WIP Wednesday - January edition

First WIP Wednesday post of the year! I'm going to try to do one a month, but we'll see if I manage :-P My crafting goal of 2022 is two-fold: finish some of my long-languishing WIPs and knit from stash! I'm well under way with both already! Off the Needles I did a lot of Christmas crafting in December. Not all of it is worth showing off, but I really love these Christmas baubles I found. Each takes about 3 hours to make and are just adorable! I see a lot more of these coming in my future. I kept two for myself and gave two to colleagues. Another coworker gave birth a few months ago. She's still off on maternity leave, but I finished a second Knut for her, so I can have it ready when she comes by the office to show off her baby :-D It's really cute, but I've made two now, so I think I'm done with this pattern. But we'll see - I've been wrong before. Last summer I bought some really lovely yarn while we were on vacation, and I finally found a good use for it! I knew I wanted to hold it double to really make the most of the marled effect that would give, which meant I didn't have enough to add sleeves, AND I wanted to knit it in the round, so I'd have to do as little yarn management as possible. Elena Nodel and her gorgeous Cosmopolitan tunic to the rescue! (Although I did leave out the turtleneck - I didn't have enough yarn, and liked the roll of the natural cast on). I finished this in just 8 days! SUCH a quick knit! My oldest nephew asked me if I'd knit him a scarf with stripes. "Sure! What kind of stripes? Thick stripes, thin stripes, or fibonacci stripes?" "Oooh! Fibonacci stripes!" My nephew is as much of a geek as I am ;-) We celebrated Christmas Day together, so I made sure to have it ready for him by then. (He's practising his "Blue Steel" look ;-) ) On the Needles Nina asked me to make her "a shawl that is also a sweater", which made perfect sense to me, so I went looking for suitable patterns. We ended up deciding on the Granny Cocoon Shrug, so I'm now crocheting my first garment! At the moment it mostly just looks like a giant granny square, but Liz promises me that it turns into a very comfy cardigan once I add sleeves ;-) Almost done with the square - then I get to add shaping! I'd forgotten how much more yarn crochet uses though!!! To follow up on my own private WIP challenge, I picked up an old sweater that's been languishing for more than two years! I cast this on back in October 2019, but the pattern was SO poorly written that I put it down until I could brave 'translating' it. I finally gave it a go and think I'm managing alright? But it is without a doubt the worst written pattern I've tried yet. I also think there are some significant errors in it, but it's so confusing to read, that I'm actually not entirely sure. I'm glad I have significant knitting experience by now, or I'd be totally lost. As it is, I'm wondering how much I'll have to frog.... :-P I'm almost done with the first sleeve, but a tad worried it'll be too long. Also, it's supposed to be oversized, which the body isn't, but the sleeves ARE, so I'm wondering if it'll look too weird, and I'll have to figure out how to adapt it to make it skinnier, while still keeping the armhole decreases even enough to fit into the decreases made on the body... (cue Maria's head exploding). Ah well, we'll see. Fortunately the yarn is AMAZING to work with! SO soft and light. (I redid the neckline after taking this photo. The shoulder straps were WAY too thin). Aaaaand finally, Liz thoroughly tempted me to cast on a year-long mystery knit-along together with her :-D We did a mystery crochet-along together last year (although that was only 6 months) and both really enjoyed participating together, so when she found a MKAL that was just starting, she suggested that we did it again! At first I said no, as I didn't have enough worsted weight yarn in my stash (see goal of knitting from stash!), but then Liz told me that she was knitting hers out of sock yarn held double, and not only did I have heaps of sock yarn in stash that I wouldn't mind giving up for this, I also had some scraps I could finally make good use of, AND I love the way varigated sock yarn looks when held double!!! So in the end she convinced me! We had a long FaceTime session rummaging through my stash to find the perfect combination of skeins, and I finished clue 1 this past Monday. Now to wait (im-)patiently for clue 2 sometime next month!

Review: The Art of Circular Yokes - Kerry Bogert (editor)

Title: The Art of Circular Yokes
Author: Kerry Bogert (Editor)
Genre: Knitting Patterns
Rating: 4.5/5
# Patterns: 15
Skill Level: Intermediate

This is an awesome book! Extremely detailed and useful for knitters no matter if they want to try their hand at designing or not.

The first part is aimed at designers and knitters who need to modify yoked sweaters. Beware, you'll find maths. Loads and loads and LOADS of maths! All very clearly laid out, and with good examples that makes it easier to understand, but you'll definitely want to follow along with paper and pencil next to the book, as you enter in your own measurements. These are NOT formulas you should ever expect to be able to learn off by heart, but it is a brilliant reference guide, and absolutely indispensable for figuring out where and how to include your increase rows.

But don't worry! Just as it all starts to become too much, and your head starts spinning from all the numbers and formulas, you get to the carrot at the end of the maths - because the second (and larger) part is all about the patterns! 15 absolutely gorgeous pullovers and cardigans, ready to be swatched for and cast on. The patterns are clearly written, with nice, large charts and photos both of the details and of the full length garment. I've found at least 5 I want to cast on right away, and can't wait to go stash-diving for yarn for them.

