Knitting boom

[miss_ljv]

Recently I went through my projects and was ruthless in deciding which ones I'd emotionally detached from and which ones I truly wanted to finish. After frogging the rejects, I actually had like, at least 10 projects I really wanted to finish. Here's what I've completed since like, end of November (minus this first one being Oct.):

Basic Raglan by Joji Locatelli

In Oct I mentioned in passing that I finished a sweater on the girls trip. When I finished it I thought it might be a little big, but it is SO cozy and I wear it all the time. It needed about a fourth of the bottom and both sleeves:

Love a good tweed.

Mason Jar Cozy

Mom wanted a new mason jar cozy so I whipped one up for her:

Faux cables are always pretty. This cotton yarn is so beautiful in-person too.

Cashmere Cowl

The first "reallllly hanging over my head" project was finishing up this cowl I started YEARS ago. Like, 2015/2016 years ago. I bought this incredibly decadent cashmere yarn (in fact, I bought enough for TWO cowls — the other two skeins are chilling in my stash) and started a cowl. I fucked it up a TON of times because the cashmere kept felting, I'd put it down for awhile, I lost the pattern, etc. I also had to repair a giant hole in it, presumably from moths. But! Idc, I finished it. It's still soft even if it looks like a beginner made it, not by someone who has been knitting for almost 15 years XD Steve wears it and is happy. 

The cowl is a lovely soft brown and creamy white.

Ocean Sunset Scarf/Shawl

The next languishing project was a simple lace scarf/shawl that I used to only work on in meetings when I was a teacher. I started it in 2017. I picked it up again at the end of November and worked a bit on it every day, finishing it in no time: 

I call it the Ocean Sunset scarf :)

Steve's Festive Socks

On election day I worked for 15 hours, which provided plenty of time to work on socks for Steve that I'd started months ago and had only gotten 3/4 of the first foot done previously. Steve wears a men's 13W/14 US so he has MASSIVE feet to knit for.

Such fun festive socks!

Mom's Campfire Sweater

I'm loath to post a pic of it, but last winter I knit Mom a sweater based on a Pinterest post she found — the pattern was a free Lion Brand or something pattern, which means it sucked, was misleading (the model was an XS and wearing like a L, which was not clearly stated, so the fit and choosing a size is all off and makes the pattern zero size-inclusive), and just all-around stupid. She wanted the sweater longer, so I ripped it back — the sweater was knit in pieces and seamed together, so I had to painstakingly rip both the front and back, and then I added the length in the round so I wouldn't have to seam again. I also went to make the sleeves longer but I only got through one and I think I made it worse (the cuff is tighter now), and just had to stop. Whatever. We'll see what she thinks.

This sweater is definitely cursed.

Rayures

I really thought this next project was languishing longer than it was, but at a yarn con in either late 2019 or early 2020, I bought a kit to make a Fall colors scarf for Steve. I started it in Fall 2020. I got through the yellow/light brown section and started the orange/light brown section. I stalled out when I realized my vision didn’t really match the pattern. I picked it up again in December 2021 and it flew off the needles — turns out it wasn't that big of a deal and was very easy for me to carry out my plan and I finished really quickly once I set out to do it.

Some stripes shar a background and the rest melt into each other for a seamless loop.

Steve looks really cute in it. There are so many moods depending on which way you have the colors.

What's left

• I always tend to have socks that either need the second sock or the foot — I have two pairs of unfinished socks for sure.


• Super simple summer sweater: I have a cotton sweater that I am really enjoying but just set down for whatever reason. I think I'm still on the yoke but have gotten a definite good chunk started.


• Venetia shawl: This one stalled out simply because I use digital patterns and Joji writes her patterns weirdly sometimes. For this shawl, multiple times on very short rows, I need to flip back and forth between MULTIPLE pages. I really just need to PRINT the pattern and I'm sure it will be better and go much faster.


• Summertime tee: This is a crochet top that I really want to finish, but crochet is very slow for me!!


• Hedera test: The heavily-patterned swoncho (sweater-poncho) is already long out of testing (it was due in Sept), but I am going to finish it and take pretty pictures to promote it for Stephanie. I just FINALLY finished the first contrast color section (the "stems" of flowers) — I currently have 420 stitches per round. The next part is the flowers (which I'm doing in a different contrast color), and then finally, FINALLY I will split for the sleeves (after like, another 45 rows or something !!!). I have already decided I probably won't want to wear it, but I bet it would be so cozy for Sean. My version is a blue monochromatic — deep navy for the main color, icy blue for the leaves, a kind of cornflower blue for the flowers.

This is a sample. I am just starting the first flower.

There are a few more but I would consider them long-term, like my scrappy blanket, or just purely not a priority but I haven't emotionally detached, like the crochet shawl test I did.

All in all, I've done a LOT of knitting since mid-Oct and really since end of November. Which is nice, because I barely knit at all from like June until then. 

Comments

[kensmind.livejournal.com]

You are incredibly talented! (And Steve has huge feet! And that's all I'm gonna say about that.)

[miss-ljv.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! And ahahaha well. At least in his case, the rumors are true XDDD

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

Those look amazing!!!

[miss-ljv.livejournal.com]

Aww thank you!!! ^____^

[lyssa027.livejournal.com]

You are so talented :) all the stuff you made is incredible

[miss-ljv.livejournal.com]

Eeee thank youuuu, you're so sweet ^_^

[chochajin.livejournal.com]

OMG! You've become so good at it! :D
I love, love, love that sweater! The color is also absolutely great and fits you well. ^__^

[miss-ljv.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! I agree that the color and fit are SO good, and I don’t have anything else like it - I’m so glad it turned out well! ❤️❤️

[kurikuribebi]

Loooove the sweaters and socks. Especially the socks! What is it about knit socks that make them amazing?

[miss-ljv.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! ^____^ It’s so hard to explain why knit socks are simply the BEST. It has to be some combination of how pretty the yarn is, how soft and warm they are, the fact that they’re designed for YOUR feet and therefore fit better, and you can’t forget the fact that they’re “Made with Love” which adds an extra touch of even more amazing XD