Scratch Solstice Calendar 2021

I am ridiculously excited about Scratch's 2021 Solstice Calendar.

Is it December yet?

FO: Ziggy Stardust Opium Hat

Catching up with some unposted projects, this throw back made for Diamondsoled

Pattern: Opium Hat by Natasha Sills

Yarn: June Pryce Fiber Arts Greenwich Worsted in Ziggy Stardust

This pattern was a great match for a varigated yarn and has held up really well to regular wear.

FO: Quick twisted rib hat in hunter orange

Diamondsoled requested a quick turn-around neon orange hat for safety in the woods from hunters.

Pattern: Ridewalk Hat by Gabrielle Roberts (free Ravelry pattern)

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Brites in Neon Orange

Needles: US 11 - 8.0 mm

I think this was my first time using a German twisted cast-on, and I really liked it it. I would definitely consider using it in the future.

I ended up modifying the pattern to be in twisted rib throughout, to try to give the acrylic yarn a bit more structure, since it doesn't have the memory of wool.

Verdict: this is a really wearable, size flexible hat that knits up pretty quickly. I could see it being good for gift or charity knitting.

FO: Pear Tamarin Tee

Yet another craftroom clean up find: I completely fell in love with the Tamarin Tee pattern when I first saw it. It really did seem like the perfect summer layering piece.

Really it is all about this back place detail.

Pattern: Golden Tamarin Tee by Rachel Brockman

Pattern Source: Interweave Knits, Summer 2020

Yarn: Rowan Summerlite DK in Pear

Yarn Supplier: WEBS

Needles: US 3 - 3.25 mm

I made a size 36" bust, and deepened the armholes slightly to 8", since my size seemed a little shallow to me.

While it had been a while since I had done a provisional cast-on, it has more than a decade since I had done an i-cord bind off or three needle bind off, so those parts were a lot of fun actually.

Relative to the other things in the WIP pile, this has not been sitting all that long. I had cast it on in June 2020, as a way to do something nice for my birthday while in lockdown. Very glad to have it finished!

FO: Venus in Aries

So I started a pair of socks for a friend I have not been able to see in person for several year due to babies and then Covid. In the fog-like haze which is my memory these days, I did make sure to carefully inspect my finishing, to include a heartfelt handwritten letter, to wrap them in tissue paper and get them sent out on time.

What did I not to? Take a picture of the finished socks. Doh! So here is pre-knitting photo.

Yarn: Urth Uneek Fingering

Needles: US 1 - 2.25 mm

Pattern: stockinette toe-up socks with wedge toe, short row heels, and surprisingly stretchy sewn bind off

This was my first time knitting with this yarn, but it was great. I would gladly knit again, which is good, since I have another pair of socks worth in my stash in a different colorway.

FO: Crochet Dissent Cowl

In addition to the knit Dissent cowl, I also made a very pink crocheted version of this pattern. This version is in colors chosen to go with a friend's favorite light jacket.

Pattern: Dissent Cowl (crochet) by Carissa Browning

Hook: 4.5 mm

Yarn: Dream in Color Juliette BFL Silk DK in 67 Liberation

and Kim Dyes Yarn Brioche DK in Last of the Wildflowers

Yarn Supplier: Scratch

I had first done mosaic crochet in Rozeta, so this was a good follow up project. Having said that, I like the finished result of the knit version a little better.

FO: Dusty rose cabled socks

So in cleaning out my craft shelves, I ran across a pair of socks that was just missing the final ribbing for the cuff. The are a little more dusty rose/taupe than the tan they appear here, but I was so glad to get them on to their new home (not my WIP shelf) that I wasn't fussy about the photo.

Yarn: mystery sock yarn
Needles: US 1 - 2.25 mm
Pattern: toe up, wedge toe, short row heel, 4st cables on leg, 4X2 cuff, stretchy sewn cast off

The weird thing about these socks is that I clearly remember them but can find no previous reference to them in Ravelry. I can't even find the yarn they are made of in my stash, although I thought they were a Regia silk 4-ply. Anyways, they are already in the hands of their recipient, and it is off my visual to-do list in my craft room.

Craft shelf reorganization

After a series of kitty-yarn-terrorism events, it was time to move the yarn out of reach of the small fuzzy member of the family.

 

On the plus side this has provided an opportunity to look through things, and I am happier with how the space is laid out.

FO: Promises in the Dark

I had not knit anything for myself in a while, so this was a really exciting knit. In addition to being a beautiful project, it became a bit of an in-joke, since I knit a good portion of it while gaming in a table top game as a person blessed by the deity of secrets, which made the pattern name extra amusing.

Pattern: Promises in the Dark by Cheryl Faust

Yarn: Harrisville Designs Nightshades in Vinyl and Spincycle Yarns Dream State in Salty Dog

Yarn Supplier: Scratch

Needles: US 6 - 4.0 mm

Seriously can we talk about this color shift detail in the Dream State? Love it.

And despite my claims of not doing much mosaic knitting, this was yet another mosaic knitting pattern. The geometric pattern was very straightforward once I got in the groove.

Both yarns were new to me, although I have been wanting to try Nightshades for quite a while. They were each fairly wooly, which does not bother me at all, but is something to know if you are purchasing online. I would happily knit with either again.

Knit Dissent Cowl

A non-knitting friend requested help as she had fallen in love with this cowl, but didn't have the skill to make it. I deeply admire and appreciate her contributions to the community, and I was happy to help.

Pattern: Dissent Cowl (knit) by Carissa Browning

Yarn: Cloudborn Fibers Superwash Merino DK in black and grey heather

Yarn Supplier: Webs

Needles: US 6 - 4.0 mm

I have not done a lot of mosaic knitting, but it was very straightforward. The dot "lining" is a particularly elegant touch, and the whole pattern was well thought through.

The yarn is a great pleasure to knit, and it comes in a ton of colors. As a superwash option, I could see it as a good affordable option for a natural fiber, machine-washable project.