And it only took 1 year 9 months

My Autumn Rose Pullover is finally finished after nearly 2 years! There was a time that I wasn’t sure I was ever going to finish it. And many times that I put it aside to work on other things. But I persisted and it is finally done. What do you think?

Pattern: Autumn Rose Pullover by Eunny Jang

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette (color detail on Ravelry)

Needles: US 4, 3 and 2

Mods I made are to make the sleeves longer and to raise the neckline a bit. DH said it looks “store bought” which to him is a huge compliment. And I have to admit, I enjoy the looks of amazement when I tell people I made whatever I’m wearing. Now I just need to wait until Fall to wear it.

May Flowers

Some of the flowers blooming around my yard.

Ajuga

Dead Nettle

Lily of the Valley

Pansies

Yellow Archangel

And my progress on my Autumn Rose Pullover. I’ve been working on this almost exclusively lately. Other than working in my yard and garden. I’ve joined the sleeves and am on the home stretch.  Maybe I’ll get it done in time to wear next winter!

I’ve frogged the Twisted socks and am now making Anastasia socks instead (Rav links). The purls on the Twisted socks were uneven when coming off the knit ribs. It probably would have blocked out but these socks are for my mom and I didn’t want to take the chance. Only the best for my mom!

Finally, progress

I’m really getting some work done on my Autumn Rose Pullover. I’ve finished one sleeve and am nearly done with the first two pattern repeats on the second. This is one of the times I’m sorry I decided to go with long sleeves, but I know I’ll be happy about it when I’m done. For the extra length, I added two pattern repeats (actually one full and the medallion section of another so the sleeve starts with the medallion section) and 10 more decreases. I hope I measured correctly. Frogging fair isle is not a fun thing.

The socks are coming along slowly. With the nice weather, I’ve been able to get out and work in the yard instead. Since we just moved to this house last fall, I’m trying to find out what we have growing. So far I’ve identified hostas, daylilies,

daffodils, more daylilies, 

snowdrops, some more daylilies,

and scilla. I’ve never seen scilla before. It’s not something that was ever in my parents yard so I had to look it up online. I think I’m correct in my identification though. I really hope the day lilies aren’t all the same color. Seems like all I ever see are the Stella d’Oro, and although they are pretty they aren’t my favorite.

We have compost bins in the back by the garden that I don’t think they’ve been used in a while. I cleaned out both sides and spread what was ready on the garden. The bottoms were still frozen, so that was fun. In the bins I found plastic plant holders, a small clay pot, egg shells, a film canister, and sunglasses. I can understand the egg shells (hope they were washed!) but I don’t really see the rest decomposing any time soon.

The garden was tilled this weekend and the branches I pruned and picked up from the yard are now out of the garden as well. And I found strawberries growing underneath! Hope they weren’t ruined by the branches. The husband (who knows nothing about plants) almost tilled through them.

This week I hope to get some potatoes and onions planted. Possibly asparagus crowns, even though I won’t be able to use any this year. And maybe some more strawberries because there don’t look to be too many growing right now.

The boys are enjoying the sun, too. Well, P is.

Q is just being goofy as usual.

Ahh, warmth

Well, it may not actually be warm yet, but it’s finally starting to look like spring may be on it’s way. The snow has finally melted, except those piles from large parking lots. The grass is green, but not really growing yet (that perfect stage before mowing commences.) The greenhouse is up at the local grocery store and plants will begin arriving soon.

I was able to get outside and do some yard work on one of my days off last week. The husband had gotten most of the big branches that came down with all the snow and ice this winter, but there were many smaller twigs that needed to be rounded up as well as trees to prune. It was really nice to spend the day outside without it involving shoveling snow.

I’m looking forward to my first garden this year. I helped my parents garden while growing up but that usually just meant I weeded and picked veggies. This year I will get to pick what to plant and do all the work involved in growing. I’m thinking tomatoes are a must, as are green beans and zucchini. But my garden is not that large and I hope the zucchini don’t take over. I’ll have to keep up on it. I guess this will be a true test in commitment and perseverance. I can do it!

As far as knitting goes, I finished the husband’s Masonic Lodge socks and he may actually even be able to wear them this season yet. I haven’t actually started his Houndstooth Vest (rav link) because I haven’t yet finished the sleeve of my Autumn Rose Pullover (I did promise myself after all.) Looks like the vest will be a next fall/winter item. I’ll probably finish it in the middle of summer like I did his Alberta vest.

