North Carolina had a week of borderline crisp air and temperatures that don’t make you feel like you’re trapped in a hot humid bubble of misery. Yes, it will be back in the 90’s next week but we are taking last week as a sign that we have hope for Fall.
This year has been the least “productive” year of knitting on record. But I’m feeling the positive knitting energy returning and thought it was time to do a “state of the WIPs” round up. I did finish a sample project in July for Pasley Knits but I can’t show it yet. It helped kick me back into gear and I can’t wait to see how Colely photographs it since I struggled to capture how beautiful the sample turned out.
The Birthday Cast On
On my birthday, I thought I would just start a pair of socks for myself but then I decided to be a little delusional and cast on a fingering weight sweater instead.
The yarn is Little Lionhead Knits in the color “Elderberry Tea.” An absolutely perfect red without being a RED if you know what I mean. In 9 days, I’ve already split for the sleeves. That feels insanely fast given my snail pace of knitting in 2024. But I’m enjoying living in the delusional I’ll finish this and it will end up going on vacation with me.
The Douglas Cardigan
This cardigan has been in hibernation for several months at this point. I started in January and at several points I felt really unsure about it. Unsure about the fit, unsure if I would run out of yarn, just unsure.
Finally, I blocked the damn thing per instructions and the fit got so much better. Everything relaxed and I feel more hopeful it will be that slouchy stripped sweater I was going for.
All that is left is the button band (that you knit separately???) and figuring out those after thought pockets.
And probably ripping out some of the sleeves because they blocked too long for once in my life.
I really should just finish it…we’re so close it’s silly.
The raccoon
You would think that with enough bigger projects going on I have no business having a random silly project. Well here we are anyway.
I started the raccoon from the Mouche and Friends book a few weeks ago. I work on him in fits and bursts because it is fiddly and also the needles hurt my shoulder because they grip the yarn much (which is great when you have so few stitches per DPN but not so great pain wise).
I stuffed his little face just to make it easier to tell what on earth is going on. He has two little arms now and onto the body we go. This is my first time making a knitted animal, usually I would crochet something and it takes no time at all. The instructions in the book are really well done and thoughtful. It feels a little bit amazing that it actually does look pretty close to the picture.
The other cardigan
Again, we have a cardigan in progress why did I start another one back in May? Because this one is different!
The field day cardigan from Ozetta in a creamy oatmeal neutral is a dream project. It is a piece you would wear all of the time. So when the perfect yarn falls into your lap, you just have to start it.
I am working on the left front panel currently and I think I need to go back and add length to the back before joining everyone together. Do you ever measure something and confidently think you knit enough only to go back and realize you were over an inch short? That’s what happened.
Again, the purling of this project and the stickiness of the yarn to itself aggravates my shoulder so I am not working on this a lot right now.
Other things
I did finish a pair of stripped socks for Drew (YAY) so his annual knit is done. I am hoping to finish what I’ve got going on and knit a couple of cute vests for Fall. I wore the ones I already have a ton last season so more colors would be appreciated.
Also, people are having winter babies and I need to get my shit together to make some cute tiny things.
till next week.
Gorgeous projects!
I found instructions for a knit as you go border for the douglas cardi. It worked like a charm! And the pockets are much easier than I expected too. Finish it!!