Big Pacific

This merino/silk from Fiber Optic was purchased at Rhinebeck in 2014. I don't really know why I waited so long to spin it, though I will say that I tend to get bored spinning gradients because you work with the same color for a very long period of time. I was looking to empty my stash of very old braids and this is one of the oldest.

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Sep 4, 2019 at 6:18am PDT

I wanted a thin yarn that preserved the gradient so I spun the entire thing short-forward draw end to end without splitting and chain-plied it. I ended up with about 460yds/118g of a fingering weight. The colors which progress from teal through emerald to a deep black just glow due to the silk content. I actually had a hard time letting this one go but I need to continue to thin out my stash rather than hoarding everything. So this one is listed in the shop, unless I change my mind.

August Wrap-up and Goals

Stash Check

• Yarn Used: 281 yds / 66 g
  Yarn Added: 0 yds / 0 g
  Difference: +281 yds / 66 g
• Fiber Used: 4 oz
  Fiber Added: 0 oz
  Difference: +4oz
• Fabric Used: 0 yds
  Fabric Added: 0 yds
  Difference: -

FOs

Fiber Optics merino/silk handspun

Superhero Cross Stitch! (2014-2019)

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 30, 2019 at 7:23am PDT

WIPs

• Sock Yarn Blanket
• Magnolia Cardigan
• Wound Up Fiber Arts MCN handspun

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Sep 2, 2019 at 3:11pm PDT

Goals

2019 goals

1. Keep yarn/fiber/fabric additions to a minimum: No stash bought this month.
2. Knit from previously purchased pattern: I knit my Magnolia Cardigan all month but haven't finished it yet, so no.
3. Make what I feel like: I've enjoyed my knitting but I did get a little tired of spinning the Fiber Optic braid by the end. it took me 2 months.
4. Spin 15 minutes a day: So, so close. I took the last day of the month off, but otherwise I stuck to it.
5. Knit more handspun: nope.
6. Finish Superhero Sampler: Five years after I started, I did it!
7. Shop less: I bought a couple of new items but nothing crazy.
8. Brush lettering/doodling: nah.

WIP-it Wednesday

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 24, 2019 at 8:55am PDT

I'm still working on my Magnolia Cardi. I'm actually a bit further than the picture shows. Last night I spent way too much time doing a tubular bind-off on the bottom hem. It takes forever and you have to work with such a long tail when you are binding off that many stitches. I asked myself before starting if it was worth it because it is at the bottom of the sweater. But evidently I concluded the answer was yes so I slogged through it. and begrudgingly, it does look nice. now all i have to do is the front bands, the sleeves, and add pockets and i'll have a new cardigan for fall.

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 27, 2019 at 2:40pm PDT

I'm also working on a new spinning project. I chose a braid of Wound Up Fiber Arts MCN that I've been hoarding. My last spin was a very time-consuming one so I am spinning these singles much thicker and I will do a 2-ply. This skein will likely be destined for the shop unless inspiration strikes.

back in my hobonichi weeks

I switched planners again. I know, I know.

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I’m back in my #hobonichiweeks trying out this printable kit from #beayoutifulplanning #beforethepen

A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 15, 2019 at 2:58pm PDT

I like using the dailys in my Plum Paper planner but the A5 size is just so bulky. I can't carry a normal sized purse and it's too heavy to carry every day. So rather than investing in a new planner I decided to go back to my Hobonichi Weeks Mega. I realized that I could utilize the note pages in the back for my dailys. There are not enough note pages for an entire year but I could theoretically use it for 6 months with some pages to spare. At least right now I don't think I will mind having to buy 2 Mega Weeks planners a year. it's worth it to me to be able to take advantage of the compact size.

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#beayoutifulplanning #hobonichiweeks #hobonichi

A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 21, 2019 at 6:56am PDT

I also wasn't decorating my Plum Paper planner at all b/c I need all the space in the dailys to write. Since I don't use the weekly spreads for much in the Hobonichi besides jotting down important events I can decorate more. I do use the right hand page for trackers, weekly to-dos, and my cleaning list. I find that I'm more excited to use the planner if I add some decoration. I've been having fun purchasing and printing digital kits. I've also made a few of my own stickers.

I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that I'm going to keep changing up my planners. We'll see how long I stay in this one before I get the itch to switch. I finally found a pen that I like to use on the tomoe river paper. Right now I'm using the Pentel Energel .03 and I just ordered the .05 size as well to try out because I do prefer that thickness. Fingers crossed that I'll stay happy for a little while in this planner.

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Is it fall yet?

