Knitting Round-Up

So.  2018 already.  It's been a busy fall season for me, and that has affected knitting as well as blogging.  But I did manage to take a few photos of what I've been up to lately (in addition to the obligatory cat photos!).  So:  When I last posted about general knitting stuff in July(!), I was working on a suitably patriotic pair of socks that were gifted at Christmas:

And the last pair before the holidays was another pair gifted for Christmas:

Aren't those cheery?  The yarn was a skein of hand dyed yarn from a local dyer (Fish Belly Fiber Works), in the colorway is Malificent.  The pattern is a changeup (to make it toe-up) on Undine, from Wandering Cat Studio.

I knit two pair of socks from navy yarn before these- here's the FO shot of the second pair:

- and a third one with navy accents (which constituted more than enough navy for a while).  But it was handy because it let me use up a couple of partial skeins my mom gave me that didn't have quite enough yarn for a pair of sock in the usual sizes I knit.

It's always so satisfying when you can use *all* the yarn!  Speaking of which, there was the usual flock of mittens:

Not quite as many as usual, but with the adult size pairs I donated earlier in the year, a fair number.   It also ran me quite nearly out of worsted weight yarn- the last red-and-white pair are sport weight paired with a fingering weight yarn to get it to a heavier thickness.   This year coming year I have some projects in mind to help reduce the sport weight stash!  (Also, if I finish a couple of sweaters there will be more worsted weight to replenish the worsted stock!).

Speaking of using up sport weight, I have been working on my crochet skills, and (after only 20 or so false starts) turned out a fairly credible version of the Madeline Triangle Scarf.

The last project of the year that I finished was a slightly overdue Christmas cowl for my mom.   Note to self- beaded projects should not be attempted on tight deadlines.  Also seed beads are ^&%%#%^ing slippery!

The pattern for this is the Sojourn Falls Scarf, and the super-alert will notice that this is not a pattern for a cowl.   I adapted it by starting with a provisional cast-on, skipping the border rows, and then at the end, grafting the ends together.  In pattern.  With beads in the row.   Yes, I did question my sanity there for a bit.  But it all worked out in the end.  (There may have been some vigorous language used during the grafting phase...)

Some of the knitting (not the vigorous language part) was enlivened by company.  Here are Kali and Karen from the local knitting group.  They are a constant inspiration.

It must be said that they are also a great deal more helpful than my other knitting companions:

And so we have a boxed set:

And now the WIPs- in other news, I'm still working on the fall lace shawl, which got sidelined for Christmas deadline projects:

I pretty much knew when I started it, that it was not going to be finished for the KAL deadline, but it was an excuse to start something new, in a yarn I've had around for a while.

I liked the stitch used in the Madeline scarf so much that I started a new project using it in a square- a baby blanket.  This will give me a start on using some of the large bag of baby yarn I was gifted in December, as well as restocking the gift bin, which is currently completely empty of baby items.

Last but not least, the current sock.  Because there is always a sock!  This one is the Corded Rib sock from Sensational knitted socks in the Sonder Yarns Fingering in the colorway Comfy Jeans.

Wishing everyone a crafty and fun 2018!  Anyone got any good resolutions suggestions?