Absent Blogger Continues Her Absentees...

...but maybe sometime soon I shall return since I mastered the WIFI setup all by myself tonight!

Here's an adorable picture of Juniper in the meantime. Miss you all! Happy knitting!

Absent Blogger May Finally Change Her Ways???

So I did a thing that entailed uprooting my entire life (Juniper and all stash included, of course) in basically the past month...
Still getting settled in (the stash in still in transit and Juniper is pretty sure I've ruined her life...), but once everything dies down a little, I'm looking forward to getting back to more knitting and blogging (I'll be lucky if I finish my May DVD socks).
Just wanted to let you all know that I am thinking of you and looking forward to filling you all in soon! Happy knitting!

April Wrap-up

I think I may just be the slowest person at writing these. I take all the pictures...and then a week later I write it up! March was a great month for me...over 1000 yards in FOs and almost 300 grams (both less than what I bought last month but more than March 2016). I'm still working on this whole blance thing, mmk? Let's look at what was finished and what else was worked on, ya?

FOs

Top Row L-R: Every Last Bit by Frida Aberg out of Done Roving Yarns Frolicking Feet in Royalty. I'm not sure this pattern is yet available- it was an okay knit once I figured out the increases. This is a great one for keeping the neck warm and I like my little ruffle. I did use just about every last bit of my yarn which is the point of the pattern. Next are two cat toy puffs (stuffed with catnip) out of cotton scraps. And then we have my 39th (!) barn raising quilt square. I love them so much and am so excited for the blanket. I don't know that I'll ever stop making these squares.
Bottom Row L-R: Vanilla(ish) socks out of Desert Vista Dyeworks in From Here to Eternity on her Zien (sparkle base). I've made it through three months-can I make it for four?! Next is a Nanosock ornament I made for a swap I did through the Grocery Girls. I got the most fanatic box of goodies from my swap partner and had so much fun. Finally, we have the Blarney Socks! They are the Pinstripe Sock pattern by Julia Swart. I used Lollipop Yarns in the Blarney color way on her Beefcake base.

Finishing two pairs of socks and a shawl felt great. I also made some decent progress on my WIPs (all of which you've seen before).
WIPs

One of these projects has actually been finish in the month of April...and I have my fingers crossed on one or two more projects...though I might be a bit distracted by something new!

Hope all your knitting is happy! And here's hoping I post again soon :)

Um, What?!

Just did some math...in the first three months of this year, I've already knit 45% (by weight) and 48% (by length) of what I knit for all of last year! Now, I have had some big finishes...but I have some big ones yet to come! Fingers crossed, I can keep this up and knit more this year than last year. Doesn't hurt that I've managed to keep up with the DVD Sock KAL this year (just finished March's socks...that's three pairs of socks started and finished this year!). Here's hoping I can keep going :)

How are your knitting goals coming? Are you feeling inspired by the things you're making?

And of course, #1 helper cat helping with
laundry the other night

March Update

Yikes!!! I'm so late in posting this but better late than never, eh? (I may or may not have started watching another Canadian podcast...). Just a few FOs for February but two of them having been lingering for a bit (and there's a puff!). Information for all of them can be found on Ravelry.

FOs

Pineapple Scarf (my own pattern) yarn is Wakiki by Pineapple Yarns;
February DVD socks in glittery Archway Heart; a puff for my Beekeeper's Quilt and
a barn raising quilt square; my fantastic, amazing, cozy Striped Study Shawl!!!

 WIPs

Every Last Bit Shawl;
Squishy Blanket; Simple Stripe Sock; Lost Lake Sock
Block and Tackle Blanket; Spectra; A Trillian Nights

Lots of WIPs this month! Not pictured is my Girl From the Grocery Store because I apparently forgot to include it-oi! I even have a list going and still forgot! One of these WIPs is now complete...can you guess which one?

It's Started...

