100 Days of Making: Day 70

#day71 of #100daysofmaking: Car/beach knitting - this was just a toe when we started to the beach and I'm well past the waste yarn for the afterthought heel. This is Opal Paradies, sock number two. My friends at the beach asked who the socks were for (me) and if I wear them (no). Then why do I make them?? I have this fantasy that once my #operationsockdrawer is completely full that I'll start wearing them but I don't have enough yet to start wearing them. .... I know, it's insane. I have a problem.

100 Days of Making: Day 70

#day70 of #100daysofmaking: I've been knitting most days lately but just neglecting to take pictures. I finished the first sock with my @desertvistadyeworks Little Shop of Zombody but it caused me a lot of grief along the way. After I put in the waste yarn for the afterthought heel and was into the leg, I realized I had knitted too much before the decrease and had to tink back many rows. Then several inches later, I saw I had been knitting very loosely and it looked all sloppy and so I ripped it back again. Then comparing the leg to the foot, my gauge was quite a bit tighter in the leg but I didn't want to rip yet again so I just left it be. Well after finishing the leg and putting the heel in, the whole sock is too long! 😓 if I pull it tight, there's 1/2" of slack at the heel. If I pull it down it seems mildly loose on my foot but wearable. Maybe it will shrink a little with washing. Now the question is, do I try to make the second sock match the first one or do I make it correctly?

More day 69

Park knitting @desertvistadyeworks Little Shop of Zombody with my new @willowrose0816 RainStorm Studios bag. #100daysofmaking #leslies100daysofmaking

100 Days of Making: Day 69

#day69 of #100daysofmaking: I'm so exited! I got my very first real project bag from @willowrose0816 RainStorm Studios!! I can now graduate at least one of my projects from the gallon ziploc bags I normally keep them in 😳 I love this RainStorm bag because of the window so I can see my project still - also the fabric is so cute and it's so well made. Thanks Kristine!!

100 Days of Making: Day 68

#day68 of #100daysofmaking: I finished my Sockhead hat!! Done in @theflyingkettle Huggin' Molly. I did 8" of body instead of 9" because it was seeming huge, otherwise I followed the pattern as written. I'm not a hat wearer and I've never worn a slouchy hat so we shall see if I ever end up wearing this, but it turned out ok. The colors are awesome and the yarn was great to knit with.

100 Days of Making: Day 68

#day68 of #100daysofmaking: I finished my Sockhead hat!! Done in @theflyingkettle Huggin' Molly. I did 8" of body instead of 9" because it was seeming huge, otherwise I followed the pattern as written. I'm not a gar pesos and I've never worn a slouchy hat so we shall see if I ever end up wearing this, but it turned out ok. The colors are awesome and the yarn was great to knit with.

100 Days of Making: Day 67

#day67 of #100daysofmaking: I actually finished these baby leggings a few weeks ago but never got around to photographing and posting them. They are another pair for my daughter in @hauteknityarn Pampered Sock in Peacock. It's an MCN blend, because every baby needs cashmere leg warmers, right?

100 Days of Making: Day 66

#day66 of #100daysofmaking: Not my most interesting project to knit or photograph but I really want a finished sweater and I hope this Kakomu is going to be awesome. In Knit Picks Lindy Chain which is a linen cotton blend, it will be good year round, if I can just get it off the needles. I finished the back today and started sleeve one. Just a zillion miles more of reverse stockinette to go!

100 Days of Making; Day 65

#day65 of #100daysofmaking: I made a Calorimetry headband like thing for my nanny's birthday from a yarn my MIL bought in Croatia while cruising. It's an Italian yarn called Boing. 😂

100 Days of Making: Day 64

#day64 of #100daysofmaking: I think the end date of this challenge has passed/is coming up quickly, but since I've been posting sporadically I'm a bit behind. I was not knitting every day on purpose for a while but lately, I've been knitting most days but just not bothering to post about it. Partly because I'm not knitting a lot and my progress on everything is very slow but also because I'm lazy. This is my Misti Alpaca Sock that I ripped and restarted the Dangling Conversation with since I had been doing the pattern completely wrong. There's not much progress on it so I'm just showing you the pretty cake of yarn.