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 11, 2019 at 2:29pm PDT

I really shouldn't complain because it hasn't been a bad summer. But I am so over it and ready for fall. Autumn is by far my most favorite season and sadly it seems to get shorter every year. *insert old lady voice* When I moved to western NY I swear fall started in early September and now it doesn't seem to hit until October.

At any rate because my knitting pace has slowed so much I decided to forego knitting socks this month and cast-on for a new cardigan instead. I bought the Magnolia Cardigan pattern back in 2017 but hadn't gotten around to casting on. I am using Miss Babs yarn that I bought at Fibre Space also in 2017, so you could say this project has been percolating for awhile. It feels really good to finally use the beautiful yarns that have been sitting in my stash and also the patterns that I've been hoarding.

If you want to know what I'm doing with the gradient, I'm aiming for colorblock stripes. I'm knitting from darkest to lightest. The gradient stripes are 20 rows or about 2.5" thick. Then I knit 4 rows of the MC then start the next gradient shade. I decided I wanted more of a distinct stripe effect rather than a smooth gradation of color. I'm planning to keep going until I get through the entire gradient and then do the bottom rib in the MC. If this ends up being a super long duster cardigan, I don't think I'll be mad about it. I will most likely omit the buttons. I never wear my cardigans buttoned anyway.

I have sweater fever at the moment with at least 2 more sweaters I want to knit for this upcoming winter. I'll be happy if I can finish just this one though. My husband has asked for a scarf so i should really cast-on for that as well.

July wrap-up and goals

Another month gone. I've been really busy and haven't made as much progress.

Stash Check

• Yarn Used: 752 yds / 186 g
  Yarn Added: 0 yds / 0 g
  Difference: +752 yds / 186 g
• Fiber Used: 0 oz
  Fiber Added: 0 oz
  Difference: -
• Fabric Used: 0 yds
  Fabric Added: 0 yds
  Difference: -

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Jul 28, 2019 at 2:03pm PDT

FOs

• July socks
• Lamby Convertible Mitts

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 2, 2019 at 5:51am PDT

WIPs

• Superhero X-stitch
• Sock Yarn Blanket
• Fiber Optic Blackbird
• Magnolia Cardigan

Goals

2019 goals

1. Keep yarn/fiber/fabric additions to a minimum: No stash bought this month.
2. Knit from previously purchased pattern: Nope.
3. Make what I feel like: I actually didn't much feel like working on either project I finished this month but I did find the motivation to get them off my plate. I wanted to start a sweater for fall and made myself complete the 2 projects I had in progress first. It wasn't super fun but I am happy not to have them hanging around unfinished.
4. Spin 15 minutes a day: I nearly did this. I was on vacation in mid-July so I missed a couple of days but almost made it.
5. Knit more handspun: nope.
6. Finish Superhero Sampler: I have 1.5 motifs left. I can do it!
7. Taking care of my health: knee problems continue. i don't really want to talk about it.
8. Shop less: I bought a fairly controlled amount from the NSale and then picked up some items for fall at the mall when I was on vacation. I probably won't buy anything else for awhile.
9. Brush lettering/doodling: I didn't really do either of these at all, though I have been lettering in my memory planner.

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Aug 3, 2019 at 7:22am PDT

yep, another new(ish) planner

So I won't get into the details but I came into a reasonably-sized unexpected windfall and decided to save most of the money. However I did treat myself to a new gadget. I bought an HP sprocket and a big pack of photo paper. To be honest I'm still ironing out some issues. I would say that the quality of the photos so far isn't the best, however it is very handy to be able to print sticky-backed photos and the sizing is the perfect width for my planner if I print 2 photos to a page.

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Jul 24, 2019 at 5:20pm PDT

Originally I did not have a lot of interest in doing memory planning but because I bought the printer and I still had 6 months left in my Classic Happy Planner that were unused, I decided to give it a try. And to my surprise I really love it! I feel like it's the most creative of all my planners. I think it's because I don't feel as restricted to stick to the specific days or page layout and I just wing it until I see something I like.

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A post shared by Sara (@knottygnome) on Jul 25, 2019 at 3:27pm PDT

It's going to be nice to be able to look back through my memory planner. Although I do take photos and post them to Instagram I hardly ever look through them again. This will be a way to highlight the points of interest during the week and capture my favorite moments. I am still doing normal rewind spreads in my Erin Condren every week but this will be a fun addition to my planning arsenal. Not to mention I get to use more of my planning stash every week and how could that ever be a bad thing?

This post uses referral/affiliate links. I may receive a small credit or commission if you make a purchase using the links.