What's on my needles? - 1st Update

Hello there! I decided to start this new segment of my blog to share more of my makes! Since I am no longer on Ravelry, I’ll like to show off what’s on my needles for personal projects! I want to be able to share more of my favorite pattern designers, support my favorite yarn dyers, and showcase more makers in the industry. If you want to know what’s on my needles for pattern designs and my designing process, support me over on Patreon!

This blog will be an occasional round up of WIPs and FOs with more details on the yarn and the pattern beyond what I post on Instagram and since IG has become hard to navigate with advertisements showing up more on my feed than the people I actually follow. I’ll also share some projects that I can’t wait to cast on, once I have the time (or when I grow more arms? Ha!)

First up, what’s on my needles, WIPs!

I have a pair of 2 strands of fingering weight held together Artists Garden socks by Tif Neilan, @tifneilan_handknits on Instagram. I was looking for a DK weight sock pattern and this pattern checked off the boxes of what I was looking for: a cuff down construction, yarn weight, and interesting but simple texture pattern. I’m using all leftover yarn from past personal and design projects. I was hoping to make these for my grandmother for the holidays. A little bit of personal update, my grandmother has myeloma, which is a cancer of the plasma cells in her bones. She has been in and out of hospitals frequently in the past month. I am grieving, grieving not being there, grieving the possibility of her not making it, grieving moments that we’ve shared together and all I’ve learned from her, grieving the complexities of COVID-19 pandemic preventing her from being surrounded by her loved ones, including being able to travel to see her. I am still knitting these socks in the hopes that I can give them to her, praying with each stitch that she is not in too much pain and that I can see her again.

Next WIP, Willow Moon Cowl by Saysha Greene, @InSayshableKnits on Instagram because I really wanted a brioche project on my needles! It’s a DK weight knit accessory. I even went up two needle sizes on purpose so I can make it super lofty and cozy. I’ll have to adjust my yardage needs, will probably need more yarn, or I can modify the pattern to work with the amount of yarn I have. Either way will be fine with me as long as the end result is still what I’m look for in a big, comfy cowl. The yarn I’m using is “Fake Love” by Hawari Bazaar yarn and “Chadwick” by Lady Dye yarns. I started this for #BIPOCMAL2020 hosted by Elisabeth of @desamourdesigns on Instagram that runs from October 1st to December 18th, 2020. I definitely will not make the deadline but I really enjoyed the push to cast-on another personal project that brings me joy. The little snowflake stitch marker there is by Woolen Forest, @woolen.forest on Instagram.

Next, FOs (finished objects)!

I finished my Lyne socks, a free pattern by Dawn Henderson, @dawn.landix on Instagram, back in June! It was the first pair of socks I’ve knit in almost 2 years! It’s a fingering weight sock pattern. These socks got me wanting to have a pair of socks cast on at all times so I can just work on them whenever! I knit this pair with LolaBean Yarn Co. in colorway “La Playa”. I received this yarn as a gift from a test knitter who worked at Rhinebeck 2019, when I wasn’t able to attend, and sent me a lovely care package. I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve made through knitting. This is only my second time hand knitting socks so I’m still very new to sock knitting constructions. My first pair of socks was a toe-up vanilla sock. This was my first time knitting a cuff down sock pattern, with gusset construction and heel flap. Loved the details on the cuff and the top of the foot while still being simple enough for me not to be too intimidated of the pattern. Overall, LOVED this design and the written pattern. Highly recommend.

Next FO, Fleet Feet socks by Fatimah, @disturbingthefleece on Instagram! It’s a fingering weight sock pattern. I knitted these up for my husband. He requested ankle height even though this pattern is designed for a longer length. All I did was ended it at a certain point in the pattern and added a 2x2 rib for 10 rows and BO with a stretchy BO. The yarn I used was also gifted to me! It was part of a Fibre Share package exchange about a year to 2 years ago. My Fibre Share partner for this round worked with a yarn dyer friend to special dye this colorway for me, called “Space Cats”! I also used this yarn in a hat for my husband as well. It’s a Merino, Cashmere, Nylon blend. Super soft yarn blend, by the way! Since I don’t know this yarn dyer really, have never worked with them, nor know their business ethics and practices, I won’t be sharing their name. This pattern as a after-thought heel, picking up the stitches and knitting the heel at the end of the pattern. Totally new to me construction! I loved the stitch details of slipping stitches to the mini cables on the top of the foot. The decreasing detail on the sides too were a fun detail to knit.

Lastly, what I can’t wait to cast-on!

I have yarns picked for two projects: Boxcar sweater by Becky Sorensen of @sopranoknits on Instagram and a cropped length version of my Eleven Twelve sweater!

For Boxcar sweater, I was going to do a blue/grey fade version from single skeins I had in my stash. But then I fell in love with this colorway by Knitcraft and Knittery! These are one of their experiment/one-of-a-kind colorways and I snagged all three skeins during one of their updates! I love the deep purples and subtle greys and that dark and gloomy olive green. It’s going to look great in Boxcar because of the subtle change in colors that won’t be too busy with an all over texture sweater.

For my cropped version of Eleven Twelve, I’m going to use fiberstory, who is a yarn dyer based in Michigan, that I purchased at my “local” yarn store, Spun in Ann Arbor in colorway “Mythic”, a dark, almost grape and cranberry jam like color. I’ll be pairing it with a light grey with tiny black speckles cake of yarn I wound up and don’t have the yarn label for. I believe I got it in one of my Fibre Share packages a while back too. I love a darker MC with lighter CC contrast in a design like 11/12. Can’t wait to find more high waisted bottoms to go with more cropped length sweaters!

What's on my NeedlesTina TseDecember 7, 2020WIPs, FOs