Knit we go in quarantine

Well, except that I am an essential worker.  But, I will remember this as the item I knit during this time.  I have a pink version of this one that I knit a few months ago, and I have worn it as a skirt (belly warmer) and a shawl, and used it simply to cover my legs while I sit and read or type.

It is a size 7 circular needle, and this particular one comfortably fits about 130 to 150 stitches before they want to pop off.  So, that is the size these blankets are.  It works out with the Red Heart acrylic yarn to be about 3 feet wide, and then I knit them about 4 foot long.

They are really handy little things to have around.
Weaving in all the ends of the stripes can be a bit hectic, but they look too plain otherwise, and I use up lots of little balls of scrap yarn in the process.

The nubbly areas are seed-stitch alternated for three to five rows and then back to garter stitch.  The stripe rows are two passes of each color.

Really simple but effective and useful knitting.

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I saw a LOT of knitting posts lately, and yarn stashes, and deliveries etc etc... and I'm not doing anything fancy or ordering a lot of special yarn.. but I am glad to have something to work on.

I washed up and finished out the two Simply Soft scarves I had been making - one in magenta garter stitch and one in grey brick stitch.  They are about 10 to 12 inches wide and 5 and 6 foot long. respectively.  They are lovely and useful, as well.  I wore one of them around my neck up to the mailbox when it was cold the other morning, and the other one I had worn when I was wearing the pink shawl as a skirt and kept warm on top and bottom. 

That is a good yarn to hold up, although 3.68 per skein now at the store and what I have is mostly because Mark and Esme have given me them over the years as presents - silky and colorful yarns, they are definitely the type to draw the eye in.  I threw both of the scarves through the wash and they came out very nice - except I also threw in a wool scarf I had forgotten what it was made of and it came out really soft but kind of small - only 6 inches now by about 4 feet - but it is still a good neckwarmer type for tucking into a jacket collar.  I've worn a few of my knit hats, too lately - same reasons.. and making more of those for the 'pile' would be useful, too.

I also finished two net market bags, one book size and the other towel size for the beach.  The towel one is made of the same green yarn as this.

And of course wash cloths, I had stacks of them a few weeks ago - and they are all finished up and put into circulation.

knitting projects

I can tell it is winter, or approaching quickly, as things are flying on the needles here. I want warm things, socks and shawls and afghans. And I want to clean - and to have lots of cleaning cloths. So, now with the 'ick' bronchitis/pneumonia mostly gone my knitting needles are clacking. I've used so many of the kitchen cloths for cleaning lately that I feel I owe Mark more to use only in the kitchen and have worked up a few of those recently in a pattern he requested.

New dishcloth pattern with furrows, cast on 4, k1, yo, k to end, ((adapt to k1, yo, p1 and try to repeat pattern for each side of the cloth identically). eventually: k2, yo, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k*, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2 (*=all extra stitches will fall here until item gets as large as needed). Then decrease as k1,k2tog, yo, p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k*, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2 every row)- making adaptations in seed stitch for the beginnings and ends where the item will not have as many stitches to create the entire pk pattern. The resulting dishcloth will have a pretty 'furrowed' edge inside the eyelet and outside of a plain garter square. (picture to come)

The new texture should make them easier to tell apart from cleaning cloths than the others... try to keep them separated mostly by colors but it doesn't always work. octagonal swirl cloth <--would like to make several of these, and the shape would be different on those as well. Mark requested I alter my usual 'Grandmother's Favorite' dishcloth pattern this way so he can feel the edge before his finger slips through an eyelet hole. He uses them mostly to take hot things out of the oven and to grip hot lids on pans. He has a problem sometimes with the eyelet being a right where he doesn't expect it and his finger slips through onto the hot surface. I could also try to make some dishcloths that simply do not have the eyelet - it is possible.

I am working on Esme's sweater - getting closer to the end of the back panel. Then I will start taking it to work and making the front panels.

I have finished my garter stitch triangle shawl and am wearing it. Esme calls it the 'pink stripe wearing you wear'.. if she can't remember the word 'shawl'. *ha* She knows it is not a blanket, and gets stuck on what it 'is'... she tried to wear it to sit in our bed last night and decided if it wouldn't allow her to stay up later then she would give it to back to me. It looks nice and is warm, but not as warm as a stockinette stitch would have been. I will try to get a picture of it in the next week or so, as well. The crocheted rug has been put aside for a little while as it is not a necessary at all.

Now if only I can keep my feet warm at work! It is hard to get something knitted that fits within your shoes... so I will have to buy some warmer socks and have my knitted woolly things only at home. That won't keep me from knitting more, though!