Wrapping up those last UFOs...

I'd started the Hanna Cowl earlier last year, but miscounted the number of stitches and had to frog and start over. I'm giving it another go now.



I'm using Patons Classic Wool in Aran, Currant, New Denim, and Royal Purple, and cast on 240 stitches rather than 268 - I may regret this, I didn't want it to be quite as huge as it looked like it was going to be when I was frogging, but this still may be a lot bigger than I want. I'm debating if I want to do the full 4 chart repeats, but I'll definitely be doing at least 3. A lot of people who knit this on Ravelry have commented on the seed stitch curling up, and I'm seeing some of that already, but I'm hoping that blocking will help straighten it out in the end.

Playing catch up

I made a deal with myself recently to cut back on my video games and focus on trying to get some UFOs knocked out (it's really amazing how much of your time Lego Batman can suck up). With my sewing machine out of commission until I can get it to Sears for some repairs, that means it's been a week now of just focusing on my abandoned knitting projects.

In that time, I've managed to more or less finish one: a smaller, baby blanket sized version of a kitchen cotton stashbuster blanket I knit a few years ago. My sister had liked it quite a bit, so I decided to make a mini version of it for her baby on the way.



The irony of it is, despite having spawned from a stashbuster, I had to buy SO MANY balls of yarn to finish it...

Right now, I'm wrapping up work on Ellie. It had been sitting since I moved over a year and a half ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lot less work to be done on it than I'd remembered.



I'm working a short sleeved variation of the pattern, so I really just have a couple more rows of work on the body to get it to the length I want, and then a few rows to shore up the sleeves, and I'm done. Huzzah!

I have a couple more projects to go after that, and I've told myself I'm not allowed to start anything new until I've gotten all of these off the needles. I've got a few baby projects I want to get started on, so it's impetus to wrap these other ones up, once and for all.

Would you like some fruit?

Two years ago, Jerod asked me if I could knit him a hanging fruit basket for the kitchen, since he'd had no luck finding one in stores. I assured him it'd be super easy, and I'd have it knocked out in no time.

Cut to today, and the thing is finally finished and mounted in the kitchen:



I'm pretty pleased with it. Clearly it holds up well to five pounds of clementines, although it's a bit saggier than I'd expected. Any I make in the future will have some fishing line knit in to help keep the shape of the baskets.

A pattern will be forthcoming, but I naturally have managed to lose the pattern notes in the two years since I actually finished the knitting portion of this, so it will have to wait until I have a minute to recreate them.

Update: The pattern is now available here!

Some reparations...

Since I've been a slacker posting here, I was thinking I'd just finally post the Chubby Checker pattern for free. So here you go!



Chubby Checker
Difficulty - Intermediate

SIZE
One size

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Length: 75 inches
Width: approx. 7 inches

MATERIALS
[MC] Lion Wool [100% wool; 158 yd per 85 g skein]; color: Dark Teal; 2 skeins
[CC] Patons Classic Wool Merino [100% wool; 223 yd per 100 g skein]; color: Heather; 2 skeins
1 set US 8/5.0 mm straight needles

Notions required: cable needle; yarn needle

GAUGE
18 sts/16 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch

PATTERN

Pattern notes
C2FMC – slip next 2 MC st to cable needle and hold to front of work. K 2 st in CC. K 2 MC st from cable needle.
C2FCC – slip next 2 CC st to cable needle and hold to front of work. K 2 st in MC. K 2 CC st from cable needle.

Directions
Starting with MC, CO 2 st. Switch to CC and CO 2 st. Alternate 2 st each of MC and CC across until you have 32 st.
Row 1 (WS): P 2 in CC, P2 in MC.
Row 2: C2FMC across.
Row 3: P 2 in MC, P2 in CC.
Row 4: C2FCC across.
Repeat rows 1-4 75 times. BO.

FINISHING
Weave in ends.
Block to measurements.