It's Summer Outside, But, I'm Knitting Winter Inside

 Yep, put my last Summer knit WIP away today and now it is all about Winter knitting!  In today's episode 166, I've started thinking of sweaters I would like to do and some swatching too.  You can hear all about it, by clicking here

Spending Time On The Porch

 I cannot believe we are at that time of the Summer already.  Kids here go back to school in just 9 days and my grandson starts kindergarten this year.  I cannot believe that is happening either.  It makes me a little sad, because there will be a lot more structure in his life, and less time for on the spur of the moment fun things.

But, with all of that, also comes Fall and then Winter, which I know I am rushing, but I am already working on my Winter knits, I have had enough of Summer knitting.  There are so many knits for the next season that I want to show here, but, that will wait for a couple of posts down the road.

What I am doing right now, is spending as much time as I can on the front porch, whenever I can, dodging hot hot weather when I can, and taking advantage when I can.

This weekend, I've played around with some swatching while casting on a new sweater.  Long story, short, it didn't work out like I wanted to, but it did provide me with a gauge swatch for what the yarn was always intended for.  

Except, I cannot restart it, until I finish one or two other color work projects on the needle.  Casting on a third, just to see it set there or take away from the other two, just doesn't get any of them finished.

It was nice enough this morning to turn the air conditioning off for a bit, and after I got some cooking done, I headed out this afternoon for a cuppa and look at the Anniversary Edition of Laine magazine I picked up at my local yarn shop, The Fiber Universe on Friday.

I've earmarked 4 or 5 that I would love to knit for this next season, mainly because they fit the kind of sweater I like to wear, and the yarns or rather the alternative yarns are easy to get via the United States vendors.  For now, they are on the wishlist, we will see what becomes of them.

Despite, it still being Summer and the weather can attest to that, I think I am done with my Summer knitting (only one Summer WIP still on the needle from 2025, I think I will bring it back out next year when I head to Florida and work on it then.

PJKnits Podcast - Episode 165

 Episode 166 is up on the PJKnits You Tube Channel.  You can watch it by, clicking

here

This episode features things I learned while test knitting for a couple of designers.

Maker's Meetup 2026

 Another Maker's Meetup is in the books, and it was a fantastic one.  With around 145 makers, it was our largest ever, and others who couldn't make it, would have probably kicked us over the 150 mark.  We started out Thursday night, taking over the lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn in Hoffman Estates, Illinois with everyone coming in, checking in and getting a healthy dose of hugs.

Friday, both big conference rooms filled up with more hugs and lots of friends meeting again 

And new friends being made over knitting.

But, before they could find their seats, we had a little gift for all of the attendees, made by our dear, gracious, friend, Sandy, who made 150 of these special bags just for this year's meetup.

We always do some sort of KALs prior to the meetup which are always so fun and truly optional.  In past years, we have done a specific designer, a specific pattern and our fave colors, teals and turqs.  

Friday's theme was Knit Tees, Knitted or Printed and these lovely makers came through for this bit of fun.

Saturday the theme was Stripes, My New Favorite Color and we had such a fantastic array of knits for the KAL, a winner for sure.

All too soon it was over, with door prizes, laughs, snacks, making, sharing and looking forward to another Meetup in 2027.  

Kendra and I will see you there!  Thank you to everyone who came and supported us in all the many ways!! We love you.

Second Test Knit of the Summer

 Prestige Pullover by Tinker Taylor Designs is the second test knit I did for the Summer. Finished it yesterday. I have to say, I was a monogmous knitter on this on this test knit, because I knew if I didn't work on it, I'd be reaching out to the designer and telling her I was a failure.

I had issues from the start with my yarn choices.  The pattern is in DK and Darlene suggested knitting it in a marl yarn for the best effect.  I don't really have any DK in PYS, so I tried a Sport.  Gauge wasn't working out.  My next attempt was a yarn that was marled that my local yarn shop had.  Swatched it, and it was too heavy as well.

Darlene had set up an Instagram chat group, and as other knitters were posting, a couple mentioned they were using two finger weight yarns together to marl together.  So, back to my local yarn shop I went, where we matched up a Cascade Heritage in a ruby colorway and a Malabrigo sock yarn that has black, white, a bit of teal and ruby in it.  Now, these are not my normal color palette, but I gave them a whirl.

