My (Long) Weekend Project Was a Success!

I now have a widdle baby sweater with a widdle shawl collar! I can't get over how adorable this is.

The only thing I need to do is weave in the very last end. So I'm going to count this as done!

I'm a LITTLE worried about the sizing though. How big are baby arms? Beacuse this thing fits around my wrist...

Oh well... she can grow into it :)

Another 16 in 2016 project done! :) I really have to get it in gear if I want to finish the list though... :(

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly. (There are so many possibilities!)
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on. I have a lot of these!
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved. I have some of these...
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

Weekend Knit

This summer has not been very good for knitting for me.

One, it has been just two darn hot and humid to do ANYTHING, so most activities have been kaboshed for just trying to keep the house presentable.

Two, my two projects have been just dragging on and on.  I gave away the needles for the Hue Shift Afghan to one of the knitters at the nursing home, because she needed to make a gauge swatch and I will set myself on fire to keep someone warm. My knit along - Part of my 16 in 2016 - has been a little disappointing...

It's supposed to be a mermaid tail blanket, but it's not SNUGGLY enough. I purposefully made a child's large, because I'm small, but I still don't like it. With the fact that they are selling for $20 online... it just feels like a waste of time. But it's really close to being finished, which will be nice.

So, in true knitter fashion, I'm picking up a totally new project. One of the supervisor's at work is having his first grandchild in October, so why not make a baby sweater? They're fun, easy, and I can finish it in a weekend with no problem - especially this weekend, which was a game night, a party, another game night, and then MORE dungeons and dragons. Not to mention we have to drive to all these social activities, so there's knitting time there, too.

If all goes well, I'll have another project Monday to show you. Wish me luck!

Do you ever just wish you could go back in time...

... and smack your past self upside the head?

Also, I had to untangle it.

I've had this mystery yarn in my stash for a long, long time. I could have sworn that I bought it at my first Rhinebeck, but it's not in the post where I took pictures of my haul. Then I remembered I used it for a project in summer 2010. But I never posted where I bought it! I'm so annoyed. I could've sworn this was good stuff - I remember winding it from the hank. But since I can't PROVE to myself  that it is, I can't get a twofer for this project!

Late night progress photo on our kitchen island.

It's going really fast, so I can't complain! I'm making Matchstick Socks, by a lady that I've followed for a long time, Sara at knottygnome. When this pattern came out in 2010, I remember thinking "I wish I had the money to spend on this..."  Well, now I do! :)

The pattern looks so nice with the painted part of the yarn. It's just ok for the stripey part that's solid, but that's kind of what I expected. It's going great, and I love it. Like I knew I would!

My past self... I could like a little more.

In other news, it's spring! The lilac at my back door has baby leaves! And last night, we had a thunderstorm! It was so nice to sit on the porch and watch it roll in. 

16in2016

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly. (There are so many possibilities!)
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on. I have a lot of these!
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved. I have some of these...
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

Something Useful

For those of you that we're up all night yesterday wondering what I was making,  here you go! Classic dishcloths.

I've had the Sugar and Cream in my stash for ages, after I got it in a swap package. It's the perfect yarn for dishcloths. I can't even imagine making dishcloths out of anything else. Just like I couldn't imagine making anything else with this stuff. It's cheap, yeah... but it hurts my hand to knit with it. Thankfully, the skeins are small and I can use one up on two hours or so (or two dishcloths or so!)

Anyway, no good dishcloth photos. We were on Rt 88 in Upstate NY, which is not a very good highway. Plus, the fact the sun was setting didn't help much.

P.S. - Happy Easter!

Oh My Goodness I Finished Something!

My socks are done!

We're heading home to visit family for Easter, so that means knitting and listening to audiobooks. And I finished my Marlene socks and they fit! I changed the second sock a bit,  since the first was a little loose. But you can hardly see the difference.

I just love this pattern.  Love the way the ribbing turns into swirls when you pull them onto your leg.

And now I'm starting a new project, something quick to make up for the 3 months I spent on this one. :) I'll probably be done with them before we get to Binghamton! Guess what it is...

16 in 2016: something just for myself. 

http://aly-oops.blogspot.com/2016/01/16-things-to-knit-in-2016.html?m=1

My First 16in2016 Project!

... It's a hurricane hat!

I made this hat almost 6 years ago, and remembered how easy and fast it knit up. When I was frustrated with my Marlene socks last week, I was fantasizing about an easy, quick knit, so I banged this out in a day. I used some nice Madelintosh that I had in my stash from a failed design.

The only problem? I have no idea what to do with it.

I need to send W a package, I have a series of books I think he's like and a flash drive of hedgehog photos. I guess I'll send him this, too. If he's still wearing his old hat, it might be a little worn by now. Maybe he needs a new one. Maybe he'll just throw it out. Doesn't mean I didn't have a good time knitting it.

Anyway, I'm happy to cross off something from my 16in2016 list!

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly.
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on.
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved.
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

16 Things to Knit in 2016

All right, so I had a bit of a bum-session thinking about how little I worked in 2015. I did lots of other stuff, but not a lot of knitting. So I'm going to really challenge myself this year, so I made this little contest for myself. It'd be really fun if other people joined me, but obviously it's not required. :P

Without further ado...

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly. (There are so many possibilities!)
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on. I have a lot of these!
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved. I have some of these...
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

There they are! 16 things. They look easy, but it means that I need to finish a project roughly every 3 weeks, unless I decide to combine things. Do you think I can do it? I'm nervous, but I think I'll be able to, especially if I keep with my 2016 Knit Goals.