Hi, friends!

Sorry I've been MIA!

I always have a little existential crisis around my Birthday and question all my life choices and the direction of my business. It's a tradition. 

I have made time, in the midst of all my brooding, to cast on a fantastic pair of lace Summer Socks. The pattern I'm using is Arabesque Socks by Jessica Gore.

This pattern is super fun! I usually tend to leave my socks on the back burner (figuratively) but these guys were so entertaining I couldn't put them down. There's enough stockinette that they whip up pretty quickly and it's satisfying to watch the lace take shape while working on the long, straight sections. 

The pattern includes directions for working toe up and cuff down magic loop style. There are written and charted instructions for the lace panel. There are also instructions for a patterned heel or a heel flap with a gusset. And it comes in three different sizes. It's a pretty bitchin' pattern. 

The yarn I used is KnitPicks Stroll Glimmer in the colorway Frost. It's 70% Fine Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon and 5% Stellina. Stroll is a super soft yarn but it does have a tendency to stretch out and pill.  I usually work cuffs on my Stroll socks with a little elastic thread to keep them from falling down. ​

My only qualm with this pattern is that even after measuring my tootsies AND knitting and blocking my gauge swatch they turned out too small! ​I did the Medium size with 8&3/4" circumference in a size 8(US) following the instructions to work 3 lace pattern reps before the gusset increases and; too small! I have pretty skinny little feets but I can't even fit the cuff of these socks over my heel. 

It's not a huge smokin' deal since I'm sure I'll find someone with extra tiny feet who'll want to wear these beauties, but it does mean I'll have to make another pair for myself in Large. 

I definitely recommend this pattern, it's really fun! Just enough twists and turns to keep you entertained and a healthy amount of stockinette so they knit up quickly. Make sure to get an accurate gauge swatch and if you're using magic loop, try them on as much as possible while you work so you can be sure to get the right size. 

Let me know what you think! And feel free to share what you've been working on this Summer in the comments!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Ashley

Hi guys,

I'm super excited to share with you my finished Iris Shrug! 

This was such a fun project to work on. It whipped up surprisingly quickly too! 

The pattern is by Melody Hoffman. It's beautifully written and very easy to follow, I definitely recommend it. The pattern did call for about 1500 yards for the largest size, I made the medium and only ended up using about 800 yards. Leftover sparkle yarn? I'm not complaining!

The yarn I used is Eden Cottage Yarns Nateby 4ply in the colorway Lobelia. I'm totally obsessed with this stuff and I'm already trying to come up with excuses to grab some more...

I've already added this guy to my Summer wardrobe rotation. I absolutely love how it turned out. 

What do you think? Are you adding this pattern to your project list? (You should!)

If you can't get enough of my Iris Shrug you can check out some progress pics HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Ashley 

Hi there!

I just finished knitting a Top Secret Birthday gift!

​Now that it's been delivered I can share it with you; 

The pattern is Autumn Blush by Joji Locatelli. It's a beautiful shawl pattern that is perfect for showing off the texture and color of hand dyed yarns. 

The pattern is worked tip to tip, sideways, using short rows for shaping. It's a little intimidating when you first get started but once you get more familiar with the pattern you won't even need to reference it until your short row shaping sections. 

This yarn is just magical. I seriously can't say enough good things about this stuff. It's ridiculously soft, and while I did have to do a considerable amount of frogging, it never broke or fuzzed or pilled up. It is beautifully hand dyed. I used three skeins for this project, I was a little worried about them not matching up exactly, but they did! No alternating skeins for me! It blocks up really nicely and is just a joy to work with. 10/10 will buy again. 

I like that this shawl wide enough to work as a wrap with a fancy dress but long enough to wear as a scarf on a cold day. I'm proud of how this project turned out and I hope Austyn enjoys it for many years to come! ​

Let me know what you think!

Is this a pattern or yarn brand you've been thinking of trying?

Thanks for reading!

-Ashley

Hi there,

I'm working on another selfish knit from my #makenine2018 list!

I'm knitting the pattern Iris by Melody Hoffman!

It's a light, lace shrug knitted in fingering weight yarn. 

The pattern is well written and easy to follow. I especially enjoy the template that shows how the piece is constructed. It definitely helped me visualize the somewhat unusual design of this garment. ​

The yarn I'm using is SO PRETTY! 

Seriously, I can't get enough of this stuff; 

It's Eden Cottage Yarns Nateby 4ply. It's 75% Extra Fine Merino Wool, 20% Nylon and 5% Silver Lurex. The colorway I'm using is called Lobelia and it's the perfect shade of purple. 

