Sunday 8 August 2021

Final Sammelsurium Sweater

 I finished my final, for now anyway, Sammelsurium sweater. I now have one in every colour, or colour family at least. That is a colour I would wear.  I decided to add a little bit of stranded knitting to the left sleeve just to spice it up a bit.

Pattern: Sammelsurium by Åsa Tricosa
Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Worsted in Grizzly Heather and Almond
Needle: 3.75mm & 4.5mm
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 10 cm in stocking stitch


Current weather
14C with light rain. This could be the first sign that summer is drawing to a close.

Monday 2 August 2021

A Birthday Sweater and Two Ziggurats

 Finished my Wee Niece's birthday sweater. This is another Wonderful Wallaby (Warren Wallaby, done at a tighter gauge) with a fair isle pattern and some dinosaurs. She loves dinosaurs. I had to tighten up the gauge a bit both because this yarn knit up a bit smaller than a worsted weight and to make sure the yellow didn't show through too much, it is a bit but not so much I can't live with it.

Yarn: Knitpicks Swish Worsted in Peapod, Highlighter Yellow, and Garnet Heather
Needle: 3.25mm & 4.0mm
Gauge: 20 stitches and 29 rows = 10 cm


It seems I also never posted about my Down Petrichor and Blue Sammelsurium sweaters. My fourth and fifth ziggurats in less than a year. I'm definitely getting my money's worth from the book. The Down Petrichor, unfortunately, came out too big, the gauge was completely off; I may end up re-knitting it. Yes, I'm willing to do that to get a sweater that works and yes, it is not the first time I have failed to notice that a project isn't working until it's done or nearly done. Fortunately, I love, love, love knitting. Also fortunately, I have purchased yarn for a few more Petrichors so I will knit one or more of them before I take this one apart.

Pattern: Petrichor by Åsa Tricosa
Yarn: Knitpicks Stroll Tweed in Down Heather
Needle: 2.75mm & 3.0mm
Gauge: 25 stitches and 38 rows in 10cm in stocking stitch


Pattern: Sammelsurium by Åsa Tricosa
Needle: 3.75mm & 4.5mm
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 10 cm in stocking stitch


Current Weather
22C and sunny first thing in the morning. The summer heat has been intense this year.

Wednesday 2 June 2021

Knock, Knock

 A second Knitted Knocker for Mom. That's it for now.

Pattern: Knitted Knockers Double pointed needles
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Sport in Blush
Needle: 3.5mm
Gauge: not critical

Current Weather
31C and sunny. There's a heatwave, an actual heatwave. And it's the beginning of June.

Sunday 30 May 2021

Knock me over

 My Mom has been battling breast cancer for over a year now and part of her treatment was a mastectomy. She is now ready to start wearing a bra again so, as per her request, I have knitted her a knocker. The colour is a bit unfortunate for a knocker and the frustrating part is I do have some cream somewhere. The problems is, I put it somewhere safe to be ready when it was time to knit up some knockers but...... I have no idea where that "safe" place is. Sigh. I went ahead and made one with something else from my stash, if colour becomes an issue I will order some cream.

Pattern: Knitted Knockers
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin in Canary
Needle: 3.75mm
Gauge: not critical


Current Weather
23C and partly cloudy. Lovely.

Saturday 29 May 2021

The Bunny Blanket

 Huh, how about that? Something that isn't a ziggurat sweater. Don't panic however, there are more of those coming.

In the meantime, I have managed to (finally) complete a double knit baby blanket. It's larger than most at 85cmX102cm knitted with sport weight yarn on 4.0mm needles and with the time it takes to knit up the (totally awesome) double knit fabric it took close to two years (1 year & 11 months) to complete. A lot of that was me getting tired of knitting on it and letting it sit untouched for months on end.

I made up this pattern completely, including drawing the bunny. Drawing isn't my strongest skill as you may have guessed from the rather primitive looking bunny. But, it works for a baby blanket. Maybe I'll try a mouse next.

