Every once in a while, I start to run out of ideas. It happens sometimes, after all, I’ve been writing posts three times a week for the last four years.
So, I’d love to hear your ideas!
Do you have questions about techniques? Do you want more tutorials?
Do you want to see what I’m working on?
Are you interested in seeing more new patterns? If so, what do you like to knit?
Is there something else you’d like to see?
Let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Good morning, everyone. Did you sleep well?
No? Me neither. I don’t now if it’s the springtime pollen in the air, or something I’ve eaten, or that I have something on my mind, but I’ve been having a tough time sleeping the last few days. Or, I should be more precise, I’m having a tough time getting out of bed in the morning.
All I want to do right now is close all the shades, snuggle back under the covers, and sleep for about three more hours. Somehow, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do that, what with work, housework, and one small dog that’s really looking forward to going on a walk.
Instead of going back to sleep, let’s look at adorable knit sleep aids, and dream of dreaming.
I always have cold feet, and my current slippers are getting a bit disreputable, so maybe I should knit up a pair of these thrummed slippers to wear before bed, while sipping my Sleepytime Tea.
Cadeautje by Ysolda Teague
Then I could prop myself up with this adorable sheep pillow while I read a chapter or two of my current novel before bed.
Bobble Sheep Pillow in Super Soft Merino by Purl Soho
And then I’d snuggle under my pile of blankets, and go to sleep. I can always use one more blanket, and this one looks so soft and pretty, I know I’d get really good sleep under it.
Garter Squish by Stephen West
All this sleep-talk is making me, well, sleepy. I’d better go make some coffee *yawn*, or I’ll just end up back… zzzzz…..
You all remember the last time Last Night Allison struck. It wasn’t pretty. I mean, I managed to fix it, but it was touch and go for a while, and way more difficult than I expected it to be.
Unfortunately, Last Night Allison struck again. But here’s the worst part. I have no excuse for my bad decisions. It wasn’t late (actually it was about 3:00 in the afternoon). I hadn’t been drinking (except a cup of decaffeinated tea). And, I really should have been paying attention.
I was starting the prototype of a sweater I’m working on. The pattern begins with (spoiler!) a 1×1 rib for about 2 inches.
This is what I knit:
Allison, that’s not a 1×1 rib! That’s a 2×2 rib! That’s a 2×2 rib that you worked on for about three hours before realizing your mistake! (There was swearing.)
So, then, I had to decide, do I rip out the whole thing? Start over? Or, do I painstakingly go through with a crochet hook and change half the knits to purls, and half the purls to knits?
I bet you can’t guess what Last Night Allison chose. (That’s right! She picked the most fiddly and difficult choice possible.)
I ripped each column of stitches out, one by one, carefully picking them back up in the proper orientation. Which is totally not a super annoying process. Ha!
Amazingly, the fixed ribbing actually looks pretty good- I was afraid it would be a little wonky, but it looks OK.
The only problem is I’ve still got well over halfway to go. I think my “quick fix” is going to end up taking longer than re-knitting the whole thing would have. Of course, at this point I’ve sunk too much effort into it, so I’m here for the long haul.
What would you have done? Would you have ripped the whole thing and re-knit, or do you have agreed with Last Night Allison? Or, do you have a magical solution that would have been better than either?
Woo Hoo! I’ve got another finished sweater!
The knitting on this one went like the wind- a combo of a big (ish) gauge, short sleeves, cropped waistline, and my time off work for spring break. I essentially finished this bad boy in a week!
It’s just as cute as I was hoping for (though it is a little itchy. But, I’m a knitter- I can survive itchy wool). And, it fits like a glove!
Get ready for some awkward-as-friends pictures! (I was home alone, and had about 5 minutes to try taking pictures between pouring rain and hail!) I need some lessons on taking nice pictures of myself wearing sweaters- everyone else on Ravelry seems to get it, but I always end up making myself look like a big goober. Of course, I am a big goober, so maybe that’s the problem.
Anyway! Ta-da!
The modified collar turned out perfectly, and I love the additional cable down the spine. 