100 Days of Making: Day 63

#day63 of #100daysmaking: I finished Will's Pineapple Express socks (Sweet Georgia yarn) and they look pretty good on. A bit big but that's good so that it will hopefully fit for a while.

100 Days of Making: Day 62

#day62 of #100daysofmaking: Finished the first of the socks for my son. I decided to go with a heel turn sock instead of a tube sock since this yarn is a bit thick and if it's a little bunchy on top as a tube, it may not fit inside his shoes. It's a tiny bit big so there's room to grow. It worked up super fast so I guess I can always make more when he outgrows this one.

100 Days of Making: Day 61

#day61 of #100daysofmaking: I started a sock for my son with the left overs of the Sweet Georgia Pineapple Express from his leg warmers. He has fat little feet that are about as long as big sisters. This is a 40 stitch sock and it looks like it will fit well. I made a very short toe because his chubby foot is also pretty squared off. I am contemplating whether I should make it a tube sock so it will fit longer or making a heel so that it fits better...

100 Days of Making: Day 60

#day60 of #100daysofmaking: I'm not doing too well keeping up with my posting. I am back to more sporadic knitting, some days almost none and my hands seem more normal. I've gotten a bit more done on the left front of my Kingscot cardigan by Norah Gaughn in Lorna's Laces Greenline. Though the stitch count isn't high, it's all cabley and bobbley which takes time. And child free time at that. I really want to finish a whole sweater one day but it seems like it's impossible and it will never happen... How do people finish multiple sweaters every year!?

100 Days of Making: Day 59

#day59 of #100daysofmaking: I finished Will's leg warmers in Sweet Georgia Pineapple Express yesterday in the car and wove in the ends today. I made some more progress on my Sock Head Hat then left it at the Lakehouse so I'll have to retrieve that from my mom next month. And today the actual knitting I did was on my daughter's leg warmers in @hauteknityarn.

100 Days of Making: Day 58

#day58 of #100daysofmaking: My nephew said what are you doing? I'm knitting leg warmers for my son. Do you think they fit me? Don't know, try them on. They do! They fit! Do you like them? Yeah, they look good.

100 Days of Making: Day 57

#day57 of #100daysofmaking: Made some good progress on my Sock Head Hat in @theflyingkettle in Huggin' Molly on the way to the Lakehouse. Miraculously, I did not have carsickness today and was able to knit the whole drive!

100 Days of Making: Day 56

#day56 of #100daysofmaking: I have made almost no progress on this sock but it was the only knitting that I've worked on in the past couple of days. My sweet hubby got me an iPad mini for my motherbirthversary present and I've started reading a book on it. I thought I'd be able to read a kindle book and knit at the same time, which I have discovered, I can. I'm slower reading and knitting but it does satisfy my desire to do at least two things at once. Now if only I could watch a podcast, read and knit, that would be the ultimate multitasking!

100 Days of Making: Day 55

#day55 of #100daysofmaking: whipped this cutie up last night - I'm the queen of last minute projects. I love this Yarn Bee yarn, its First Love in the Engaging colorway. I used the Basic Baby Beanie pattern by Janaya Chouinard. I made the 6-12 month size hat but added 4 increases in a round as one more row of increases because without that, the hat was the same size as Emma's baby hat that she wore when she was 2 months old and she had a tiny tiny head. So for this hat to fit a 6 month old on a normal size head, I needed it to be bigger. Added ear flaps because it makes the hat so cute. Delivered it to my friend at the hospital today. 😍🍼🎁

100 Days of Making: Day 54

#day54 of #100daysofmaking: So I got about a dozen more rows on this cardigan plus a little bit on Wil's leg warmers before my gym class. The purple yarn is Lorna's Laces Green Line, which is discontinued.

