Here is a look at what I’ve finished over the last month and what I’m working on in November. 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 Prairie Winds Pullover is released! The Prairie Winds Pullover is a simple top down seamless raglan with a shallow scoop neck and 3/4-length slightly flared bell sleeves. The diagonal lace panels at the bottom of the body and sleeves evoke the ever-present winds on the prairie. Written in 8 sizes with shaping and positive ease for a relaxed fit. If you need to avoid Ravelry, here is the link to the Prairie Winds Pullover at Tallgrass Knitting (my Etsy shop).
I decided I needed to make myself a ponytail version of the Hot Chocolate Hat in a bright, holiday red. I love it quite a bit and have decided to work up directions for how knitters can do the same in all 5 sizes of this hat! I plan to get that done in the next few weeks so it is an option for gift knitting this holiday season.
I also have a fairly big pile of finished non-design knitting. I don’t know about you, but it has been super hard for me to concentrate the last few weeks. Knitting is part of how I deal with stress, so I kept knitting on simple things.
I finished this baby hat out of Knit Picks Felici sock yarn in the colorway Mint Chip from stash.
I finally finished my Entangled Boot Cuffs by Apiary Knits that I started in November of 2018 during the 2018 Indie Design Gift-A-Long.
(Side note: The Indie Design Gift-A-Long on Ravelry is back for the 8th season and I’m excited to be participating as a designer again this year! Chat and threads should be opening sometime soon. The GAL sale portion runs from 8 pm EST on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, through 11:59 pm EST on Monday, November 30, 2020, with 25% off select patterns from participating designers. The Knit-A-Long portion runs through Thursday, December 31, 2020, with games, gifts, chatting and lots of fun!! All of my paid patterns are eligible for the KALs and prizes. I hope to see you in the threads!)
And I finally took the time to put thumbs on some mittens. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that mitten thumbs are NOT my favorite and I leave them for last. These particular mittens have been thumbless since early this year.
ON THE NEEDLES
The Salt Water Taffy Cowl test knit started and several of the testers have already finished their sample cowls! I’m excited to release this holiday cowl in December. The Salt Water Taffy Cowl evokes the shape and twist of old-fashioned pulled salt water taffy candies all wrapped up and twisted at the ends. Pattern uses simple cables, increases and decreases. Peppermint flavored taffy is a new holiday tradition for our family. So, I’ll be sharing a blog post about our taffy making process and the recipe we love best to go along with the pattern release. The pink sample cowl is knit out of Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok Worsted in the color Quartz Crystal and the green sample cowl is in Berroco Vintage Worsted in the color Envy.
Continuing in the theme of non-design knitting, I cast on the first pair of socks I’ve knit in years out of deep, deep stash discontinued KP Imagination yarn. (Stitch marker is from my Coyote with Turquoise and Coral stitch marker set at my Etsy shop.)
And I’ve made some serious progress on my replacement Sherri Pullover. The body is done and one sleeve is started. I’m excited and hope to have this finished in time to wear this fall and winter! I love my original Sherri Pullover and wore it so much that I need to replace it. I’m knitting this version out of the same Valley Yarns Amherst as the original in the color Harvest Gold.
I have some knitting on upcoming new designs too!
I finished the body and sleeves on this top down cabled sweater! Now I just have the 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. This sweater is slated to start test knitting in early 2021!
I’ve made some progress on this simple top-down crescent shawl in fingering weight. The stockinette stitch and increases at the top are completely finished and I’ve transitioned into the first rows of the lace repeat.
In addition, I’m still working on the new shawl idea, the next cowl and the next tee design.
That’s it for this month. It feels like plenty to take me into the rest of autumn and winter. Please be kind to yourself and others as we all move forward. Take care!
