 1 a.m. at that point.  I used Loopy Ewe Solids; I'm still disappointed that they discontinued that yarn.  Several friends tried to "adopt" this project. Or at least reassured me that they really do like that color. 


Gypsy had been firmly of the opinion that the unblocked shawl was a cat pillow.  I had to wait a good half hour to move her and the while it was blocking, of course, she "helped." 



I was even feeling a little smug that I've knit over 10,000 yards this year -- 10805 according to KnitMeter.  Then I looked at my Ravelry Stash page and did some quick math to see how much I've brought into the house that hasn't yet been knit. It's somewhere in the 8000 yards range. So it's a net loss of about 2000 yards. Plus all of the yarn I bought which was knit and has left... 

Still, not sure I'm actually making progress here in using up stash.  

I'm on a knitting break for a few days. My hands have been complaining and so I'm going to do some stash sorting, make sure ends are woven in on a few things, sort out things that need to be gifted and maybe make some plans for 2018 knitting. One academy semester to go!!



Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Begrudgingly Entrelac'd

My Loopy Academy Senior Year Entrelac project has been completed. I did enough to complete the yardage and bound off. 


It's a 5' scarf, entirely knit in entrelac, from a skein of BMFA Heavyweight Socks That Rock in the Hush colorway. I worked form a set of internet instructions that I ceremoniously threw away the minute the knitting was done, so no pattern link for this one. 


The yarn is brighter than my camera was cooperating with that day, the bottom picture is closest in terms of actual colors. It looks much like toothpaste.


And while I am now decent at backwards knitting and can successfully navigate entrelac without too much griping, it is not a technique I have any intention of doing again if I can possibly help it. Besides the fiddly nature of the the process, I don't like the finished product. It doesn't fit with my aesthetic at all and since I'm the one who will be knitting it....

I'm giving this just until Loopy approves my assignment (or one of you hops up and down and thinks it's beautiful and desperately wants it) until I rip it out.  By January 1, this is going back in the stash.  

[One more Loopy Academy project to finish for the semester. The shawl turned the halfway point last night and I'm far faster than I was. I have 9 straight repeats and then the decreases start! Send me about 3 spare weeks and I should be in great shape.] 

Sunday, November 26, 2017

The [Frantic] Knitting Season is Upon Us

Holiday knitting is fully upon us. And if you're like me, this means a combination of severe procrastination and frantic knitting. My post-Christmas appointment with my massage therapist is already booked -- as my hands and shoulders are about to hurt like hell.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I already made her something.


The product of a day's knitting up a skein of Malabrigo Worsted. There are worse ways to spend a holiday weekend day. First was Caliometry and a rummage around the apartment located this fancy lion button. 


Second was this Alpine Earwarmer/Headband.  And ultimately this didn't use the full skein, but she got the leftovers for when the button hole has stretched out or the cables need tightening up. 


Much time this weekend was also spent on Ravelry reading through the Indie Giftalong thread. 300+ designers with a 25% coupon code. I did set a limit on just how much I was spending on patterns and I think I only went over by about $10.  Not too bad. Of course, no clue when I'll actually have the chance to knit these -- see holiday knitting and Loopy Academy knitting for spring. But hey, I'll be done entirely with Academy (I hope) next June! So perhaps there is hope. 

In the interim a small gray cat has been complaining that I've been in front of the computer for too long today. 

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

72 Hours-- Ish



We have reached the period of the calendar year where I am deeply in denial of deadlines, full on avoidance, and procrastination. This is a regular occurrence and I seem unable to avoid it. Thus it was the perfect time to go yarn shopping, right? 

I still had that gift certificate from The Knitting Knook from WI Sheep and as it is just north of Milwaukee, I called my friend BrineyDeep and made arrangements for a little light yarn collecting. 