100 Days of Making: Day 53

#day53 of #100daysofmaking: Saw some people using the hashtag #howfastdoyouknit and was curious about my speed. 1 min 25 sec for 64 stitches on magic loop while walking on the treadmill. I was trying to go quickly but not trying to speed knit and I got hung up on a stitch or two, the way I usually do, missing a stitch or splitting the yarn occasionally. I lied about resting on my work days, I knit several rows on my Kingscot Cardigan last night and my hand was a little sore this morning. I worked on this Sweet Georgia leg warmer while at the gym and put a few more rows on the Kingscot, but needed to run errands while the kids napped instead of having a couple hours to knit. (Hubby was working from home today, I don't leave the kids at home while I shop 😜)

100 Days of Making: Day 52

#day52 of #100daysofmaking: I know I overdid the knitting by several hours today but I felt so deprived I couldn't help myself. My hand actually was hurting even and I wouldn't stop, just took a few breaks and went back to it. Not good I know. I decided I should not knit on my work days and knit on my days off, that's 4 knitting days and three break days which is close to what I probably was doing before I started this push to knit every single day. So I wanted to get something accomplished since I won't knit tomorrow. In this pic I've almost finished the ribbing on the left front of my Kingscot Cardigan and I got about 15 rows into the body pattern but I think I need to rip about 4 rows, I may have added too many rest rows because the cable isn't traveling right. Tomorrow is strict rest. Except maybe for ripping those rows so it doesn't keep bothering me in the back of my mind?

100 Days of Making: Day 51

#day51 of #100daysofmaking: I went to look and see if I could repurchase the pattern to The Phoenix and the Carpet since my printout is long gone and the original clues to this mystery KAL had been emailed to me 4 years ago and I don't even know which past computer that was on. Well the pattern is available on Rav but was $10, a bit pricey for something I had already bought pattern and kit - so I emailed the designer, Janine Le Cras and asked if she might give me a discount on buying it again. She said that was ridiculous and she would gift me the pattern to my Rav library right then. And she did. #knittersareawesome. I put about 8 rows on it today. I will only be able to do this during kids naps, every row is different and there is beading involved. It's not very complicated but it definitely requires focused attention. Even though it's been out for years, it's still working up like a mystery shawl to me, I'm using the written directions because in general I find them easier to keep my place in than charts.

100 Days of Making: Day 50

#day50 if #100daysofmaking: I technically didn't do any making today. I did yesterday but forgot to take a picture so I didn't post. I worked for about an hour and a half on my son's Sweet Georgia Pineapple Express leg warmers and over did it, my third day in a row of knitting. My hand started to hurt and this morning when I woke, it was a little bit weak and sore. So today is a rest day but in a search for some yarn that someone on Rav asked for, I found three missing WIPs! My Kingscot Cardigan by Norah Gaughn (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kingscot) and my Phoenix and the Carpet by Janine Le Cras(http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-phoenix-and-the-carpet), both circa 2011, plus my Scylla socks by Fiona Bennett (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Katandia/scylla) which I started a few months ago and lost track of. I had thought I lost all of these projects but they were in the bottom of a yarn bin. My two old projects have all the yarn, needles and (beads) together but I have no clue where the patterns are. Not a problem for Kingscot, it's in my Rav library and I simple re downloaded it. The Phoenix Shawl was a mystery KAL from The Unique Sheep and I'm sure the pattern clues were received by email on an old computer that is long gone. I went to just repurchase the pattern and it's quite pricey, $10 - which is a lot for a pattern I paid for once. I emailed the designer and asked if she might give me a discount on repurchasing the pattern, she can see from my page that I bought the kit from the company during the actual KAL, you can't fake the date I originally began the project page. If she doesn't give me a discount, I guess I will just have to buy it but may not for some time as I have plenty to work on right now.