I finally started my next shawl! Never mind that I'm still working on the border of my stripe study shawl (guys, I'm so close there..). I've wanted this shawl ever since I saw it on the Grocery Girls podcast and I knew this blue from Pineapple Yarns had to be in it (it's the cobalt color way. I had originally planned a bit of a crazy variegate (with green and purple and red and light blue), but it just wasn't looking right (that yarn will be beautiful socks). I already had some of the Unicorn Battle (the sparkle, speckled grey) wound up and I'm super loving it with the blue. I am so, so excited for this shawl and because its knit at a looser gauge, I think it will be an incredible knit to wear this spring/summer. I gotta finish knitting it first though and there's quite a few other things on the needles...

Hope your weekend has gone well! Here's to a great week!

#yarnlovechallenge

Okay
A) I am so in love with this challenge! It's hosted on Instagram and the photos and prompts are incredible. I've so loved scrolling through how everyone has responded to each day's prompts and there is seriously so much yarn love! It's going on the entire month of February so there is totally still time for you to come in. I dare you to scan through the photos and not feel inspired.
B) Today's prompt was community. That was a hard one for me because I don't have a physical knitting community at this point in my life which totally sucks. I really miss being able to ooh and ahh and squish over beautiful yummy yarny goodness with a group of people. I miss being able to show something to someone in person and ask them what they think (pictures over text just don't cut it sometimes). However-I am so, so grateful to all of you who read and leave comments, who blog or podcast, who post on Instagram and Ravelry...you make me feel so much less alone. I would love to meet each and every one of you for a cup of coffee or tea or whatever and just sit and knit and chat...and though its not quite the same, I feel like I get a little of that with the sneak peeks into your world.
So from the very bottom of my heart...THANK YOU!

This was my response to today's prompt...the pattern came from Ravelry, the idea to use a gradient came from Leslie of the KnitGirllls podcast, the yarn is from my closest yarn shop (Ewe and Brew in Meridian, Idaho), and one of the stitch markers (which is quite hidden) is from heyhollyhohum on Instagram (who dyes and sells such pretty yarn on Storenvy). Plus I've worked on this bad boy while watching an untold number of podcasts

January Rundown

Trying something new this year-end of month rundown/wrap-up. This monthly post will feature the FOs of the month as well as the WIPs I worked on that month (look at my first post of this year for all my WIPs)...so lots of knitting! I made collages this month so its not super picture heavy

First up-the FOs!

Top left: 2 cat toy puffs stuffed with catnip for a local animal rescue
Middle left: My one and only barn raising quilt square for the month (Nomadic Yarns in the Campus color way-I made a great pair of socks out of this last year)
Bottom left: Two pink hats I sent to DC for the March on Washington. These hats were nice and chunky and I figured the stripes might suit some people really well
Top right: My January DVD socks in the Berlin Cathedral color way (worn them already and getting ready to wash them so I can wear them again!)
Bottom right: The Boardwalk Hat I made for a coworker out of some Superwash Cascade 220. She's a big fan and I definitely want to make one of these hats for myself!
Not pictured: A dishcloth I finished (because I'm not quite sure where it went..)
More information on all of these projects can be found on their Ravelry pages...or feel free to ask away in the comment section below!

WIPs

Tope Left: Block and Tackle Blanket out of Red Heart Soft in Berry and Turquoise. This thing is actually pretty soft, definitely warm and going to be amazing once its finished (sorry the progress keeper is really hard to see in the photo!)
Middle Left: My Stripe Study Shawl!!!! I did some unknitting on this on Saturday but I'm so happy and I can't wait for the FO. Just working on the border (that's supposed to be four inches long...insert gasp here). The gradient is Alexandra's Crafts Bling Bling Sister and the tonal is Frabjous Fibers Cheshire Cat in Contrawise. I want this shawl...now.
Bottom Left: A simple cable scarf for a friend out of beautiful yarn from Pineapple Yarn in the Wakiki color way. I'm totally addicted to this dyers yarn.
Top Right: Squish garter blanket out of various Lion Brand Heartland color ways-I'm holding the yarns double so this will be extra squishy blanketness for me!
Middle Right: Every Last Bit shawl in Done Roving Yarns Frolicking Feet in the Royalty color way. I finally have this pattern in my head and I think it will be a nice shawlette when I finish it. The pattern is not yet available for purchase.
Bottom Right: Socks! The purple and turquoise sock is for a good family friend-the yarn is Lollipop yarn in the Zen color way. She's having a rough year so I'm hoping they'll bring her some peace; they're a simple vanilla sock with a Fish Lips Kiss Heel. The blue and green sock (which is a cuff right now) is probably for me-KnitPicks Felici in the Lost Lakes color way. I'm contemplating adding some sort of pattern but haven't actually decided yet. The green and white socks are the Pinstripe Socks in the Blarney color way from Lollipop Yarns. I may keep these or they may go to Mom...we'll see.