We were so restrained!!  I picked up two absolutely stunning skeins of Malabrigo Caracol, which is a thick and thin, super bulky single with thread ply wrapping. It looks like stained glass. A goal for the upcoming holiday weekend is to set up my light box and get decent pictures. It's absolutely lovely and I'm hoping to get a long cowl out of it that will brighten up the gray winter days ahead. I also finally got a copy of the Opinionated Knitter, which I will hopefully get to peruse over Christmas break. 


Speaking of gray, that was the color of yarn I pulled out of the stash on Wednesday night. Briney's kiddo had outgrown their sweater -- toddlers will do that. I had time and Cascade 220, right?  

I was about 85% done when I got to her house -- working on sleeve 1. Which, arguably isn't too bad for 2.5 days wherein I still had to go to work and do various and sundry other things. This is Flax in the 2-4 year size. It was too big for said toddler, which was the goal. In about 2 months it should be roomy and I'm hoping it won't be outgrown for a 12 month, but we shall see.  I have no doubt it will be stuffed over all manner of other shirts and worn to pieces.  

And Mama has leftovers in case of a quick need to repair or extend the ribbing.  

You'll notice of course I make no mention of my Academy projects. The fingerless mitts for my office? Going swimmingly. The sleeves on another baby sweater that I started Summer 2016 -- SUPER important to finish right now. The entrelac and charted projects? Entirely being avoided. 

It doesn't help that I can't commute with either one. Home knitting time is still somewhat limited and I've long since reached the don't wanna phase of both projects. The yarn is fine for both and Franklin's pattern continues to be clear and should turn out quite interestingly. There's just a lot of whining. 

Maybe over the Thanksgiving weekend I can make a dent. There will be a several hours parade and then the National Dog Show to watch.... 


Friday, November 10, 2017

Unremembered Knitting

I keep having to remind myself, using Ravelry, that I do continue to knit productively and turn out projects at a fairly steady rate. Certainly I forget to tell the blog about things but Ravelry is a decent source of truth.  A quick run thru things that have recently appeared and come off the blocking mats.


The Philosopher's purple triangle was a loss to the moths last year and thus needed replacing. The Loopy Ewe has finally run out of purple, I don't know what I'll do next time. This was the Milkweed pattern. It's well written and very clear and knits up quickly and beautifully. It should get it's debut at a tailgate soon now that the weather has turned cooler. 


I also, for the very last time, reknit this yarn. It's my third time through it. The yarn is the earliest of the Dizzy Blonde studios. I knit a hat; then ripped that out when the Philosopher said he'd really prefer a scarf. That scarf was too long and bulky. And then there were moths and so what had been 1 skein turned into 2 (hat + remnants) turned into about 10. It was an opportunity to try reskeining. I soaked the miniskeins and hung them in the shower with a plastic hanger as weight. They seemed to turn out alright? Either way -- I'm DONE with this yarn. The pattern is the Fibonacci Neckerchief, which, considering my boyfriend seemed incredibly appropriate. 


And I went to a conference in early October where I would need to be able to drop and go. Pull out my standard modifications for the Sockhead hat and we're off! I go down a needle size, down several stitches, and I don't make it very slouchy. I also do a 1x1 ribbing rather than the pattern recommended 2x2. It's my 3rd or 4th time through it, so I've got it down pretty well. 


The yarn is Western Sky Knits in Zombie Garden II and it's  not photographing here as well as I'd like. It's much more charming in person and people regularly commented on liking the yarn.  I think this hat goes in my bin for winter, I do like a bright hat.


Finally,  look SLEEVES! That only took several extra months. This toddler sized Flax Light is done. I've still got a lot of the Cascade Heritage yarns to use up but I was pleased with how this turned out.  

I've got two other projects to show you (see--I am productive, just behind at my storytelling).  Those need their own posts though. Wool is eventually getting used up around Chez Hedgehog. Slowly. 

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Digging Out

The Philosopher and I went to Trinidad so that I could give a workshop and we could have a holiday. It was fantastic. But the month prior and now the few days after have been a whirlwind of trying to make heads or tails of inboxes, to do lists, etc etc. 

