Chapter Three: Friday Update 4.27.18 (Plus Beach Walk)

Hi friends! Woo hoo, it's Friday! Today was a gorgeous, sunny day with low humidity, so I decided to take a walk on the beach (more about that later).

No finished objects this week, but before I show you my WIPs, I must show off my new yarn bowl!

I'm so proud of this work of art.

This absolutely gorgeous little treasure (actually it's not little, it's 10" wide and 5 1/2" tall) came all the way from Austria, hand turned by a man who I only know as @eli.steel on Instagram.

Do you watch knitting podcasts on YouTube? I do, and after watching so many awesome shows, I've sort of settled in with two or three podcasters that I find interesting and calming, a nice backdrop for an hour of knitting.

One of those podcasters is a woman named Anna who has the Dunkelgrun channel. She's just so charming. She's also very talented, not only as a knitter but as a dyer as well. It's no surprise her friends are just as talented as she is, and one such friend is Eli, who made Anna a simply marvelous yarn bowl earlier in the year. Of course she showed it off in her podcast.

I fell in love with the bowl and I also nearly fell over my feet in my haste to get to the computer and locate her friend. She said he could be found on Instagram, and indeed there he was!

Look at that wood!

After messaging back and forth we settled on a commission: The bowl is made of walnut and pear woods, with three holes for three-color colorwork. I like that both woods are from fruit trees (are nuts fruit?) and that he included a bobbin thingy. He called it something sweet; if I can find the message I'll edit it in.

Eli makes these bowls by commission only. They are pricey but you absolutely get the highest quality, a custom work of art, and an heirloom to pass on to your kids.

GO TO @ELI.STEEL ON INSTAGRAM

GO TO DUNKELGRUN PODCAST ON YOUTUBE


Now, on to...

WORKS IN PROGRESS

HITCHHIKER SHAWL

Hitchhiker Shawl, halfway done

I feel like I've been doing a lot of knitting this past week, but I don't have so much to show for it. I had just cast on this project last Friday so I didn't report it. It's super quick to knit up and once I memorized the rows I could knit at night while watching Game of Thrones reruns with Ormond.

I'm using the yarn from the very first sweater I ever knitted. That sweater had every mistake a new knitter could possibly make in it, but at the time I was so proud and I loved it. I wore it a few times too. But it's like a bad plant in the garden. A good gardener just gets rid of it and tries again.

So I unraveled the sweater, losing at least one skein if not two. What I do have is nice while it's wound in its balls but when I start to knit with it, it's all kinky. My knitting goddesses assure me it will block out once knit. Regardless of their confidence, I started this shawl with the last of the unused skeins.

Colors of the pool.

It's halfway done now. There are meant to be 42 (or 48?) little points; I've got 21. I like that it's a thin little scarf-shawl, perfect for summer, and the colors make me so happy, the way they undulate from one tone to another.

The yarn is Cascade Pacific Color Wave in blue-green. 

SWEET BUNTING BY LAURA CHAU

This one's for my nephew and his wife, due in August. A baby girl in the family! I'm so excited to have a little one to knit for.

One more sleeve to go

I've knitted the 6.5" from the bottom up as required for the size 1 pattern, and have now finished the tiny little sleeve. It is 7" but that looks so short compared to the body of the sweater. We'll have to see how it turns out.

The yoke of the cardigan has a garland (or pennant or bunting) motif. I'm knitting the body in Bernat Softee Baby in Flannel and the garland in Softee Baby in a multi called Pink Rainbow.

GO TO SWEET BUNTING ON LOVEKNITTING

SELF IMPORTANT SOCKS BY DEBORAH KEMBALL

I talked about this sock last week. I still hate it. I got the strands too lose in the colorwork. Not sure how! I've done this before without a hitch.

I'd frog it and find another pattern, but I do want to see if it fits me or not. If it does, I'll try this pattern again but get the strands tighter on the little flower motif below the ribbing.

Any advice would be welcome in the comments below.

Working on the foot.

I've put my sock work in a cute little project bag I made, sort of as a prototype for my possible future Etsy shop. I love sewing and fabric, and I loved making this bag. I'm pleased with how soft this double-lined bag is. It's got just a little bit of structure from the gussets. Anyway, I'm using it for a while and if I think it works I'm going to make more.

Teensy project tote made by me.

Back to the socks. I'm using some leftover blue Jilly yarn from the Trylle cowl I did, along with Premier Yarns Serenity Sock yarn in soft white. Needle size US 1. This cuff-down pattern is a freebie.

GO TO SELF IMPORTANT SOCKS ON DEBORAH KEMBALL'S WEBSITE

WALK IN THE PARK CARDI BY CARON DESIGN TEAM

Still a WIP but I haven't done any work on it this week, so nothing new to photograph.

LITTLE YODA HAT AND BUNTING SET BY KRISTY GRANGER

This one's so fun. I absolutely love it. A friend is having a little girl at the end of June, and she's an awesome Star Wars geek and super nerdy. In fact she's doing her nursery in a Star Wars theme.

I wanted to make her something out of the ordinary in the way of a baby gift, and after finding this Yoda pattern I thought she'd get a kick out of it.

New yarn bowl, Yoda hat and snuggie.

I found the perfect shade of green in Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice Solids (colorway Dusty Green). 

Sweet little Yoda..

This pattern is pay-for and is available on Etsy.

GO TO LITTLE YODA HAT AND BUNTING ON ETSY

TODAY'S WALK

SUNNY DAY BEACH WALK

My back has been acting up all week, so I've been pretty sedentary. The only exercise I've gotten is from parking in the furthest, most remote space of any given parking lot. You don't get credit for your steps (on Fitbit) if you're pushing a cart so I always remember, on the way back to the car, that I can simulate each step by bouncing my wrist ever so slightly on the handle, in time to my footsteps. Try it!

This morning I felt a little better, and since the humidity was super low, I had no excuse not to walk at low tide.

I went two blocks to the beach access then north to Nance Park in Indialantic, then turned around. Between the beaches I had the sand and sea almost to myself. The ocean was every shade of blue, my favorite color(s). 

Here are a few photos.  I'll post another Knitting progress report next Friday. Thanks for stopping by!

Where my street meets the beach.

Perfect colors today.

Heading south toward home.