Sprinkled out throughout the book are quotes from the various designers, with small insights into the specific designs themselves, or their approach to designing in general.

Review: Knitting Modular Shawls

Title: Knitting Modular Shawls, Wraps and Stoles
Author: Melissa Leapman
Craft: Knitting Patterns
Rating: 5/5
# Patterns: 20+
Skill Level: Intermediate / Advanced

This book is more than a pattern book - it is a recipe book. In addition to providing 20 gorgeous shawl patterns, it also provides instructions for a "Choose Your Own Adventure" approach to designing your own shawls, with a LOT of increasingly elaborate stitch patterns (I was going to give an exact number, but there were too many, and I lost track while counting). I've been a knitter for awhile, and still some of them were completely new to me. My fingers are itching right now to sit down and play around with the components to create a truly personal shawl.

All stitch patterns are given as both charts and written instructions, with clear photos of each, knit up in a light yarn that really shows off the stitch definition. There is a HUGE variety in the stitch patterns, so it's obvious that Melissa Leapman put a lot of thought and work into this collection - it's definitely not something she could just have phoned in. I'm especially impressed by the section on adding horizontal or vertical insertions to shawl designs - a very simple design-element that few patterns incorporate, but which is extremely effective and really makes your shawl stand out. As for the section on borders, I'm biased - I absolutely love a nice perpendicular border, and Melissa has some amazing ones to try out here.

Photographs of the 20 patterns provided are spread out throughout the book. Each shawl is beautifully modeled, and shows wingspan, a close-up and a glamour shot for the full effect of the shawl. Project #10 is my personal favourite, and I can't wait to cast it on!

I know I'm gushing, but I'm really impressed by this book, and can't think of anything I'd add or change to make it better. It's not aimed at beginners, as it does require you to have some previous knowledge of knitting shawls, but I'd definitely recommend this book to any semi-experienced knitter who wants to take the next step towards creating his or her own designs.

WIP - November Edition

I was going to post this last week and completely forgot! It's been aaaaaages since I did one of these posts last, so no surprise, I've got a LOT of things to show off :-D

Off the Needles
First is my Summer Sunset. I finished this back in August and absolutely love it. The yarn is a cotton-acrylic blend, meaning it's actually cool enough to wear during the summer. I wouldn't have minded if it had been just a taaaaaad longer, but at the time I was afraid that the orange would get too overwhelming, as the orange section would have been a lot longer than the others. I think it would have been alright, but never mind. It's long enough that I don't mind too much.
A ton of my friends have had babies recently, so I've been crocheting a bunch of stuffed animals. They tend to be quite fiddly, but always turn out to be worth it :-D
One of my nieces has turned into a huge fan of the TV show Friends (which I find kinda amusing, considering how dated it is by now), so as a surprise, I decided to make her a Friends hat!! I used the Hamilton hat as a template, and replaced the Hamilton quotes with Friends quotes instead ("She's her lobster", "Pivot", "London Baby" etc.). I'm ridiculously chuffed with how it turned out, and just hope she'll like it too!
And finally I've finished a test-knit of yet another sweater. I didn't really have time for more obligation knitting, but I loved this pattern so much, that I just had to knit it! I'm glad I did too. It was a bit of a struggle to finish on time, but it's quickly become one of my most worn pieces! There were a bunch of mods I've have done if it hadn't been a test knit (most noticeably - added a bit of length and changed it to be knit in the round!!!), but even as-is it's a great layering piece.
On the Needles
At the moment I'm mostly knitting socks. They're a tad boring to show off though, so I'll leave them for when they become finished objects.

I have returned to working a bit on the Phoenix blanket though, and have managed an entire additional section. So I've know finished 7 out of 11 sections. Hope I'll have enough yarn to complete them all, but fortunately I can basically just add a border whenever and call it done. The colour selection is determined 100% by whatever yarn I had available in stash and I would never have chosen them if I'd gone shopping for the blanket... but they somehow just work and I'm really happy with how it's coming along. It's going to be huge though! It's already about 120cm across!

Review: Knit the Sky

Title: Knit the Sky
Author: Lea Redmond
Craft: Knitting Patterns
Rating: 4/5
# Patterns: 31
Skill Level: Beginner

I received this ebook from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This is not your usual book of knitting patterns. Instead it is a book of ideas. Ideas of how to turn everyday events into knitting projects, and begin seeing both those events and your knitting in a new light.

"Knit the Sky" lists 31 project ideas as well as inspiration on how to invent your own project. It does list 12 basic patterns to help you get started with the projects, but also encourages you to branch out, and use whatever pattern you feel best fits the spirit of the project.