Again, had some gauge issues, and at the suggestion of the designer, I went down two sizes in the needle.  Changing sizes to a Large was not an option, as I had committed to a size XL.  I made it work and was able to get gauge.  

The design is all knit and purl in the round, and by the end of the second sleeve, I was definitely ready for it to be done. It has icord hems on the bottom, neck and sleeves and with the advice of my Saturday night Zoom dates, we decided the ruby would look great and it does as you can see from the above picture.

This is Tinker Taylor Designs, first design and she did a great job managing the group, answering questions, giving us videos or a technique or two and was johnny on the spot to update the pattern for us.  It is slated to come out mid August.  For me, it is going to be a great transition piece.  Please check it out when it hits Ravelry.  I'll keep you posted here too!

Test Knitting - Bandana

During my absence from blogging, I have been doing a couple of Test Knits.  

I've been test knitting periodically for Beth MacDonald Stone the last couple of years, taking some time off from that as well, the last couple of months, but decided to test knit one of her Bandanas from the current collection for her, just to keep my name in the mix.

The Bandana, Pass to Center is a bandana, done in mosaic knitting.  I've played around with mosaic, but never really knitted anything in it.  It seems like right now, there is a lot of mosaic knitting being incorporated into shawls and sweaters, along with the sweaters done in slipped stitches (Andrea Mowry's Rhinebeck Sweater for 2026)

I pulled a shawl kit from PYS (Penny's Yarn Shop, also known as stash).  The yarn is Stunning String Studio's Stunning Superwash and was a gift years back. 

 I am not sure after knitting even this small of a knit, that mosaic knitting is for me.  It's a lot of work, or maybe it was just that I was under a time crunch (not because of the designer, but of me, the ultimate procrastinator) and had another test knit that I had signed up to do starting almost right after I should have finished the bandana test knit, but I was certainly wishing towards the end, that the knitting fairy would have come in the middle night and knit some of it for me.

As I was nearing the end, I really did fall back in like with the design, loved the way the yarns looked together and know that when we get into late Fall, early Winter, I'll be sporting it.

My Finished Bandana

I'm Back!!

 Did you miss me?

The first of this year, I made a decision to not blog anymore.  I needed a break, I started posting a lot on Instagram, which I still do and I try to do a PJKnits You Tube episode every 2-3 weeks or whenever I have something worth talking about.  With both of those social media thingys, the blog was suffering and I really was wondering if anyone besides my dear friends from knitting camp were even dropping by.

The last few weeks, I've been wondering about doing blog posts again for those who don't do those other things, or I don't come up on their feeds for you to even know I am out there?!  My blog over the years, 23 yearsish, (the first post in July 2003 for a few short posts and then back up again in December of that year).

During these last couple of weeks, I have been thinking about why I would want to reprise the blog and came up with some reflections - 

I have been writing in my daily journal, and I find that I am trying to up my writing skills there. The blog this time, may be a little different in the past, more writing about knitting, knitting friends, knitting adventures etc.

I have also been playing around with my iphone and checking out others' tips and tricks for getting better pictures to post.  

What I also found, which is a total possible future blog(s), is not everyone is on Instagram or watch You Tube.  And I wouldn't want them to miss out on whats going on with my knitting and the above.

Finally, but maybe not the last of the reasons, is I have become lazy.  Not checking my Ravelry as often as I should, (remember when we went all went down the rabbit hole and didn't come out for hours?), and definitely not checking my email as much as I should.  

Most of all, the blog is such an easy way to go back and really see what was going on in PJKnits life for me and maybe, one day, my grands.   If you are just finding my blog, please keep in mind, this is a knitting blog, but also, I have family and adventures that I will post too, just because they bring me Joy.

Now, if you are still with me, Hi, my name is Penny.  I live in Central Illinois, I'm a Knitter, a Blogger and a You Tube podcaster.  Welcome.

Choose Joy!

I Think It's Time

Time to really put a pause on the blog.  I just have not been giving it what it needs the last few months, using most of my energy on my Instagram (pjknits) and the podcast (pjknits)

I have been doing the blog for  22 1/2 years (July of 2003).  That was back in the day when blogs were a thing.  We have come so far since then in technology, and not so far in the state of the world and the United States.

If you have been with me and a reader of the blog, thank you.  Who knows, I might be back, but for now, I'm leaving it right here.