And, this sweater is surprisingly warm! That means I can wear my summer dresses in the spring (at least while it isn’t raining).
Have you finished up any projects lately?
I’m sure you were all waiting with baited breath to find out what I decided to do with my skein of Tosh Merino.
Well, I sat down on Monday night to start knitting, and I thought I was going to make the Annis shawl. But, then my husband put on an episode of the new MST3K, and I couldn’t focus on casting on all that lace. So instead I started on a Sockhead Slouch Hat. I love it so far- It’s a super simple pattern, so it’ll really show off the pretty color of the yarn. I love how soft the fabric is turning out. And, I think I’m going to get a lot of use out of it. It’s not crazy thick and wintery- I’ve got plenty of thick winter hats. I needed something a little lighter, for breezy spring days.
I won’t lie, though, at this small gauge, it’s going to take me a hot minute to finish this hat. But it’s so simple, it’ll be good TV-watching/coffee-shop-sitting/waiting-for-class-to-start knitting. In fact, I knit about an inch yesterday morning waiting for my dog to get done with his haircut.
(Do you want to see pictures of him? Of course you do.)
Before: Shaggy old wizard dog
After: Teddy bear puppy
Anyway, dog aside, I’m enjoying this hat pattern. Especially with some of the more *ahem* elaborate patterns I’ve been working on lately, it’s nice to make a super-simple project like this.
Have you been working on anything exciting lately?
I’ve got a dilemma. OK, it’s not really a dilemma, just a decision I need to make. OK, it’s barely a decision, but I’d like your input.
I’ve finished my Chuck sweater (which went really fast, since I had the week off work). It’s blocking out right now, and I’ll let you know how it turns out later this week.
My needles are empty (at least for the moment- I have some design work coming up). I’ve got a little more time to knit for myself, and I’ve got a lovely skein of Tosh Merino Light that’s been looking at me for months. It’s a gorgeous, dark navy(ish) blue, but it still manages to glow in the sun. It’s so pretty, I couldn’t manage to get a good picture of it myself, so I’ll use the one from Madeline Tosh’s website.
Ooh! Aah!
So, here’s the question- What can I make with about 400 yards of fingering weight yarn and abut 1 week of time?
My first thought is, of course, socks. After all, I always think about socks. I love these socks in particular. I made a pair of them last fall, but my husband claimed them out from under me. I would love to make a pair for myself. But, I think this yarn might be a little too fancy for socks- I don’t think I can get behind hand-wash-only socks. (I’ll do a lot of things for knitwear, but I won’t do that.)
Hermione’s Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder
My second thought is a shawl/scarf. It’s been a minute since I knit up lace- I’ve been on a cables kick for the last year or so. I could knit up a shawl like this one. I worry about trying to adapt such a lovely shawl to a fingering weight, though.
Annis by Susanna IC
Oh, but you know what I need? I need a lovely, comfy hat. (Here I go being a project knitter again.) Of course, I’ve got plenty of hats, but I could always use another one. I’ve had short hair for years, but I started buzzing it off a few months ago- my head is cold and I need a soft, casual, non-super-cold-weather hat.
I think this one might be the one.
Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly McClure
What would you make with a skein of special yarn? What should I make?
Did you just see the Easter Bunny hop by? Because, I think I did!
And what’s that over there? Is that a special Easter present just for you?
I think it might be!
(Full disclosure: I don’t really celebrate Easter, but any holiday that involves candy, baby animals, and deviled eggs is all right with me!)
It’s my patterns, the Little Knit Doll, and her Easter Set! 
These are some of my favorite patterns I’ve made- I mean, look at her! She’s totally cute! The doll is fully knit, and about 8 inches tall. In the basic pattern, the Little Knit Doll comes with a simple sun dress and a lot of hair. 
And the Easter set includes a cute puffed-sleeve dress, bunny ears, and an adorable little Easter basket.
Usually these patterns are $5 each, but this weekend only, head over to Ravelry and use the coupon code “BUNNY” to get both patterns for free!
Happy Easter!
(Also, this is the first time I’ve tried using coupon codes on Ravelry, so let me know if you’re having trouble!)
