Nautical + Southwestern

The April issue of I Like Knitting was published a couple of weeks ago and I've got two patterns in it!

First is the Painted Desert Wall Hanging. This was totally fun to knit because I just basically doodled with yarn. I had a stack of Cascade yarns and went to town. The wall hanging features loop stitch, moss stitch, some colorwork, a pointed bottom, and fringe. Fun fun.

Second, the Boathouse Row Vest. I got to use Plucky Knitter Lodge Fingering for this one- my first time knitting with Plucky. I understand the hype now. It's great yarn! This vest has a hem at the bottom, wide red and white stripes, an i-cord tie, and rolled stockinette edgings. It's perfect to throw on over a simple outfit in the summer. I think I'll have to knit this one in my size!

I Like Knitting is a subscription-only online magazine. I would highly, highly encourage everyone to subscribe- there are 25 to 30 patterns in every issue (published bi-monthly) and they are awesome. If you like even 1 pattern an issue, it's worth the money to subscribe for the year. Ok, sales pitch over. :)

On a Bit of a Sock Kick

First things first, a winner. amchart, you win the prize because I asked my husband to pick 1, 2, or 3, and he picked 1. Since you're the first post you win! I will email you shortly.

Second, a post about socks.

My knitting mojo has been iffy lately. I'm sure we've talked about all of this recently. I don't have much time to spare during the days anymore- nap times are generally now my cleaning times, as the floor can't be too clean for little hands that go into mouths- and for whatever reason I just haven't been into knitting much in the evenings. Last week though I was like ok, knitting is what we do here, let's just do it, and I pulled some yarn out of the sock yarn bin and started a sock. It flew by quickly. Started the second sock. Picked out the next sock yarn. Finished the second sock. Started the rainbow sock. Socks socks socks. I love it. I'm even finding a few minutes here and there throughout the day to work on the socks. I think that maybe I've found my mojo again?

The first pair is supposedly a gradient. After the flood in 2016, someone sent me this yarn from Washington, I think? It looked pretty in the cake, so I knitted one sock starting from the outside of the cake and one from the inside. The one I started from the inside is not a gradient. It is pink. The other one is a pretty gradient. I may get some red dye and dip the top of the pink sock in the dye to make it more gradient-like.

Rainbow socks! I traded for this yarn on Ravelry. Have I mentioned my love of trading? It's so fun. This is Knitterly Things Vesper Sock Yarn in Tomorrowland. It's addicting. I keep saying to myself "just one more stripe!"

I wanted to maintain the stripe pattern as well as I could, so I used a new-to-me heel: the fish lips kiss heel. The pattern itself is 16, yes 16, pages long. I don't think any of my sweater patterns are even that long. Also, it reads like an infomercial. I admit to being fairly annoyed by the whole thing, especially after I figured out that the "magic" part of this heel is that you work shadow wraps, which I always do when working short rows. But. It made a nicely fitting heel and I like the way it looks, so there's that.

Next: maybe more socks. Maybe some languishing self-publications. Maybe I'll actually get my act together enough to submit some design ideas to magazines. Being Elaina's mom is a 25/8 job and I love it, but I miss my design work and I'd like to get back into it. Now that I think I've found my mojo (I keep thinking that word in Austin Powers' voice) maybe I can make it happen.

Dishcloths, So Many Dishcloths, and a Giveaway

Last week (the week before? they blend) Knit Picks published a new (free!) dishcloth pattern by yours truly. It's part of the 52 weeks of dishcloths series that they've been doing for a few years. I had a couple dishcloths in last year's collection, too, and I'll have another one later this year.

This one is very cleverly named the "Pastel Lace Washcloth," and you can get it for free here on the Knit Picks website. It starts with a picot cast on in the contrast color, then goes into a very easy lace section in the middle, then a picot bind off. To finish it off you then pick up stitches along each side with the contrast color and do a picot bind off there, too. Fancy.

How do you feel about hand knit dishcloths? Some people just love to make them. Even though I've designed some I have to say they're not my go-to. I just don't find myself using them. But, if you DO like to knit them, have I got the giveaway for you. This is a copy of last year's collection called Clean and Crafty, which includes my Perfectly Preppy and Kingly dishcloth patterns. I'll throw in a ball of Dishie in Silver so you can go to town and knit yourself some dishcloths. To enter to win, just leave a comment, and please be sure to include some way to contact you. I'll pick a winner on Wednesday March 14th! US only please.