Pattern: Improvised
Yarn: Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly Big! in White and Lilac
Needle: 4.0mm
Gauge: not critical


Current weather
19C and partly cloudy. Spring has returned after a couple of weeks on hiatus while it snowed.

Saturday 8 May 2021

Third Fall Down the Rabbit Hole

 The Rabbit Hole of Ziggurat sweaters that is.

I just finished my third Sammelsurium by Åsa Tricosa. I have one more to go and then I may move on to something else but I just LOVE this pattern so, maybe not.... Haven't decided yet. I am working on a fingering weight ziggurat too but it's taking a lot longer than the DK weight sweaters.

The pattern calls for three colours but I have a fondness for solid coloured sweaters so that's what I made; it's for me after all. Well, the first two were true solids, for this one I added small stripes to the sleeves and collar just for a little pop of pizzazz.

Pattern: Sammelsurium by Åsa Tricosa
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted in Rooibos heather
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 10 cm in stocking stitch
Needle: 3.75mm & 4.5mm

Cool, you can see my hand print

In other news
Ahab went to the groomers today so he's clean and (sort of) non shedding right now. He spent the ride home telling me all about how much it SUCKS to be clean when you're a dog.

Current Weather
0C and snowing / raining. It's switching between snow and rain at the whim of Mother Nature.

Sunday 18 April 2021

Sweater and Socks

 I finished my second ziggurat a few weeks ago but wasn't sure about the neck line so I delayed posting about it. I have decided to keep the neck line for now so here it is.

I modified the neck, hem, and cuffs to be just a 1x1 rib instead of the folded over version in the pattern. I wanted this to be a really basic sweater.


Pattern: Sammelsurium by Åsa Tricosa
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted
Needle: 4.5mm & 3.75mm
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 10 cm in stocking stitch

And some socks for my BiL. 


Pattern: Basic sock pattern
Yarn: Lang Yarns Super Soxx Color
Needle: 2.5mm
Gauge: 41 stitches and 46 rows = 10 cm

Current Weather
-1C with a snowfall warning. Spring in Alberta.

Thursday 25 February 2021

I fell hard

 So.... I fell, hard, down the rabbit hole of the Ziggurat Method for Top Down Sweaters. It's marvelous and I love it. I love seamless knits, mostly because sewing up pieces bores me to tears, I've done it so I know it is true; being able to knit the entire sweater in one piece is wonderful. As a consequence I have done many raglan shaped sweaters, both bottom up and top down, but I was never completely satisfied with the fit, I mean there's nothing wrong with the sweaters but they're not quite perfect. This method is a little different than a raglan shaped sweater is and the sleeves come out much more tailored and look more like a set-in sleeve. I have been waiting for this method since my first sweater. I just didn't know it until now. 

I found out about this method of sweater knitting when I watched Fruity Knitting episode 58. It was love a first site I think I bought the book before I even finished watching the entire episode. You can buy the book here: https://shephardess.com/. It is worth buying.

Pattern: Sammelsurium by Åsa Tricosa
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted in Onyx and Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport in Red
Needle: 4.5mm and 3.75mm
Gauge: 20 stitches and 28 rows = 10 cm in stocking stitch

Pre-blocking

I already have three more on the needles. No, I don't think that's excessive.

Current Weather
1C and partly cloudy. And there's a Chinook in town so it's very, very windy; or, at least, it was windy earlier today. The wind has died down a bit now.

Sunday 10 January 2021

2020 Year in Review

 Well, that was one for the record books. And not for many good reasons either.

Mom's cancer treatment is finished for the most part so she's now just waiting for her hip replacements; yes, plural she needs both done. COVID is, unfortunately, delaying things as hospitals grapple with near record numbers of patients. But her cancer treatments are done, I'm not sure if she's officially in remission yet but things look good.

