My first sweater is still moving along, one round at a time!

I’m now about halfway through Sleeve #2, at least until I reach the decreases. I’ve been happily knitting around and around, watching the sleeve slowly take shape.

This part of the sleeve is definitely the kind of knitting I can get into a rhythm with. Once I got the stitches picked up and the sleeve established, it became a pretty straightforward knit. There’s something satisfying about watching that tube of fabric get longer and knowing I’m getting closer to actually wearing this sweater.

The next big milestone will be reaching the sleeve decreases. That’s where things will get a little more interesting again, but I already worked through the decreases on Sleeve #1, so I know what’s coming.

And honestly, I’m enjoying seeing how much I’ve learned just by making this sweater.

When I started my first sweater, all of the construction seemed like a lot to figure out. Now I’m halfway through the second sleeve and thinking, I actually know what I’m doing here.

Well… mostly. 😂

For now, I’m enjoying the easy part and putting in the rounds. Sleeve #2 is halfway to the decreases, and this first sweater is getting closer to becoming an actual sweater every week.

Back to the knitting!

What I’m Knitting

Halloween Arm Warmers for Audrey

I cast on two arm warmers for Audrey’s Halloween costume! She’s going as Charlotte from Five Nights at Freddy’s, so naturally, that means I have some costume knitting to do.

Arm warmer #1 is underway, and I’m currently on round 22 of 135. Arm warmer #2 is still hanging out in the cuff stage.

So, yes, there are quite a few rounds ahead of me. But at least these are small enough to feel like I’m making progress every time I pick them up. And they don’t have to be ready until October 17 for Trunk or Treat at school.

A Quick Soap Sock

Two of my girls need a hygiene product for their Saturday Girl Scouts event, so I cast on a soap sock and knocked out 14 rounds.

This is exactly the kind of tiny, useful project I love. It’s quick to knit, practical and gives me something to work on when I don’t want to commit to a bigger project.

My Bible Sweater

I also put some stitches into my Bible sweater this week. This is the Bible cover I started some time ago, and I’m still steadily working my way through it. I estimate I’m about halfway through it.

First Sweater, Sleeve #2

And I’m continuing with sleeve #2 of my first sweater. Sleeve #1 is officially finished, so now it’s just a matter of getting this second sleeve caught up.

At this point, I’m getting very familiar with sweater sleeves. 😂

What I’m Reading & Listening To

I had a particularly productive reading week and finished three books:

• Alamo House

• Party Girl by Anna David

• Dolly All the Time

I’m currently listening to 10 Marchfield Square.

And on my iPad, I’m reading The Cat Who Played Post Office.

My reading queue continues to behave like it has somewhere to be.

Products I Love

This week’s product love goes to something that made its way into the knitting queue for a very practical reason: soap socks.

They’re a great little handmade project when you need a useful gift, stocking stuffer, Girl Scout event item or just a quick project between bigger knits. Plus, they’re a satisfying way to use up small amounts of yarn.

Sometimes the tiny projects are the ones that keep the needles moving.

Here. Knit this one next.

If your sock queue is looking a little empty, or if you’re tired of scrolling through hundreds of patterns trying to decide what to cast on, I’ve done some of the browsing for you.

These are eight sock patterns worth adding to your queue, from simple vanilla socks to textured designs and patterns.

And yes, they’re all different enough that there’s something here for whatever kind of sock-knitting mood you’re in.

Read more

Honestly? I’m getting pretty good at that.

Here’s what I’ve been knitting, reading and loving this week.

Knitting

Bangle Bracelet

I finished another bangle bracelet. It’s purple with hints of green on one edge. These are fin to make and fun to wear. I’v also made them in beige, burnt oranges and aqua-ish blues.

My First Sweater

Sleeve #1 is DONE!

This feels like a pretty big milestone because this is my first sweater, and that first sleeve seemed to take approximately 4,000 years to knit.

But it’s finished, including all of those decreases, and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

And because apparently finishing one sleeve means immediately starting another…

Sleeve #2 is underway.

I’ve picked up the stitches and I’m about 12 rounds into the second sleeve. So now I’m officially in the “do it all again” portion of sweater knitting.

The good news is that I know what I’m doing this time. The better news is that sleeve #2 should hopefully go a little faster now that I’ve worked through the construction once.

I’m also continuing to work on my Bible sweater, so I have a little variety in my knitting life.

At this point, I’m very much enjoying having a couple of projects to rotate between, especially when one involves sleeve knitting and I need a change of scenery.

Reading

Finished:

The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers

I finished The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers this week.

