Prickly Pear Knits

A creative journal, mostly knitting-related IG @pricklypearcrafts 🧶 Ravelry @bh293 💻 pricklypearknits.com (coming soon)

[pricklypearknits]

This knitting slump has been very long. I promised people I love several elaborate projects and saw them as a barrier I had to get past before I could knit anything for myself—the result was I lost the inspiration and I didn’t knit anything at all for over a year. Bit by bit I’m getting back into it. The first step was finishing something just for me I abandoned long ago. Thanks to people on my previous post for suggesting exactly this.

I found this cable chart somewhere and came up with a headband pattern that gives it a nice I-cord edge, finally flipping inside out and knitting stitches together with the cast-on edge while binding off. It’s very easy and I hope to type it up as a proper little pattern soon. As nice as they look I’m really not a big fan of twisted headbands and this is just right for me. Fits well, love the color, it’s fully mine and it feels great to be knitting again.

[pricklypearknits]

That frog is the first thing I’ve knit in maybe a year…gosh, maybe almost two now?

Has anyone lost their mojo on a hobby they enjoyed for years for a long period of time? Did you eventually go back to it? Did you have to force yourself? I have so much yarn stashed up because I figured I’d be as interested forever as I always was. I want to enjoy it again.

[pricklypearknits]

I made my bf a silly little frog. He has wearing an orange tweed cable sweater on our first date and I tried to replicate it, wasn’t very successful but it’s cute anyway.

Here’s the pattern, was unclear in some places in terms of assembly and adding the wire but I still like the result & so did he 🙂

[ahumanlady]

Working on the sleeves, waiting at bus stop

[bluephone]

Dice bags! I keep thinking about putting together a tutorial for these - maybe after the craft show season?

[makinguselessthings]

Finished the mitts. I love them. I have been wearing them regularly and I just adore the fit and style.

Fingerless mitts improvised pattern.

Yarn by Woolly Mammoth Fibre Co

[kaiyonohime]

And now, for your viewing pleasure, my completed parasol!  In time to go hanami viewing with it!  Complete with a little bow to keep it securely closed.  The bow may or may not be changed out later, that was the ribbon I found at the craft store on Friday for cheap.  I’ll probably knit something up and dye it later.

But yay, after three months it’s finally done!  And actually in time for summer, so I can use it this year!  So much yayness!

Now I have to actually finish my cardigan, that was supposed to be finished in time to wear this winter and now will not be.  Oh well.  Win some lose some.

[swords-n-spindles]

It is done!!!! This is such amazing work, well done!

[mountain-spirits-deactivated202]

merino wool, linen, + silk all dyed w black walnuts. no mordant for the protein fibers (there’s enough tannin in the walnuts) but juniper ash was used for the cellulose fiber. the darker shades got an iron bath.

black walnut also makes for great ink + watercolor!

[bluephone]

I am not immune to the siren song of making very tiny things

(although this has been sitting half-finished on a shelf since April, so I am perhaps immune to completing them)

[hibernationfibres]

A big slouchy hat for a friend of mine! The tree pattern turned out really pretty (you can see it better in real life than in the picture) and I love how the colours look! I also got these adorable little tags from JSLaserCraft on Etsy that I can put on things for friends who know me by this name :)

Pattern:

“Deep Woods Toque” by Kiyomi Burgin

Yarn:

Cygnet DK- Chocolate, Fern, Burnt Orange

[fiberintake]

Progress report 💙💚

[icterid-rubus]

Elve Slippers in Léttlopi. Honestly, I can’t believe a tube with a slit opening fit so well. I would have sworn these would pinch the backs of my ankles, but no, they’re a dream!

[icterid-rubus]

hi! i really love your bee quilt, and was wondering if you ever finished it or have pictures of the progress??

Hi, thank you! Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to work on it, every few months I’ll pull it out and assemble some more hexies or cut some fabric. It’s currently 18” across, and at this rate it’ll be several years until I get it done.

I don’t have very many pictures from the process so far, although I did make this rudimentary sketch a bit ago about how I may want to it to come together. I want to incorporate some appliqué bees, but I’m still thinking how they’ll look.

[icterid-rubus]

Ending up having a low key knitting day as we lost power early in the morning, got it back for an hour, then lost it again until five. Not turning into a productive week work wise. Fingers crossed this windstorm doesn’t take out the power again.

[anonknitter]

It's so cute 🧡💛💚💙💜

Knitted hoodie for my favorite about-to-turn-eleven-yo kid. The pattern is Besties Hoodie by TinCan Knits. I modified it by knitting the sleeves and pocket separately and sewing them on, normally it is seamless. But I really hate picking up stitches for sleeves sooo

[comfortabletextiles]

Working on a sock pattern for my niece.

[a-bit-knitty-gritty]

I finished my Greenwood Fiberworks superfine merino spin! This stuff is so unbelievably soft. I spun sorta semi-worsted so I could get a nice luster but also have some good bounce and air in the yarn. Overall I'm pleased with the results. I still need to wash and dry before I measure WPI and yardage, but it's 4.3 oz and probably a worsted-weight.

(Also oh hey it matches my icon).