First Finish of 2023

January 18, 2023 My Time Stitching19 Comments

Hello my blogging friends. The sun is shining here in Michigan and the temperatures have been above normal this winter. I am not complaining at all. The days have been gray, so it is nice seeing the sun the last couple of days.

I have finished my first project of 2023 and I absolutely love it! If you remember, I started this knitting project in November and hit a bump in the road and couldn’t get past the first couple of rows. I then went to my LNS where the knit expert there figured out my issue in no time. I wasn’t able to spend time really getting it going until December 1.

I finished knitting the length and then I put the stitches onto waste yarn and put it on the blocking mats.

I really love this photo. It shows the wave pattern so beautifully. After it dried, I pulled it off of the blocking mats and put the working stitches onto a straight needle. Then I had to carefully put the stitches from the provisional cast on, back onto another straight needle. If anyone has an easy way to undo the provisional cast on to get those stitches back onto a needle, I would love to hear about it. I have only done a provisional cast on one other time, and it was a bit difficult to get those stitches out then also. I think that is the hardest part of this pattern, LOL.

On to the 3 needle bind off. I have only bound off a project like this one other time. It was for the Market Bag I made. It is not a hard bind off, but a little tricky deciding which needle to use to bind off the stitch. I used the back needle. But it was easy to get into a rhythm and went rather quickly. I then wove in the 2 threads and it was finished.

I LOVE how this turned out. If I were to make it again, I would make it a bit longer as the I-cord edges are not very stretchy so I have to remember to take off my glasses before putting it over my head. I was nearing the end of the skein and didn’t think I had enough yarn to do another 7 rows of the pattern. But all in all, this was a wonderful pattern with so many elements involved. (1) The I-cord edges – makes for a very beautiful finish on the edges. This was knitted sideways, so the I-cord was created at the beginning and the end of the rows. (2) The Provisional Cast On – This was done so that the stitches can be put on a needle for binding off. (3) Putting working stitches on a waste yarn to be able to block the project before finishing. (4) 3 Needle Bind Off – A great way to seam the 2 edges together stitch for stitch.

I totally enjoyed knitting this cowl. The wave pattern is just beautiful and is quite visible even with the variegated yarn I used. I bet it would be gorgeous in a solid yarn, too. The details…The pattern is the Marina Cowl by Juliana Lustenader and is available on Ravelry. The yarn I used is Cozy Worsted by Speckled Finch Studios in color From the Deep.

I have already worn this cowl several times and it is so soft on my neck and keeps me warm. It has been the neck accessory I have been reaching for since finishing it. I may have to have a few more in different colors 😉

So that is my first finish of 2023. Hopefully I will have many more finishes to come this year. My craft room has been taking up a lot of my time this month. I have been replacing, rearranging, purging, and moving things around. That is for another post. What have you been up to this month?

Happy Stitching!

Ginny

cross stitch · Fabric · Fox and Rabbit · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted cowl · Knitting · yarn

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2023 My Time Stitching12 Comments

Hello my blogging friends! Happy 2023! I hope that your 2023 is filled with Love, Health and Happiness. The last few years I have chosen a word that describes what I want for the new year and this year I have landed on Determined. I am determined to finish things, determined to use things up, determined to be more patient, determined to cook more, get upset less and determined to be a better person. This last year I have been so overwhelmed with “stuff” so my biggest thing is to use up what I have, like yarn and cross stitch and scrapbook products. And to get rid of what “no longer gives me joy”. It will be a long process, but a process that I am determined to work on this year. I only finished 2 cross stitch projects this year, and both were early in 2022. I did not finish the 2022 MSAL from Fox and Rabbit. The December section is quite large. I am almost finished 1/4 of the section and the 2023 MSAL came out yesterday and I think I want to stitch that one, too. But not until I finish the 2022 one. Here is where I am with it.

I am almost finished the top of the border. I am stitching this one on 16ct Aida Winter Wishes from Fabrics By Stephanie. The threads are DMC 115 and 902 for backstiching. It seems like it has been very slow going, but I didn’t get to work on it much in December because I did do a lot of knitting.

I made lots of Fingerless Mitts for family and a few scarves which I didn’t get pictures of. The pattern for these mitts is a FREE pattern from Premier Yarns and is called Sideways Wrist Warmers. I loved making these for everyone in different bulky yarns. I added my new garment tags to each one, too.

I ordered these tags from The Beam City. They turned out so cute! I was so excited to see that they had a mermaid option. I will be putting these tags on all of my future knits 😉

Which brings us to what I am currently knitting on.

I pulled this one out of my stash in November and started it but couldn’t get past the first couple of rows. I was about to throw in the towel, but decided to go to my Local Yarn Shop and get some help. Cris figured out my mistake in no time. I had some purls and yarn overs which I know to go all the way around my needle for the YO, but I didn’t realize that I didn’t need to go around the needle the extra time when the next stitch is a knit stitch. With the repeats, that is where my extra 4 stitches were coming from. So I started over and have been fine with it since. Didn’t get to work on it too much with making all of those mitts, but I have made progress.