I'm totally obsessed. I see more of this yarn finding its way into my stash in the future. It's soft and so sparkly and from what my swatch tells me, it's going to block up wonderfully. 

I'm right at the part in the pattern where I'm taking out my provisional CO and picking up stitches to work the other half of the lace panel. It's a little more challenging than I thought it would be but I'm sure I'll get there in the end!

Definitely give this pattern a whirl, it's works up pretty quickly for a lace pattern and it's perfect if you have a few skeins of gorgeous sock yarn waiting to turn into something a little more luxurious than socks.

Let me know what you think of my version! Would you wear a super sparkly purple shrug? Too loud? Not loud enough!?  

I'll keep you updated on my progress!


Thanks for stopping by!

-Ashley

Hi friends!

I'm excited to share my finished #205 Two Way Wrap Cardigan with you today!

The yarn I used is KnitPicks Simply Alpaca in the colorway Alaina. 

The pattern is #205 Two Way Wrap Cardigan by SweaterBabe on Ravelry.​

This sweater, true to it's name, can be worn two ways. Here it is upside down...or, right side up? 

The pattern was well written and easy to use. I only had one issue with this guy and it was easily solved; the instructions for the neck band don't specify whether to use a loose or basic bind off. I used a basic bind off and it was a mistake! the neck band hung tightly across the back of my neck like a rope and was very uncomfortable, and when flipped upside down the garment did not drape nicely. I took the neck band out and bound it off with a yarn over bind off and all was well. 

I'm pumped I was able to finish this sweater before the weather really starts heating up. This way I can live in it for the rest of Spring! 

What do you think of the finished product? Is this a pattern you would try? 



Bonus pics of Moonunit helping with the photo shoot!

If you'd like to read more about this project you can find more pics here and here.

Thanks for reading!

-Ashley

Hi friends!

Is it getting toasty where you are? It's getting warm here in the PNW. I don't know about you but when the weather heats up I like to switch to lighter yarns and smaller projects. I've compiled a little list of my Summertime favorite yarns, give these a try and let me know which ones you dig!

In no particular order...

1.) KnitPicks, Shine; 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal (natural beech wood fiber) This is not your basic dish rag cotton. This stuff has a magical, silky feel to it. It's has great stitch definition and a smooth, buttery texture. (Plus it comes in two different yarn weights.)
*Pattern is Yarn Cozy by Bailee L. Wellisch

2.) Cascade Yarns, Sunseeker; 48% Acrylic, 47% Cotton, 5% Metallic. I'm a sucker for a glittery yarn. This stuff is softer than you would imagine an acrylic/cotton to be, plus it's machine wash and dryer safe. 
*Pattern is KouYou by Angela Tong

3.) Tuskenknits, Shilling Silk Merino Singles; 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Silk. This single ply yarn is perfect for Summer garments. It has lovely drape and shine. Also, the colors are absolutely gorgeous. 

​4.) Blue Sky Fibers, Organic Cotton; 100% Organic Cotton. This yarn is plump and squishy and knits up beautifully. 

5.) KnitPicks, Comfy; 75% Pima Cotton, 25% Acrylic. This yarn feels like Chenille. It's light and soft and you can pop it in the washing machine. I'd definitely recommend this yarn for Summer tops. 
*Improvised pattern

6.) Spud and Chloe, Sweater; 55% Superwash Wool, 45% Organic Cotton. It doesn't sound like a Summer yarn, but just think of it as a Worsted weight cotton blend instead of a Wool blend with the word "Sweater" in the title. This stuff is delicious. It's soft and velvety and knits up like a dream. 

7.) KnitPicks, Billow; 100% Pima Cotton. This yarn feels like a well worn pair of jeans. It's a soft thick and thin yarn that has a fun, vintage look to it. This is a perfect Bulky yarn for knitting up quick projects even in the middle of Summer. 

8.) Fierce Fibers, Pandora; 70% Superwash, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon. Summer is for sock knitting imo. This yarn knits up into lovely socks. The Cashmere gives it an extra touch of softness and the yarn gets silkier and more luxurious after blocking. 
*Improvised pattern 

9.) Berroco, Folio; 65% Superfine Alpaca, 35% Rayon. I will find any excuse to knit with Alpaca, even in a heat wave. This yarn is so lovely to work with, it has a nice halo and a sparkly metallic sheen. 
*Pattern is Positive Thoughts #1  by yellowcosmo


​I hope you discovered a few yarns that you want to try out. Please share your favorite Summer yarns below! I'm always excited to find new and exciting fibers to try! 

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Spring!

-Ashley

Hi friends!

I wanted to share this lovely scarf pattern with you!

