theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Every year our eastern-most yarn stores sponsor a mystery knitalong.  It is called the Progressive East End Project or PEEP.  I did it last year and a couple of times before that.  Initially, the idea was to go from store to store to obtain the yarn needed.  The past couple of years have been virtual.  I think next year they plan on going back to the stores.

The kits needed to be pre-ordered.  I looked at the colors offered at each store and opted for the Three Kittens combination — all stores started with the same mini-pack and then added a skein of their own choosing.  Three Kittens had orange.

The kits arrived.  The first clue then arrived for what they called The Random Acts Cowl.  Off I went!  Problem #1: they had not provided a color key!  So I chose the wrong color.  Problem #2: two of the colors were so close, I couldn’t tell them apart.  This caused me issues later, so I had to add another color from stash.  You knit 4 repeats of the finished chart for a 25 inch cowl.

The cowl is worked as a tube and then grafted.  I started with a crocheted chain provisional cast on and then used the method I used for my friend’s Velvet Mirror Cowl.  It worked great!!  But, the cowl seemed really short.  SO, I ungrafted my cowl, knitted another repeat to get to 30 inches, and then grafted it again.  Of course, now my crocheted chain was gone.  🙁  I did make a cheesy video showing how I grafted the cowl together…the first time around!  See below!

I do like it and people who see it really like it.  I think these double thick cowls feel shorter due to their bulk.  I am currently knitting another cowl similar to this and will make it longer.

Do you take your knitting too seriously??  Isn’t it time to have some fun?  Try knitting this silly, whimsical hat.  I guarantee that you will smile at least once when it’s done!

It’s Scarfy the Snowman!!  In hat form!  In 5 sizes from child to extra large adult!

To celebrate the launch of Scarfy, I am running a series of promotions on Ravelry. Scarfy will be $1 on November 1, $2 on November 2, $3 on November 3, and $4 on November 4 & 5. On November 6, it will be the full price of $5. Coupon code is SCARFY.

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I hope you enjoy knitting this little project as much as I did!!

You may remember my free Wee Pumpkin pattern from two years ago.  Well, I added a variation!  Plaid!

Still free and just in time for pumpkin season!!

I’ve been chastised for knitting a snowman already — what about Halloween? Thanksgiving? Whatever! 😉

Here is my new little snowman, knit loosely following the Christmas Snowman by Rebecca Danger.

The hat is a miniaturized version of my favorite Rikke Hat.  I wanted a really slouchy hat and adore the Rikke.  I was surprised at how much knitting it took to make a mini!  Follow the above link for instructions.  Here you can see the slouch:

I will be co-hosting a “seasonal KAL” at BeWoolen starting next Sunday, so that’s why I knit him now.  Wee Pumpkins, snowmen, whatever you want to knit!!

What a tortured title!!!  Surly and I have both been slogging away on the Bea Cardigan, made in Isager Eco Soft, color E4s.  We fell in love with this little cutie!  I worked on mine more at first, so mine is finished.

I made many modifications, but won’t bore you with them here.  I did write them out on my Ravelry project page.  This is a really cute transition piece as we venture into fall.  I expect to wear it often!!

Talk about simple and two “stockinette in the round” FOs in a week!

This cowl celebrates color and fabric.  I started with the Nuance Cowl from Shibui, but with 5 instead of 3 colors.  That meant redoing the math somewhat.  I used Shibui Silk Cloud in Juniper, Cove, Caper, and Pollen.  Pollen has a  bit of green and I wanted gold, so I added La Bien Aimée Mohair-Silk, color Yellow Brick Road, to move to pure gold at the end.  The size went from 18×51 inches to a blocked size of 13×60.

I really love it!  Wear it long or short:

PS to Wendy: I am with you!  My jaw dropped at $10 for a stockinette tube in the round which I completely reworked anyway!  I was livid, but bought it anyway…aaarrrggghhh. 🙁

Sometimes you see a design and you know you have to make it.  Sometimes it’s a complex masterpiece, or something simple that speaks to you.  This is the latter!!  The 27 Color Snood by Blue Sky Fibers.

The original was knit in Woolstok Worsted.  I used their 27-color mini-bundle with Cascade 220 in color Vashon for my main color.

This was a fun, super quick knit!  It looks weird, like a skirt, but fits like the picture.  I made mine larger by adding 30 sts and still had plenty of each stripe color.

Sally used Woolstok Thyme for her main color and it’s gorgeous!!

ETA: Surly has been super busy and will add a photo when she can.  Sorry we have been off the grid a while!  Summer is take a break time. 🙂

Just adding this link because I referred to it elsewhere! Susan Rainey’s Improved I-Cord Cast On

Each year I look forward with anticipation to the launch of the free Shetland Wool Week hat or kep pattern. In fact, this year I even stocked up on some jumperweight wool so I would have more variety in my colour selection — and it paid off!

This year’s hat is the adorable Bonnie Isle. Loved it right away! Checked my newly plumped up stash and had ample yarn for the pretty pink version:

So here is my cute hat! I love it!  It was a fun knit, it fits, and it’s different than my usual darker color palette!