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!