We were going to have a lot of travel time -- four total flights and all of the airport time that goes along with that. The trip home was 19 hours door to door, and that meant a lot of knitting time. I actively did not look up the rules for whether Trinidad would have an issue with wool and went.

You can see my three projects for the trip, although really only two got significant work and only one has much in the way of photos.  This is Awash with Color and I knit it out of Black Cat Fibers Etain in the Jewel of the Nile colorway. 


As soon as I saw this pattern, which has an unusual stitch technique allowing for pulling and stretching in a way that mimics dropped stitches, I knew this skein would be perfect for it. Pattern quickly memorized; it went everywhere. 


In a cab overlooking Port of Spain 

Pool side (without yarn, with adult beverage [not pictured])

From my hotel room 

Back at the pool for sunset 


By the time we were heading home I was becoming disgruntled. I had just spent a week knitting on this shawl on and off and it felt like the skein of yarn was no smaller! Of course I'd also managed to knit nearly 250 yards of another project but come on !  Also, what do you mean carrying it around doesn't actually equal knitting progress. 


And so there was dedicated effort. In the Port of Spain Airport and on our trip to Miami I focused and got a solid six hours of knitting in. I was nearly done when I realized I was not going to have enough to make it through the final rows and cast off and so spent the descent into Miami ripping back three rows, very carefully. 


We sailed through customs (Global Entry -- which also usually affords TSA Precheck-- is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY. Update your passport and go sign up.) And there in Miami airport I cast off. I had about 15 yards left? 


We're home, but plunged back into the realities of work means I haven't had a chance to block it yet, but it is pretty fantastic. A lovely choice for that beautiful and crazy multi-colored shawl that you just can't turn into socks. And the yarn was lovely to work with -- 20% silk gives it a beautiful sheen in addition to the rich colors.  

Thursday, October 19, 2017

An Eclipse Coming At You

I'd told you I ordered the "Total Eclipse of the Sun" from BMFA, but I didn't yet have a chance to share how beautifully it turned out! 

Tina and the lovely personages  in the dye barn were flooded with orders, apparently I'm not the only one looking for a way to commemorate, in wool, such a spectacular event.  Considering that at most I will probably only see 2 or 3 of these in my lifetime, I felt a little extra stash enhancement was in order.


It looks a muted on the screen, imagine the colors dialed up even more than you can see here.  The yellows are almost neon and the orange flecks are very rich.  This is Socks that Rock Lightweight base, which seems to have become my default purchase. It used to be Mediumweight and someday I wouldn't mind getting some more of that in my stash (when I whittle 1-5 more square inches that are not entirely squashed with wool). 


I also really splurged. This is the gradient pack for that same colorway. Enclosed are 6 150-yard skeins of 100% Merino. It's not STR though-- it's Featherlight, which is a very soft singly ply yarn. I rarely knit with single ply -- the last project I did was the giant black shawl last year, which has since become my office shawl. I'm a little nervous about knitting this up. But the colors are so gorgeous and with 900 yards, I'll be able to find some shawl that speaks to me. Assuming, of course, that I can keep AudioGirl from absconding with it.  






Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Spoils of WI Sheep: Part 2


And this delightful pile is the rest of my WI Sheep spoils from the Walk and Knit competition. The generosity of the vendors cannot be overstated -- I'll be working on different skeins for quite a while. 

Starting across the top is a skein of A Hundred Ravens Iachos in the "Into Darkness" colorway.  This is a lovely 2 ply and while it came with a sock pattern, it's not one that appeals to me. I'd much rather have this as a close-to-face accessory.  The project bag in the Top right is also from them. 

The Bottom Left shows stamped buttons and a lovely little stitch-marker/tea bag/ring dish from Jenny Blasen Pottery.  I took a look at her Etsy shop and she has some very lovely tumblers and cups if you like good heavy coffee cups. 

