Welcome to this month’s On the Needles crafty update! This month has a little bit of everything…Finished Objects, new yarn acquisitions, and some new projects! So let’s get right into it, starting with the FOs.
My first finished object is the Daisy Dress, which was one of my “Make 9” goals for this year, and I was so happy to finish it back in August when the weather was still warm enough to justify wearing it. (Today, in contrast, is rainy and 54 degrees F!) Since this was my second iteration of this pattern, I knew I needed to make an adjustment to the pattern, taking out a couple of inches on each side panel, so that it would fit properly around the top. The previous version I made for autumn/winter wear had too much room on top, which was fine for wearing over blouses, but not fine for this summer version which is meant to be a stand-alone sun dress. I love how it turned out, and I am glad I will have it in my wardrobe for next summer!
The next FO I have to share is my version of the Smiling Honey Top from Drops Design. This is another summer project that I am glad to have finished, although I didn’t quite make it in time for summer wear. I just blocked it yesterday! Still, I can layer it over a blouse as shown here for autumn. I am sorry I don’t have any photos of my wearing this to share, but I have been sick this week…and like, I mentioned above, the weather is cool and wet–not great picture-taking weather! I enjoyed making this top, and I would definitely make more similar patterns for summer knits. I did not, however, love working with the splitty yarn that I used to knit it. I have worked with several plant-based yarn blends over the years, and I have yet to find one that isn’t more prone to splitting that wool yarns. I think it is just the nature of plant fibers not to be sticky, and that is part of what makes them cool and light for summer. It’s a trade-off that every crafter has to decide on, I guess.
Next up, and my final finished object, is the pair of socks picture below, my Broken Seed Stitch Socks which were so close to being done in last month’s WIP Wednesday post. And finish them I did! These are such thick, warm socks, both due to the stitch pattern and the heavier sport weight yarn. They will be great for wearing this winter! The only small problem I found with these is that the way I carried the yarn along for each color change round created a small ridge inside of the sock. On one of the socks this ridge is hardly noticeable because it somehow ended up being on the side of my foot. But on the other sock it is on the center bottom of the foot for some unknown reason, and I can feel that ridge a little when I walk. (I think I did slightly different heels because I forgot what method I had used for the first when I got to the second sock.) I am not super sensitive to things like this, but it is a wee bit annoying. I am hoping as they get more wear and washing, that ridge will become less noticeable.
Before we get to my new projects….I did make a couple more yarn acquisitions this past week when thrift shopping for other things. I have decided that due to budget constraints and the current shipping restrictions in place from my favorite European online yarn shops, my yarn buying will need to be in the form of second hand shopping. So I always check the craft section! This week I found bags of Rowan Magpie Aran Wool yarn (discontinued) for super cheap! At first, I only saw the dark grey (it looks brighter in the photo than it really is), but 5 full skeins of it! Then I spied another bag that had 3 skeins of this raspberry color, too! The tags on them say each skein was originally $10.50, and I got all 8 skeins for less than $15 total! Because of the chunkier weight of these yarns, I think I can make a cropped sweater/cardigan out of the grey and a matching hat and cowl using the raspberry wool.
Finally, since we have had a few sick days (all four of us have been sick at some point in the past week and a half, ugh), I was spending extra time sitting around feeling under the weather yesterday but needing something to do with my hands and brain. Since I finished one knit garment and am making great progress on another WIP (my Honeycomb Vest), I gave myself permission to cast on some new things for autumn/winter. First, I have been itching to start this color-work doodle cowl ever since I dreamed it up many months ago after unraveling a failed attempt at a shawl. I am using the cowl recipe and chart ideas from Jamie Lomax’ Doodle Knit Directory (Amazon affiliate link) and having a blast doing it. Look at how much progress I made in just one day of knitting!
My second cast-on is a little less fun-looking but probably more needed, and that is a pair of wool leg warmers for my daughter. These are just going to be simple 2×2 ribbed leg warmers, but they will be great for her to wear under her jeans during cold days riding horses in the Colorado winter. I might have to make myself a pair, too! I thought about making mittens with this yarn when I first found it, but she can’t wear mittens while riding. And she found this yarn softer next to skin than other wool options I have on hand. Besides, white mittens probably aren’t a very practical item for us!
Well, I think that about covers it for this month’s On the Needles. I would love to hear what you are working on these days as the seasons are changing. I know the cooler temperatures always inspire me to get crafty! So, until next time, happy stitching, friends!
