Skeeeew-haaa!

A I mentioned last week I became a proud owner of 4 Superwash Ciao by Mondial. It was all by ACCIDENT, and the only one to blame is my favourite yarn shop, for sending me emails about discounts.

I had this project on mind since a long time. Pattern is called Skew by Lana Holden. Construction of the sock is just plain awesome! At one point I was sure I made a mistake as it would not look like a sock at all! But then...

There is however a small problem with fit. As long as the fabric is stretched - fits just right. The moment I let it go - it gets baggy around my ankles. I think that's partially because of my bony legs, and the fact that pattern is not really adjustable.

That won't stop me from casting on a second sock, of course!

As for my other WIP's - I'm in the middle of the 4th (and final) skein of my Never Again Blanket. After so many repeats it became a mindless knit :)

Now I'm out to enjoy this lovely spring day!

Have a nice afternoon!

Gosia.

Whooops!

Oh no! I just realized I skipped my blogging Sunday!
At least I have a decent excuse - the weather last week was PERFECT. We decided we need some fresh air so we went to our favourite park.
The one we visited last summer, and spring.

Since today we have a horribly cold and rainy Sunday... I'm back!
My "Never again" blanket is going surprisingly well. I am just few metres away from completing third skein. I can't wait to block it!

It is impossible for me to stay focused on one project at a time, so I started this crochet beauty:

Using Ten Stitch Blanket leftovers, and some black acrylic/wool mix. I follow the Granny Mandala pattern by Crochet with Raymond. I hope I will have enough patience to turn it into a circular shrug or a cardi.

Today I got an email about a big sock yarn discount. Couldn't help myself... 4 skeins are on their way.  I think this means getting be back to socks knitting this month. Just in time for the first Sockalong anniversary I guess! :)

Ohhh, now I need to make some progress on the blanket before my new yarn arrives.

Have a nice afternoon!

Gosia.

Springtime Knitting Power-up!

Now that I no longer have to worry about not making a baby blanket in time I have a chance of finishing my WIP's! Or to start new ones...

So about two weeks ago I found this new (to me at least) yarn brand. I was looking for a nice soft acrylic for my Mysterious Purple-Grey Thing, and just by accident I also purchased a skein of Nako Ombre in red-purple. It is a rather cheap 75% acrylic 25% wool mix, and my drop stitch scarf probably won't last longer than one season, but I'd say it was worth it!  Finished scarf is soft, warm, colors are wonderful, and yarn did not break once during knitting. And it took me just one skein and five afternoons to complete:

Of course I had a little helper, who is still dissapointed I didn't let him use Ten Stitch Corner as a doggie blanket. His little paws were reaching to check if the gauge is right.

Before you all think I'm a bad person, who wouldn't make anything for her poor dog:

I DID MAKE THAT *** A SWEATER!!!

It was my very first Ravelry project (ones with earlier dates are from my pre-Ravelry period).

What did I get for my commitment, should you ask?

A nasty growl when I tried to dress him up for a walk!  

See? I'm not the one who's evil!

My Mysterious Purple-Grey Thing is finished, but I'll be able to share it in May, because (again) it's a birthday gift. I decided to make a second, similar Thing, so the first one would have a company.

The yarn I'm using for both projects is a 100% acrylic Nako Rekor. I don't know if it would be nice for sweaters, but for toys it works great!

There's a slight chance we might get through Easter without snow! Last Easter in March ended with us stuck in snow while trying to visit my fiance's granny. Forecasts are more optimistic this year. Weather is still rather chilly, but at least now we have sunny days!

Time to make a shameful confession... When I finished my second ever baby blanket I swore I won't start another one anytime soon. Well, as I learned the term "anytime soon" can mean "at least for one week", because yesterday I ordered yarn for a christening blanket... for my  co-worker's baby-to-be. This needs to be done by July, so there's stillplenty of time left! What worries me is that she picked a lacy pattern, which might cause me some trouble, and that we only got seven 50g skeins - all that was left in yarn shop.

Ahhh, waiting for a squishy parcel to arrive is pure pleasure!

Have a nice afternoon!

Gosia.

PS.: Korek says "hello!"

Ten Stitch Grand Finale!

After 155days it is finally done!
My Ten Stitch Corner Blankie. Free pattern from Frankie Brown - here.

Took a little less than 4 skeins of Ören Bayan Merino Gold II batik yarn. I started each square with new skein. The last corner took me AGES to complete!

