Brookline Top

September 17, 2017September 17, 2017 / charlotteskirk / 1 Comment

I mentioned in one of my recent posts that I finished the Desert Star Top I cast on in mid-July, but I only had the chance to get it photographed today. I’ve actually already worn it several times because I like it so much!

One of my best friends gifted me the yarn I used for this top for my birthday this year. It’s Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton in the Sleet colorway. I used smaller needles than the pattern recommends – 3.25 mm for the edging and 3.5 mm for the rest instead of 3.75 mm and 4.5 mm. I very nearly ran out of yarn towards the end, but I just did one fewer row for the neck edging, and it looks fine. I used 5 skeins of the yarn.

I was initially drawn to the top (which is a free pattern by Berroco) because of the unique construction. The back is one large rectangle, and the front is a much smaller rectangle with neck shaping.

Since it’s sleeveless and because I used a cotton yarn, this piece works well for the insanely hot end of summer that we’ve been having in California. I think it will also be great for fall if I layer it over a long-sleeved shirt.

In other news, I finished my first pair of socks ever today! I’m hoping to photograph them sometime this week so that I can submit them to my local yarn store’s Finish it for Fall drawing. I just finished the bust increases on my Vaara t-shirt, and I’m really happy with it so far. I also really need to get to work on my September Block-A-Month afghan squares… So much knitting in my future!

Boston Yarn Crawl: Newbury Yarns, Mind’s Eye Yarns, Gather Here

August 31, 2017 / charlotteskirk / Leave a comment

I’m at a conference in Providence, RI for the week. I was surprised to find that there are no yarn stores in Providence – it seems like the perfect place for one since it’s near the Rhode Island School of Design, and the downtown area has tons of other independent clothing/art/home stores. Fortunately, I had a free afternoon, so I took the train into Boston. I spent a few hours taking myself on a mini yarn crawl, and then I got dinner with a friend before heading back to Providence.

Boston is a special city for me because I lived there for four years while I was attending college. I was also living there when I first learned how to crochet, although I didn’t learn how to knit until I moved to California. I got a bunch of great yarn and a few other items on my crawl – I had to stand on a chair to get a reasonable picture of them all in my hotel room, but I wanted to share what I got along with the shops I visited!

Boston Yarn Crawl Yarn

The very first yarn store I ever went to was Newbury Yarns, and, fittingly, it was the first stop on my crawl. It’s moved locations since I left Boston (from the Back Bay’s Newbury Street to Downtown Crossing), and I think it’s suffering a little from the move. The store used to be a little more bustling and friendly, although it’s possible I just caught it on a bad day.

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I was able to pick up some local sock yarns: the store’s own brand Newbury Yarns New England Sock in a reddish-brown color (1) and DIPS merino/cashmere/nylon fingering in a blue-purple variegated color (2). I had trouble finding much about these yarns from the internet or their labels – they weren’t even on Ravelry. They were also kind of expensive, but I wanted to support the store, so I got them anyways. And I like the colors. They’ll make nice socks (sock knitting is going to be my new thing – more on that in a later post).

Next, I took the red line from Downtown Crossing to Porter Square in Cambridge. I had never been to Mind’s Eye Yarns before, although it’s existed for many years and is right outside of the Porter Square T stop. And it was amazing! The owner is really nice and curates a great collection of yarn.

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I got the most amazing sock yarn by Araucanía Yarns: their handpainted Huasco Sock in the Guacamayo colorway (3). The owner said she had just gotten it in the day before! I almost bought a sweater quantity, but then I decided that I have too many unused sweater quantities, so I’ll just have some beautiful socks. Or maybe it’ll be details in a shawl or sweater. I’ve been looking for new project bags, and I found a perfect sock size one made by local crafter Stitched by Jessalu (4). It’s so bright and happy and has cute elephants. I also got a skein of Zen Yarn Garden’s Serenity 20 merino/cashmere/nylon sock yarn in the Petite Fleur colorway (5).

My last stop was Gather Here – a sewing/yarn/craft store in Inman Square in Cambridge. I had also been to this store before it moved to it’s new location. The new space is huge! There’s tons of space for classes. I especially loved that they had a display of many local yarns.

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I bought a skein from an indie dyed brand called Skeinny Dipping. I really like the name, and the yarn is beautiful. I got the Cannonball Sock yarn in the Space Pants colorway (more socks!!). But then I found this amazing yarn by Air de Lune, and I couldn’t stick to my single-skeins-only rule anymore… The 3 skeins are from the “Walden Pond Contemplation”. There’s Ricochet, Brindille, and Mousse (7). They’re all so beautiful that I couldn’t decide which one I wanted, and they all sort of go together, so I just got one of each. I’m thinking I’ll make a shawl or cardigan with them. I love them so much! I also picked up issues 18, 19, 20, and 22 of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine (8) – I’m trying to collect all of the issues. I hope all of the things I got fit into my luggage on the way back to the West Coast!

