Adding Button Finally Finishes Short Scarf

Yarn-mixing Scarf fastened with button

The yarn-mixing scarf I’ve been working on (on and off) since December is now done!

double buttons

It had reached  only about 3 feet (1 meter) in length when one of the yarns ran out, and I didn’t want to join in something different.  So I decided on adding a button. . . but where and how?  The gauge is loose enough that a button can be pushed through the fabric pretty much anywhere, so I picked out 2 buttons, joined them together back to back with yarn, and the wearer can attach the scarf’s ends together as high or low as desired.

6 yarns, knit together

Almost all of these yarns, light-to-medium neutrals, came in a box of leftovers I “inherited” from a knitting friend.  The last one is a fine-gauge metallic.

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And how did I deal with all those ENDS?

One at a time!

running one end up along the side of a rib

Hey, note my right sidebar: I’ve been adding more links to instructive videos. Check out Kristin Nicholas’ series of videos on adding embroidery to knitwear!

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Getting Near to Done with 2 pair Kilt Hose

2nd pair for Robert

I’ve done all the (planned) increases on Robert’s forest green heather kilt hose.  The end is in sight!

The light bit of yarn at the top of the righthand sock shows where I worked one more pair of increases on sock #1.  Eventhough my ruler says 78 stitches is wide enough, and a slightly narrower 3-stitch knit-rib at center-back looks fine, I decided to try 80 stitches because it better fills out my ribbing pattern of (k5, seed3) around.  After another inch or so, I’ll be able to get better measurements of the girth.  I don’t have his legs available to try these on (he’s been to at least 2 countries since I saw him last), so I don’t know for sure how stretched — or not — these calves will be on him.  I’m really looking forward to finishing these and posting them off to him in County Derry.

And I still haven’t finished a whole ball of Wool-Ease in either sock!  Back when I was only able to purchase 4 balls of a single dye lot, I was concerned I wouldn’t have enough, but it looks now like 4 balls will be plenty — hurray!

The second pair of hose that’s oh-so-near to being done is the pair for myself that I’ve been working on for just over 2 years.  I’m using Knit Picks “Bare” 100% undyed wool in DK weight, and had been knitting these 2-at-a-time on one very long circular until I got to the actual cuffs.  Now I can say I’ve done that (the 2-socks-on-one-needle thing), but I found it cumbersome and don’t plan to do it again any time soon.

I hope to have these complete before August 31st, the day to take County Fair exhibits over to the Fairgrounds for judging and display.

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Other projects in the meantime:

Red Cap in TLC "Amore" yarn

Red Seed-Stitch Scrap Scarf -- worked lengthwise

Swatching several "brioche" stitches

Catching Up . . . with Twists, Colors, and Caps

Little baby aspen leaves mean spring is spring-ing here on the mountain!

I’ve mostly been working on the swatch for my Cast On pattern submission, but a few other recent completions somehow missed being documented here, so I think it’s time for some catch-up!

First, here’s the current state of the “real” swatch (vs my multi-colored swatch for trying out motifs and yarns):

3 wide and 3 narrow motifs to choose among

Due in Ohio by June 1, so I’ve got to finish it and pack it off very soon.

I have 2 ideas yet to try, one involves the lean of the twisted stitches, the other. . . is secret for now!  😉

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Latest progress on Fair Isle sampler scarf, motifs from Philosopher’s Wool.

And here are some recent give-away projects:

"3-Color Spiral Cap"

"3-Color Spiral Cap", top view

trying out Red Heart "Soft" yarn, colorway "Embers"

trying out Noro "Silver Thaw"; hat and short scarf with buttons

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Finally, some yarn “progressions” — groups of similar hue and saturation/purity, but a range of light/dark value:

Shetland blues, by value

Knit Picks greens, by value

Shetland oranges, by value

Shetland purples, by value

Back to Fair Isle Sampler Scarf, plus Kollage Kap

3 sets of "Korean stripes" in Sampler Scarf

Here’s where we stand with the Sampler Scarf!