Happy Spring Break, you guys! The Seattle schools are off this week for spring break, which means my sewing classes are off, too.
So what’s a girl to do with a whole week of spring break all to herself? Should I go to the beach? Should I sun myself and drink tropical drinks by the pool?
Of course not! I live in Seattle where my spring break consists of knitting, drinking coffee and (maybe) a little yard work if the sun comes out.
Yesterday was lovely and sunny, but the day before was crazy! Pouring rain, sun, hail, and crazy wind. That was some of the weirdest weather I’d seen here in years. We even had “sun-showers,” where it was simultaneously pouring and super sunny.
Sparkling Rain by Christelle Nihoul
Of course, spring really has hit here- The daffodils are going crazy, the cherry trees are clouds of pink and white, and the tulips are getting ready to explode.
Flower Shawl by Jenny Johnson Johnen
Spring break in Seattle is also a time for goats.
That’s right. Goats. (Especially baby ones.)
(I spent the afternoon yesterday at one of my favorite local breweries, sipping tasty beer and saying high to a whole herd of baby goats from the Puget Sound Goat Rescue! They were tiny (smaller than my dog), and so stinking cute. Seattle is the best! Where else would you get to pet baby goats on a Tuesday afternoon?)
Goats of Inversnaid Gauntlets by Kate Davies
Do you get a spring break? What do you do when you get a break in your neck of the woods?
So, you know the other day, when I told you all the changes I was planning on making to my Chuck sweater?
Well.
It’s going… not great.
Last night, I managed to get to just under the armpits. The big cable down the front is turning out gorgeous. I love the way each column of stitches peels off, weaves through the other columns, then joins back together. 
I even managed to figure out the changes to the neckline. I brought in the sides and raised the back of the neck slightly. I’ll have to wait to see how it looks with the collar added, but I feel pretty confident about it.
However, I made a huge mistake.
OK, maybe not a huge mistake, but I’ve done something super dumb.
I wanted to add a cable down the back of the sweater, but instead of actually working the cable as I went, like a smart person, I kind of forgot about it until late last night. So, like the genius I am, I dropped the six stitches I planned on using for the cable, and ripped almost all the way back to the cast-on, and started knitting them back up, cabling as I went.
(Full disclosure: my husband made me a very tasty tropical drink after dinner last night, which could have been the source of last night’s excessive confidence as I ripped back these stitches.)
In the bright light of morning, I have some regrets with regard of how I’ve been going about this project. But, I’ve got a hot cup of coffee and I’ve got my fingers crossed, so I should be able to fix the mayhem that “Last Night Allison” created.
Have you ever sat down with your knitting, only to realize you did something really dumb the night before? What did you do, and were you able to fix it?
It’s officially, 100%, completely, totally springtime here in the Pacific Northwest. That means two things:
The daffodils are blooming, and I’m so excited! We planted a big bag of bulbs in the fall, and I wasn’t sure if they’d come up this year, so I was just thrilled when they started peeking through the dirt about a month ago. They’re really going to town now, our yard if full of the cheerful little guys. (Full disclosure, the photo is our neighbors’ yard, because they have even more daffodils than us, and it makes for a much more impressive picture. #goals) I’ve filled our house with cut flowers (which is delightful, but is probably what’s making me sneeze all over the place).
If you love daffodils as much as I do (and if you’re more logical about your allergies than I am), maybe you’ll want to get cracking on some daffodil-themed knitting.
This adorably accurate daffodil is too cute for words! Can you imagine making a whole bouquet of these bad boys?
Daffodils by Jessica Goddard
And this shawl is so beautiful! I love the honeycomb-ish pattern she used to fill the big petals.
Daffodil Design by Marianne Kinzel
But, I think this little lady takes the cake. She’s a tiny fairy wearing a daffodil as a dress! Have you ever seen anything more darling? (And, I say that as someone who’s never called anyone or anything “darling” in her life.)
Daffodil Flower Fairy by Lorna Pearman
Are the Daffodils blooming in your neck of the woods?
On the Needles 