Fiber Arts Friday: Cozy Stripes Sweater, part 2

Since mid-December (12/8/24), I've finished the first skein of yarn 

I'm putting these photos here so I can remember about how much one skein makes... I am in to the Sleeve and V-Neck increases here.

I also added a short thread marker to make it easier to see the end of each skein.

Even though my habit is to buy one more skein than I think I need, I am feeling insecure in the amount of brown yarn that I have available... I have a couple of ideas on how to use the other colors in the stripes, in order to conserve the brown.... and also possibly doing the button band and collar before starting the sleeves.  We shall see how I'm feeling after a few more skeins.

While working with the second skein... I have completed with the Sleeve and V-Neck increases and am nearly complete with the body increases.

I have 4 rows to go before I divide out the sleeves.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Oak Beanie, part 2

 At last post, I had just returned with a second skein of this pretty pinky-purple, super bulky yarn that was miraculously the same dye lot as the first skein...

At the half-way point... 24 of 48 rounds complete, I have 106 g of 200g in the first skein remaining.  I may not need the second skein, but as I said last time, it's going to be close.

The hat is currently 5.5 inches tall (12/19/24)

It's always interesting how the color changes when the light changes... the first photo is more purple and the second photo looks a bit orange.

I completed the hat with 25g remaining in the first skein.

I forgot how the cables tighten up the fabric.... so this may have to be remade, but for now, it is complete.

I also added a cute rabbit pom-pom...

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Bee Kit Amigurumi

If you know me, you know I'm not a fan of kits.

A lot of people like kits... and I understand why they do.  But as an engineer, I feel that kits remove the most fun part of any project.... figuring it out.  :-)

Anyway, I've been casually looking for a Bee Amigurumi pattern for a while and not finding quite what I wanted.... but I hadn't yet progressed to the point of figuring it out for myself.

Then a few weeks ago, I was showing a friend who's new to town the craft store options we have locally.... this included stopping into one of the big box stores... and we happened to see and endcap with come cute Amigurumi kits.

This bee is one of the cutest I've seen... and while the yarn is acrylic and so much of this kit is in opposition of my goals and priorities... but it does meet my need to learn a new skill.  So I spent the $10 and brought it home.

This is a gift for Hubba who desperately wants a Busy Bee, but apparently no one actually makes one.

You can see the actual Busy Bee in an earlier scene, but I have not been able to find a clip.

Here's the finished project....

My stitching skills leave a lot to be desired, but I think the point is being made.  lol

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cozy Stripes Sweater

In early April 2023, I bought the yarn and set this project up, so it was ready to start when I finished a few other projects.  I was planning to use US0 needles, since it's the same yarn as the Inigo Socks... although, I thought I would go up to US1 to make a more flexible fabric.

It took some time to get started, but I did finally did swatch and cast on last month in November.  I am using US4 needles.

So far, I have the top/shoulder area completed and am working on the increases for the upper portion of the V-Neck and Sleeves.

After being focused on socks for the last couple of years, I'm expecting that this will be my primary project over the winter.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Oak Beanie

I agreed to make a hat for a friend.  She pursued Ravely and chose this pattern.  We then went to a few yarn stores and she chose a pretty pink-ish, single-ply, bulky(!), Merino.

Since she's from a warmer climate, the goal was to make a very warm hat with few holes.

So I'm knitting this yarn on much smaller needles (US7-8) than the suggested (US15-17).

I got the brim completed on US 7... and ordered a set of US8 for the body, which took a couple of weeks to arrive.

Once the US8 needles arrived, I started on the cable.  Then quickly realized that I might not have enough yarn to complete the hat.  The pattern calls for 115 yards of a much smaller gauge yarn and my skein is 109 yards.

So at my first break in the day, I took a sample from the tail end and the ball band to the LYS we bought the first skein from a few weeks ago...  would you believe that they not only had another skein in the same colorway, but that it was also the same dye lot?!?  My Lucky Day!!

After returning home, I did a little math.  At 14 rounds completed + the cast on and 60g used thus far, I should plan that each round uses ~4g.  

At a total of 48 rounds for this project * ~4g per round = ~192g total for the project.  There are a couple of increases and some decreases to come... and all but two rounds thus far was using a smaller needle, so this really is just a rough number.

Each skein is 200g.... so it is possible that I worried for no reason, but it will be very close with one skein.  Therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry with a few rounds to go at the end.  :-)

Stay tuned and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cattitude, part 4

As of last time, all of the pieces were made but nothing had been blocked yet...

I've blocked the pieces, but still find them more fiddly to stitch together than I am willing to work with.  So I have decided to scrap the yellow inner ear and just tack the ears down to finish out this project...

Starting first with a quick reminder on how to do the Mattress Stich:

I did finally get the pieces stitched together and tacked down.  This hat is a little big for me, but the double layered brim should be quite warm.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Piney House Socks, part 5

Since early November when I decided to forego the cabling, I have decided to make the legs ~4 inches long.

Now, just shy of 3 months from starting, I have a pair of Piney House Socks.

These fit better than the others I've made... I need to make sure I'm accounting for negative ease in my future socks. doy.

The leg is a little shorter than I tend to like, but about 2-inches longer than it would have been had I followed the pattern exactly as written.

It was a good time to stop... as I was getting quite bored with the Twisted Rib. lol.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!