It is the Marin Cowl by Juliana Lustenader (Knit by Jules).

Just look at that cute little mermaid! She is actually a charm that I purchased at our local Aquarium when I visited there in November. I thought she would be perfect for a progress marker. And she is definitely perfect for this project.

It is growing. Can you see all of the waves? The yarn is Cozy Worsted from Speckled Finch Studios in color “From The Deep”. The yarn is so soft and squishy and the colors so beachy!

So that is what I have been stitching on. I hope to get more stitching in this year and I am going to try harder to post here on my blog more often. One other thing I want to mention before I end this post is for my cross stitching friends. Have you heard of the Design and Fabric Viewer? Have you used it in the past? For those that have not heard about it, it is a website where you can match cross stitch patterns to fabrics to see how designs will look on different fabrics. Today a new version of the site was launched and it is now FREE to customers to use and you can store up to 100 of your favorite selections. You do have to create an account so that your favorites can be saved. If you have not used this site before, you need to check it out. And for those that have, go check out the new version. I have firsthand knowledge of the work that has gone into developing this new version and it is awesome. I didn’t get paid for this review, but I do know the master behind the screen, LOL. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think. You can also join the private group on facebook to see updates and leave comments there.

Again, I wish you a Wonderful, Happy, Healthy, full of Love 2023 and I hope all of your dreams come true.

So that is what I have been up to. What are your goals for the New Year?

Happy Stitching!

Ginny

cross stitch · Fox and Rabbit · Hand Dyed Fabrics · knitted hat · Knitting · mystery sampler

I Knitted A Hat!

November 11, 2022 My Time Stitching10 Comments

Hello my blogging friends! Happy Veteran’s Day to all the Veteran’s out there and thank you so much for your service. I am grateful to all that served and to those that serve today.

So winter will be here soon. Probably much quicker than I want it to be. I have a lot of hat patterns in my Ravelry that I want to make and plenty of yarn, too. My stash is way out of control and I am starting to feel really guilty about it. So, I thought that making hats would be a great way to knock out some skeins. I purchased a kit from Speckled Finch Studios last year. Actually I bought several kits from her. I do love her yarns. Anyway, I pulled out a kit that contained a skein of Cozy Worsted in the color Sangria and The Dragon’s Gate Hat pattern by Gamer Babe Knits.

Casting this on was heavenly! The yarn is so soft, squishy and bouncy.

I can’t tell you the last time I knitted some ribbing. It was actually relaxing and rhythmic.

The chain link looking cable is so easy. I didn’t even have to use a cable. Just slipped the stitches off and let them hang out there. The yarn just stayed in place. You can’t really see much of the cable here, but it is there. Blocking will definitely help open those stitches.

Then it was time for the dreaded Double Pointed needles. I must say that I really didn’t mind them so much for this pattern. The thing that throws me off is when there is a pattern to knit and some stitches are on one needles and the rest of the pattern is on the next needle. But I am getting better at knitting with the Double Pointed Needles. I’m still not a fan of them, but they are needed sometimes. Like the crown of a hat.

And in just a few days of knitting off and on, I have a finished hat. Complete with a really cute tie in Pom that also came with the kit. I was confused as to which size hat to knit from this pattern and chose the size 4, which the designer also knit for the photo. I think my hat is a little smaller than I wanted. It is supposed to be an adult sized hat. I did have quite a bit of yarn left over, so next time I will go up a couple of sizes. My chain link cable stitches are not very noticeable, so I will block it a bit in order to open up those stitches. But all in all, it is a cute hat and I would definitely make it again. The pattern is really easy to knit and easy to remember as you knit along. It is available on Ravelry, too.

Now for my cross stitch followers…I promise you that I have been cross stitching, too. I was working on Rosamund for a little bit, then switched to the Fox & Rabbit MSAL 2022. I am so proud of myself for getting all caught up on this project after starting it so late. And those borders were so long! I just started working on the November section.

Sorry about the lighting on this one. I had trouble getting a good picture of it this morning. I am hoping to get this section finished before the December section comes out. I am assuming that there will be some kind of design around the border, and that will take some time. This piece is quite large, so adding stitching around the border will not be a quick section I am guessing. I am using DMC 115 with a darker solid color (DMC 902 I think) for outlining the lettering. The fabric is 16ct Aida Winter Wishes from Fabrics By Stephanie

That is what has been on my knitting needles and my sewing needle so far 😉 I have visions of starting new projects!! What is on your needles?

Happy Stitching!