And finally, the Bottom Right is yarn from Sophie's Toes, which as I've said before is sadly no more. This is Emily's take on the Farmer's Market and will of course be all the more precious in that I cannot purchase any more except perhaps through a destash. While I know dyers come and go, it's sad to have lost two different dyers in the past 18 months both of whose work I really enjoyed and who I regularly got to see in person. 

These lovelies are all added to the Stash and hopefully I can find plans for them soon.  We shall see... 


Sunday, October 15, 2017

Spoils of WI Sheep: Part 1



I've let the prizes from Wisconsin Sheep and Wool sit -- which does nothing to mark the generosity of the various vendors who donated them. Also I need to get them into Ravelry so I've not forgot from whence they came.  (Always a challenge at Chez Hedgehog-- when TLE started magicking my purchases into my stash, it was a brilliant day!)

So here's part 1, with a second part coming in a couple of days.  Top Left and Bottom Right are the front and back of a felted bag from Spry Whimsy.  It's fairly thin but should hold a single skein project. It's delightfully bright.  I'm pretty sure I've been to their store once even! If it's the one I'm remembering, it was lovely and full of charming things to purchase. 

The Top Right is Hidden Valley Yarn, 200 hundred yards of Coopworth.  It's very squishy and a nice worsted weight. I have a couple of ideas for it that might even tie into Christmas knitting this year -- if only I can come out from beneath the immediate weight of Loopy Academy projects.

Finally--that Bottom Left is KnitCircus! This is their Greatest of Ease base in the Over the Rainbow colorway. I would be lying if I said I wasn't always drawn to their booth, but I've never had the right project in mind and didn't just want the yarn to linger.  This demands work soon and I am already scouring through my Ravelry queue for something appropriate.  The rainbow obsession continues!

These were all prizes for the Walk and Knit competition and I've only shown you half and only what I brought home! More to come!


Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Lessons Proceeding

Loopy Academy is occasionally stressful. I tend to overdo on my projects, going for things that are shiny rather than just what meets requirements. But heavens, at least it's not this other online course that I'm presently attempting, which is supposed to be introducing best practices in designing for online courses to educators. In this week's module, we got completely incorrect information about copyright law. I'm an academic librarian by career and training and I've done research and multiple papers on this topic. I am not a copyright lawyer by any stretch but seriously? Bah.

I'll take stress about wool any day. Okay, fine, that's most days and most stressors. I'm sure you understand my general point.


Meet my third project. This is "knitting from a chart" and I chose the Vitamarie pattern by Franklin Habit.  I've just started my third repeat of Chart B. Everything is very clear and a repeat seems like it is taking about 90 minutes? I didn't get through quite a full repeat during a 1 hour Knitgirllls episode. I'll have to test with Midsomer Murders.

The yarn is Loopy Solids, which continues to be serviceable. TLE still has a lot of it in the discounted pile, though I wish I'd bought more black before they sold out in this old base. And I probably need to go over and just buy the rest of what they have in a couple of other colors. Because you know, I have room for that.

And it's lace and that's a rather late at night photo on the plaid couch so not my best. But it's started and coming along. I finished the pink scarf I showed you last week, so I'm trying to focus on my Academy projects. That will probably last until later today, when I need to go to the dentist. She doesn't mind if I knit while we're waiting for the pain killers to kick in but she will probably draw the line at charts.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Academy Begins

Fall Semester for Loopy Academy is underway.  I've managed to choose three projects that require close care and attention.

Ampersand Exclamation Point Pound Sign F2 Key Asterisk End Parentheses

Ah well, it is supposed to be about learning, isn't it?


First is the entrelac project. I went back and forth on needle size, which pattern to use, etc. But finally it's underway. I've completed one repeat and I think I generally understand what I'm doing. It'll be endless short rows and it will be rubbish to try and do this on the commute. It's a good thing BMFA is gorgeous yarn. 


