First FO for September

A baby hat... made in my 2-color brioche pattern with a cute pom-pom.

I'm working on fine-tuning the pattern directions to make them easier for new-to-brioche knitters. (still have a ways to go... everything is simplified until you get to the decreases, then all kinds of confusion ensues).

I started this Friday evening after work, knit on it a bit this morning and during the football game and finished it after supper. It's completely reversible right up and until you add the pom-pom, but it's just the finishing touch that was needed.

Scraps of yarn were used, just random balls of yarn I pulled out of the scrap bin. I'm planning to make several more of these so that I can finalize the pattern directions and get them posted.

Grape Chevron Sweater - Still a WIP

I've done most of my work this month on the sweater. Had to restart several times and still have a few mistakes here ... but most of them, I've decided to live with.

Mistake 1 - when dividing in half, I forgot there were two extra stitches at the end... so I divided at a point 1 stitch off to the side, which made one strap of the front 2 stitches extra (I added decreases to offset them). 

Mistake 2 - I missed a decrease on that same side on one of the right-side-rows. (Threw in an extra decrease for it as well).

Mistake 3 - I swore up and down and right-side wrong-side ... and even ripped back my first 8 inches after the divide once already... that the v neck was starting too soon. (it wasn't... I wasn't thinking about the added collar that needs to be added later. (head-smack) I'm living with it ANYWAY.

At least I think I am. I may not have the right number of stitches on the front to match the number of stitches on the back... but if I can fudge that bit as well? We're going with it. It's still going to be a wearable sweater and it's not like anyone is going to be holding the picture from the pattern magazine up next to me while I'm wearing it.

Finished watch cap - FO's

I managed to finish off my watch cap before the end of July.

I normally leave it as being fully reversible, but I'd recently seen a photo of one of these with a big, poofy pompom on top.  I chickened out and settled on a medium sized one... but it still turned out pretty cute (or at least I think so).

It's ok, and it's cute... but I might try an over-sized pom next time.

I'm knitting again - WIP - Purple & white brioche watch cap

I've always loved 2-color brioche hats. I love the magic buried in brioche and can't wait to start experimenting outside of the hat, I'm thinking a jacket similar to a pattern I've seen for a brioche cape (not much of a cape wearer).

But, given I haven't been able to knit for over eight weeks... I tried casting this on about two weeks ago... got maybe a row done before I had to call it quits. Tried again a few nights ago... and we're off and running.

I'm still trying to limit myself to 20 or 30 minutes at a time; as I don't want to push my luck, but I've made some progress, nonetheless.

Knitted Quilt in Blue - WIP

I've been working on this 'quilt' for over two years. I've just gone through and re-pinned it with some new pins I picked up (watch here for a post about them shortly).  And at one point I thought I must have made a mistake and ended up 4" short on one edge. Re-pinning it proves that I'm really only about a half inch off - enough that I can manage with pinning and seaming and meant that the blanket body is finished and just needs the finishing details.

First, the photograph (credit to the original poster, if I can find it again) that inspired me:

Step 1 - I knit a long strip up the vertical left edge using intarsia for the colorwork.

Step 2 - Then I knit the first horizontal strip that ran along the top edge.
Step 3 - Then a vertical strip that came down along the center section.

Step 4, 5, 6, 7 more horizontal strips to finish out the blanket

Remaining steps - visible seams in black, mock black seams around each square, and a solid black edging.

Latest Frugal Yarn Purchase

40 skeins  (some opened, but it looks like they are still mostly complete skeins)... for $60.

I HAD JUST complained about how I dislike shopping on Facebook (Marketplace isn't available here just now). And someone posted some 'good' (well, good for me, with my wool allergies)... yarn cheap on Facebook. They were offering the yarn for $2 a skein, or the full lot for $60. I couldn't resist.

$1.50 per skein for Cotton-Ease? Yes, mine!

Grape Chevron Sweater

This is a slightly older project, still pending. It was supposed to be a project for Winter 2016 term (so started Jan 2016). Planning started before my now-husband had proposed. I even got him to pose for a silly photo for my proposal to 'use up my stash before it swallows him whole' photo.

And the specific stash in question is my favorite acrylic - Red Heart ... yes, they do make nasty yarn, but they also have a nicer yarn that they make... Red Heart With Love. Which is a nice, bouncy, acrylic. My biggest complaints is the small list of colors they do, however, they have recently added self-striping to their options... so it will get better (I hope).

As you can see, it's a grape-y purple (my favorite color).

The pattern is the Chevron Chic pattern which I have in a 2009 Verena Knitting magazine. So, pattern bought almost 8 years ago in the magazine, yarn bought at least back 2 to 3 years ago... and project began in 2016. Yeah... I'm quick like that, lol.

In all fairness... Jan 2016 was the month when wedding prep planning struck me pretty hard. There was a lot I wanted to do to prepare for the wedding (which wasn't until October 2016), but I also knew with my health that I could have a relapse at any time and if I wanted to do a lot of DIY for the decor, and the ceremony, and the snacks, etc... well, then I had to start early so that I would be ready. 

I managed to get the back finished before I ran completely out of steam (my camera seems to like to turn purple into blue):

And then I picked it up again in December of 2016 (break month) starting the front; only I hadn't done a good enough job of noting where I was in the pattern and what size I was making (woops). I got to the chevron bit of it before I realized my counts for the pattern were off (mistake 1) and when I compared it to the back I realized I was off by more than the counts, I was a good 3-4" wider than the back because I had cast on for the completely wrong size (mistake 2). I had to frog the whole thing and then I put it in time out (where all the naughty projects go).

Then this last April (another break month), I picked it back up again and got the right number of stitches cast on... and I managed to get a couple of repeats of the chevron before it was time to start the new term. I had hoped to get through the chevron by picking it up here and there during term, but working on 'bigger' WIPs during term always seems to be such a waste of crafting time.

I found it sitting in my project bag, mid-row even:

I figure I probably easily have another 20 hours of knitting to finish the front of this sweater and another 40 hours or so of knitting for the sleeves. Then easily 3-4 hours of seaming up and weaving in ends.

It should be a warm and cozy sweater when finished and something I could easily wear into the office or when visiting family and friends. Assuming I can find time and health remission to work on it.