The one yarn store I missed that I really wanted to go to (not to mention all the ones that were further out in Boston suburbs) was Uncommon Yarn in Brookline. It was a little out of the way for the amount of time that I had, but I know that one of my friends who lives in Boston has bought yarn for me as a gift there before, so I’ll make sure to check it out next time I’m nearby.

August Squares

August 25, 2017August 24, 2017 / charlotteskirk / 1 Comment

I’m back on track with my block-a-month crochet-a-long! I’m leaving for a trip to the East Coast, so I really wanted to get these squares finished, blocked, and photographed in time – and I did! Only 4 more months to go…

This month’s theme seemed to be flowery motifs and clusters/popcorns/bullions. I really like how they all turned out, but they were definitely a little fiddley (especially the 6” square).

The 12” square on the left in the above picture is the V’s and P’s square by Theresa Lynn, which is available as a free download on Ravelry. I’m using Malabrigo Rios yarn for my afghan, and this square features colorways Sunset, Teal Feather, and Archangel.

The other 12” square for this month is Simple 10 Petal Afghan Square by Joyce D. Lewis (also available for free on Ravelry). I used colorways Lettuce, Purple Mystery, and Glazed Carrot.

The 6” square is Carousel by Bonnie Pierce. So many bullions! But I love the effect. This one is in colorways Glazed Carrot, Teal Feather, and Archangel.

This month there were 2 options for 6” squares. The one that I didn’t choose is Esther’s Courtyard by Joanne Jones. It has a few bullions, but I chose the Carousel square because it looked a little more unique. I might still make Esther’s Courtyard if I have leftover yarn at the end of the CAL.

I also finished my Desert Star Top, but I think I’ll have to wait until I’m back from my trip in a few weeks to get it photographed and up on the blog. I just cast on a few new projects for my trip (obviously). I found the Oblagon shawl on Ravelry, and I also cast on the Vaara t-shirt from issue 17 of Pom Pom Quarterly.

I’m hoping to hit up some yarn stores in my travels to Boston, Providence, and New York over the next couple weeks as well, so I’ll have a lot to write about when I get back!

Earth Basket

August 18, 2017 / charlotteskirk / 1 Comment

I’ve been wanted to try making a crochet basket for a while, and I started on one a few months ago, but I sort of abandoned the project. Working with cotton (especially bulkier cotton) hurts my hands after a while. I did really want to finish the project, though, so I finally picked it back up this past week and added the last few rows.

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I used the really cheap cotton yarn that you can pick up at craft stores like Michael’s – Lily Sugar ‘n Cream in the Sage Green and Terra Firma colorways. I held it double and used a 5.5 mm crochet hook, as recommended in this free pattern by Nicole Dasig. I added a few rounds to the bottom and to the sides to make it a little bigger than the pattern calls for. I really like the green, but I wanted to use a darker color for the bottom so that I don’t have to worry about getting it dirty if I want to set it on the floor or ground.

The basket can hold about ten 100g skeins of yarn, so it would be great for storage. I’ve been using it as a project basket that I can keep by my couch with the whatever I’m currently working on. I can also easily grab it to take with me for outdoor or cafe knitting. Right now, it’s holding the Desert Star top that I’m knitting (and hopefully finishing up soon!).

It feels so meta to keep yarn/yarn projects in a basket made of yarn. I’m into it.

May, June, July Squares

August 4, 2017August 4, 2017 / charlotteskirk / Leave a comment

Great news! I’m finally caught up on my block-a-month squares! I got a bit behind while i was trying to finish up my Poison Oak and Sonation sweaters. But now I’m back on track and will hopefully remain on track, because it’s a lot more pleasant to make 3 squares a month than to make 9 squares in one month… So, without further ado, here’s May, June, and July!

It makes me so excited about the finished blanket when I see lots of the squares together (although it also makes me dread sewing them all together… but that’s a problem for future me). If you haven’t read my other posts about this blanket, I’m participating in a Ravelry crochet-a-long making 3 afghan squares per month – 2 12 in. squares and 1 6 in. square. The finished blanket will be 5 ft. by 6 ft. The year is over halfway through, so I’m over halfway done with the blanket! I’m using Malabrigo Rios yarn.

Because I have so many squares this month, I’ll just give a quick description of each one and link my Ravelry projects in case you’d like to see more pictures.