The asymmetric project on the other hand is lovely and I wish I had more energy to work on it. I really do like Wollmeise. I've been committing to at least two rows at bedtime, which a couple of times has turned into four rows but generally not more. Other knitting is happening around Chez Hedgehog but this has been living by the bed. It has *some* capacity to travel. It'll need it. 

Just barely cast on and not yet photographed is the chart shawl. I can safely say Franklin Habit has some of the largest and clearest charts I've ever encountered. 

Now all I need is time. 

Monday, September 18, 2017

#ShePersisted

I am awash with deadlines .Everything at work seems to be happening five minutes, maybe three, before it's due, or I'm a week late and opening with an apology and request for understanding. My only hope is that nearly everyone I encounter seems to be in the same boat. Drawing on one of my research partners, we now open our working calls with "This is my reality this week..." and avoid the three minutes of prelude joint apologies. 

Thus it's particularly important to have a knitting project that is just a touch mindless and yet pretty enough to evoke the spare comment and keep me motivated. 

Meet the Noel pattern in BMFA #shepersisted 


Isn't it bright and crazy and lovely?  I adore it. 

The pattern is a triangular shawl, an irregular pattern with a picot edging that I'm finding I enjoy. 


The color is of course an homage to Elizabeth Warren, the Senator for whom I have great respect. The doesn't hurt either.  Although, someone did point out that it would be just a touch more amusing if the colorway was #sheeppersisted But I'll take the original.



It's knitting up very quickly, aided by a run through Agatha Christie's first Poirot book in my headphones. I decided I should give it one more try before the movie this fall. I had forgotten how utterly annoying I find Poirot. He's so smug and condescending. Although, in his defense, in the first book at least Christie is poking gentle fun at the narrator -- who is wholly convinced of his own detecting prowess. If my library has the second book I might give it a go. I need something to tide me over until next month's Audible credit brings another Miss Fisher book. 


Gypsy continues to help with my photo shoots. Such a thoughtful cat. (A thoughtful cat who broke one of my light bulbs. I have new ones now and no one has glass in their toes.)



Saturday, September 16, 2017

Wee Sheep, WI Sheep

The fancy sheep were unimpressed with us, but we were impressed with them! Last weekend the Philosopher and I drove up to Wisconsin for WI Sheep and Wool Festival or Wee Sheep--as I tend to pronounce it.  It required some serious Philosopher leveraging on a Saturday morning and it's a good thing sheep are as adorable as they are...


We also found my friend KB! She and her Ravenclaw Ravelry HPKCHC pals were attending in full force but she joined me for a rummage through the sheep barns and through the all of the shopping. She's shown here wearing a sweater made out of her own handspun. Yes, I'm terribly amazed by her all the time. She was also working on fair isle color-changing mittens. When she gets done and gets a blog post up, I'll try to remember to link.


We were very responsible knitting shoppers together, managing to talk each other out of yarn that we probably didn't really need, even as glorious as it was. Our color tastes are complementary but different enough that when I would squeal over something, she was a bit more refined, with the appropriate caveats for purple and green. The Philosopher was generally non-judgmental. He vetoed a couple of almost selections and reminded me that yes, I really do have that many skeins of rainbow yarn that I might need to get to first.  But what's the fun in that? Here's what I did buy: 


First up was Blackberry Ridge Wollen Mill.  This is two skeins of their Colorflow base, Autumn Rag colorway.  It's about a pound altogether and around a worsted weight. It's like oatmeal in a skein, warm and nubby. I want to make a really dense warm shawl. I'm thinking maybe a Kay's Tess D'Ubervilles Shawl again. I wear my purple one all the time.
Next was my dearest Ewetopia Fiber Shop. Oh I've missed seeing Kathryn the past couple of years and her yarns are just exactly as excellent as I remember. This is her Kickapoo Sock and while it's not photographing perfect, I think you can see the hints of purple and blue. That's gone into the stash to marinate for a bit. (We realized that I have Ewetopia yarn that is nearly a decade old; I really must get around to using that up)


I also had to grab a skein of this Ridge Sport yarn. This comes with history. While I was living in La Crosse, Ewetopia had it's first "their farm" wool. I bought a skein in an aqua shade and made a pair of socks. It's one of my earlier pairs and I've worn them to felt. I adore those socks. So finding some of her Ewetopia farm grown, Ewetopia mill spun, Ewetopia owner dyed in aqua ? Sign me up.  These will be a quick add to the sock drawer and I can't wait! 