Stripe Set 1:  neutral is KnitPicks “Bare” handdyed with (decaf) black tea, then colors are KnitPicks Palette C843 “Garnet Heather”, Jamieson & Smith shade 1283 “Pink Mist”, Reynolds Gleneagles fingering shade 3412 orange, J&S 58 “Dark Green”, J&S 26 lt. green.

Set 2:  neutral is J&S shade FC43 (“Fawn”), then 3 shades of KP Palette:  C821 “Blue Note Heather”, 6886 “Petal”, C843 “Garnet Heather”, and J&S 73 “Orange”.

Set 3:  neutral is J&S 202, then KP “Bare” home-dyed with sumac blossoms (yellow), J&S 93 “red”, J&S 131 “violet”, J&S 21 “navy”, J&S FC11.

Set 4:  My current plan is to use J&S FC17 for the next neutral.

Then perhaps on to some non-stripe 2-color patterning.

This is all meanwhile the Kollage “1/2 N 1/2” Kap proceeds toward 18 Jan. deadline.  The pattern is mostly written up — I’ll probably change some details of notation — and the model is progressing nicely (faster now that holidays are done and family are back at their respective schools).

Cap with smocking-stitch brim in Kollage Yarns "1/2 N 1/2"

I’ve also cast on another charity cap. This is my first experience with Lion Brand “Vanna’s Choice” yarn.  It feels pretty good while knitting, spongy, but a bit firm knit on #8’s (5 mm needles).

And the hat/scarf set in Noro “Silver Thaw” inches along.  It isn’t needed until *next* November.

The other recreational fiber-medium I’ve been dabbling in is Freeform Crochet.

one side

other side

Either side could end up being the “front”. . . .

Sometimes I have an idea to add onto it, sometimes I don’t.

In her book, Creative Crochet Lace, which I recently borrowed via interlibrary loan, author Myra Wood calls this “Doodle Lace”.  (BTW, interlibray loan is a great free service!  If your library offers this, take advantage!)

WIP’s while Waiting

I posted my proposal to Cast On in time for the submission-deadline this past week, but probably won’t hear whether they’ve accepted all or part of it until the middle of this coming week.  I’ve been working on my prototype, checking out necklines, gauges, and increase rates, but I figure there’s limited value in working too far on it, in case they select a different yarn or size (or designer). . . ,   so I wouldn’t want to go all the way down to the underarms at this point. . . (would I?). . . . 

In the meantime, I’ve worked on some gift items that might get pushed aside once I hear back from the magazine.  I re-blocked the lace edging on that wonderful neck-scarf I made in the Schoolhouse Press Knitalong back in October (pink and purple Kidsilk Haze — yumm!), to get back the scalloping that my first blocking had straightened.

And I made good progress on a ribbed cap for a former pastor.  It’s a bit more than 7″ tall now, so any more straight knitting will make for the turn-up brim, and then I should move on to the decreases-in-pattern.  I’ve set it aside for today, to take a break, but I hope to finish it before the committee writes to me and knitting time becomes more hectic.  The yarn is Debbie Bliss “Merino Aran” in charcoal, 1×1 rib, on US 8 (5 mm).

I’m in no particular hurry to finish up this hat/scarf set in Noro Silver Thaw (50% wool, 25% angora, 25% nylon, color #5, hat on US 8, scarf looser on US 9).  My plan is to donate it to a charitable craft sale run by the gal who taught me to knit, and that won’t happen again until *next* November.  I’m nearly through the first skein, but have an entire second skein after that!  I can just enjoy the knitting at whatever pace fits in between other, more “urgent” projects.
I’m not *especially* fond of the yarn — I like Silk Garden better — but the set is turning out pretty well.  I consider this part of my series of projects using lots of different types of slow-color-change yarns, including Noro as well as other brands.

I have even worked another set of “Korean” (according to Kaffe Fassett in his KF’s Pattern Library book) stripes on my Fair Isle Sampler Scarf.  It has been snoozing for quite some time, but I pulled it out again today for some restful, non-panicky knitting.  There is something about this project that I find so soothing!