That's this months wrap-up! Some things definitely got more love that others but I'm okay with that. I've been able to make some good progress on both blankets by committing to at least two rows a day on one of them. Hope your January went well and happy February knitting!

An FO on a Friday?!

Yes, I do actually have a finished object for Friday (shocking, I know). Remember those two skeins of gorgeous DVD yarn I showed in my last post? Welllllllll...one of them is now a pair of socks!

DVD Viso in the Berlin Cathedral Color way

Batkitty supervising knitting progress

Here's hoping you've all gotten some good knitting in this week! Have a happy weekend!

Poodles

As in "oi, with the poodles already". Two of my big knitting goals this year were to knit two rows on one of my blankets each day and to get my WIP pile down from 19.
I managed the two row thing for a whole week before getting distracted...and I've cast-on 3 projects since the new year (2 of which have already been cast-off, yes...but still!).

The Boardwalk hat was one of those-I love it so much! Gifted to a coworker but I think I may end up needing one! The pattern was so well written.
I'm sitting at 20 WIPs...and will probably stay there for quite a bit as I'm attempting the #thirdannualdvdmonthlysockclub hosted by Susan of Desert Vista Dyeworks. My yarn came Thursday and I wound up a skein and cast-on last night.

I decided to go with the bottom one (Berlin Cathedral)...it's so bright and happy and I can't wait to wear these socks! Here's hoping I can finish them before the end of the month!

Current State of Knitting Affairs

In other words...what am I starting 2017 off with on my needles...
19 projects!!!

All the WIPs (minus the washcloth)

I know there's only 18 listed on the side...that's because I found a washcloth as I was pulling everything out and since it's basic garter stitch that I have no idea when I started, I'm just not gonna add it.
The other 18 projects however, are listed on the side of my blog under WIPs. That's right, y'all 18 projects were started in 2016 or earlier that have yet to be completed. Now...I know I probably won't finish all of them this year (I'd have to do more than one a month and considering 5 of them are blankets that seems unlikely...), but I would like to get that number down to maybe a nice, manageable 12? Which means...no more casting on new things until something gets finished! And the list for things I want to cast-on (Girl from the Grocery Store, Tool Box Cowl, some hats, some gloves, more socks...) is definitely growing so hopefully that will be some good motivation.
The caveat (because of course I have one) is that as soon as my DVD (Desert Vista Dyeworks) yarn comes I am casting on because I want to try and complete her challenge (a pair of socks every month from her yarn).

So...

Good News:
I knit more yarn in 2016 than I did in 2015 (both in terms of weight and yardage...YAY!!!)

Not so Good News:
The amount of yarn I bought this year was wayyyyyy above the amount I knit.

Current Thoughts:
I bought a lot of really nice yarn this year and I don't regret any of my purchases. I truly have been accumulating a beautiful stash that I want to knit.
I'm never going to say that I'm not buying yarn because that's not realistic (and I joined a yarn club! and I got into SSK!), but I really would like to spend some serious time this year with the beautiful skeins of yarn I have. So I think my goal for this year is to use the beautiful yarn I have and maybe buy a little less than I did last year (no guarantees though!).

Here's to another year of knitting, swimming, kitty cuddles and adventures both far and wide (and maybe even a bit more blogging). Happy New Year!

Someone is supervising my work on my stripe study shawl which is almost done!