Mini Mystery Create-A-Long ~Almost~ Complete

(image courtesy of Melody’s Makes. Links to her blog post announcing the MCAL)

As I mentioned in this brief post, I decided to participate in the mini mystery create-a-long (MCAL). I chose the knitting option. Though I’m not publishing this post until the project is complete, I’ll be updating it after I complete each segment.

January 15
I didn’t get started right on the first day (January 11), mainly because I went back to work this week it and was exhausted every night I came home. But since I have Fridays off, I decided to get it going during Baby D’s nap times today.

Melody stressed the importance of gauge, so I went ahead and actually did a swatch. Want to know a secret? I basically never check for gauge, but I figured since I didn’t know what I was making, I should probably do that.

I no longer had the label for the yarn I chose (shame on me!), but I could tell it wasn’t Super Bulky, as the pattern called for. Melody did say we could double up the yarn if we had Bulky yarn, so I tried doubling it and got gauge on the first try! Not bad for a non-gauge-checker.

Once that was out of the way, I cast on the actual project. The needles I have are juuust long enough for the size option I chose (3-6 months… Obviously I’m making whatever this is for Baby D.)

It’s a simple beginning, but does have cable work, which I’ve never done. But Melody was prepared for that and provided video tutorials, and cabling is easier than I thought. (It’s smushed on one needle. Next segment, I’ll take a picture in the middle of the last row so you can see it flat.)

January 16/17
Segment 2 was released on January 14. This segment was even easier because it was just alternating knit and purl rows to a certain length, based on which size we decided to make.

I’m a little concerned I won’t have enough yarn, depending on what’s left to do. I did some browsing on Joann.com to see if I could find the yarn I’ve been using. I thought it was Lion Brand. I found Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky yarn in color Nantucket that looks like what I’m using. I’ll have to pop by the store with my swatch and see if they have it and if it’s a match. I think we might be making a hat and based on the size I’m making, there’s a possibility we’ll start decreasing in the next segment, so maybe I won’t run out of yarn?? Fingers crossed!

I’m all caught up with the clues (segment 3 is going to be released on the 18th). I’m enjoying this create a long so far and think I’ll participate in another one sometime this year.

January 18
And so begins segment 3. Well, we’re not decreasing, doing just the opposite, actually! I’ll have to see if I can get more yarn. Hopefully I will be able to. However, if I can’t find it, I suppose I’m at a good place where I could start a second color. (I’ve just completed the first step of this segment). It still seems it could be a hat, but maybe more like a bonnet type thing. Since I’m using 2 strands of the yarn and knitting g pretty tightly, the piece is a bit stiff. Not sure if Baby D will be comfortable with it. But we’ll have to wait and see until the end! Also, using the 2 strands made the first step a little harder than I imagine it would be with a single strand (or maybe it was just because my knitting was sort of tight?)

So it turns out I definitely didn’t have enough yarn and Joann’s did not have the color in the store. Boo. So I wasn’t able to finish it. It was a really cute hooded cowl for kids. With the yarn so stiff, I don’t think it would be something Baby D would be comfortable in (since he sometimes objects to wearing hats). Melody had recommended maybe adding just ties to the hat if I had enough yarn to have some kind of finish to it, so I think I will eventually add them to finish it off.

Because over 3500 people joined in on the mini MCAL, Melody gifted everyone 2 free patterns from her Ravelry store, so cool. I picked an earflap hat and a Yoda hat. Also, if you completed the project and had a Ravelry project page for it, you were entered to win one of five $25 Etsy gift cards or one of two mini skeins from XoXo Yarn. Pretty sweet. (Unfortunately, I’m not eligible since the project needed to completed and posted by yesterday.)

I did sign up for her regular Mystery Create a Long for February, called Wisteria and I’m looking forward to that (there will be a post about that once it’s complete.)