Finished Sweater, finished socks, further plans: Update on my year of projects

I decided to join the A Year of Projects Blog-Along on Ravelry >> - you can find details here >>

So here is my update on what I achieved in recent weeks. And there are quite some weeks since I posted my last update >>, this was middle of March!

Finished: My Riyito sweater is done

Finished on March 22: My Riyito sweater from sock yarn

When I last posted, I was working on the sleeve of my Riyito >>, and I finished it a week later - see here >> I quite like it - it could be a tad longer in the front. As it is so wide, there is some "air circulation" at the seams which should idealy not be there. But I neverthless like it, I wore it quite a bit already and I also can highly recommend the pattern book "Short Row Knits" * >> by Carol Feller

Finished: Plain vanilla Opal socks , Business trip knitting part 1

Finished March 29: My plain vanilla socks from Opal Gallery

I was quite advanced with my Opal socks >> made from Opal Illusion self-striping yarn * >> when I last posted. I finished them by the end of March. Those were mainly knit as early-morning knitting, i.e. I knit on them for about 30 minutes each morning after waking up. However, most of the first sock was knitted during my business trip to Bologna middle of March.

Finished: Forest Moon of Endor sock, business trip knitting part 2

Finished April 6: Forest Moon of Endor socks from Buttinette yarn

I also mentioned this in my last update: There was another buisness trip on the horizon beginning of April, via train to Paris this time. I knitted the same pattern in April 2016, when I was last travelling to Paris for the same trade show. So I casted them on>> from the last ball of my Buttinette yarn. To use up that yarn was part of my 6-in-2019-resolutions >>

The pattern looks way more complicated than it is, and it has an alternative heel construction which I quite enjoyed.

However, the reason why those were done in about a week is not such a pleasant one: When I was already sitting in the train that was supposed to take me back, there was an announcement at the Gare de L'Est: Due to a computer problem, no train was going to leave (or come into) the station on that day. You were supposed to "look for an alternative way of transportation" *grrrrr* - thank you very much!!!

So, my colleague and me took the metro to the Gare du Nord and took the Thalys train which goes to Cologne via Brussels. I have never been to Brussels before (well, and still have not been, we just passed the central station...), so why not?

At least I was at home nearly the same day (at 1 a.m the next, to be exact) AND I got a lot of knitting done!

Next sweater in the making: Spring striped shirt from stash yarn

Shortly after separation for front and back: My spring striped shirt from stash yarn

After finishing already two>> pullovers >> in 2019, I really do not want to knit anything else than pullovers - no shawls, no small stuff, just pullovers!

In addition, as both of those sweaters had stripes, I really like stripes at the moment, so why don't make another striped sweater >>?

So I searched my stash and found some more of the Meilenweit comfort sockyarn with bamboo *>> and some of the Aldi yarn I bought beginning of the year >>. I casted on the Spring Striped Shirt >> , a free pattern from Purl Soho and I quite like it so far.

I just separated front and back and I hope I will be able to finish it if not before, than shortly after Easter - we will see.

The weather was pleasantly warm last weekend, so I started the outdoor knitting season last weekend. Winter is back today, it is only 4 degrees celsius, and it snowed in areas of our city which are a bit more elevated...

Starting outdoor knitting season by April 7 2019 with my Spring Striped Shirt 

#Bakerstwine virus and another train incident

There is a virus going around in my local knitting group: Everybody is knitting the Bakerstwine potholders by Rosa P., so I also casted on some >>, using leftover cotton yarn. You use that yarn doubled,which creates a thick, squishy fabric ideal for potholders.

My Bakerstwine potholder, without its lost twin

I casted mine on last Saturday and finished the first one before I drove to knitting group (by tram) yesterday. I casted on the second there and made good progress- I actually knit all what you can see on the photo above during knitting group.

However, I got distracted and by mistake casted on 1 pattern repeat less than for the first one - well, no big deal, I thought... I ran out of the olive green yarn, but this was the second one, and I wanted to use up the yarn anyway, right... ?

Well, I took the tram back and nearly missed the stop I had to get off. When hurrying to get out, I seem to have lost potholder no 1.... So, now I have a single potholder in the making and I have to dive deep into my stash to find some somehow matching yarn to make its twin - I was really furious yesterday!

I think it might be a good idea to wait a little before deciding what to do here.
In addtion, I have to say that I am not totally bitten by the bakerstwine virus - it is a fun pattern, but I do not feel the urge to produce loads of them currently.

Inspiration from knitting group: Additions to my queue

I assume I am not the only one who takes back a lot of inspiration from going to knitting group >> So there have been some additions to my queue from yesterday's trip to Karlsruhe:

Sweater Pattern Magpie Tendency

Cropped sweater from sockyarn: Magpie Tendency 

One of my knitting friends had this pattern by Skeinanigans >> on her needles, a cropped layering sweater to use that precious skein of sockyarn. I am really into cropped sweaters currently, so I plan to do this soon.

Gumdrops shawl by JumperCables

Nice eylet shwal: Gumdrop shawl by JumperCables

Another knitting friend was wearing this shawlette >> and I really like it. Once my shawl knitting mojo is back, I will cast this on.

Wellenreiter: Nice strucured lace pattern

Very nice from self-striping sockyarn: Wellenreiter

A third knitting friend was working on the Wellenreiter scarf >>, using a gradient yarn (Schoppel Zauberball * >>, to be exact) . As already mentioned, I am not into shawl knitting, and I do not really like knitting rectangular scarfs, but I loved the stitch pattern! I would probably not even block it to keep the highly structured, nearly sculptural pattern.

So, this was it from my side - how has your knitting been?
Please let me know in the comments below!

Linked to Auf den Nadeln >> and Stricklust >>

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