Carole Knits

october zinnia
october zinnia
martinis with a view
martinis with a view
gettysburg fence for
gettysburg fence for
germinate shawl on rocks
germinate shawl on rocks
field of flags 2
field of flags 2
color affection with edge
color affection with edge
cedar leaf shawlette 2
cedar leaf shawlette 2
3_27_2014
3_27_2014
3_18_13
3_18_13
2_24_2014
2_24_2014
1_11_13
1_11_13
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits

Wednesdays Are For Knitting: The Reykr Hat

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Today I am so happy to show you photos of Dale’s finished Reykr Hat!

It’s made with Woolen Rabbit Kim’s fabulous WW Kashmir in the color Forever In Blue Jeans. This yarn is super soft and wonderful to work with and the name of that colorway, well, it truly describes Dale’s lifestyle. And mine, too, for that matter.

The pattern is super simple, it’s basically 1X1 rib for miles. Or maybe it just seemed like miles to me because I knit this one twice. I swear I checked my gauge and calculated accordingly but at some point while I was knitting it the thing just got too big. So I ripped out about 10 inches and started over. The good news is that with less stitches it went faster.

And the best news is that it fits and it’s warm. Dale has a lot (really a lot) of winter coats and this navy blue goes with just about all of them. The hat is slouchy and warm and checked off all the things Dale wanted in a hat.

A day or so after I finished it we had a very pretty snow storm and it made for the perfect setting for these photos. Dale’s Reykr Hat. I hope it keeps him warm and dry for a super long time.

Wednesdays Are For Knitting: Chevron Love Slouch Hat

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One of the things I unearthed when I cleaned out the craft room before the big redo (I know, pictures, but it’s been raining all week and the light is lousy) was a Chevron Love Slouch Hat kit that I purchased from Knitterly Things last winter. I never had gotten around to knitting it but when I saw it I remembered that I had bought it with Hannah in mind. So, when I finished the slog of that Peace Cowl, I decided something fast and fun was appropriate.

This was fast. And mostly fun. The pattern is easy to follow, the colors are vibrant, and just look at that faux fur pom pom!

My issue, as always, was that the hat was too big when I finished. The dreaded gauge got me again. You’d think I’d have learned after the Baable Hat problem I had last year but nope. And there was just no way I was going to rip this one out and redo because those 7 balls of yarn were a bit fiddly to deal with.

Instead, I picked up around the cast on edge and knit another inch or so of 4×4 rib. I folded that up inside and stitched a casing and threaded some elastic through that casing and wa-la. A hat that fits! And, I have to say, the elastic makes for a very comfortable fit.

I’m happy it’s done, Hannah is happy that she has a new hat just in time for the cold weather, and maybe next time I’ll check my gauge.

And if you believe that . . . you don’t know me very well at all!

Unraveled Wednesday

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I finally finished the Peace Cowl! It needs to be blocked and then photographed but it’s done! And also, I don’t really love it . . . which might be why it hasn’t been blocked and photographed yet.

But we’re moving on.

I have two projects I am currently working on:

On the left is the Chevron Love Slouch Hat from Knitterly Things. I bought the Toasty Warm kit from Julia last winter and finally cast on last week. On the right is Geek Socks from Knitty, also with yarn from Knitterly Things. This is sock number two, I finished the first sock at the conference last week. Well, I sort of finished it. The pattern calls for an afterthought heel, which I’ve never done before, and I haven’t attempted it yet. Both the hat and socks are gifts.

I’m currently reading Just Mercy for Read With Us, our online book group, and I’m really enjoying it. I hope to be finished later today. At the same time I’m listening to  The Dutch House, Ann Patchett’s newest book. The story is wonderful and the narration is by Tom Hanks which is making it even more wonderful!

What are you knitting and reading this week? Be sure and visit Kat and let us all know!

Unraveling

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Before I get into today’s post I just want to say thank you for all of your kind words of support and encouragement on yesterday’s post. It’s not an easy thing for me to share the powerlessness and shame I have dealt with in my life and it means so much to me that I can be vulnerable with all of you and feel safe and protected in this space.

Okay, let’s talk about knitting and reading because today I am joining with Kat and friends to do just that. More specifically, let’s talk about vacation knitting and reading.

There was knitting.

Not a lot, as you can see, but a bit every day on these Geek Socks from Knitty. It’s a really fun and easy pattern and perfect for self-striping yarn like this Vesper Sock Yarn in the color Falling Water from Knitterly Things. It’s a great pattern for social knitting and I know you all know just what I mean by that.

There was reading.

I finished four books while we were on vacation (updates and reviews on the specific titles when I do my next reading post) and I am currently reading The Strangers on Montagu Street by Karen White. It’s the 3rd in the Tradd Street mystery series and they are light and fun and perfect for summer. I enjoy that they are set in Charleston and the supernatural addition to what is otherwise a cozy mystery is definitely interesting to me. Is it great literary fiction? Nope. But sometimes that’s okay.

And that’s my vacation knitting and reading update. What are you knitting and reading this week?

Unraveling

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Today I’m joining Kat and friends with an unraveling post. I don’t actually have any un-raveling to share but I do have a knitting and reading update and that’s what this weekly group is truly all about so here you go.

My current knitting:

The Peace Cowl that I started, oh, about 8 months ago. Yep. I set it aside in the spring and it’s just been waiting for me to get back to it. Once I finished those Disco Socks it seemed like the time was right. I need to check and see how many repeats I’m supposed to do because I think I’m in the home stretch. Well. Except for that i-cord bind off, gawd help me.

My current reading:

I like to call this  photo And Then There Was One. That’s right, I just have one Bingo square left to complete my card. I didn’t plan for it to also be the bottom right corner but I kind of love that it is. I’m reading Days Without End for that last square (Historical Fiction) and I should be done within a day or two as it’s not very long.

What are you knitting and reading this week?

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