Fiber Arts Friday: Rainbow Vanilla Socks, part 5

Whence last we last saw this project in mid-October 2025, I had completed the setup for the Afterthought Heels and was ready to embark upon a whole lot of leg knitting....

Between the two socks, I have completed about 5 of 12 inches of leg knitting.

I have 1 extra stitch on one of the socks, so that's why the color pattern slightly different between the two socks.

This project has been good for waiting-around-knitting, my-mind-is-too-tired-to-count-knitting, and just-pick-up-which-ever-is-on-top knitting.  Which is good for now, but I feel like it will take me a year to finish these socks.  Which, of course, does not matter.  :-) 

Anyway, I still have a lot of leg knitting to go.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Crazy Funky Grandpa Cardigan

Years ago, I had a grey cardigan that I called my Grandpa Sweater.  I called it my Grandpa Sweater because it reminded me of one that my Grandfather wore nearly every day.

So when I came across this pattern (apparently in 2013), it made me smile.  I knew I would make it one day so it stayed toward the top of my queue for several years.

In early 2022 I thought I might use my crazy StitchesWest yarn to make the sweater but there is not enough of it.  So I needed to find a suitable background color, fiber, and gauge.  Therefore one of my goals at the Estes Park Wool Market in June 2022 was to find the right yarn.

I tried to find a non-grey color since the sample in the pattern is grey, but ultimately it was the one available that went best with the existing crazy yarn.  I also like that it has a purple undertone, so it is not a flat grey, and that the color has some movement.

Then as February 2023 began, both of my active projects were approaching completion (SOS, Clown Fish).  With a couple of events coming up, I thought it was a good time to get this project set up.  So I caked everything, except the one grey that is a different dye lot, and began swatching.

Swatching resulted in US1 needles and gauge of 6.67 sts/inch.  Prescribed gauge is 6.125 sts/inch.  Coupling that with my personal measurements, I decided to make a size M...

Then due to other higher priority projects, this sat in the queue again until October 2025, when I finally cast-on.

In double-checking my measurements, I am continuing with my plan for a size M, which should result in an over-sized sweater with plenty of ease for layering.

What you see below is the Upper Back and Arm Shaping.  Each color repeat is ~1 inch.

One of the things about Stockinette Stitch is that the fabric rolls... this has been getting annoying.  So I'm looking forward to having both front sides complete and joining everything together.  ;-)

Manning two cakes of yarn has been going fine, but it also means that this project is an at-home-only project.

finally, I am glad to have this project underway since it has literally been on my mind for 12 years and ready to go for nearly three years.  :-)

Next up is the first Upper Front.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Portland Frog Hat

I happened to see a post from PDX Knitterati on Social Media on Sunday, October 26, 2025 about her Frog Hat.  

With it being similar to the Pussy Hats from the first regime and the joy of the Portland Inflatable Frogs from the No Kings March on October 18th, I knew I had to make at least one of these.

I had suitable yarn in my stash and stopped by one of the Big Box Craft Stores to get some Googly Eyes.

I love this yarn so much.... it has a Hygge feeling for me... the color, the softness, the squishy-ness... mmm.  It was acquired from the Apothefaery in 2022 at the Estes Park Wool Market.

I did not figure out a good way to attach the Googly Eyes that wasn't far too fiddly while also being secure and washable.

So I stopped at a couple of local shops and picked up some felt and buttons as recommended in the pattern.

And ultimately just used the buttons, which are wood so they will air dry.

I am ready for the next demonstration.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cozy Stripes Sweater, part 15

 In the last week I finished up the annoying little details and my Cozy Stripes Sweater is now complete!

I have not blocked yet, because I'm too excited to wear it now!

The weaving in of ends took the longest and is my least favorite thing to do. lol.

There ended up being two dropped stitches that I had marked,  Both are now fixed.

The sewing on of buttons went quickly and the button holes are nearly invisible... I remember thinking this when I made them, so I (may) spend some time making them more apparent with stitching... later

Ultimately this project took 8.25 months of work, with a 3.5 month summer break leading to one week shy of 12 months from start to finish and just shy of 1300 total yards.

Skein duration:

• #1 (11/2/24 - 12/10/24) 5 wks 3 days
• #2 (12/10/24 - 12/30/24) 2 wks 6 days
• #3 (12/30/24 - 1/6/25) 1 wk
• #4 (1/6/25 - 1/18/25) 1 wk 5 days
• #5 (1/18/25 - 2/5/25) - 2 wks 4 days - 14 g remain

• Green (2/5/25 - 2/6/25) - 2 days - 22 g remain (begin body stripes)
• Orange (2/6/25 - 2/8/25) - 3 days - 23g remain
• #5 (2/8/25 - 2/9/25) - 2 days - 11 g remain
• Orange (2/9/25) - 1day - 18 g remain
• Green (2/10/25 - 2/14/25) - 5 days - 17 g remain (complete body stripes)

• #5 (2/14/25 - 2/20/25) - 6 days (begin hem)
• #6 (2/20/25 - 2/25/25) - 5 days - 20g remain (complete hem, bind off pending)

• TINK Body Hem (2/27/25 - 3/6/25)  - 8 days
• #5 (3/6/25 - 3/22/25) - 2 wks 2 days (begin re-Knitting Body Hem with smaller needles, US3)
• #6 (3/22/25 - 3/23/25) - 2 days (complete and bind-off Body Hem) - 19g remain

• Pickup Collar/Button Band Stitches (3/24/25 - 3/30/25) - 6 days
• #6 (3/30/25 - 4/10/25) - 11 days (begin Button Band/Collar, US3)
• #7 (4/10/25 - 4/22/25) - 12 days (complete Button Band/Collar and Bind off) - 14g remain

• #8 (4/23/25 - 6/4/25) - 6 wks (begin Sleeve #1, on hold for the summer) - 10g remain
• #8 (9/14/25 - 9/22/25) - 8 days (restart Sleeve #1, large brown section nearly complete)

• #9 (9/23/25 - 10/13/25) - 3wks (begin Sleeve #2)
• #7 (10/13/25 - 10/18/25) - 5 days (complete Sleeve #2) - 7 g remain
• Green (10/14/25 - 10/16/25) - 3 days (sleeve stripes) - 15 g remain
• Orange (10/15/25 - 10/16/25) - 2 days (sleeve stripes) - 17 g remain
• 
  
• #7 (10/19/25 - 10/20/25) - 2 days (complete Sleeve #1) - 3 g remain
• Green (10/19/20) - 1 day (sleeve stripes) - 14 g remain
• Orange (10/19/20) - 1 day (sleeve stripes) - 14 g remain

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!