Staycation Day 6

I got a few odd jobs done AND goals met!!

Throwback is blocking - woohoo!! I’ve not seen in the ends quite yet just in case anything needs altering. 

I have like 3+ skeins of the Woolstok leftover, along with most of each of the 3 Dream State colours. I’ve researched some cowls that I can do - solids and colourwork ones. I’ll narrow them down and maybe bang one out tomorrow. 

Though I’d really like to work on a Sweet Spot strip or two. 

I might wind up the yarn I want to swatch for that before I call it a night.

Today was a pretty sports heavy day and tomorrow is shaping up that way as well, so having some easier knitting to do will be a boon. 

Staycation Day 3 & 5

I skipped my best day of all!! I visited with my grand babies on Wednesday. Ramina was being a bit grumpy - just a tiny nap then fighting sleep like a trooper. I brought all my Nana skills to bear. She would snuggle in to me, deeply relaxed as I walked and bounced and hummed, but she wouldn’t leave for the Land of Nod. But my heart was filled with baby snuggles and that is priceless!! I also got a fair bit knit on Veronica’s socks. She chose grey as her colour, and as soon as she said that, my mind went immediately to my stash. I finally used one of the skeins of Lorna’s Laces 50 Skeins of Grey collection. This one is Christian. It will be perfect! 

Yesterday I knit the neck and front bands on my Throwback  I decided to add buttonholes as it is unlikely that I will wear it just open all the time. I’m imagining leather covered “grandpa’s sweater” buttons, but that may change when I start trying buttons on. 

I picked up the neckband with the pickup seam on the inside (traditional) and again with it on the outside (as instructed) and decided that I did prefer it showing. I love having time to experiment! 

Notice my helper? He got a bit enthusiastic with his helping (which was, in fact, not helping) so I had to do a little fixing yesterday as well. 

There’s a bit of bagging below the yoke at the back - I’m hoping that resolves with blocking. 

Overall I’m chuffed with the colours and fit. It’s been awhile since I’ve knit an actual sweater that’s a bit fitted for myself, so this has been fun! 

I’m hoping to get the last sleeve knit today and get the sweater blocked tonight. 

Staycation Day 4

In which our knitter does in fact stay. 

I can’t wait to go to bed tonight. I did laundry today, braved to threat of rain, and hung my laundry outside to dry. I am rewarded with the enticing scent of fresh air and I know that I will sleep especially well tucked into clean, outdoor-fresh bedding. 

I started on the Throwback sleeves today. I was going to do them back and forth so as to not bugger up my tension. I really like maintaining a technique throughout a garment to avoid any potential for gauge deviation. I added 2 stitches to account for the seaming, and was set. But it just seemed slow and I just wasn’t feeling it. So I picked up the 2^nd sleeve with a size larger needle (to account for the lack of a slighter looser purl row) and set to magic looping. 

Remarkably enough, I was enjoying this more! Tension is good and I was 20cm in when I started thinking that the instructions were making for a rather long sleeve. 

Sure enough, on closer examination, the cuff is generously turned back. So I needed to think about whether I wanted that look or not. I was really at a point where I needed to decide so that I wouldn’t have to rip out too much before recalculating decreases. 

I tried it on. And thought about what I was going to do about the front band treatment (I’m likely going with buttonholes), and what kind of buttons I was picturing and how I might want the sleeves to look with that. So many decisions!!! 

Decision made - I’m carrying on with the longer sleeves. I ripped out the 1^st sleeve and the relief that I felt reassured me that I did the right thing. 

It wasn’t a lot, but backwards is backwards. But I’m generally quite philosophical about ripping out and am quite content to reknit. 

I was going to grill tonight, the handle on the propane tank utterly refused to budge!! I’ll have to enlist my landlords help tomorrow; he’ll def have whatever wrench I/we need to crank that loose. Disappointed, but I cooked inside and am quite satisfied. 

Now to resist the scent of bed and knit for a bit longer. 

Staycation Day 2

In which our intrepid knitter did not in fact stay. 

Today is our anniversary and Craig had the day off, so we went on a road trip to Ancaster. In reality, it was to go to The Needle Emporium which is *in* Ancaster. Saying we went to Ancaster makes it sound more couply and less all about me. 

Nonetheless, it was a beautiful day for a drive, and we went on backroads, which will be even more of a lovely drive in a few weeks when there’s more green. 

I finally tried on my Throwback  I had decided that if it didn’t fit and I couldn’t block it to fit, I’d just be giving it away since it would be less work to just knit another! Fortunately, it seems to fit nearly perfectly!! Lynn snapped a couple pics :) 

About 5cm more of ribbing, then on to sleeves!! I’m even more excited to get to finishing now that I’ve tried it on. 

We had lunch at the Coach & Lantern  Craig is proclaiming the injustice of evidence that he’s carb loading today. You do you, boo, I’m not gonnna judge.

It’s consistently good food there and it’s just up from the yarn store, so it’s practically perfect. 

The ceiling tiles were interesting too. 

I bought a few things at Julie’s, not the least is yarn for an Olibane for Mina (the yellow Baby Bamboo) and a little In Threes (Liberty Wool is on sale for $10 - get it while it lasts!!) I am so please that Ramina can wear such a range of colours! 

 I did buy the Twill & Print pins (who’s surprised?) - the glittery black sheep is my fave! I also let Julie know a couple more faves wdit when she orders again :) A Namaste Interchangeable Buddy Case and the latest Laine magazine are also now in my possession. All in all, a lovely day, not the least for the company. 

Off to an anniversary dinner, then more knitting!! 

Staycation success so far.

Throwback

I finished Jenny’s Bernat Baby Blanket   but I didn’t take a finished pic. When she sends me one with the baby, I’ll share!

Today is the first day of my staycation, and I slept poorly last night, so it was a day of just not much but resting, but I did get to the body ribbing on my Icy Throwback. Yay - 10cm of 4x4 ribbing!! 

I really love this colour! I’m usually more of a jewel-tone/deep, rich, dark colour person, but this icy blue woolstok has its own depths and richness that I am utterly in love with. 

It’s hard to capture the colour indoors, even with an Ott light. I’ll have a go tomorrow outside. 

Here’s Chica in a moment that makes me believe she’s not the bitchy little bundle of bark that she lets on most of the time. 

Tomorrow Craig & I are going to drive to Ancaster and see what’s new at The Needle Emporium .  Julie got in some adorable pins from Twill and Print - I’ve no doubt these will be the least of my purchases!