100 Days of Making: day 49

100 Days of Making: Day 48

#day48 of #100daysofmaking: I've been on a break with knitting for 6 days and I couldn't stand it any longer. Plus my hands feel better, not weak during the day and also I finished my book which was my substitute making project. (Mini review of Gone Girl is "eh". Not as shockingly twisty as everyone claimed, I anticipated most of the plot and not one character was truly likable. I kept turning pages but at the end I just felt bleh about it.) I allowed myself to start back today with less than an hour of knitting - I recast on my Dangling Conversation by Mindy Ross which I had previously ripped out because I was doing it all wrong. I think I was reading the chart backwards and doing the increases on the wrong sides. Plus I didn't stop to watch how to do the purl 2 through the back loop, just winged it and I did watch the video this time and whaddyaknow I was doing it wrong. So it should be turning out correct now. It's got a crazy little swirly curl to it now. Cute. Yay knitting!

100 Days of Making: Day 47

#day47 of #100daysofmaking: I've been taking a break from knitting due to weakness in my hands and it does seem to be getting better, so I think the increase in knitting is what exacerbated the weakness. I am still not sure what caused it - just muscle fatigue or some sort of nerve problem, but I guess I need to just use moderation with my hand crafting. When we got home from the lake today, this was in the mail from the ever sweet @colleenzaharakes! Thanks girl! You know I do (love big balls)!

100 Days of Making: Day 43 - out of order some more!

100 Days of Making: Day 41 - out of order

#day41 of #100daysofmaking: My Honey Cowl in MadTosh DK in Mansfield Garden while baby boy has a fit in the background. Toddler life.

100 Days of Making: Day 45

#day45 of #100daysofmaking: So I've been having some hand weakness the past week or so and after googling it and deciding that I'm probably dying, a coworker suggested possible overuse of Sent from my iPhone

100 Days of Making: Day 44

#day44 of #100daysofmaking: I put a few rows on my Dangling Conversation and what it said to me was "This doesn't look right..." I checked pattern again and I was filling it correctly. What I had NOT done was follow it correctly for the first 70 rows, so it was leaning the wrong way. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiip! #100daysofripping

100 Days of Making: Day 42

Over a year in the making, I finally finished my son's baby blanket - just in time for him to not be a baby anymore. I started this blanket a week before he was born when I realized I hadn't made him one. It was almost done by his newborn session a couple of weeks later. It was in the photos with unfinished parts tucked under. I sort of stalled out on it after that, since babies aren't supposed to have blankets anyway. I have been putting a stitch or two on it lately and finally, just before his first birthday party, I finished the edging. I decided not to do the shell edging to make it a little more plain and boyish as well as saving me some crochet time. Done in Bernat Baby Coordinates in Soft Turquoise.

100 Days of Making: Day 40

#day40 of #100daysofmaking: Finished the edged receiving blanket for my sister's new baby. I'll post the pattern one day. @ames7475, remind me to put it in the stuff to being to the lake!

100 Days of Making: Day 39

#day39 of #100daysofmaking: I did some knitting today but I spent most of nap time making this mini banner for my son's birthday cake for his party this weekend. It turned out cute despite my inexpertise at paper craft.

100 Days of Making: Day 38

#day38 of #100daysofmaking: So in love with my @desertvistadyeworks Little Shop of Zombodies.

100 Days of Making: Day 37

#day37 of #100daysofmaking: I finished this a while ago and blocked it a day or so ago but I gifted it today - Baby Vertebrae in @vividyarnstudio Candy Hearts colorway. It blocked out nicely with the ribbing evening out and I didn't even have to pin it, just pat it into shape. I still think the numbers for the gingering weight sizes are off kilter, if I hadn't put decreases in the arms, they would have been huge. And my 12 month size turned out more like an 18 month size but I didn't check gauge so that might have been my error.

100 Days of Making: Day 36

#day36 of #100daysofmaking: Made it past the afterthought heel row on my Opal Paradies Vanilla Socks (toe up with an afterthought heel) by Carle Dehning. Such great color in Opal! I used a bit of @kirbywirbyyarns to use as waste yarn since it's so electrically bright.

