Knitting: June Projects

Here is a quick look at what I finished in the last month and what I’m working on in June.

FINISHED

I know I said this when I talked about my April and May knitting. But I again had a shockingly low amount of actual knitting time over the last month. Instead I spent hours and hours on pattern revisions to update 6 of my favorite tee patterns for 2019. And many more hours running my two current test knits. And a handful of more hours on magazine and yarn company submissions. All of my pattern revisions are finished for now and there are fewer Calls for Submissions right now, so I definitely will be spending more time knitting over the next month. And I’m looking forward to it!!

After spending all that mental energy on editing and revisions, when I did have time to knit I found myself gravitating towards mindless stockinette stitch knitting around and around in a circle. Knitting in the round in stockinette stitch is simple and enjoyable and such a great stress reliever. So most of my finished projects for this month are exactly that. I finished this Sockhead Cowl out of Online Supersocke 100 in the color Sport on US Size 2 (3.00 mm) circulars. I will definitely wear this one on hikes as the weather turns colder in the fall and winter.

I also finished this Sockhead Cowl out of Knit Picks Imagination sock yarn in the colorway Seven Dwarves on the same size US Size 1 (2.50 mm). It’s beautiful. I hope I can wear this one too. Some alpaca yarns do irritate the sensitive skin around my neck and I’m really hoping this isn’t one of them. If it is, I’m sure I can find a friend who will love it.

I also actually finished, finished, finished one pair of mittens while we were on a group trip to Colorado. If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ll know that I don’t like knitting the thumbs on mittens so I’ll end up with a large stack of thumbless mittens and tackle them all at once. But when a large part of the group decided to go on a last minute ski trip to the last open ski runs at above 10,000 feet in elevation, I pulled out my trip knitting mitten bag and finished one pair. They even got worn! Not by the skiers. By the youngest member of our group – the 3 year old. So they were a BIG on him. But they worked just fine to make a snowman and snowballs when we found snow about 10 miles in from the back entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

And finally I finished this simple shawlette out of Araucania Huasco Sock in the color Capuchinbird. I started this shawlette as a simple self-taught exploration of shawl shapes I’ve not knit before. But the further I got into the yarn, the more I was loving this project.

I ended up giving it the same finishing Roman Stripe and stretchy bind-off as my Lavinia tee since I was editing that tee when I reached the final rows of the shawlette and I’m really loving the finished project! In fact, I love this simple little design enough that I’m trying to decide if I should write it up and start a test knit for it in the near future.

Speaking of test knits. The Botanist Hat test knit and Whydah Scarf test knit are both moving along nicely. As always, I really value and appreciate all the time, work and thoughts from testers as they work on both projects. The Whydah Scarf test knit is scheduled to finish on June 21st and the Botanist Hat test knit is scheduled to finish on July 1st. Sample Botanist Hats are worked in (from bottom to top) Universal Yarn Uptown Worsted in the color 314 Lime (aran weight for Adult L size), Berroco Vintage Worsted in the color 5124 Kiwi (worsted for Adult S size), Knit Picks Swish DK in the color Green Tea Heather (DK for Teen size), Knit Picks Galileo in the color Firefly (sport for Child size) and Louet Gems fingering in the color Fern Green (fingering for Baby size). Sample Whydah Scarf alternates DK Treasures Yarn from Treasure Goddess Yarn in the colors Ghost Ship and Pieces of Eight worked on US Size 5 needles.

ON THE NEEDLES

My next sweater design has stalled a bit with the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. I’ll be picking it back up to finish the sample sweater and start working on pattern edits and grading into 7 sizes soon. Summer has just barely started here so I won’t be wearing it anytime soon. I’m knitting the sample sweater in my size out of Valley Yarns Northfield in the color 03 Chestnut using US Size 4 needles. So by the time summer is coming to an end, I’ll have a new sweater to wear and I’m looking forward to it.

I’m making a little progress on the scarf I’m designing out of Malabrigo Arroyo in the color Fucsia. I’m really loving this yarn and the way this pattern alternates between lace and simple knits/purls!

I also cast on yet another Sockhead Cowl. This one is out of Berroco Comfort Sock which is a 50% nylon, 50% acrylic blend that is a real pleasure to work with over the warm months. I’m actually making this cowl into a longer and thinner version of the Sockhead Cowl using the measurements from the longer version of my Shenandoah Cowl.

I’ve only got those few projects on my needles right now. But I’ve got plans for many more and I’m about to the point in my year where I can cast on ALL THE THINGS!!! (This happens when both boys happen to be away at the same time for a camp and again when both boys and the husband all three go to Scout camp without me.) I have a new sweater design that I’ll be starting as soon as I find the perfect silver birch silver/grey. And the lovely brown cabled shawl out of Rowan Pure Wool DK didn’t make quite make it on the needles but it will soon. And I’m just about ready to cast on a holiday cookie inspired cowl with support yarn that should be out in November. And two different hats are clamoring to get on the needles.

And finally I’ve had a Shark Week Cowl rattling around in my head for more than a year now. And I finally have the yarn for it picked out! I plan to cast on the longer version of this Shark Week Cowl later today.