Ginny

Knitted Wrap · Knitting

Margot Wrap is Finished

January 23, 2022 My Time Stitching14 Comments

Hello blogging friends. I hope it is much warmer where you are than where I am. It has been so cold this week. So, since cold and snow has kept me inside, I thought I would get my Margot Wrap fully finished. I added some wool wash to a sink full of cold water and put my wrap in to soak for about 15 minutes. I pulled out the blocking boards, pins and blocking wires.

There is just something about a knit (or crochet) project soaking in a bubble bath. The colors become brighter and the patterns seem to be more prominent. I love it! After soaking for about 15 minutes, I pressed out as much water as I could and then rolled the wrap in a towel and pressed to get the rest of the water out.

Since this was a long wrap with mostly straight sides, I decided to use the blocking wires. If you haven’t used them before, they are long, skinny rods that come in various lengths. Mine are about 36″ long and I don’t know why, but they remind me of a car radio antenna. Well, sort of. Anyway, you just weave them through your garment and add some blocking pins to hold in place. When I use them, I seem to take a longer time to weave them through than if I had just used the blocking pins. But I was able to get it all blocked and let it sit overnight. It blocked out beautifully!

The colors are so beautiful and the criss crosses blocked out nicely.

It really turned out lovely and I can’t wait to wear it the next time I go out. The details on this wrap: It is the 2021 Advent from Speckled Finch Studios. The pattern is The Margot Wrap by Yvonne Poon and is available on Ravelry.

So that is what I have been up to. What are you up to?

Ginny

Knitted Shawl · Knitted Wrap · Knitting · yarn

My Advent Knitting

January 3, 2022 My Time Stitching9 Comments

Good afternoon, my blogging friends. It is cold where I am and there is about 5 inches of snow on the ground from a weekend storm. I should be cleaning the house and taking down what little decorations I put up for the holidays. But instead, I have decided to hide out in my craft room for a bit. There is quite a mess on my desks, so blogging it is! I want to catch up on my projects from the last couple of months.

About mid November I received my advent package from Speckled Finch Studios. All of those cute little numbered bags; Each containing a mini skein; begging me to open them all! But I refrained.

It was so hard waiting for December 1 to roll around so I could open that first bag containing a surprise mini skein of yarny goodness! But I was a good girl. I did open the large skein as it was not part of the advent, but an added goody with the cost of my advent. There was also a yummy candle and handmade bar of soap for wool washing.

The yarn is so beautiful! It is called Winter Wonderland and is pretty perfect for what I am seeing out of my window today. The candle smells so delicious! I’m not sure if I like the bar of soap. It has a very strong odor, but may not be so when it is used to wash a knitted garment. I also received the Ravelry code to download the advent project; The Margot Wrap by Yvonne Poon. And I love how she made the photo black and white so she would not spoil what the yarns look like. So I gathered all of my supplies to get started; pattern, needles, stitch marker, progress marker, post it notes and highlighting tape. On December 1st, I opened bag #1 and instantly fell in love with the beautiful pastel mint green color! So I rolled it into a ball and settled in to knit.

I spent each day of December opening the appropriate bag, ooohing and aaahhhing at the beautiful skein, winding it into a ball and knitting that day’s section. I knitted most mornings, but some evenings were spent catching up on the days rows. I love each and every skein and added surprise that I opened.

The pattern was so relaxing and a joy to knit. There were 2 rows that were “criss cross” rows that were a little nerve racking, but I soon became quicker at them. They look a bit wonky and loose, but I am sure they will be great with blocking.

I love how all of the colors look together and do hope that I get to see some of them in full skeins in the future.

The wrap continued to grow everyday and each day I loved the new color and looked forward to seeing what color would be added next.

There are so many beautiful colors that I just can’t pick a favorite! I want them all!

Even the yellow skein is so beautiful! So far I have to say that day #19 and day #20 are my absolute favorites together. They are the teal and tan/brown colors below the top yellow color in the photo above. I am calling them Sand and Sea; you know, for the mermaids 😉 On December 25, 2021 I finished the wrap, ending with the first color.

Wow! What a beautiful wrap! I love it! I still need to block it and weave in the ends. Hopefully I can get Christmas put away and pull a table out to block it on. It is quite long and I can’t wait to block out those Criss Crosses. And I have a quite a bit of yarn leftover to do something with in the future. Maybe a thinner scarf, maybe additions to a scrapghan someday. Who knows. Whatever I use them for, they will be perfect. This was a wonderful advent and I am so happy I purchased it and I am proud of myself for keeping up with it every day. I LOVE Speckled Finch Studio yarns. You can find them Here The shop is not open util later this month, but there is a link there to her Instagram so you can see some of her scrumptious yarns! I will post pictures of my wrap when it is blocked. I can’t wait to wear it!

Well, that was my big project for December. Come back soon to see another big project that I finished as well as some little in between projects. What have you been up to? I’d love to hear about your projects.

Ginny

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