Currituck Sounding

My Currituck Sound is finally portable again, and I have delusions of finishing her early this weekend. Is that wildly optimistic? Probably!

I decided to cut out one of the repeats of the zig-zag slipped stitch section. I really, really love how that section looks, but it wasn't my favorite thing to knit, and I started running low on my orange yarn. I have the NMKAL version of the pattern, which includes options for twisted rib or fisherman's rib to finish the shawl, but I really love the look of two-color brioche and want to use it in my shawl, so I decided to cut a repeat and save the orange yarn for a nice big chunk of brioche.

I'm on the vikkel braids now—the sample used three, and I think I want five before starting the brioche. I had to look up Kristen's tutorial for the vikkel braids—I've done them before, but I always want to ktbl in the second stitch by going in between the stitches instead of going around behind both of them, which works, but it puts the braid on the wrong side of the work. It's all sorted now, and hey, if I ever need to work a vikkel braid from the back, I know how! 

WIP Wrangling

The past few years I've participated in NaKniSweMo and tried to knit a sweater from start to finish during November, but this year as November approached, I felt overwhelmed at the thought of casting on another big project when I have so many WIPs in various stages right now. So I'm participating in the more chill NaKnitMo, setting a stitch goal of 75k stitches for the month as well as an unofficial goal to finish up as many WIPs as possible.

I've already finished one project (my Villainous CYOAT, which just needs blocking), and I'm making great progress on my Currituck Sound, which has been sitting abandoned since last year. Currituck isn't especially portable right now (I'm in a fiddly section that really ought to be knit on a sofa), so this week I've been carrying around a shawl sample I cast on back in September and then promptly set aside. I'd love to get this finished and written this month, but I also just got the last skein I need for Arachne, and I can't wait to get that off the needles too.

(I also want to finish the sleeves for my Old Harry that's been languishing since last winter, and in a world where I had more time and no hand/wrist pain I'd think about finishing my Guernsey, Recharge, and Cormac, but it turns out there IS a limit to how much I can fantasize about actually getting done in a month.)

Weekends

I've reached the bottom ribbing on my Arachne and I've come to the unsettling conclusion that I don't have enough yarn. This is all my fault—when I was gathering materials, I thought I'd knit the size smaller, and then once I read the pattern I realized I needed the size 49, and it never occurred to me that knitting the next size up would mean I'd need an extra skein for the sleeves. I've ordered the yarn, and hopefully it will be here in a week or so.

This weekend was the holiday bazaar at the Lutheran church up in the city, and I went with my mum. It was, as always, a great day, and I got a ton of great stuff. Walking around a crowded building for almost three hours is no joke, though—I ended up taking a four-hour nap once I got home! Yesterday was a baking day, and I have fresh bread and coffee cake to show for it.

This week we're taking measurements at the dance studio, so I'm going to have some long days. Lee Lee's not going to be happy about that, but I'm leaving Friday night open for snuggles, and hopefully she'll forgive me. 

Catching Up

How have almost two weeks passed already? This month seems to have practically flown by, but a lot has been going on, so I guess that's understandable. Last week I transferred to a new position in my library, and I'm really excited for the move. I'm really enjoying my new position, and I can't wait to finish my training. I'm working in the Oral History department now, and while it's definitely quieter than Interlibrary Loan was, there's a lot to do, and I'm really excited about the work.

Bell choir rehearsals are also going great—there's one song in our program this winter that I don't play in at all, so I'm getting even more knitting time in during rehearsals than usual. My Ripple Bralette is finished and I can't wait to start wearing it—I just blocked it over the weekend, and I don't think I'll have time to get pictures taken until next weekend, but it looks stunning laid out on my futon.

My main project for the past week or so has been Arachne. I fell hard for this pattern when it came out, and I was really excited for the KAL for it...and then I didn't manage to cast on until October 17th. For a couple days I entertained the fantasy that I might be able to finish by the November 1st deadline, but that's pretty clearly not going to happen. That's okay, though. I definitely plan on finishing it in November, and my aesthetic is such that nobody is going to think twice about me wearing a Halloween sweater year-round.

Linking up with Crafting On

Wednesdaying

Can we have three-day weekends every week? On Saturday I managed a nice long nap, on Sunday I got to snuggle my friend's baby, and I got six library books read. Monday I finally caught up on some housework, and I started ironing fabric for a new dress but had to stop due to an accident involving the hot iron and my foot (I'm okay! It's just a small burn and there's no blistering, so I should be back to normal pretty quickly.)

My Ripple Bralette has continued to prove to be excellent reading knitting. I've finished the body and am working my way though the first of the top fronts. I've added quite a bit of length to this, and I'm anxious to see how it will fit once it's finished and blocked.