I really enjoyed spending time with this book and its characters, and it made for a fun addition to my reading list.

There’s something particularly appealing about a story centered around a retirement home full of famous writers. It’s a premise that practically begs for interesting personalities, secrets and complications.

And now it’s officially off my currently-reading list.

One Italian Summer

This is the first book that I read on my iPad. I borrowed it from the library and read a little each night until I finished it and check out another ebook from the library.

By the way, reading books on my iPad is my new favorite thing!

DNF:

The Someday Garden

I started The Someday Garden this week, but I didn’t connect with it.

So I didn’t finish it.

I’m trying to get better about giving myself permission to do this. There are far too many books I want to read to spend my limited reading time forcing myself through something I’m not enjoying.

Sometimes a book just isn’t the right book at the right time.

Onward.

Started:

The Cat Who Played Post Office

My next book is The Cat Who Played Post Office.

And I have a little mystery of my own with this one. I have a feeling I may have read it before I started keeping track of all the books I read.

I don’t remember enough to say for sure, though. So we’ll see.

As I work my way through it, I’ll find out whether I’m experiencing it for the first time or accidentally wandering back into an old reading memory.

Either way, a cat solving mysteries is a pretty solid way to spend some reading time.

Listening:

Alamo House

I’m also listening to Alamo House, and I’m about 88% finished.

Which means I’m firmly in the “I need to know how this ends” portion of the audiobook. I’m hoping to finish it soon, so there may be a new audiobook joining the rotation next week.

Products I Love

This week’s picks are a little mix of knitting and everyday favorites.

ChiaoGoo 16” Circular Needles

I’ve been using a 16” US Size 6 and Size 4 on my sweater sleeves. Could not have finished sleeve 1 or moved on to sleeve 2 without them!

Counter All Bright Vitamin C Serum

I’m also continuing to love the Counter C Serum.

It’s one of those products that has earned a permanent spot in my routine because I actually enjoy using it. I use the code KRISTIEMCCAULEY when shopping Counter products.

If you’re looking for a new addition to your skincare routine, this is one of my favorites.

Project Bag

A good project bag is one of those knitting accessories you don’t appreciate until you have one you really love.

I like having a dedicated bag for whatever I’m currently knitting so my yarn, needles, pattern and little notions stay together.

It also makes it much easier to grab a project and go instead of spending five minutes hunting around the house for the missing needle.

Because the fastest way to lose knitting momentum is apparently to spend your knitting time looking for your knitting.

That’s It for This Week

The big knitting news is definitely Sleeve #1 is finished and Sleeve #2 is underway!

On the reading side, I finished The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers, abandoned The Someday Garden and started The Cat Who Played Post Office. I’m also getting very close to the end of Alamo House.

And now I need to find out whether I’ve actually read The Cat Who Played Post Office before.

The reading detective work begins.

Then you spot it.

A mistake.

Read more

This week brought a pretty big milestone: I finished Sleeve #1!

Since this is my first sweater, there’s something especially satisfying about finishing an entire sleeve. I started this project knowing there would be a lot of new-to-me knitting along the way, and now I have one full sleeve to show for it.

I filmed a quick video of the finished sleeve so you can see how it’s coming along:

And, of course, I didn’t spend much time celebrating before starting the next challenge. 😂

Sleeve #2 Is Underway

After finishing Sleeve #1, I picked up the stitches for Sleeve #2 and got started.

I’m currently about 12 rounds into the second sleeve, so there’s still plenty of knitting ahead. But picking up those stitches and actually starting Sleeve #2 felt like another little milestone.

The nice thing about the second sleeve is that I already know what I’m doing. I’ve worked through the shaping, decreases and construction on Sleeve #1, so I’m hoping Sleeve #2 will move along a little more smoothly.

I can see the finish line coming into view.

One sleeve is finished. The second one is underway. And then blocking and wearing.

For my first sweater, I’m pretty happy with that progress.

Now, back to Sleeve #2!

What I’ve Been Knitting

I finished my Mermaid Scales Shortie Socks this week! These were a fun knit, and I’m always happy to add another finished pair to the sock drawer.

With the Mermaid Scales socks officially off the needles, I’ve moved on to my next big knitting adventure: my first sweater.

I’ve been exclusively working on sleeve #1 this week. I’m well into the sleeve decreases now. For now, the sweater has my full attention.

That may not last forever, of course. I am a knitter, after all. But I’m enjoying seeing the sleeve take shape and getting closer to the point where I’ll have an actual sweater.

