Here is a quick look at what I finished last month and what I’m working on in November.
Finished
Another hat out of Knit Picks Felici Worsted in the color Rustic. For this one I used my free Judy Hat pattern up to peek-a-boo decreases, then I kept going and added basic top of hat decreases. I really love this colorway and haven’t decided yet if I’m keeping it or putting it in this year’s Christmas basket.
As you can see here, it isn’t actually finished, finished. I’ll go back and double knit over the top of hat decreases to make sure to close the gaps between stitches that decreasing this quickly at the top of a hat can cause. And I think I’ll also make a pompom for this one.
I also finished a pair of adult socks out of this Austermann Step I found in the deep, deep, deep stash. The yarn is is 75% wool and 25% nylon treated with jojoba and aloe vera in the 03 Greens colorway. I used US Size 1 (2.25 mm) needles and really like how solid the finished sock feels. These socks feel like they are going to be warm, cozy and durable to wear.
On the Needles
Then I immediately cast on a pair of baby socks in the leftover yarn. I realized as I knit the first one that I don’t have a simple baby sock pattern that I follow. Instead I did the same basic sock recipe that I normally used over many, many fewer stitches…..the problem is that the last time I knit baby socks I had actual babies (and baby socks) in the house to use a guideline for leg and foot length. So for this first sock I just worked to my best guesses and hope to duplicate it by site for the second sock. I kept the 2×2 ribbing all the way down the leg and instep to help with fit and the legs can be cuffed down easily. Plus luckily, the baby girl these are intended for will not be super picky just yet especially since I’m not sure she’s even found her feet to date.
Here is the main reason I blew through those socks so quickly. I found this lovely, lovely Knit Picks Imagination sock yarn in the colorway Seven Dwarves (looks to me like the only Imagination not discontinued is this Bare one) while I was tossing the stash for design submission samples. I’d forgotten how much I loved this yarn and the socks I knit out of it several years back. I loved it so much that I bought enough for a vest out of it. Turns out I don’t actually want to knit a vest out of an alpaca-blend sock yarn. But I do really, really, really want to knit more socks out of it. So I told myself I WOULD NOT cast on a new pair of socks for me until I finished the other socks first. Then the baby socks just sort of snuck up on me and jumped on the needles.
But I’m ready to start these next. And I’m really looking forward to working on them in stolen moments over the winter. I tested a small swatch with two different needles sizes and I much prefer the feel of both the knitted fabric and working the stitches on the slightly larger US Size 1 (2.50 mm) needles.
I also made some decent progress on my Close To You shawl worked in Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Rosehip colorway. I have now completed 14 of the 19 of the 14-row pattern repeats and I feel like I’m getting close to finishing it! I’m using US Size 1 (2.50 mm) needles for this and think I should have gone up a needle size or two for it.
I’ve also been working on this pirate inspired two-tone scarf out of the DK Treasures Yarn from Treasure Goddess Yarn in the colors Ghost Ship and Pieces of Eight. I made it pretty far into the simple ribbing at the back of the neck and realized I need more yarn. So I’ve ordered what I need and it is currently on it’s way to my door.
And finally I’ve been working on this sweater design. I’ve added a fun detail that runs along the area where a side-seam would be in a commercial garment to this sweater design. And I’m really enjoying work on it.
