Work in Progress Wednesday: Post Overflow

I had more to talk about last week, but in light of my already tardy WIPW post, I decided I did not need to also include fractals and stashquisitions in an already long post. I am not good about pacing. It is all or nothing, unless it is a FO post for a project I am really proud of.

Or, the FO that was long forgotten. I knit this last Christmas, it is a wham bam thank you lamb. I knit one for my MIL, then bought more yarn to make one for me. I didn't get to use it last winter, since I forgot it at her house.

Whoops, better late than never. I love wearing it. Go go malabrigo!
 
So, what is the story? I have no real FO's this week but I do have more WIPs! Perfect timing for work in progress Wednesday.

Longest going first:

Evenstar is to an exciting stage!

I finished the 6 repeats of 4 rows.

I also discovered the plain row takes approximately 30 minutes to knit, at 560 stitches a row.

And since I am taking it to Hawaii, well, I am just going to pack it away until that day comes.

I'll explain more later.

In order to show off the lace, I put a card underneath. You can see the 24 rows of twisted ribbing and mesh, and also the old school lace mesh.

This project is starting to get awkward to carry around, so it is probably for the best that I am retiring it from my knitting bag. Epic, but now that the mindless  section is over, I should have something less crazy to bring with me everywhere.

I was dissatisfied with the hat again. Don't get me wrong, I was largely pleased. But there was an unforeseen design flaw.

The corrugated ribbing, and basically all of the colorwork was too tight. So, I could not reverse the hat.

Solution: knit the ribbing in black, without the colorwork.

The plaid pattern is totally awesome, but the DSLO did not like the ribbing, and so it had to go. The ribbing was pretty neat, but I suspect anything that looks like old school fair isle isn't going to fly with him.

This is replacing the evenstar as the carry around project. I would like to finish this hat soon, since it seems like I keep on taking one step forward and two steps back on the stupid thing.

Frogging the yarn was dreadful. There is enough mohair to make it awkwardly sticky. Good thing I set aside Tuesday night for some serious knitting time. What ended up working was pulling all three strands, then winding it around the floor, then standing on a two foot wide section, and rolling one ball at a time, in two foot chunks until I made it back to the hat. That way everything stayed decently untangled, and I could only worry about a color at a time.

I made good progress on the improved brim. Once I get going on the color work, things should go quickly.

Of course I cast on something new. December 1st was the start of the The Knit Girllls deep stash dive December KAL, and Thanksgiving was the start of the Whatcha Swatching Beatnik KAL. So, I am using my first dyed yarn! Double dip for the win!

I also got a new toy, which is why all this yarn is in neat little cakes.

More on that in stashqusitions.

I cast on Sunday night, because Ooofancypants of Whatcha Swatching was hosting a virtual nit night (VKN). It was a lot of fun. If I do it again, I should get a webcam, because, well, the other participants did not appreciate that a still photo of me and the DSLO showed up every time I talked. I thought it was so cool.

I swatched, and got that far during the VKN. And on my Tuesday night of all I want to do is knit, I got into the cable section.

I decided to make the 40 inch size. My swatch came in at 19 stitches across 4 inches on 5's, and it called for 18 on 6's. I still haven't decided if I am going to do a cardigan, or a pullover. I am knitting it in pieces, because that was drilled into my head a Vogue Knitting Live, and at how expensive those classes were, I should at least try to take their advice. I am still in my first skein. If I change my mind, it won't be the end of the world.

I made an executive decision. I don't want to carry a sweater's quantity of yarn to Hawaii, so this project is going to live at home. I don't want to knit on a sweater their anyways. Evenstar, and unknown, yet to be cast on sock will be much better Honeymoon knitting. Holy freaking cow, I am so excited about this trip.

That is all for the WIP section of this post. Check out the other people blogging this week here.

Department of Stashqusitions:

I have more yarn. I guess the first is the ball winder. A friend told me about a special offer from Knit Picks. If you bought at least 5 bucks of stuff, then you could get a skein of Biggo for free. Well, I looked at a ball winder, and I was sold. Basically my free skein covered the shipping cost of the ball winder. I can't believe  I waited this long to get one. It is super duper affordable at 20 or so bucks. As soon as it arrived, I assembled the ball winder, and wound the free skein.

I am not sure what it will become. It is 50-50 merino nylon. It is slick as can be. I'm thinking cowl . . . because hey, it is going to knit up really fast. My friend ended up getting 3 skeins of biggo to make an infinity cowl.

My MIL Joni gave me Christmas yarn. Sanguine Gryphon Bugga! and Vesper Self Striping.

Both are gorgeous. I have heard so many good things about Bugga!, I am really excited to have it in my hot little hands.

She also gave me Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I haven't had time to look though it and figure out what I would like to knit. Funnily it is a signed copy for Sue. I guess she didn't like it that much.

I also managed to snag a lace color bag, from Wollmeise.

I got this on the first update. I got set 7, which is a stretch colorwise for me, in greens and grey. My first choice was set 6. It also came with a pattern, walk on the moon, and a nifty clear bag. I have no clue when I will get around to knitting with this. There are some other shawls calling my name more loudly.

And in big news, I am going to learn how to spin soon.

I am really curious how it will go. The friend that offered to teach me is letting me borrow a spindle. We haven't worked out when. I suspect it will be soon. I loved the blues in this top, and it will be fun to see what sort of yarn it will become. From all of the descriptions I have heard about spinning, it sounds like it is completely up my alley. No, I do not have time for another hobby, but, I still think this will be fun.

I have a couple of cool fractals.

They are all variations on julians. I learned a cool trick, which really fills out the fractal. I duplicate the shape tranform, and switch the sign on one of the variables, which creates this mirrored, inside/outside look.

This week the challenge is very hard. I don't hold high hopes on it turning out pretty. I might not even bother sharing it.

That's all for now, take care guys,

Molly : )