What I’ve Been Reading

I had a particularly productive reading week and finished three books:

• The Widows’ Guide to Foul Play

• One Italian Summer

• Private Eyes

I’m currently reading The Someday Garden on my iPad and listening to The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers.

So I’ve got two very different stories accompanying my knitting right now, depending on whether I’m reading on the iPad or listening while I work on that sweater sleeve.

3 Products I Love

Counter Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream

Counter Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream has become a favorite for a nighttime skincare routine. It’s a rich overnight moisturizer powered by Retinatural^® Complex and Tetrapeptide-21 that helps hydrate and support the skin barrier while smoothing and firming the appearance of skin.

Reach for it when skin needs a little extra moisture. It feels wonderfully nourishing at the end of the day, and waking up with soft, hydrated skin is a pretty good reason to keep it in the rotation.

ChiaoGoo 9” Circular Needles

My ChiaoGoo 9” circular needles have been some of my most-used knitting tools this year, thanks to all the socks I’ve been knitting. They’re my preferred needles for sock knitting, and after working on so many pairs, I’ve become very comfortable with them.

Of course, they’re currently taking a break while I work on my sweater sleeve (but I am using ChiaoGoo 16” fixed circulars for the sleeve from the same Etsy shop I bought my 9” circulars from).

A Good Knitting Project Bag

A good knitting project bag is one of those things I didn’t fully appreciate until I had multiple projects going at once. I love having a dedicated place to keep my yarn, needles, pattern and all those tiny accessories that have a tendency to wander off when left unsupervised.

Even though I’m currently sticking to one WIP, a project bag still makes it easy to grab my sweater and take it with me. And eventually, when I inevitably cast on something else, I’ll be ready.

On to the Sweater

With the Mermaid Scales socks finished, it’s officially sweater time.

I’m determined to keep plugging away at sleeve #1 and see how quickly I can get through the decreases. At this point, I’m starting to get that exciting feeling that maybe, just maybe, I’m actually going to end up with a sweater I can wear.

One sleeve at a time.

*K2, P2, SSK, KFB, repeat from …

Suddenly that cute sock you fell in love with on Instagram looks considerably less cute.

Don’t worry. Sock patterns aren’t actually written in code. Once you understand the basic vocabulary and learn how to find the information you need, those rows of abbreviations start making sense.

Let’s decode one.

Read more

Once I finished my Mermaid Scales Shortie Socks, I decided it was time to give my sweater some serious attention. And by “some serious attention,” I mean I have been solely knitting on Sleeve #1 ever since.

No socks. No new cast-ons. No distractions. Just sleeve knitting.

I’m now over halfway through the sleeve decreases, which feels like a pretty significant milestone. Sleeves can sometimes feel like they take forever, but seeing the number of stitches steadily decrease makes it much easier to feel like I’m actually getting somewhere.

At this point, I’m definitely in the home stretch for the first sleeve. There’s still knitting to do, of course, but I can finally see the finish line getting closer.

Once Sleeve #1 is finished, I’ll move on to Sleeve #2. And then, eventually, this sweater might actually become something I can wear!

For now, though, I’m enjoying the rhythm of the decreases and watching this sweater slowly come together one round at a time.

August Knitting

August was definitely a sock-heavy month.

I finished my FSU Shortie Socks, which brought my total to 12 pairs of socks finished for the year. I love how quickly a pair of shorties comes together, especially when I’m using my trusty 9” circulars.

After finishing the FSU socks, I spent much of the month working on and finishing my Golden Hour Ribbed Socks.

I also squeezed in a little non-sock knitting. I finished five artist trading cards (ATCs) for the summer snail mail exchange for fiber artists. There’s something especially fun about making tiny fiber-art projects.

I finished Mermaid Scales Shortie Sock #1. And then there’s my current WIP.

I’ve moved on to Mermaid Scales Shortie Sock #2, and I’m currently working my way down the foot. Sock #1 was knit with Emma’s Practically Perfect Sock July colorway.

Same for the second, except I did the heel in some advent calendar yarn from Southern Skeins because I am afraid I won’t enough yarn to complete an entirely other sock with the Emma’s yarn.

August Reading

August was another busy reading month, with a mix of thrillers, mysteries and fiction.

I finished:

• The Secret Lives of Murder’s Wives

• The Storm

• Dexter is Dead

• Tom Lake

• The Housewife

• The Widows’ Guide to Foul Play

• Killer

• The Vanilla Killer

• Workhorse

I am currently reading One Italian Summer on my iPad and listening to Private Eyes.

View all my August reads.