Row 1 (May squares) from left to right:

Wishful Thinking (12 in.) by Polly Plum in colorways Purple Mystery, Whales Road, and Lettuce. This was honestly one of my least favorite squares. It was very finicky, and I don’t love the final look enough for it to be worth it. But I did like that it’s different. (Ravelry project page)
May Pole (12 in.) by Shan Sevcik in colorways Glazed Carrot, Fresco y Seco, and Whales Road. (Ravelry project page).
Parkdale (6 in.) by Sadie Cuming in colorways Archangel, Sunset, and Purple Mystery. (Ravelry project page)

Row 2 (June squares) from left to right:

Shoofly Pie (12”) by Polly Plum in colorways Fresco y Seco, Whales Road, and Sunset. I like this square, but I was kind of disappointed to have another pie themed square (Ravelry project page)
Chocolate Delight (12”) by Dayna Audirsch in colorways Archangel, Teal Feather, and Purple Mystery. I originally thought this square looked sort of boring, but I really like the simplicity of it. It’s a nice change from the more complex squares. And the bulb-like shape of the petals reminds me of palace towers or something. (Ravelry project page)
Charming (6”) by Melinda Miller in colorways Sunset, Fresco y Seco, and Lettuce.(Ravelry project page)

Row 3 (July squares) from left to right:

C2: Shining Sea (12”) by Funny dieBarbarin in colorways Glazed Carrot, Teal Feather, and Lettuce. This is my favorite square so far, although it was annoying to make because of all the puff/bullion/popcorn stitches. It’s just so unique with the offset squares. I also think the name is clever. (Ravelry project page)
Moon Blossom (12”) by Karen Smith in colorways Archangel, Fresco y Seco, and Whales Road. I really love the alternating stitch effect in the border of this square. (Ravelry project page)
Checks and Balances (6”) by Cylinda D. Matthews in colorways Whales Road, Purple Mystery, and Glazed Carrot. I don’t love how this square turned out, but I think its my fault for using two colors that are too similar. Oh well. (Ravelry project page)

Whew! I’m very proud of myself for actually writing about/photographing/Ravelry-ing about all of these squares at once. This kind of documenting can be annoying in the moment, but I love having the record of all of the things I’ve made and what I was thinking when I made them. I wish I had it for earlier pieces I made, but it’s hard to go back and remember what yarn, what size of needles/hook, etc. How do you all keep track of all of the projects you’ve finished?

Hanalei Sweater

July 9, 2017July 9, 2017 / charlotteskirk / 2 Comments

I finished another sweater! I actually started this sweater in March, but then I had to put it away to make a different sweater as a graduation gift for my roommate. After I finished that, I got right back to working on my sweater. The pattern is Poison Oak by Carina Spencer.

I used a little less than 3 skeins of Hanalei Hand Dyed superwash merino silk fingering in the variegated Pele colorway. I fell in love with the bright colors of this yarn at a local yarn store in northern California.

The pattern is designed for two colors of narrow stripes, but the yarn I wanted to use is so variegated and bright that I chose not to stripe it. I also didn’t alternate skeins (I know, I’m horrible), but I’m actually glad I didn’t because I really like pooling effect here. It reminds me of a sunset.

The sweater has a slip stitch detail down an asymmetric front. It’s high-low – long in the front, and falling at the hips in the back. I made it a little longer than the pattern calls for. The pattern includes options for 3/4 length or cap sleeves, and I chose the 3/4 length. I made the 36” bust size, and I used a size 2 needles instead of size 4 because I’m a pretty loose knitter.

I’m so, so happy with how this sweater turned out! It’s the first hand-knit sweater that I own. It may be a little while before I can wear it since it’s not exactly summer wear. I’m hoping to be adding a few more knit garments to my collection soon!

A few patterns on my radar to start next:

This other high-low perforated sweater
This cotton/linen t-shirt
This high-low tank top
This tunic (also high-low. Yes, I’m into high-low tops right now)

Happy summer knitting everyone!

SoCal Beanie

June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 / charlotteskirk / Leave a comment

I started this lacy beanie as part of the Spring Hat KAL hosted by the Wool, Needles, Hands podcast, but I went to Los Angeles to visit my sister and ended up leaving the unfinished project behind! After I got it back, I went ahead and finished it even though the KAL was over. It’s a really light, floppy summer beanie.

I used the Mehendi pattern by Svetlana Volkova and Classic Elite Yarns Silky Alpaca Lace held double in the colorway Olive Moss. I made the medium size of hat, and, after blocking, it had the perfect amount of slouchiness. It took quite a bit less than half of a ball of the yarn, even held double, so it was a fairly cheap hat to make! I really like how the variegated lace held double turned out, and I love the bluish tones.

This beanie is pretty different from the things I’ve knitted before, but it’s definitely ideal for a fun style in the summer in California.

Auckland Sweater

June 16, 2017June 16, 2017 / charlotteskirk / 3 Comments

For the past month, I’ve been furiously working on a sweater for my roommate as a gift for her thesis defense (today!) and PhD graduation. I finally finished the sweater early this week and, after showing it off at knit night, I gave it to her! I finished the entire sweater in one month and one day. Also it is my very first sweater ever. I’m super proud of it, and I think she really likes it. I really want to make one for myself.

