Advancing Into Autumn

Hello friends! Happy October! I can’t believe how quickly this year is flying by, though I guess that’s how it goes when I have a full time job and a part time “job” in the theater. I’ve actually done a ton of knitting the past two weeks so that is exciting, and let’s talk about it! I’m currently on a little vacation in Philadelphia, so that has helped with the knitting time.

The biggest project I’m working on is Maema. Two of my IRL knitting friends have made this and I just needed to join. I got a gift card for Hedgehog Fibers as a result of doing a bunch of test knits last year, and I figured if I was going to get yarn shipped all the way from Ireland, I would make the shipping cost worth it and get a sweater quantity. The yarn is their sock yarn in Pine. I love the subtle specks of color, I think this will be a very versatile and wearable cardigan! I am going to make the sleeves a little more standard, longer and less wide than in the pattern. I cast this on sort of on an whim, I just needed to knit something calming with bigger needles and longer rows than socks. In fact I cast this on so quickly that I didn’t even feel like winding the yarn and just knit from the swift for the first skein.

Even through I have two pairs of socks that are close to completion (the stripey socks just have ribbing left, and I’m midway through the foot on the second Speckled Space sock) I brought a brand new skein to cast on new socks on this trip. I didn’t want to worry about finishing a pair and needing to bring another. Don’t ask too many questions, this is how my brain works lol. I actually bought this yarn on my work trip to Spokane this winter, so look at me using what I buy haha. I’ve been working on these while I’m out and about on this trip, including making the heel at a concert I went to last night.

This trip also included a stop at Loop yarn, where I picked up two skeins. There is another yarn shop in the city, actually really close to where I’m staying, but I didn’t check the hours and they’re now closed until I leave. I actually went to that shop I think when I was here in 2018, and I haven’t used the yarn I bought then so I guess it’s ok haha. I do have an immediate plan for the solid Loop skein, I am going to replace one of the colors in the West Knits MKAL plan I have. The blue I had chosen was single ply, and while I loved the color it was going to bother me that only one of the four was a different texture. So I think this will look perfect in the gradient and will fit in better with the texture. No plans for the other skein right now but I love the colors and I always need more fun sock yarn in the stash.

All this progress means that I knit just about 80,000 stitches in September, which is the most I knit in a month this year. I’m down to needing 2,200 stitches per day if I want to meet my original goal. Something about the fall really ramps up the cozy knitting vibes for me. Though of course I do have rehearsals, costuming, and a few cross stitch projects I want to work on, so we’ll see. I did get some knitting done during our first music rehearsal for The Drowsy Chaperone, where I’m in the ensemble. My fellow ensemble alto crochets, and so we were having a grand old time when waiting for others to learn their parts.

Well that’s it for me! I hope everyone has a great week and a great October!