So far hospitals have not been over-run in Alberta but we're playing with fire; it could just be a matter of time until it happens. Especially given the number of people flouting public health guidelines. I'm looking specifically at you - the government officials who jaunted off for warm vacations after telling everyone for months to stay home.

Ahab also underwent two cancer surgeries this year to remove lumps on his chest, one in the spring and one in the fall. Yes, the biopsy came back as cancer so every day with him is precious. So far no more signs of cancer for him so that's good. Other than that his health seems stable, he is 14.5 so, like I said, every day is now precious.

I was furloughed for a few weeks in the summer which may have contributed to the number of socks knit during that time.

But to the knitting!

First thing completed in 2020 was Olive Green. This sweater has been in constant use since I finished it.

Then a red t-shirt. I don't like how the neck came out so I've been wearing this to bed.


Then a cotton vest, just in time for me to switch back to wool. Still, it's there if I need it.


I tried out a double knit chemo cap but it has far too many mistakes to take a picture of it.

Then a Cancer Comfort Cap, with a cancer diagnosis in the family you can expect there were a few cancer caps this year.

A pair of socks for my Niece the Elder. Socks came to dominate my summer knitting this year.

A cotton/linen blend pullover. I need to go back and re-knit the sleeves on this one but I haven't gotten around to it yet.


A pair of sparkly socks for myself. The sparkly doesn't show well in the picture.


Another cancer hat, with me modeling.


More socks for myself, there was a lot of self-sock knitting this year.


A Chemo Wurm.


A Chemo Sockhead.


Then the Cherry Zigzag Seed Stripes baby blanket. There were not many blankets this year.


A beige t-shirt. The excitement just never stops.


A cotton vest, and yeah, I'm back to wool now.


Another Chemo Cap, with stripes this time.



A very thick, warm little blanket.


A crochet market bag. Currently holding a number of finished Awwww-poo bags. The awww-poo bags were not recorded as individual projects.


More socks, these sort of look like a stained glass window and I didn't want to disrupt the pattern so I made the heels from a separate black yarn.


Some Awww-Poo bags. Only bothered to take a picture of one but I made several.


A black t-shirt, this one is a bit short and I need to re-knit the hem a little longer. Haven't got to it yet.


A birthday jumper for my Wee Niece. She still wears the sweaters I send her so she continues to get them.


These poor socks are the colour of dried blood so I called them Death by a Thousand Socks. They're warm and they fit fine, this particular dye lot is just a bit unfortunate.


I went on a total sock run this summer and knit a lot, I'll have the final number below, so Mom's birthday socks were done in July. Her birthday is in December.


Then a pair of grey/blue men's socks. These are going to my brother in law in Scotland.


Then a vest for my Wee Niece. For some reason sleeves just were not happening so she got a vest.


Then a silver-grey vest for me. It now has buttons but I didn't take a new picture.


Getting way a head on birthday sock knitting for 2021, I made my Niece's socks in August for her March birthday. She'll get them soon. These are just as violently pink as they look.


A random pair of women's socks, I will be sending these to my sister in Scotland.


Another pair of men's socks, Dad will be getting these.


More random socks, will probably give these to my sister who lives in the same city as me.


More socks, this time for me.


Socks for my Nephew. Birthday in February but finished in October.


Another pair of socks for me.


And finally, a break from socks to make a Hitchhiker scarf. I have worn this a lot this winter, it's a really nice size for when it's winter but not particularly cold. It's supposed to have 42 scallops on the edge but I only had enough yarn for 41, oh well.


And back into socks with another pair for myself.


And, of course, my Wee Niece also needs socks.


At this point I have discovered the Ziggurat Method for knitting sweaters and socks have sort of stopped. I do have to make a pair for my other brother-in-law since the rest of his family is getting socks I'd feel bad leaving him out but his birthday's not until April so I have time.

Totals
Socks = 16
Sweaters = 3
Vests = 4
Crochet = 1
Bags = 2
Scarf = 1
T-Shirts = 3
Chemo Caps = 6
Blankets = 2
Total projects = 37