Bell choir starts up again tonight, which I've been looking forward to, but it means I need to refigure my schedule. Historically, I've just gone straight to practice from work and brought dinner to eat quick before rehearsal started, but now that I have Lee Lee, that's not really an option. Today I'm going to try riding my bike home quick, letting Lee Lee out and feeding her, and grabbing a quick bite before driving to rehearsal. I think I'll have just enough time to make it work, and hopefully the weather will cooperate for the next six weeks so that I don't have to come up with a Plan B.

Speaking of Lee Lee, she's settling in great. It seems like her favorite spot when I'm at work is up at the head of my bed, right next to the window. I don't know which is a bigger draw for her—being able to smell me on my pillow or being able to look out the window, but I'm glad she's figuring out a routine for when I'm at work. 

Rippling

Oh my gosh, I am completely blown away by how successful the launch for Suz has been so far! You can still get 20% off the pattern on Ravelry with code FAVORITE through tomorrow, so be sure to take advantage of that if you haven't yet!

After that weird mess of a summer, I'm working on re-calibrating my knitting projects. I have a couple of small design samples on the needles, but I've mostly been working on a Ripple Bralette for myself. I've had this pattern in my queue since it came out, and when I saw the BIPOC Make-a-long on Instagram, I wanted to join in. My favorite outfits to wear around the house are leggings, bralettes, and robes, and with cooler weather coming, I thought a knit bralette (or two, or seven) sounded perfect.

This yarn is a 75/25 merino/silk from Tanis Fiber Arts, and it's absolutely decadent. The color is so romantic, and I can't wait to find out how comfortable the finished bralette will be (Prediction: So Comfortable). This is a super enjoyable knit so far—it's a great purse project, and I can work on it while watching TV or even knitting. I already have a skein of sock yarn picked out for a second Ripple Bralette! 

Suz

Suz is the perfect TV knitting. Worked all in one piece, flat, in garter stitch, it was made for parking in front of the television with a pile of your favorite movies.

The sleeves and body are worked sideways, casting on at one wrist and working across the body before binding off at the opposite wrist. Stitches are then picked up and the shawl collar is knit on. The sides and sleeves are then closed with just two seams to finish.

Suz is available in my Ravelry Store and is 20% off with code FAVORITE through Thursday, October 10th.

Vacationing

I took last week off from my day job at the library, and while it was nice to have a week without having to go in to work every day, it wasn't exactly a restful vacation. You see, I decided to get into cosplay, and between Tuesday and Friday I built the ballgown from Labyrinth.

I've always loved dressing up, and making the ballgown was a lot of fun, even though it meant some very long and stressful days. I definitely want to make more elaborate costumes, but hopefully never again in one week.

The dress is made of some white jersey knit, grey lace, ivory organza, and iridescent cellophane. There's a bunch of beads and gems and fabric roses hot glued to the bodice, and I made the necklace with hot glue and beads and jewelry wire.

I also got a new dog last week! Back in August I was in my cups one evening and in a fit of missing Mystic I decided to scroll through local humane society websites. One dog jumped out at me, and I immediately saved her picture. I have never felt such a pull towards an adoptable dog before. I talked myself out of going to meet her—Mystic had died so recently, I wasn't sure I was ready.

I kept browsing humane society listings, and this dog was still there. Finally I decided that since she was still there last week the universe was clearly telling me something. I drove over and met her and an hour later we came home.

Her name is Lee Lee. She's an 11yo Jack Russel/Rat Terrier mix, and she's a huge snugglebug. I'm so glad I had last week off so we could bond before I had to go back to work, and it's so good to have someone waiting for me when I get home. She's got her issues—she's missing half her teeth, she has skin allergies, she doesn't know any commands, and she's about a pound and a half underweight—but we work together really well, and I'm so glad we found each other.

Echeveria

There is nothing quite as luxurious as a deep, lacy cowl. With plenty of depth to burrow in and a lightweight fabric, Echeveria is perfect for keeping your neck and face warm in transitional weather or dressing up a t-shirt and jeans.

Echeveria is worked in the round from the bottom up.

Echeveria is now available in my Ravelry Store and is 20% off with code SUCCULENT through Wednesday, October 2nd!

I know I've been pretty absent from this space for a while. This summer was really hard for me, for a lot of reasons, and there was a lot going on in my personal life. I wound up in a depressive episode and something had to give. I'm doing much better now, and I'm ready to get back into blogging—a lot happened last week that I can't wait to share with you!

Birthday Sale!

Hi Friends! It's September, which means it's time for my Birthday Sale!!

Everything in my Ravelry Store is 29% off with code HB29. The code is good through September 14th, so pop on over to Ravelry and get yourself something nice for my birthday!