Sixes and Threes Cowl

I stumbled across this pattern on a Facebook post by Louet North America. After revisiting it several times a few days after Christmas, I pulled the trigger.

My first yarn selections (Goldilocks, Champagne, & Pewter) didn't look great together once I recieved them in the mail. Louet's staff is fantastic. One easy, pleasant phone call and I was able to return one skein and exchange it for another free of charge.

I started with the cream, added stripes of pewter, and after a little knitting last night am already onto stripes of goldilocks.

The yarn is nice to knit with. I'm hoping it blooms a bit after soaking and blocking. As of right now the fabric of the cowl is a little rough.

This is my first striped project where the yarn is carried up the rows. I've tested a few jogless stripe techniques on this first section and I think I have found the one I like. I still need to work on when and where to wrap the carried yarns behind. My first few rows look great (bottom of above photo), then as the cowl "gained weight" it appears the wraps are too tight. The stripes don't jog, but the fabric puckers :/

I'm hoping to finish this up over the weekend.

Flash back to one of the Grandpa style sweaters I knit at Christmas time. Beckham is the son of the woman who has done my hair for 10+ years. This is her last baby (#4) and I wanted him to have something special to wear over the holidays. I think he is the sweetest little boy ever! And doesn't everyone need a Grandpa sweater?

Joining Ginny a day late!

Later!

M

First Finish

As I vegged out,  feeling sick with a nasty cold, watching college football with Big Daddy today, I finished these socks.

The yarn is a Socks That Rock Mill End that was gifted to me in 2014.

The design is my own with one of my favorite stitches to use with variegated yarn.

Size 2 circular needles, cast on a multiple of 4 stitches (I used 56), 1 inch of 2X2 ribbing, the pattern stitch is: K into the 2nd stitch on the left needle, and without dropping it off the left needle, Knit into the 1st stitch, then drop both sts off the left needle, P2. Repeat this 4 st repeat all the way around.

I knit a slip st heel using half the sets, or 28.

I finished the sock by turning the heel, picking up the stitches along the heel flap, and continuing the foot in pattern on the top of the foot only. 

My good friend D made me these sparkly little stitch markers for Christmas. It took me a long time to get into the Christmas spirit this year, and these little jewels helped me get there. She is so sweet!

I haven't set any knitting goals for 2015 just yet, but I already have several requests so I will need to get started soon! 

Later!

M