Making Useless Things

Here she is. November Balaclava by Petite Knit. Am I a cool person yet? A young hip TikTok fashion girly?

Kinda :)

Anyway, this was knit up with some stash yarn. Held a few strands together to get the right weight. Really happy with the results. Soft, warm, and really comfy. I could have made the ribbing around the face shorter. It does sit a little too snuggly on the chin. Easy fix for the next one I make. I would like a little looser fit, because the current look is a little too 70's knitting magazine if you know what I mean.

The absolute AUDACITY of this sleeve to be knit in the wrong size needles. Thanks a lot careless brain 😆🤣 It mostly stung because it was 11 pm and I was ready to start the cuff. Ended up frogging it instead. It’s ok though, I got this. No tears were cried 💙

Would you look at that… I am a few rows close to finishing a pair of socks! Does it matter that I cast these on last year? No, of course not. My toes will thank me.

New podcast episode up on the channel. Talking about how I have been working on the same projects for the past few months 🙃 And also some hiking adventures.

Cast off my What the Fade shawl by Andrea Mowry yesterday. Feeling groovy. Binge watched Stranger Things while I finished it up. It's all blocked and ready for some tassels 😊

Yarn is by Yarn Cafe Creations

I finished it.

You betcha! This cardigan is a freaking masterpiece. Sure there are some quirks, some goofs, some gaffs, but who cares! I made it all the way through! It still feels like a dream when I wear it. I never thought this day would come. I can’t wait to move to a cooler climate. This baby is going to get worn as much as possible!

Pattern: Border Lace Cardigan by Alice Starmore

Yarn: Various colorways of Knit Picks Palette

Current WIP:

Working up another One Stop Crop Top. My first one was knit up in some sort of scratchy wool. It is kind of short, and kind of too warm for the weather here on Okinawa. So I thought it would be nice to make another one, this time out of something comfy. I am using up my Knit Picks Comfy Sport leftover from my Herbarium shawl. This will certainly be something I wear more than once a year. 

Although, shortly after this photo was taken I realized the size I was knitting was way to big. So, all of this was frogged and I started over. Classic :)

I finished my matching winter set! I feel like a big cuddly bear when I wear it. It is like getting the best hug ever, even though I look kind of crazy wearing all of it. I am still tossing around the idea of doing leggings or leg warmers to match. 

My hubby and I went out last week and took some fun photos of me wearing everything. I will post those once I get a chance to edit them. 

Sweater pattern: Modified Honeycomb Aran by Patons

Scarf pattern: My own.

Mittens pattern: My own.

Hat pattern: Modified Garter Ear Flap Hat by Purl Bee

Cabled patterns are mostly from Barbara G. Walker’s Treasuries of Knitting Patterns.

Yarn: Eco Wool by Cascade Yarns (only the scarf is some thing different. Cashmere maybe?)

Look at this YARN! My amazing mother sent it to me along with a giant box of lovely goodies. It is Tosh Merino Light in the color way Spectrum. I was so besotted with it, I ended up painting it into my sketch book. Painting skeins of yarn might become a regular thing now… it was so much fun!

Here it is: my no-so-faded So Faded Sweater by Andrea Mowry.

Because of terrible weather, work, and the holiday, it has taken me a while to share this. I finished this sweater about two weeks ago now. I have to say, this is going to be one of my favorite knit pieces. It is so comfortable, and wearable! I really, really love it. 

Despite a few mistakes, and a small terrifying incident while blocking, it all came together to make a pretty unique sweater. Even with people all over the world knitting up this sweater, this one, with all its quirks, is mine.

Yarn is Madeline Tosh 80|10|10 Fingering in colorway Minimal Havana Optic.

Keeping it real by finishing the front of my sweater. Now on to the sleeves... I feel like it's going to take much, much longer. But here is to knitting furiously so I can start a new project, and maybe finish a current one!

I’m done. I never thought I would get to say it. But I’m FINISHED with my shawl! So glad to have this thing off of my needles and blocked :) Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the outcome. I would have never chose these colors for a shawl. Actually, I have to try hard not to think about how much I am repulsed by the colors… But I did learn determination, a few new techniques, and commitment. So this wasn’t a waste of my time and I am very glad that I pushed through and completed it. I think it will make a fun statement scarf/wrap, or even just an interesting wall hanging.

btw, the pattern is the wavy leaves and butterflies shawl by Athanasia Andritsou

Right now I am drowning in a sea of fingerless gloves. Can't complain too much though, I kind of love it. In general life news, I went to the Tropical Dream Gardens at Okinawa Expo Park. Spent the entire day in botanical bliss. If you ever come to this island, do yourself a favor and go see some plants. p.s. that selfies is a total throw back to what my selfies looked like back when I had MySpace. #totaltween

Since our move to Okinawa I have been working with a very limited selection of yarn. So I practiced making some fingerless gloves that could fit both men and women’s hands. It kind of worked, my only problem was binding the thumbs off too tightly. 

I am not obsessed with these, even though the diamond design on the front is my own. I thought I would love this tweed color, but it gives my designs a very unpolished look, which I don’t like.

Look a bear! Rawwwr!

I knit this a while back for my niece.  She loves it.  I even came up with a song for her to sing when she wears it.  I think for just completely winging it, the hat and mittens turned out really good.

Sweet candy stripes!

I finished this little hat up in Maine. It was pretty fun to make.  Just a bunch of scrap yarn. It is so springy and stretchy.  I am so happy with how it turned out.

Trying out some new mittens. They are almost finished... Just gotta make some more lace for the other top of the other one.

I was inspired by this lady, Kristi, who makes incredible stuff.  Everything on her blog is gorgeous. If you haven't seen her on Pinterest please so check her out.  It is worth it!