The pattern, written by Lauren Sanchez, is based on a scarf featured in the mini series Hatfields and McCoys. This project was commissioned by a friend through my Etsy shop. Here it is beautifully modeled by my adorable partner, Alex. 

I did have a few technical difficulties with the beginning of the pattern, (you can read more about the specifics HERE on my Ravelry page) but once I got to the cable chart it was smooth sailing. 

The yarn I used is KnitPicks Swish DK Superwash Merino Wool in the colorway Twilight. I love this stuff. This is the second piece I've knitted with Swish. The yarn is super soft and washes up so nicely (I haven't tried machine washing it but it hand washes up nicely.) 

This scarf is going to be heading off to his forever home on Monday. In the meantime I'm starting the sleeves on Hannah's sweater; 

AND! I just got my yarn to finish my Two Way Wrap Cardigan! I'm super pumped to finish my Cardigan before the weather gets too toasty to wear it!

What have you guys been working on? Are you already switching from Wool to Cotton in preparation for the warmer Spring weather? 

Bonus pic of me and Moonunit taking in a sunshiney sunset before all the rain set in. 

Happy Knitting!

-Ashley

Hi guys!

 I've got a few new things up in the Etsy shop today!

These projects have been finished for a while but somehow I never got around to listing them! First and foremost, I have a new skein of hand dyed yarn in the shop. He's a Superwash Merino/Nylon blend fingering weight. Perfect for your Spring knitting needs. ​

I've also listed two pairs of socks. (Both a US Women's Size Med 7-9)The first is a Merino/Silk blend in Masala orange.

The second is a Superwash Merino/Nylon pair of 'Rose City Roller' socks in a lovely stripey pattern. 

I've also included an Acrylic/Wool blend Turban style headband in a vibrant purple, bulky weight yarn. 

And, finally, I've listed my hand dyed, hand designed Dandelion Cowl (which I'm hoping to release a pattern for soon!) 

This cowl is knitted in a Peruvian Highland Wool/Superfine Alpaca blend yarn. He's squishy and bright and just what your Spring wardrobe is missing!

Just look at that cowl in action!

That's it for my Spring Etsy shop update!

I hope you found something you like, and if you dig that Cowl, keep your eyes peeled because I may need a few test knitters soon! 

Thanks for reading! I'll be back soon with a fun, cabled commission I've been working on that I'm excited to share with you.

Happy Spring, y'all!

​-Ashley

​I'm knitting this sweater for my dear friend Hannah. I had her pick out the yarn and the pattern so hopefully she will love the finished product. 

The yarn she chose is KnitPicks Andean Treasure in the colorway Aurora Heather. It's a magical sport weight yarn made from the softest baby Alpaca. It's wonderful to work with and is a joy to wear. (I have my own Andean Treasure sweater and I love it.)

Hi guys!

I've been working on a project just for me this month!

As you might have noticed by now, I'm completely obsessed with Alpaca yarn. So, when KnitPicks came out with their new Simply Alpaca yarn I jumped at the chance to make something warm and squishy!

I searched high and low for the perfect pattern. At first I wanted to make a big shawl to wear while enjoying my tea on frosty mornings. Then I decided it should be a cardigan so I can wear it on Winter nights when I do my baking. Then I realized I needed a "Slanket!" A half shawl, half blanket hybrid! So I started hunting. 

I searched for days until I found the perfect pattern; #205 Two Way Wrap Cardigan by SweaterBabe. I was super pumped that the pattern just happened to be by a designer who's patterns I have used before and had great success with. I even contacted the designer on one occasion for help with a pattern and she was very sweet and helpful so I knew if I had issues, SweaterBabe would be there for me. 

The yarn is so nice to work with. It does say it's an Aran weight but works up more like a Worsted. I don't mind for this project though, it's just going to be a little more lacy than the original pattern which I think will show off the detailed stitch work nicely. 

I did have a little confusion with the transition from the Smocked Lace section to the Bottle Stitch section. I ended up using the photos as a guide to get the appropriate amount of repeats and a clean looking transition. 

I've finished the Back Panel (here's a shot of him before blocking.) Since taking this photo I've almost finished the Left Front Panel and unfortunately I will be out of yarn soon!!! 

KnitPicks will be sending me an email notification once they get some more Simply Alpaca back in stock. I should have more by the beginning of April. (Waahhhh!) But I did find myself another Alpaca project to work on in the meantime (surprising, right?) I'll be sharing more about that project soon. 

Bonus photo of Prince guarding my yarn bowl just in case my yarn decides to make a quick escape!

I hope your post-Holiday knitting involves some selfish knitting too!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Ashley