Three For Thursday

Traditional Gansey Socks

Unbelievably, I only have two projects on the needles right now! In preparation for some knit-a-longs next month, I'm trying to keep my WIPs lean. Currently, the only projects I'm working on are a pair of toe-up socks (yes, you read correctly!) and a sweater for myself. Don't worry, I hold no illusions that I'll finish either project before May starts next week. I am completely ready to slide down that slippery slope of breaking my self-imposed "three-at-a-time" rule.

Inspired by the Cookie A workshop, I cast on for a pair of toe-up socks by Wendy D. Johnson - the Traditional Gansey Socks. I'm using some yarn that was hand-dyed by my tattoo artist, Kit; it's a luxurious MCN blend in a bright carrot-y color with subtle greenish undertones. I brought out the size 0 needles for this project, as I figured such a soft yarn would need to be tightly knit if it were going to withstand many months in winter boots.

Deadly Stimulant

It's been a while since I've knit myself a sweater, and I've been fantasizing about making the Beulah Cardigan by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, which appeared in the Spring issue of Knitscene. Having sworn off skinny-yarn sweaters indefinitely, I thought a cropped cardi would be a great way to dip my toe back into the water. I cast on mid-month with my Deadly Stimulant in Tightrope (dyed by Sam of The Wool Dispensary and sold exclusively though Doodlebug Yarn) and it is flying off my needles! Ok, maybe not by normal-person standards, as I am a very slow sweater knitter - but by my own reckoning, this is a fast-knitting sweater, and I should be done with the back and ready to cast on for the front pieces by the end of this weekend.

Zuzu's Petals in Finito

Finally, I thought I'd share an FO project that has thus far escaped blogger-ly mention (yes, that is a phrase now) - I whipped up this version of Zuzu's Petals with a single skein of Malabrigo Finito in a matter of days. I went down a needle size to produce a nice, snug cowl (not to mention, ensure that I didn't run out of yarn). I'll be knitting another version of this pattern next month for MadTosh May, so I consider this project to be my warm-up!

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What If I Didn't Add Heels?

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Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

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