100 Days of Making: Day 35

#day35 of #100daysofmaking: Park knitting while Sent from my iPhone

100 Days of Making: Day 34

#day34 of #100daysofmaking: I worked on my Kakomu sweater by Kirsten Johnstone last night and I was just knitting and knitting, and though I knew I was supposed to be checking the length I felt sure that I wasn't close yet. But when I checked the length at the end of the movie, I had gone past 6 inches when I was supposed to start decreases at 4.75 inches. Oops. So then I ripped back, and of course I ripped back a bit too far and had to reknit two rows.

100 Days of Making: Day 33

#day33 of #100daysofmaking: Put a few rows on my SockHead Hat in @theflyingkettle Merino nylon in Huggin' Molly. Love the yarn. Not sure if I will love the hat. I don't actually wear hats but I really wanted to knit myself one and everyone seems to love this one and it's perfect for showing off a beautiful colorway. If I hate the way it wears, I can find someone to give it away to.

100 Days of Making: Day 32

#day32 of #100daysofmaking: Today's crafting has been a bit ADD. I did several rows on my Pineapple Express leg warmers (not pictured) at the gym while I waited for my barbell class to start, worked a few rows on my Socks That Rock sock (also not pictured) before I decided that sport weight socks isn't something that I will wear, 86'd that project and put that yarn up for some future shawl or baby sweater, put just a few stitches on my son's crochet baby blanket that I started a few days before he was born but still haven't finished and he's about to be one...., wound my @desertvistadyeworks Little Shop of Zombody and cast on socks, and also made some progress on my nephew's receiving blanket. Lots of not much but it makes me feel like I've accomplished something when I've touched that many things.

100 Days of Making: Day 30, out of order!

#day30 of #100daysofmaking: Baby gladiator sandals done! Let the baby fights begin, and the best baby win! @ashiruthi Come find me tomorrow!

100 Days of Making: Day 31

#day31 of #100daysofmaking: So I haven't been able to find several skeins of my yarn, mostly all the yarn that I bought at the one Stitches South I made it to, including some Sanguine Gryphon Bugga, 4 skeins of Malabrigo Sock (it was the first year they made sock yarn), and Socks That Rock which I had heard of but never knit with. Well after days of looking, I found all that yarn plus more that I had forgotten about at the bottom of a yarn bin. I found 3 skeins of Malabrigo that I bought on eBay before I even knew what Malabrigo was, Colinette Point Five, some Aslan Trends, Knit Picks Lace and also a Stroll set I had bought with a set of ankle sock patterns and lots more yummy stuff. Anyone see a trend with my yarn colors? #noidontfavorwarmcolorswhydoyouask?

100 Days of Making: Day 29

#day29 of #100daysofmaking: I've been commissioned by a coworker to make some baby sandals, and found several quite expensive patterns. I don't want to pay $5.50 for a sweater pattern, much less tiny shoes. But I found this free pattern http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-gladiator-sandals and it is great! You make two soles and sew them together to make a nice sturdy shoe bottom since babies really do a lot of hiking on rough terrain and add the straps. I remember why I don't do many projects like this, lots of fiddly bits and sewing in of ends. But I got almost all of both done in an evening - I just need to find and sew buttons on and finish weaving in the ends and then can deliver them.

100 Days of Making: Day 28

#day28 of #100daysofmaking: Treadmill knitting, edition 2. I was working on my leg warmers for Will in Sweet Georgia Pineapple Express and a lady stopped by and said she was impressed at my multitasking. She asked if I was knitting socks, if I was on Rav, if I was magic looping, what my yarn was, and told me a story about her dog chewing on her Plucky Knitter Yarn. #knittersareawesome

100 Days of Making: Day 27

#day27 of #100daysofmaking: Ribbing and ribbing. So close to being done with this sweater.


Sent from my iPhone

100 Days of Making: Day 26

#day26 of #100daysofmaking: The right side of the Kokamu sweater is reverse stockinette. I'm still trying to decide if I like it. I'll have many, many, many, many more inches to decide if I like it.