Looking Ahead

For September, the plan is pretty simple: finish Mermaid Scales Shortie Sock #2, keep the needles moving, and see what books find their way onto my nightstand.

I’m currently on the foot, so the finish line is officially in sight. 🧦

And if August taught me anything, it’s that there is always room for one more sock project, one more book, and probably one more skein of yarn.

Probably.

What I’ve Been Knitting

I finished my Golden Hour Ribbed Socks this week! That makes 13 pairs of socks finished for the year, which feels pretty darn good, even though I secretly had a a loose goal of finishing 16 by the end of August.

I also finished Mermaid Scales Shortie Sock #1 and immediately cast on Sock #2. I’m currently 9 of 25 rounds into the leg, so that’s what has been occupying my needles this week.

And now I’m trying to pull off a little Summer Sock Camp challenge: finish Mermaid Scales Shortie Sock #2 by the end of August 31, when camp officially wraps up.

Can I knit an entire sock in a day and a half?

Possibly.

Will I?

That’s a different question. I’m going to give it my best shot, though!

I didn’t work on any of my other WIPs this week. I’ve been on a monogamous knitting kick so I’ve been working on one project until I finish it. I don’t always knit that way but that’s been my mood lately.

What I’ve Been Reading

I finished two books this week:

• The Vanilla Killer

• Workhorse

I’m currently reading One Italian Summer on my iPad, and I’m also listening to Killer by Jonathan Kellerman.

So, as usual, I have a couple of different reading worlds going at once. One is apparently taking me to Italy, while the other is decidedly more murderous.

Three Products I’m Loving

Southern Skeins Yarn

I’m always happy when Southern Skeins makes an appearance in my knitting projects. I love the colors and the way the yarns work for socks, and it’s especially nice to have lighter-weight yarn options for knitting in Florida.

Some of this yearn is about to make an appearance in my Mermaid Scales Shortie Sock #2 in the heel and toes. I’m not sure that I will have enough of the main color yarn so I’m subbing in some different yarn for the heel and toes.

No, the socks won’t match. No, I don’t mind.

ChiaoGoo 9-Inch Circular Needles

My ChiaoGoo 9-inch circular needles continue to be my go-to for knitting socks. I love the small circumference for working socks, and at this point, picking up a 9” circular almost feels like second nature.

Considering I’m currently racing toward the end of Summer Sock Camp with Mermaid Scales Sock #2, they’re getting plenty of use!

Counter Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream

Counter Tetrapeptide Supreme Cream is a rich overnight moisturizer designed to give dry, tired-looking skin a serious hydration boost. Powered by Retinatural^® Complex and Tetrapeptide-21, it helps visibly firm skin, smooth the appearance of fine lines and support the skin barrier while you sleep.

I love that it feels deeply nourishing without making a nighttime routine complicated. By morning, skin looks smoother, softer and more supple. It’s a great addition to a skin routine when for a little extra TLC and hydration.

When you start exploring sock patterns, you’ll quickly have to answer the question:

Do you want to knit your socks from the cuff down or from the toe up?

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Knitting

Golden Hour Ribbed Sock #1: Finished!

The big knitting news this week: Golden…

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You’ve made it through the cuff. You’ve conquered the leg. You’ve navigated the heel and gusset. You’re wrapping up the foot. Now your sock is looking suspiciously like an actual sock.

There’s just one problem: you’ve reached the toe.

The good news is that the toe is usually one of the easiest parts of a sock to knit. The slightly less good news is that there are a few different ways to shape it, and choosing when to start your decreases can make the difference between a toe that feels great and one that makes your toes file a formal complaint.

Let’s finish this sock properly.

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Knitting

Summer Snail Mail for Fiber Artists

I finished five Ar…

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You can happily knit round and round, watching your sock grow, and then suddenly the pattern starts talking about heel flaps, heel turns, gussets and picking up stitches.

Wait. What just happened?

Don’t panic. The heel isn’t a knitting obstacle course. It’s simply the part of the sock that changes direction and gives your foot somewhere to go.

Once you understand what each piece does, the whole thing becomes much less mysterious.

Before you launch into knitting a heel, make sure you understand the anatomy of a sock.

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Knitting

FSU Shortie Socks: Finished!

The big knitting news this week is that I finished my FSU Shortie Socks!

They are Pair #12 for 2026.

Twel…

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Before you pick your pattern, choose your needles or cast on, you need to ask yourself:

How big should your sock be?

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🧶 On My Needles

FSU Shortie Sock

I started this sock in the Orlando airport Thursday morning on my way to Girls’ Weekend. I made it all the way to the foot…

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