A Bit of Knitting Amid the Sale

Well, the famed garage sale is over as of this last Saturday afternoon. And I am never having another one! And I keep telling my husband and my mother to remind me of that the next time I start collecting "stuff" in a pile and mumbling about a garage sale. ugh

But the sale went well and a knitting friend (who is also a friend aside from knitting) put some things in the sale and sat with me on the first and busiest, day. That made it worth it all. We had fun.

During all the preparation, I somehow managed to get a bit of knitting finished. Although I have to say that I did knit myself to sleep on several occasions during the last month. What I finished a week or two before the sale was a simple, thin scarf to dress-up t-shirts this summer. The scarf started with a ball of yarn that I got in a gift bag at the Knitting Retreat in March. 

During that same weekend retreat my roommate and friend had a great idea for using some yarns she got in a grab bag. Then she helped me find coordinating yarn for my free yarn (photos above) and I found a couple more yarns at a local thrift store. So I knitted the same thing my friend did. But with different results. Here's the one I knitted:

All we did was cast on 220 stitches on 24" circulars, but knitted back and forth, all in garter stitch. My yarns were mostly thinner than my friend's so I used a size 10 needle (US) while she used an 11. I knitted two rows for most of the yarn. However, the "eyelash" was only one row - and that was a plenty. I just knitted randomly, with no rhyme or reason to which yarn I selected next. That was very difficult for my anal tendencies.

My finished scarf, before the fringe was added, is 46 inches. My friend's was quite a bit longer. I'm actually not quite finished - the fringe will be a bit shorter, after I add some of these to it. I just got them at Jo-Ann Fabrics this very morning.

I also got the idea for beads from my friend, to give the fringe some weight. And do you realize how much out of my comfort zone I was knitting without a pattern!! If not, I was way out of it. But I am pleased NOW and it will be fun to wear. 

Just Thursday evening before the sale I started a hoodie using the same pattern I used for my son about 2 years ago. 

The pattern is called Yaquina Bay Cardigan

That hoodie was knitted with merino that I spun. This hoodie will be for me, assuming that I have the gauge correct, and I am using Cascade 220 Paints in the color denim.

This is how far I am and so far I'm very pleased with the color variation. It always amazes me how variegated yarn colors line up. I'll report back on this project. 

One last project I never really blogged about was the Dolman Pullover Sweater. It was finished in late February. I had gotten about 7 skeins of Lion Brand Wool Ease at a local store's close-out sale. They were all in the color of Blue Mist and when I saw this pattern, I decided to use the sale yarn for it.

It turned out well and I love this simple pattern. I plan to make it again with hand spun. The simplicity of the pattern will highlight the nature of handspun. 

Have a good week and let me know what you are working on.