I also finished my Damson shawl. I was at my mom’s house blocking it (because she has these foam blocking squares from Knit Picks that I’m going to have to buy) and saw that she really liked it. So it was gifted to my mom for her birthday. Here are a couple pictures of it.

I started a couple new pairs of socks. My sister loved my Kai-Mei socks so I’m making a pair for her in Malabrigo sock’s Turner. Right now I’m only in the ribbing part. But I remember that these socks knit up pretty fast. Maybe that’s because the last ones I was making for me

I’m also making my mom some socks in Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball’s Cranberry. I’m using the new Knitty pattern Twisted. I think it will work nicely with the long repeat of colors in the yarn.

I think she will really like them. Red is her color.

When will winter end?

Four inches of snow yesterday and another storm blowing in with another five inches expected tomorrow through Monday. You might say, “What do you expect, you live in the Midwest!” But even by our standards, we have had a ton of snow this winter. In fact, it’s the most we’ve had in over 20 years.

I remember as a child having winters that were cold and snowy, much like this one. We had a great sledding hill in our backyard and we made all kinds of snowmen, snow bunnies, snow families, etc. They pretty much all looked the same except for size and the ears on the bunnies. Dad would cut cubes for us while shoveling the driveway to make us igloos or forts. It’s really sad that you don’t see things like that anymore. The other day I finally saw a snowman in a yard. Two months after the first snow.

But enough about that.

Our boys like to sit by the vents while the heat is going. Can’t say I blame them – warm air and a cuddle buddy. Well the other day our heat went out and while we were waiting for the repair guy I saw the saddest thing ever (ignore the demon eyes).

Poor guy, waiting and waiting for the heat to kick in.

Another Wednesday post

A quick update on my current WIPs.

Damson is coming along nicely once I figured out what I was doing wrong. I started the scalloped part of the shawl and had to rip it out a couple times because the count wasn’t turning out right after a few rows. Once I read the pattern correctly the count turned out right. I should finish it before too long.

  

The Masonic Lodge socks are my current travel project and haven’t   been getting much time lately. I really like the pattern though and it’s looking good in the Malabrigo sock I’m using. The picture below is not that great but the other didn’t show the cable detail. These are the second socks I’ve done in Malabrigo sock and I hope the husband loves them as much as I love mine. The Angee socks I made are the softest socks I own.

The Autumn Rose pullover is taking so much longer than I had thought it would. I keep getting sidetracked by other projects that are quicker. First there was the husband’s Alberta vest, then Crisp, then the Favorite Cardigan. I just got yarn for the Houndstooth vest (Rav link) in the new Vogue Knitting. I’ll be using Cascade 220 in colors close to the original because as I believe I’ve mentioned before, the husband has no imagination. Once I show him a pattern that he likes, that is the color he wants it in. So blue and gray it is.

 

However, I will at least finish one sleeve of my Autumn Rose pullover before I start this new vest. Here’s my current progress on the first sleeve.

Yeah, I am really moving along! If you will recall the last progress report I gave about a month ago, I’ve made it one pattern repeat in that time. And that’s been in the last couple days. I had forgotten how long ago I started this (over a year).

And just because, one of my favorite pictures of the P cat.

Valentine’s Day Snow

Happy Valentine’s Day! Look, more snow!

 

I really can’t complain though, our snow has come in less than 1 foot batches unlike other areas. And it’s very pretty (from the inside). Just look at the icicles that are forming.

But it just keeps piling up. We’re running out of room to put it all and it’s getting difficult to reach the top of the pile when shoveling. Yes, we are the few, the proud that still shovel. This winter is making us reconsider.

Other than the shoveling, which we are now experts at, it’s been a lazy day around here. I got some knitting done while the husband glued together his fuselage.

The boys are wondering what we are doing home. It’s a rare weekend that we are both home for the entire time. Q has been spending quality time draped under my chin (his favorite place) and P has been spending quality time with my yarn.

What a relaxing day.

And it’s still Wednesday

Told you I’d get around to posting my WIPs. And I even made it on a Wednesday. Assuming I get this finished in the next couple hours. Don’t know if I will have my progress bars changed today though, a cheesy ‘80’s movie is playing on Showtime and I keep getting distracted. Explosive psychic powers are just so engrossing. It’s actually an ‘80’s movie my husband hasn’t made me watch, but I’d bet money he’s seen it. He has a thing for movies of that era, and the worse they are the more insistent he is I watch it. Can I just say Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Moving on, the WIPs.

