Here is a look at what I’ve finished over the last month and what I’m working on in October. Please note the design and test knit links throughout this post are to the Ravelry unless they say otherwise. Yarn links are to yarn companies. Etsy links are to my shop.
FINISHED
The Hot Chocolate Hat (Ravelry link) is released! The Hot Chocolate Hat combines a simple cable with a mock cable in an all-over repeat. Written for worsted weight yarn in 5 sizes – Baby (Toddler, Child/Teen, Adult S/M, Adult L). Perfect for a quick gift! If you need to avoid Ravelry, here is the link to the Hot Chocolate Hat on Etsy.
The Interweave Knits Gifts 2020 edition is out! It is full of beautiful patterns for quick gifts including my Camellia Cowl! The Camellia Cowl features basic decreases and yarn overs to evoke the gentle sweep and shape of camellia flower petals.
ON THE NEEDLES
Before I gathered up all my projects to get the pictures for this post I would have said that I don’t really have much on the needles.
I would have been wrong!! You can see above that my project bags cover a good chunk of the picnic table (even with one of the projects and the two test knits not in this photograph). Bags are a Kipster (with the Sugar Skulls that I love, love, love) and Large Kipster (with the knitting sheep) from Zoe’s Bag Boutique plus my generic clear plastic bags.
I’ve made some significant progress on this top down cabled sweater! I finally found just how I want the bottom ribbing for this one and then made sure the cables flow properly into the bottom ribbing for all 8 sizes! Now I’m on to sleeve-land. You can see a little bit done on the first sleeve above. This sample pullover is getting close to finished with just under two sleeves and one neckline to go (I always work and write my necklines last). The yarn for this sample is Knit Picks Gloss DK in a dark teal/turquoise color named Kenia.
And I’m getting super close to done with figuring out the increases for this simple top-down crescent shawl in fingering weight.
That’s a good thing since I’m also getting close to finishing the first 438 yard ball of yarn. The plan is to use most of the entire second 438 yards for the cabled lace repeat. I’m looking forward to knitting the cabled lace on this one because it is soooooo beautiful. The yarn is pretty great too. It is deep red named Cranberry from Wichita Woolery.
I’ve finished the knitting on these two sample cowls for the 2020 holiday cowl. Next I need to finish writing the pattern and start the test knit. This pattern will be out around the second week of December. The pink yarn is Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Worsted in the color Quartz Crystal (thank you again to my friend Sherri and Trish of Yarn Social in KC for help picking out this yarn over the phone) and the green is Berroco Vintage Worsted in the color Envy.
I’m also working on a one-skein shawl slated to come out around May of 2021. The yellow is part of my Shades of Vermillion Rustic Fingering mini-gradient set from Neighborhood Fiber Company and it is looking a little fuzzier than expected because I’ve ripped that bit of yarn back many, many, many times as I get the repeat and design just how I want it. The orange skein will be the sample shawlette yarn for this design. It is Treasure Goddess Yarn Treasured Toes Sock Yarn in a bright orange named Lusty Wench. Working in this bright and cheery color is perfect for the winter months.
Next up is a cowl out of Malabrigo Rios in the color Fresco Y Seco. This one isn’t on the needles just yet but it is already in the project bag with the needles and all the other bits I’ll need for the project so I’m including it here.
And a new hat design out of Malabrigo Rios in the colors Ravelry Red, Lettuce and Frank Ochre. This project is in a bag with a sample half-hat and the already partly written pattern in a matching manila folder. (Why yes, I do color-match my manila folders to projects whenever possible. Don’t you?) So this one is practically on the needles too. But here’s the thing….do you see that red skein? I realized just a few days ago that I’ve got a monster-sized gaping hole in my knitwear wardrobe…or more accurately a red-cowl-sized hole to match my new red shoes.
So I’m thinking pretty hard about breaking up this set to knit myself a new red Sedona Cowl (Ravelry link) instead. If you need to avoid Ravelry, here is the link to the Sedona Cowl on Etsy.
Both the Prairie Winds Pullover test knit and Sweet Clover Cowl test knit in The Testing Pool on Ravelry are moving along. The Prairie Winds Pullover is scheduled for release on or about October 30th and the Sweet Clover Cowl another week or two after that.
And finally, I cast on my next top-down tee design for early summer 2021 release. The sample tee for this one is knit in Knit Picks Shine Sport in the color Serrano. I’m sure this is the first of many starts since I’m working up a slightly innovative hybrid of two top-down shaping techniques for this one and I’m sure there will be kinks to work out. Stitch marker is the Replica Chinese Coin stitch marker from Tallgrass Knitting (my Etsy shop).
That’s it for this month. It feels like a happy pile of yarn and patterns to take me into the late autumn and winter. I hope for a happy pile of yarn and knitting for you too. Please be kind to yourself and others as we all move forward. Take care!