Nevertheless it was a fun project to make, and it's great that work is divided into parts. I would have given up long time ago if I were to knit it in one piece!

My worst fear was that I will mess up the sewing part. But after a few tries I got pretty handy with stitching my corners together.

What surprised me is the size! IT IS HUGE! I blocked squares before sewing and now it is a one full square meter of a fluffy, cozy blankie. Here's my knitted cat Garrus, for scale.

When I cast off the final square I arranged it on the floor to take first pictures (with my phone - hence low quality). Korek wanted to tell me I should keep my blanket and give it to him. As a token of our friendship I guess. Or would it be a sign of gratitude for "guarding" (aka. stealing) my yarn?

"Can we keep it?"

"But mooooooom!"

The real new owner of my work isn't even born yet. I got two month ahead of schedule. This gave me a real boost and I already have several new WIPs. 

Weather is perfect for knitting. In fact it hasn't changed since two weeks:

I think I deserve a big cup of  coffee and some chocolate!

Have a nice afternoon! 

Gosia. 

PS,: Doesn't my new mysterious project look a bit familiar?

How to make your thumbs sore in three days.

Spring is getting nearer! At least it was until March started... with a blizzard. Now all morning snow is gone and everything is just soaking wet. Outside humidity stays between 85 and HH% since weekend. Knitting makes me sleepy on such a dull day, so I had to find a different distraction.

Since my studies I have a never-ending pile of post-it notes. I rarely use them, maybe just for groceries list or for short notes for my husband.
On Monday afternoon I decided to put my office supplies into a good use, and after a quick Pinterest search I found a basic modular origami unit called sonobe.
Two days, and 1/3rd of my paper stack later...

I'm terrible at using glue of any kind, so assembling those was perfect for me! No glue needed AT ALL!

During my struggle to assemble a pentakis dodecahedron (the biggest one) I wandered into crafty part of youtube. And I'm astounded by other people skills! 

I followed WXYZ Kusudama tutorial by Ignacio Smith (see here). Putting it together made me furious, but final look is almost professional. 

And here's my biggest origami achievement so far:

Turtorial is called Fireworks by HandiWorks (see here). I'm amazed how well it keeps the shape. I turned it inside out multiple times so far and nothing came apart! 

My fingers are sore from all the folding, but I'm still looking for an easy, no-glue, Kusudama diagram. 

Wish me luck! 

Have a nice afternoon!

Gosia. 

This Frog is no more!

Dreams came true! My hubby talked me into purchasing a pattern I had on my mind since... forever. Also once every few months someone would send me a link to it or post it on my Facebook wall. I guess it was destiny?

<drum_roll>

THIS IS AN EX-FROG!
(pattern is called Biology 101 by Emily Stoneking)

I cannot express how much fun I had knitting this! I used a skein of leftover Drops Lima in forest green (and some pistachio for guts). It gave my frog a rather luxurious feel. 

Since I don't have any felting equipment I had to improvise on my own version of guts. And I am very pleased with this little freeform knitting experience.

Even my mom was so charmed she let me use one of her picture frames (bought, as usual, just in case) and a piece of red felt. I couldn't lay my hands on T-pins, so I used regular ones. 

Now all that's left is to find a place for on my wall:

Next week I have another shot at my state exam. I already passed it, but there's always room for improvement. Please, keep your fingers crossed (unless you are knitting/crocheting)! 

Have a nice afternoon!

Gosia.

The Annual First Bee Day 2016!

Remember last year's First Bee Day?
This year it's much earlier! I hope this little bee knows what she's doing flying out so soon!

Our garden really starts to look like sprig is just around the corner:

Few days ago I dug one of my unfinished projects - My Wedding Stole:

I started it in 2013 and was planning to wear it on my wedding in July 2014. However when I finally picked my wedding dress it no longer matched. On top of that, it was a really hot summer!

So.. I decided to frog my stole's remains and go for something easy yet gorgeous looking. And I found Banana Leaf Shawl pattern. Unfortunately my lovely husband showed me how to add my card to PayPal account... now I can buy whatever I wish without asking him for help. Clever move, honey! 

It's quite straightforward and easy to do without looking into pattern. I'm using Drops Lace for this in natural white and 4mm needles. Believe it or not but this part took only 7 grams of my 100g skein:

The pattern will surely pop out when it's blocked! Also it's so soft! Almost like Tiny Tina's fur!

I hope this time I will have enough patience to finish this - I need to have it so bad! In fact, I'm getting back to work right now.

Have a nice afternoon! 

Gosia