I haven’t ever made a shawl and I can’t honestly say I will ever wear one; but I couldn’t help but buy this pattern. It’s Damson by Ysolda Teague. Whether I end up gifting it or actually wearing it, I just think it is adorable. I’m using Schoppel-Wolle Zauberball in Denim.

I was making Monkeymen also, but ended up frogging them because I didn’t have DH try them on before binding off. They were way too tight to get over his heel and had no give to them whatsoever. I could have redone them larger in the leg, but at that point I was so frustrated I ripped them apart. My own fault. I’ve decided to start Masonic Lodge instead. Just cast on today. I don’t think you want to see 4 rows of ribbing so I’ll skip the picture.

I’m still working on the Autumn Rose Pullover. I ripped back the arm to redo since it was puckering at the join and let me tell you, untangling fair isle is not fun! I have started to work up the sleeve again and although you can’t really tell from this picture but it does look much better. I made the join on the needle instead of between the needles. Seems like a no-brainer to do, but I’ve always made my joins between the needles. It’s never really made a difference before, but when you’re working with 10 different colors of yarn…

Well, I made it on Wednesday (my time) so it’s still WIP Wednesday. The progress bars will have to remain the way they are as I must finish watching ‘80’s psychics try to kill each other. Here’s a closing kitty picture because I should give equal time to both my boys.

New year, time to update the blog

I’m horrible at updating this blog. I go months without posting, and really in that time I can’t say I was a super productive knitter either. But I did get a few projects done. Looking at the progress bar to the right, I have finished the Cauchy socks and the Crisp vest. The Never-ending/Hibernating afghan hasn’t seen the light of day in over a year and the Autumn Rose pullover was put on the back-burner in favor of a simpler and quicker sweater. Which is finished thank you very much.

So here are the finished projects.

Pattern: Crisp by Wendy Bernard

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Lettuce with trim in Blue Sky Alpacas Melange in Pesto

Needles: US 6

Pattern: Cauchy (Rav link) by Cookie A.

Yarn: Knit Picks Essentials Kettle Dyed in Wine

Needles: US 2

Pattern: Angee (Rav link) by Cookie A.

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock in Velvet Grapes

Needles: US 1.5

Pattern: Favorite Cardigan (another Rav link) by Wendy Bernard

Yarn: Knit Picks WOTA in Coal

Needles: US 8

Mods: Started with a smaller neckline because I did not want an off the shoulder sweater. I also made the body longer because I am well past my belly-baring years. That put me up to 9 buttons and a long-ass button band. Lastly, I made the sleeves full-length (and with my monkey arms they are long indeed.)

I’ll save my WIPs for another post. Sooner or later I’ll get around to changing my progress bar, too, but one thing at a time.

Finally, by reader request (I have a reader?!) a gratuitous cat shot. This is my Q, sleeping on the ugly cat blanket I made for the boys out of leftover Lion Brand Homespun from my early knitting years.

Startitis

So I have a case of startitis and little other ambition this summer. I’ve got Cauchy on the needles that I’ve turned the heel on and done nothing since. I’ve still got the Autumn Rose Pullover that is hibernating next to my chair. I really need to restart the sleeve on it – the seam is puckering and I’m not sure I can block it out. I just started Crisp by Wendy Bernard and I’ve received the yarn that I’m going to make her Favorite Cardigan (Rav link) with. Of course I really want to start that sweater too – but I refuse to have that much on the needles. I have to finish something!

But here are some pictures of my WIPs.  

This is Cauchy from Cookie A. I’m using Knit Picks Essential in Wine Kettle. My hubby needs some new socks – he’s wearing his others to death.

Here is Crisp from Wendy Bernard. I’m using Cascade 220 Superwash in Celery with leftover Blue Sky Alpacas Melange in Pesto for the accents.

I plan on using this WOTA for the Favorite Cardigan, also by Wendy Bernard. My husband is always of no help when deciding on colors. If I show him a picture of the garment I plan on making and he likes it, he just cannot imagine it in a different color. Therefore, my Favorite Cardigan will be black. It’s OK though, I was leaning towards black anyway. But I still will not  cast on until something else is finished.