Knitter in the Kitchen

I feel like I’m on sleeve island with the Central Park Hoodie. I finished the first sleeve over two weeks ago and immediately cast on for the second one (seen above), but I’m still only about 40% through. Part of the problem is that I got distracted by a couple of other projects. I knit another pair of Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers for a friend, and then another Noro Hat (Ravelry link) for my supervisor because she really liked mine. And I keep wanting to start new projects — like the Linen Stitch Scarflet, Foliage, and Mabel’s Scarf, just to name a few. Originally I was trying to get Central Park Hoodie and the Chevron Scarf off the needles before casting on for anything new, but I’m just tired of my current projects and am pretty much ready to be done with them.  Instead of being fun, I feel like I’m slogging through them.  But I have to fight this startitis in order to make any progress!  Ugh…definitely not one of my best knitting moments right now…

Yarn: Yarntini Pumpkin Spice, 1 skein
Pattern: My generic 56 stitch top-down sock with slip stitch heel
Needles: US #2 / 32 inch for ribbing; US #1 / 32 inch for all other parts

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cash Vero, Color 19
Pattern: Irish Hiking Wrist Warmers
Needles: US #7 / 32 inches for Magic Loop
Modifications: Knit in the round. Many thanks to Marin for teaching me how to do this so very long ago! These are my mods for circular knitting:
Cast on 38 stitches and join the round.
Rows 1-7: K2, P2, K6, P2, K2, P2, K6, P2, K2, P2, K6, P2, K2
Row 8: K2, P2, CF6, P2, K2, P2, CF6, P2, K2, P2, CF6, P2, K2
Knit rounds 1-26 as above.
From rounds 27-38, knit back and forth (i.e., not in the round), maintaining the cable pattern. The odd rows (WS) here will be P2, K2, P6, K2, P2, K2, P6, K2, P2, K2, P6, K2, P2. The even rows (RS) are the same as above.
Re-join to knitting in the round on round 39. Stop after round 45, and knit 7 rounds of 1×1 ribbing.

Almost two years ago, I knit my mother a pair of Irish Hiking Arm Warmers. She mentioned to me recently that the yarn was now pilling quite a bit.  That’s not exactly a surprise — I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and while it’s very soft, it’s not exactly known for holding up well. So I whipped up another pair of fingerless mitts for her.

Yarn: Cascade 220, color 8895
Pattern: I based them on the Tweedy Mittens pattern and essentially knit up to one inch less than the desired length before switching to five rounds of k2p2 ribbing to finish them off.
Needles: US #7 / 32 inches for Magic Loop

Admittedly, these are very plain-looking mitts compared to the Irish Hiking ones, but the plus side is that they have a thumb, right? I am planning to knit my mother a “fancier” pair in the future…either another pair of Irish Hiking Arm Warmers, or maybe Fetching?

I have an unexpected day home from work because of the weather. We are experiencing a severe storm with heavy rains and winds up to 65 mph. For Northern California, these conditions are intense! Drivers were advised to stay off the roads if possible, and after listening to the wind howling all night I was more than willing to comply.

I figured today would be a good time to post about the yarns I have for sale. I went through my stash recently and realized I still have a number of yarns I probably won’t ever use, so it’s time for another stash sale!  I have Noro Cash Iroha, Ella Rae Classic Wool, KnitPicks Andean Silk, and Duet Sock Yarn up for grabs, so please take a look here.