Tag Archives: Knitting

What I worked on in May while I was listening to audio books

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As I mentioned in April, audiobooks keep me company while I’m doing other things. I listen to a lot of music while I’m working, too, but there’s something about having a voice in your ear that is just cozy. May was no different than April, I did a little listening while I was working on various things this month. I thought it might be fun to update you all on the projects that I mentioned last month.

I finished the shawl I was knitting as a sample! This pattern is made with Dream in Color’s Smooshy cashmere. I cannot gush about this yarn enough. It was so smooshy and so soft. It is a little spendy, but if you want a little treat, I would recommend it.

A shawl

I also made progress on the cardigan I started in April. I have finished the bits that will eventually become the back and hood!

Stacks of granny squares
Stacks of Granny Squares

After I finished the sample, I got really into The Starless Sea (review forthcoming), and had trouble focusing on anything but it. I also found myself a little aimless because I’d just finished something and I didn’t know where to go next. So, I started a bunch of things to see what would stick. I have been thinking about doing beaded lace for a year. I bought the yarn and some of the beads over a year ago. I’ve had the pattern for at least a decade. It seemed like a great thing to finally start. Except that it requires a ton of concentration. Also, it’s been about ten years since I’ve made beaded lace, so I had to do a little refresher on the techniques that are needed. I’ve restarted it 6 times. It might not be something that I continue to work on while I’m listening. Memorial Day weekend a started another shawl. This is in Dream in Color’s lamb and goat, which is also super soft and so luxurious. This pattern is called Striking and it is much easier. I can listen and do it at the same time. Excellent stuff!

Beaded knitting
Beaded Lace
Knitting
Shawl in Dream in Color’s Lamb and Goat

Finally, I decided it was time to give up on a project. I love this pattern and this yarn, but I don’t believe that these two are good together. So, I will find new partners for both of them. The pattern is Pincha by Pinpilan Wangsai and it is a free pattern. The yarn is by Storyteller Yarns, a dyer from South Lake Tahoe. I love the colors; they’re so christmassy. I just wish I knew what to do with this skein.

A shawl that has been unshawled

So, what do you do while you listen to audiobooks? What have you been working on?

What I worked on in April while I was listening to audio books

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One of the things that I like about audiobooks is that they keep me company while I’m working on things. Sometimes I listen to them while I’m trying to complete a boring task, like cleaning. But other times I listen when I’d like a little something and I’ve already had way too much screen time. One of those things is doing fiber arts.

I’ve been a knitter for about twenty years and a serious crocheter for only about three. In April, I did a little of both!

I started a new crochet cardigan. Before last year, I’d only knit two sweaters in my entire knitting career. In the past year and a half, I’ve doubled that number. I’ve also crocheted a sweater now, too. I finished my first cardigan earlier this year and I don’t know why it took me so long to get over my fear of sweaters. The Revival cardigan starts with granny squares before moving building the rest of the hoodie around them. I like doing granny squares because they are portable. And, because if I want to stay up for only a chapter or two, I can do a square and that’ll be it. I have a habit of buying single skeins that catch my eye when I’m at different yarn stores or some kind of event, which means I have a stash of single skeins that don’t necessarily have a project attached. Thankfully, I tend to buy the same few colors over and over again, so something I’ve been trying to do this year is build projects around yarn I already own. The yarn for this is all DK weight and I love them. they’re so fun together.

I also started working on a sample shawl for my local yarn shop. This pattern has a nice little repeat that lends itself to a rhythm that’s made it pretty easy knitting. It’s also made in Dream In Color Smooshy Cashmere, which is, in fact, smooshy and so, so, soft. I’m definitely going to have to make something for myself with it. Cashmere is expensive, but oh, does this. yarn feel nice. I would say it’s definitely worth it.