theraineysisters knitting and so much more

1. Hope you have voted already or plan to!!
2. I have a new FO to share!

I just finished my Arabella Cowl out of the yarn called for: Rowan Alpaca Classic.  It was designed as a launch for the yarn.  Last August, my peeps and I travelled from shop to shop collecting the colors.  It was a LONG and annoying knit, but like most long, annoying knits, I like it now that it’s done!  My lemming project is complete.

Most of us opted not to make it a moebius — good decision.  I changed up a couple of colors.  In doing so, I got to the end and though it too garish.  So, I dug through my stash and found a skein of charcoal gray, somewhat fuzzy, yarn which I suspect to be Classic Elite Fresco!!  My cowl is 10 inches wide and 63 inches long.  I think it is quite attractive!

PS to vpurl: what was annoying were the endless rows (>300 sts) and certain sts: seed stitch, stranding.  It seemed like every row was interminable!

PS2 to Kathy: The gray was much fuzzier than the other colors so that part should get easier.  It is a lot of knitting but so butter soft and pretty!

DD asked for another hat!!  Yes, another one!  This time the request was for a friend for a baby shower gift.  I searched Rav high and low but even this hat with over 8,000 projects did not come up.  My search was obviously flawed!  😉  I had made an adult size a few years ago for hubby, and remembered this cute two-toned version.

I used Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted in cream and gray from my stash.  My yarn was smaller gauge and I wanted a baby-sized hat so I read notes from others.  I used size 5 and 6 needles and cast on 68 sts to get the smallest size hat.  Wish I had used 6 and 7’s.

Garter Ear Flap Hat

I think it is pretty darn cute!

Laura stopped by and picked up her two new hats (black and pink Rikkes) and her Pickpocket Sweater.  While driving over, she called and said, yay, she had found her original black hat!!  Oh, well!  It was “hiding” in her bag of winter hats and gloves.  🙂

Happy ending!

PS to Julie — I probably do have enough yarn to knit another pink hat – may hold off for a bit, though!  I am sick of knitting Rikkes!!

PS2 to Gretchen — DD absconded with both of the black Rikkes!!

I finished the pink Rikke Hat.  A very expensive pink Rikke Hat!

The irony is that as I was knitting the hat, it was tight and small and felt like 100% cotton, not merino wool.  So, I added a couple of extra ridges before starting the decreases.  This meant that I ran out of yarn before finishing the top.  Oh well, I had purchased an insurance skein because the yardage was skimpy for worsted (Claudia Hand Painted Merino Worsted “Desire”, color Bubble Gum, 175 yards/100 gms).  Not happy to double the cost of the hat, but at least I had it, right?

When I wetblocked it, it G R E W to HUGE!!  I did not need to knit more or dip into the second skein!  🙁

But, it is done and is the exact size of the black one.  So they will both fit or neither will fit!  Her Pickpocket blocked beautifully! 🙂

I am so happy that Laura’s Pickpocket is finally done!  🙂  This picture shows it blocking today:

Saturday, I had Laura try it on just to make sure it would fit before weaving in the ends and blocking…it fits!!

Laura opted for a closer fit, so I used a size XS for the body.  You may notice that she also opted out of the red stripe at the shoulders.  She did not want the sleeves tight, however, so I did the armhole depth of the size small.  I picked up a sleeve and knit the whole thing without realizing that my small circumference gauge was tighter…so the sleeve was skin tight!  I ripped it out and picked up more sts.  It was perfect.  Or will be after the magic of blocking.

I used Berroco Vintage, which is 52% Acrylic, 40% Wool, 8% Nylon, colors Black and Sour Cherries.  I hope it holds a block!  It is nice, very reasonable priced, yarn, but I do prefer wool!

She is wearing her “Replacement Rikke” in the picture, but she thought it seemed poofier and that the top belly button was more of an “inny” than the other one.  I reworked the decreases and think it is much improved.  She also asked for a PINK hat.  Yes, I said pink.  Not black, PINK!!  I almost fell over!  She wants a hat to go with her new sweatshirt.  So, I found some pretty hand dyed yarn at Amazing Threads – Claudia Hand Painted Merino Worsted (Desire) Color Bubble Gum – that is a tonal pink and white.  Should be pretty!

Lots of knittin’ for the DD!!

I just went to see Halloween 2018. LOVED it!!! I am a huge fan of teen slasher flicks and love the original. My favorite scene involves Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and a knitting needle. The new movie pays delightful homage to the 1978 original, and they couldn’t help but be a bit playful with it, as this promo pic shows:

Literally and figuratively!!  We have snow predicted in our local weather — I am sure it won’t stick.  BUT that means you get to benefit with a discount on my Snowfall Hat and Mitts patterns!  Yay!!  The hat pattern is $2 off until midnight of October 25, which means the “buy both patterns” bundle is reduced an additional $2 during that same time ($8 for both).

And you get the free Mini Hat with the purchase of Snowfall Hat!  Just in time for your first flurries.

It’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays!!

Knitting the same thing, over and over!!  🙂 DD lost her favorite hat, so it had to be reknit.  It felt like I could not get a single row done!  Then, boom!  It is done!  Another Rikke Hat bites the dust!

The retreat last weekend was so much fun!  The knitters in attendance were great knitters and great people.  We laughed and ate and knitted our way through a wonderful three days.  Thanks to Deb, our hostess, for keeping us fed and happy.  Really nice memories!

The kitchen is progressing, but has a long way to go!!  Most of the boxes have been emptied and items put away.  What you see here is the picture you’ll find under the definition: “round peg, square hole!”  There is a lot of room, but nothing fits.  It was so annoying.

DD came over last night, took one look at the counters, and said she thought they would be ‘a little nicer.’  These are old, cut up doors!  John just put them there so we would have some workable space!  So funny!  The real countertops take weeks to “fabricate.”  The floor comes last.  And the globe lights are soon to be 1970’s history, baby!

I will be spending most of today/tomorrow getting ready for the knitting retreat I am doing at the Norwegian Wood Retreat Center this weekend.  So excited because some of my favorite knitters have signed up!

I am not really doing much knitting yet – hand surgery is still healing.  I CAN knit, but not with impunity!! 🙂

PS to Amy: We are using vinyl plank for the floors – floating floors do not go under the cabinets.

PS2 to Chloe: I grew up with an electric stove…got my first experience with a gas range in an apartment.  I could never go back!

My knitting has been curtailed of late due to several factors.  The most obvious is that I had surgery on my right middle finger a couple of weeks ago that has limited my mobility.  As a right-handed “thrower,” my throwing is a bit off!

The other factor is the disruption of remodeling!

When we walked into the kitchen of our [now] home 21 years ago, we burst into laughter — it was the ugliest kitchen we had ever seen!  Photos do not do it justice.  In fact, if I was as photogenic, I would be a high-fashion model even at my present age.  😉  As ugly as it was, held off until now to remodel.

This is how it looked this morning – this does not show every other room, all of which are equally in chaos.  On Tuesday the cabinet installation will begin.  The countertop takes weeks to fabricate, and I have no idea when the flooring arrives!  Not to mention the lights, tile work, etc.  I had hoped to host Thanksgiving in our new kitchen, but may need to wait for Christmas!!

My husband is doing a lot of the work, so when I sit, knit, and watch TV I feel very guilty.  Because of this, yesterday I went downstairs to do all of the above to minimize the guilt!! 🙂

But, it will all be over soon enough.  I’ll post an “after” picture when it’s done!