Things that I like nearly as much as knitting…

… include consuming cheese. Cliché, but true :)

It was hot today. It’s finally cooling off enough this evening to knit with wool and alpaca (Ease of course!).

Instead of spending my Sunday knitting, I ran some errands, had lunch at a local taco spot, and made a really awesome cheese plate in lieu of dinner. When it’s hot out, having a cold dinner of cheese, crackers, fruit, vegetables, and dips is a favourite strategy of mine. I like it because it’s cooler, but also because it makes me feel like I’m at a party with fun snacks!

The plate on the right, and the sweet twig-like cheese knife, were a gift from my best friend and her husband to me and mine, for our upcoming 5th anniversary. It seems to me that a friend who understands the love of cheese is a very good friend indeed :)

Back to (mostly) normal!

My wrists are finally feeling nearly normal, even when I’m knitting! YES. I just didn’t feel like myself when I had to completely abstain!

I’m still trying to limit my knitting time, work in shorter spurts instead of marathon sessions, ice my wrists frequently, and avoid too much mouse or trackpad use. Hopefully I can avoid serious problems in the future!

Today I separated the sleeves from the body on Ease. I also switched to a longer circ just to try the sweater on and make sure the size seemed okay – I think it’s on the right track!

My gauge is way off from pattern gauge. I’m still using the recommended needle, 6mm, but I’m getting 5sts/” (horizontally) – even though my swatch was right on pattern gauge! I just worked backwards from my desired bust circumference (37″ for this sweater – so there will be zero ease when it’s finished). 37″*5sts/inch=185sts. Easy! So I just continued the raglan increases until the body stitches were close to 185 (excluding sleeves, of course).

The fabric is coming out so lovely – this yarn is awesome! Looking forward to wearing this already :)

Self-control vs. Soft & Shiny!

Hello! Happy Thursday :)

One of the projects I’m working right now is an Ease sweater (designed by Alicia Plummer) in Juniper Moon Farm‘s Moonshine yarn. Moonshine is a single ply yarn, 40% alpaca, 40% wool, 20% silk. That means it is HELLA soft and shiny and SO lovely to work with!

Ease is a simple top down raglan sweater with, as the name suggests, some positive ease built in. It’s supposed to be kind of slouchy & loose-ish and cozy. I am really loving knitting it, and excited about the finished piece, which I think will be the best for hanging out at home (which is pretty much my jam).

Buuuuut…. I’ve been having some pretty persistent wrist pain the last few weeks, and it’s interfering with my knitting. I know it’s been brought on by a combination of near-constant keyboard, mouse, and trackpad use, as well as a couple of projects with lots of plain garter or stockinette in the round (meaning, knit knit knit knit knit knit…). I’ve been exercising lots of self-control and didn’t even touch my knitting for almost a week.

Then this morning, I felt so much better, that I knit a few rows on Ease. Nope. Still pinchy-tingly-sore.

So, instead of making progress on my soft, squishy, shiny sweater, I’m icing my wrist and trying to type a bit less. I’m too young to have aches and pains!! ;)

Oh hello!

Hello friends and also internet people!

I’m really looking forward to writing about yarn and knitting and how barfy green is the best colour in the world (and probably also pie and granola and my cat, Miss New Zealand).

Welcome! Grab some tea (or wine!) and stay a while.