I loved the idea of knitting your everyday life and was quickly taken in by the concept, so even though some of the ideas were a tad too twee for me to tackle, or followed a path that wasn't relevant for me to follow, I walked away from the book with a great appreciation of what Lea Redmond was trying to do... Not to mention a great desire to try (or to have tried, if I had known of them in the past) some of the projects mentioned.

For instance the title concept of knitting the sky. Similar to the well-known project of knitting a temperature scarf, this is a year-long project of knitting the colour of the sky.

Other favourites include:
"Sweet Possibilities" where you use gumball machines to help you chose colours for a project (although I might use coloured marbles instead - not being a huge fan of gumballs).
"The Mood Ring Cowl", that has to fit the colours of the cowl to your mood.
"Monsters under Your Bed", where your inner insomniac comes out to play.
"Play By Play" that allows me to combine my husbands interest of soccer with my own knitting hobby.
"Navigating By Heart" where you knit a well-traveled road.
"K1 B1", that combines meditation and knitting
"Mind the Gap" - although that really only works in a city with lots of public transportation. Copenhagen has that though, and I'm kinda itching to get started on this!
"Pins and Needles" where you knit a teeny-tiny project!
"Dormitory Hop" - probably my very favourite of the lot, and I would have loved to have thought of this back at boarding school. Not a project that's relevant for me to do now, but one that I'd recommend to any knitter setting out to meet new friends.
"Party Popper", which is a fun idea for passing on yarn to others.

So that's easily a third of all the projects mentioned, that I'd like to try out for myself. Definitely good value for a knitting book :)

Review: Anyone Can Crochet Amigurumi Animals

Title: Anyone Can Crochet Amigurumi Animals
Author: Kristi Simpson
Genre: crochet patterns
Number of Patterns: 15
Skill level: Adventurous beginner / Intermediate
Rating: 4/5
# pages: 128

"Anyone Can Crochet Amigurumi Animals" is a new collection of 15 cute anthropomorphized amigurumi animals. From foxes and hippos to koalas and giraffes, the pattern collection has something to offer to just about anybody. I'm especially keen on trying out the bee myself... a bee in trousers with suspenders? What's not to like!

All the patterns have a ton of details, making them perhaps a bit time-consuming and fiddly to make, but the end project is so worth it, as they all look really, really cute.

Each pattern comes with a detailed introduction of yarn used, and expected size at the given gauge, and the instructions are very clear and with lots of photos along the way. I'd perhaps not recommend it to a complete beginner, as there are a LOT of details to each pattern, but the book includes an introduction of which yarn to choose and what hook to use, as well as a complete glossary with all the stitches to use, and tips and tricks for people new to amigurumi, so who knows - these cute animals may be just the push some people need, to get started crocheting toys.

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

WIP Wednesday - July Edition

Off the Needles Henriette's vest has been finished for AGES, but it suits her SO WELL that I want to show it off again :-D After 27 long weeks (hey, it was a CAL!) I finished the crocheted afghan a few weeks ago. It's been too hot to really appreciate it, but I do like the way it turned out. It'll come in VERY handy in a few months' time! I LOVE the yarn I used for it - it's a simple acrylic, but SO soft, and very affordable! - but unfortunately I got it off a British website, so thanks to Brexit, it's really expensive for me to get more of it :-( I'll have to see if I can find a suitable alternative here in Denmark... or just stock up when I get to go to the UK next! Even though I already have two sweaters for myself on the needles, I cast on something new for myself ;-) I do have an excuse though - both sweaters were pure wool, and we've been going through a heatwave, so it was much too hot to even contemplate picking up either of those. Instead I cast on a cotton-acrylic top for myself, and loved the project so much that I finished it in just a few weeks!!! I'm rarely this monogamous, but sometimes you just find exactly the right project at exactly the right time - and so it was for me with this one! Kris asked if I would make some critters for her granddaughter, and of course I said yes right away! I love crafting for others, and stuffed toys are so cute! I've finished 3 so far, and have one more I'm still making up my mind on. I've also finished another African flower animal - a turtle this time. I've LOVED all three hippos I've made, so I was eager to try one of her other patterns, but unfortunately this one wasn't as fun to make. It's just... not as cute, somehow? And a LOT more of a hassle to make! I originally intended it for a babygift for one of my friends, but it turned out way too large, so I think it'll just go into my gift pile instead. I'm sure I'll find a good use for it. On the Needles No fewer than THREE friends of mine are pregnant and due this September, so I've been knitting and crocheting lots and lots of baby stuff! -- Two Baby Surprise Jackets that are completely done but for the buttons. I found a new way of doing the seaming which was SO much easier, and added an icord edging, which I think gives it  lovely polished look. I adore this pattern, have made 5 of them already and foresee making many more. It is basically my go-to project. -- A baby mobile still in the works. My friend originally bought this to make herself, but quickly realized that it was somewhat beyond her abilities and asked me if I would do it as a favour! Eh... duh!!! I was totally chuffed she even asked!!! -- Three stuffed toys still on the drawing board - I need to get a move on!