I used the Sonation pattern by Mari Chiba in the 51.75” bust size. The pattern is designed for at least 10” of positive ease, so I went with the larger of the two sizes I was deciding between to get a really floppy, comfy piece. I think I could actually have gone with the smaller 48” bust size without making much of a difference in fit – but I would have had one fewer lace repeat! Curses!

I used Madelinetosh Twist Light yarn in colorways Void and Rocky Mountain High (2 skeins each). The sweater is bottom up, and I switched from Rocky Mountain High to Void after I ran out of Rocky Mountain High yarn, and then I used Void for the sleeves as well. I really love the bright variegated colors of Rocky Mountain High, but I thought an entire sweater made of it was too much, so I chose a dark, more sophisticated color for the top. And I love how the contrast turned out. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, which the Tosh Twist Light is, but I still had to go to a US size 2 needle to get gauge (I am a very loose knitter). I also chose to mattress stitch the shoulder seams instead of doing a 3-needle bind off because a friend of mine advised me that it is more stable in the long run.

I was sort of worried in starting this project that the lace would kill me, but it honestly wasn’t that bad for the majority of the sweater. At the armholes, the front and back are separated and worked flat for a bit, and that was definitely more annoying than the rest of the sweater, which is worked in the round. I like the effect of the lace – it ‘s not too open but has enough texture to be interesting.

Finishing this sweater in time for my roommate graduating did require me to suspend work on my other projects, so I still haven’t finished my May or June block-a-month squares, and I haven’t touched the Poison Oak sweater I’m making for myself. I did finish a hat, which I’ll post about soon! I’m hoping this summer I’ll have lots of time to catch up on everything! I have a lot of cast on ideas as well… so we’ll see what happens there. What are you all knitting/crocheting this summer?

El Camino Crop Top

May 22, 2017May 22, 2017 / charlotteskirk / Leave a comment

It definitely feels like summer has started here in the bay area – it’s been so hot for the past week. It reminds me that California is not necessarily the best place to live as a yarn-crafter. Big sweaters and scarves are not really wardrobe staples. Last summer, I had the idea to make a hybrid sort of garment. I bought a plain crop top on sale (at American Apparel I think?) and added a crochet lace border.

It was super quick and easy, and I really love the result. It’s a top I wear a lot. I used the border from this crochet shawl pattern. I made this beautiful shawl as a gift for a friend’s mom a few years ago and definitely recommend the pattern. I really liked the edging for the shawl, so I decided to use it for this, but there are tons of free crochet (or knit!) lace patterns that would be great for a shirt edging.

I made this top by measuring the circumference of the bottom edge of the shirt, crocheting a border piece in the round with a few rows of single crochet that was the same length around, and then working the lace pattern. I used embroidery thread to sew the single crochets to the shirt from inside of the hem so that you can’t see the single crochets or the stitching. I’m not 100% sure what yarn I used, but I think it was Blue Heron Yarns Rayon Metallic.

I’m planning to make a few more of these for this summer! I was also considering adding some lace edging to a pair of jean shorts. We’ll see.

Any other ideas for clothes to add some yarn to?

April Afghan Squares

May 9, 2017 / charlotteskirk / Leave a comment

I managed to get a picture of all the squares I’ve completed so far for my block-a-month afghan! I’m really in love with how it all looks together. (You can read more about the block-a-month crochet-a-long I’ve been doing in my posts for January, February, and March or on the CAL Ravelry page).

I wanted this blanket to be really loud and crazy and not look like a traditional afghan. I think I’m achieving that! I’m excited that I’ve made it 1/3 of the way through the year without falling behind (thanks to many hours of crocheting on the last weekend of each month…). I can’t wait for the end of the year to see my finished project! Stay tuned.

The first square I made for April is the Key Lime Pie square by Lettice Rose, which is available as a free Ravelry download. If made in the right colors, this square really looks like a key lime pie! I kept the green color for the lime slices but didn’t go much further. I like how it came out sort of mandala-esque. I used Malabrigo Rios (which I’m using for the entire afghan) in colorways Lettuce, Sunset, and Teal Feather.

The other 12” square is the spiral flower square (also available as a free Ravelry download) by Mehlika Akkaya at Sculptures in Disguise. The flower motif in the middle was really fun to make and is available online – I may use it for something else in the future! I used colorways Archangel, Purple Mystery, and Fresco y Seco for this square.

The 6” square for April is called Twisted Braids and is by Aurora Suominen. It’s also available for free on Ravelry. I used colorways Lettuce, Glazed Carrot, and Whales Road.

Here’s hoping I get started a bit earlier on my May squares…

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