I hope you will follow me over on Instagram and watch the pjknits podcast on You Tube for lots of knitting content.

Until then, Knit On With Confidence and Hope!

Hugs and much love, 

Penny

Should I?

The question for the next month, is whether I should continue the Blog?  I post almost daily and sometimes more on Instagram my knitting and frankly the blog has suffered,  So, I am wondering if I should continue posting on the blog, or just put it on hiatus for awhile?  

Is anyone doing blog reading any more?  Comment below.

Now with that said, I will try really hard to do some blogging in the next month, and make a final decision then.

What is going on in the world of PJKnits knitting these days?

I'm not quite sure who I have become.  Early mornings mean, as always, hot coffee is on tap and I just love seeing the steam coming off of a freshly brewed cup.  

And of course, there is always knitting to go with it, but I am also loving some easy instrumental music on you tube with scenery fitting the season here at Chez PJKnits,  and don't you just love my new knitting related figurine that popped up via an Instagram ad??  

 Finished my Ridge Forrester from last Fall, and put it into the bath today. Glad to have it done, and when it is all blocked and such, I'll give all the details on it here and on the podcast to come.  Lets just say, I did a bit of ripping back on this one when it came to the sleeve ribs and the hem rib.

It definitely is sweater season here at PJKnits this coming week, I hope you all are keeping warm, until next time.  

Episode 154 Is Ready For You

It's a new year and we are back to regularly scheduled knitting ~

You can watch it by clicking here

 

 

Happy Almost New Year!

 I've spent yesterday and this afternoon, putting some Christmas decorations away and one of my four trees.  There are three trees to go, but one I just reworked for my knitting tree ornaments that are knitting related stayed on as long as they weren't too Christmasy.  I will add some more ornaments to it with the Snowman theme, and this tree will stay up until the end of January, then it will get put away.

I have another tree in my bedroom that is done in turquoise and that one will stay up about another week, just so I can enjoy it a bit at night.

The final one is the Snoopy tree in the basement, and that one I have to work myself up to putting it away because there are so many ornaments on it, and my grandson isn't around to help me take them off and put away.  There is still a lot of decorations just sitting on my big table in the basement, but for now, and probably through the new year, that is where they will wait for me to stow them all away.  One has to be in the mood for that.

In the mean time, I've got a finished object for you today.  The Yuletide Scarf, by Kay Jones, was an Advent KAL I did with Corrina of Corrina Is Crafty for the month of December.  I used an Advent that I purchased in 2022 from Chelsea Yarns in her sparkle base.  I love love this scarf!  It is so scrumptious!  And a perfect knit for today, while our wind is kicking up quite a bit.

With 25 mini skeins, it is a pretty long scarf, but for me, it is all about the squish factor.

Finally to revisit the Pig, we celebrated with my grands this past Saturday and the youngest granddaughter opened her pig.  She loves it and is going to name it Penny and sleep with it every night.

I hope it holds up!

Happy New Year and we will see you in 2026!

Are You Ready?

 It seems only yesterday, it was Thanksgiving and then the first Sunday in Advent, and now all of a sudden, we are really close to Christmas Day.  

Our celebration here at chez PJKnits goes through the 28th, but after that, I will be ready to take down all the Christmas decorations and trees (there are a lot of them, so it may take me a week to do them all, le sigh)

I've been doing a fair bit of knitting on the Yuletide Scarf by Kay Jones out of a 2023 Advent that I have had waiting for the right project to knit it into.  The Yuletide Scarf came about in the way of a KAL, hosted by Corrina is Crafty.  I thought I would give it a go and well, I've been keeping up with it.

It is scrumptious and now, when I finally finish it, I will need to go looking for a nice new wool coat to wear with it. LOL

As much as I have liked knitting on it, a lot of my other intention knitting has not had any love on it, so I am excited to have this one finished so I can get back to them.

I did have a major finished object last weekend with the help of my dear friend, Debbie who helped finish up the sewing up of a WIP from 2023 for my youngest granddaughter.  If you watched the last episode of the PJKnits Podcast, there is more info there on the project.

I super glad this one is done and can't wait to see her open it after Christmas.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve, its gonna be warm here, no snow, but I'm ok with that, so everyone can travel without worry, hopefully!

