Yikes, August already! Is it sweater weather where you are? In the US northeast we have rain, heat, or rain and heat but we can dream of cooler weather to come.
What are you working on and what are you planning to knit or crochet? July was a stellar month for projects of all sorts.
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I am knitting my first “easy” 
one piece jumper 
happy to have moved on from knitting different forms of basic rectangles though
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Had a really bad cold most of this week so couldn’t do much, just getting over it now!
I was working on a pony that was just a head and neck last week, as something that could be made into a little wall decoration/magnet. I’m not sure they’d hold up as key rings/bag charms but I like that idea, too, so I might make one when I am better and test it on my own bags.
I’m still working out how to make the actual mount piece. I’m thinking of making them look a bit like stable doors and maybe add customised name plates, but I could have different options depending on what people might want if/when I sell them.
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Good to hear you’re feeling better.
Love the stable door idea!
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I’m still making the agave top.
Shoulders are seamed and I did something new yesterday.
The pattern has a straight sleeve pick up and I have had a few tops where I’ve made the sleeves seperate so I can seam them on as I think the finish is better, nice and tight in the mattress stitch join, whereas my pick up is generally baggy and I faff around for an age redistributing yarn through the pick up row to ease the extra out at the tail end.
Well, this time, after the pick up (smaller needle) I worked one row (main needle), then shifted all the stitches onto my cable, not needle. Then pulled like Billio on the tail. The pick up row “zipped” like mattress stitch. Wow! Just like mattress stitch if it’s over tightened it bunches up, but can be unbunched by pulling outwards on the fabric until it lays flat.
This might have been done before but I’ve never seen it done or heard of it and it’s made such a difference to the sleeve join. I just did it as an experiment, I was expecting to work a few rows, be unhappy with the pick up, frog, and work seperate sleeves to seam on.
Well, the real test is to see if it works equally on sleeve 2. Otherwise I’ll be frogging sleeves again (as is my habit).
Here it is the zipped-up pick-up
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That looks great! And what a game-changer…do let us know if it works on the 2nd sleeve!
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Yes, it’s worked on sleeve 2, which I’m just about to bind off. Lovely “zipped up” join, like a seam but without seaming. This is going to influence my knitting decisions from here on.
The first sleeve, the long length of yarn pulled out from the pick up row (and it’s very long) I used to seam the sleeve all the way down, there was plenty. I first put a stitch in at the underarm to prevent the tail pulling on the armhole pick up any further, to ensure it didn’t bunch up when i pulled on it for the mattress seam down the sleeve. This worked too.
I imagine this would also work on a button band pick up to get that really snug too.
I’m knitting yet another baby sweater. I love that I am learning something new with each one. Finished one, started one. 
. Saw an adorable set by Debbie Bliss (woodland animal theme) but so far I am resisting!!! Happy knitting everyone!!! Enjoy these final days of summer.
Charlene
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Agave complete.
I’ve treated it to being dried flat for its first wash (i know this will never happen again).
The boat neck is slightly bothersome on this one, which it wasn’t on the Joinery top. I can imagine getting a little frustrated with it. Still it was a quick knit and budget yarn so I’m not complaining too much. I think 2 extra rows on the front shoulders would have increased the comfort.
That’s enough boat necks for now though.
I frogged the Doodles sweater, I don’t like the bulky fabric it was making with 2 yarns held together, it hurt to knit, and it’s another Dan Doh boat neck, so I’ll give it a miss.
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I’m avoiding my knitting project… it’s a lacy shawl with only two patterns … but for the life of me, I cannot knit one increase row without getting the wrong number of stitches. It’s pathetic. So, the shawl is on the “give it a rest” list. I’m picking beans.
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I’ve had a sweater with a back lace panel like that. Should be 140sts across, almost never was. Time out is good. You’ll get back to it.
My classes start on the 25th, and my work is busy, and my house is a construction zone! So this month is high key “finish some unfinished objects” (spoiler alert: every single one is a shawl, most of them lace because that’s what my pattern stash is full of lol and most of them were started while bored last summer) territory. I’ve got a crochet shawl I just had to frog an entire skein of yarn on yesterday on my left, and a knitted Shawl that’s close to completion on my right, and 3 other crochet shawls in my UFO bin lol here’s to hoping I can finish at least one thing before all my time has been eaten by calculus
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As usual, I have a few things on the go!
But the one I’m enjoying the most is the Continuum Arrow Shawl!
The colours are divine, but I’ve already lost at yarn chicken, so I’m waiting for more grey to be dyed!! (Black Elephant - pricey but lovely!)
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Ooh, that’s fun!
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I think this is my next project
I had an idea for a top something similar to this but with horizontal bands (and bottom up), i bought the yarn and did some swatching, then used stitch fiddle to start making my chart, but i made stitch fiddle crash a bazillion times and eventually put the design on a break.
Then whilst lost in a ravelry worm hole i came across this side ways knit. It’s totally different and yet sort of similar to what i was designing.
This pattern is for aran weight yarn, i have fingering, so I’ll use 2 strands together.
Done some swatching as I like some of the colours together and some i really don’t like together.
My gauge is a touch off on stitches so I’ll add 5 more to the sideways pattern to get the right length, row gauge appears to be right on, which has surprised me, and i suspect row gauge is more important in a side ways knit with a full colour chart, not so easy to add extra rows.
I think I’m going to add a bit more texture than in the pattern. So that’s a few modifications to the pattern.
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I am helping a friend knitting a #Haugesundsweater by knitting one with her.
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Beautiful! You’re a good knitting buddy.
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That is a beauty. You must be very pleased.
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Gorgeous! Beautiful work!
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