My final purchase came late in the day. I was dismayed to learn that a regular favorite dyer of mine, Emily of Sophie's Toes, is shutting down her work. She does delightful color blends including the Philosopher's favorite triangle. Her booth had been pretty well cleared out, but I found this lovely autumnal skein.  The green isn't my usual, but I know a couple of people it will appeal to and so in the goodness of time. 

After KB headed home, it was time for me to compete in the Walk and Knit contest! My writing partner's ex-neighbor (I know, stay with me) had put together a team. I was, she promised her teammates, a ringer. We hustled and stitched our way through, trying to not knock anyone else over or drop stitches. There were a total of 8 teams competing. I'm told that somewhere, there's video. Thank heavens for a self-history of walking/knitting log cabin afghan squares. 

Then we queued to hear the winners. Imagine our delight-- WE WON! We were the second fastest time but apparently had knit the most? It was a combination of stitches, errors, and speed.  I'm not entirely sure how they calculated it, but we were utterly delighted. See our wining team picture here!*

We got a treasure trove of prizes. It was amazing generosity from the vendors and I was deeply touched. I'll share those separately so you can see all of the cool and shiny things (and keep in mind, my teammates took home lots of other cool things too!). I hear we might have to compete next year again. 

All in all, an excellently sheepy day. 


*Yes, he knit that stunning brioche shawl and he was starting a second one. It's even more phenomenal in person. Everyone was enchanted with it. 











Friday, September 8, 2017

Loopy Academy: Senior Year, Fall Semester.

Here we go!!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Wisconsin Sheep and Wool. Where I will be buying yarn. Which is why today I am showing you new yarn that just arrived. So, about the problem of my stash never getting smaller and me being totally confused as to why this is the case.

Pay no attention to the BMFA Packaging behind the couches.


Here's what was in the Box of Fun and what you'll be seeing too much of over the next four months. I keep telling myself that I can totally knock all of these out in a couple of weeks. My optimism seems unending. 

We have three project assignments this fall term: entrelac, charts, and asymmetrical. I was pretty delighted with these choices -- they are broader than a couple of the past terms have been. 


This BMFA heavyweight in the Hush colorway seems like it will be perfect for entrelac. That's not one of my favorite textures, but at least the colorway is cheerful and if I get done and hate it, wouldn't be a wool I minded knitting again.  I've knit entrelac once or twice, though I'm not sure I've ever gotten through a full project. 


Next up is Loopy Solids in Evergreen. Yes, that's five skeins but they are half skeins. Promise. It's only 2.5 "real" skeins of fingering weight. And no, that's not the same color as what I knit the Steampunk shawl out of last spring. I talked myself into a Franklin Habit pattern I've been meaning to knit for a while. He has beautiful and clear charts and this will nicely meet the requirements for a pattern with a chart.  


Finally, I went looking for an excuse to buy/knit some Wollmeise in the colorway Brombeere [Blackberry]. With any number of beautiful asymmetric patterns available on Ravelry, I'm sure one will pop out as fitting for this skein.  Asymmetric patterns haven't really been my thing, other than the one I knit for AudioGirl last Christmas, so the question remains of who I know that might wear this color.  

I'm off to set up the ball winder.  Between this and Christmas knitting and a few other planned things for fall, it's going to be quite a long wind! 

A Redo

 I started this pair of socks on New Years Eve just before 2020. I finished them in May 2020 , amidst a lot of optimism about what I'd a...