Episode 153 Is Up On You Tube

 There is a finished object form a couple of years back, some updates on my Advents, WIPS that I want to get back to and some more Sweaters for 2026!

You can find it by clicking here

A Breath of Cold Air

 Did you get a chance to go out today and just breathe the fresh, cold, crisp air with sun?  

I did. And it required sunglasses and warm socks.

I didn't get much done on my Yuletide Scarf for today, but I did get to drink my coffee.

And I talk about my state of knitting mind on today's PJKnits You Tube Episode Number 152, PJKnits Grand Plans for 2026.  You can watch it by clicking here

Have a good week!!

Snow Snow Snow

 We have had more snow in the last weeks since Thanksgiving then we have had in a while.  I like snow, but now, I'm just plain over it.  I think there is at least 6 inches out there now, and next the frigid weather is coming and then, low and behold mid weekish, heading toward the 50s.  Oy, what weather!!

I've been busy most of the month working on the Yuletide Scarf KAL with Corrina's Crafty.  The Advent is from 2022, so I am glad to be knitting on it from PYS and I am loving it.

But, I have hit that wall that seems to happen every mid December when I am doing an Advent, that though is a topic that I'll talk about on Podcast 152 tomorrow.

I have worked just a touch on the Woolens and Nosh Advent, but really haven't progressed very far on it.  I am knitting Musselburgh #14 out of it.

When I'm not working on the Advents, I am knitting on Christmas Belle by Isabelle Kraemer.  Right now there isn't much to see because it is the body, but it is such a good knit for Zooms and just watching it snow from the inside.

I am anxious to finish it, but not sure if I will in time for Christmas, but the nice thing about it, is that I really can wear it into the new year.

Hope all is well with you dear readers and that your knitting is in your hand and you are enjoying it.

I'm Still Here

And I don't have any real excuse, just that I have been very lacks on blog posting, but here are a couple of knit related goings on for now.

There is a new podcast up on the PJKnits You Tube Channel.  You can find it by clicking here 

I don't video any Vlogmas for the PJKnits channel, but I have been following  quite a few and participating in two knits.

One I can't show anymore, because I am knitting Musselburgh #14 out of the Woolens and Nosh Sock Advent and am motoring on.  But, I am showing my daily progress above on the Yuletide Scarf by Kay Jones of the Bakery Bears and participating in a KAL for it with Corrina's Crafty You Tube Channel.

I didn't buy an advent for it, but just so happened to have a Chelsea Yarns one from 2022 in her sparkle base that I had never used back then.  I am coupling it with some Heritage from Cascade Yarns in white and lets just say for a moment in the beginning, I thought it would make a nice gift...that didn't last long, this baby is going to be mine, all mine.

I also have a couple of other advents that I am opening daily, the Door County Coffee Advent, the Pukka tea advent that was a gift and a totally surprise and unknown to me as to who gifted me with it, a Snoopy Chocolate one!!

I finally finished another Musselburgh (#9) out of Malabrigo Ultimate Sock Yarn in the Pocion colorway.  Isn't it perfect for a male?!

I managed to pull all the other Musselburghs out, with the exception of two on the needles, one that I gifted and the one that I made for me for Norway, to get a pic of them all before I donate to our local high school's, Dragons Closet for those who may need a Winter hat and not have one or the funds to do so.

It has been fun knitting them, and I am going to continue again next year, using PYS yarn that I have collected over the years.

My version of knitting socks on the go.

Thats all for today, I will be back with more knitting content very soon.  Stay warm!!

Episode 150

 The latest episode of PJKnits is up on You Tube and you can find it by clicking here

Enjoy!!!

Background Noise

 When you wake up alone and have evenings alone, it is nice, at least for me to have some background noise on.  As much as I like watching podcasts, every morning as I posted last week, I spend a little time, just enjoying starting off slowly. 

And so it continues, this week, though, I am trying to work on a sweater that knitting friends, Debbie, Pat and I are doing together.  They are finished and Pat will be heading out in a week for the Winter, so I would like to finish mine up in the next week, so we can get pics together before she leaves. 

This morning, finished up the main body~

And tonight, it's planes taking off and landing at O'Hare.

Go ahead, you can call me weird.  But, I am learning a lot about planes AND amazed at how many planes can be spotted at night in the air up there.  WOW!