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I have also learned about why one should let gauge swatches sit for a little while thanks to this - even with very gentle blocking, a few days after these dried, they really reasserted themselves, and pulled themselves back into the shape they preferred to be in. That's useful information to have!

My current gauge swatch is for the Three Season Pullover, and it's so much fun? www.woolandpine.com/pattern/thre...

Two gauge swatches, one full, and one halfway done, lying on a piece of brown cardboard, balls of yarn still attached. The smaller gauge swatch is lying at 90⁰ to the larger one.
The yarn is a medium purple called Lupine, and is roughly the color of a lupine flower. Some LED fair lights over the swatches are flaring a cool white.

The pattern of the gauge swatches, from left to right, is a large cable pattern, a smaller cable pattern, a pattern that looks like small flowers in rows, and a lace pattern that could be waves or flowers or leaves, the lace forming soft diamond shapes.

Outside of my moments of histamine induced rage (and I don't count those. That's not me. That's my mast cells being silly again!), I don't mind, I see this as a good thing. I have learned so much from all of this, and apparently, there's even more to learn!

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Ask Patty: Let the Tool Do the Work – Modern Daily Knitting

I am aware of Let The Tool Do The Work www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/as..., and I have the book and workbook that go with this! It's been really helpful, as has TechKnitting. techknitting.blogspot.com/2021/02/gaug...

moderndailyknitting.com

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

A measurement of my latest gauge swatches says that I am still having the same problem I have been: knitting is generally supposed to be wider than it is tall. Mine wishes to be taller than it is wide. At least it seems to be slightly improved compared to where it was earlier this year. 🧶

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Pattern: Petty Harbor by Rayna Curtis www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib... Yarn for the sock: Knit Picks Stroll in Rainstorm Heather Yarn for the gauge swatch in the photo: Knit Picks Stroll in Hollyberry DPNs: 2.25mm/US 1, Knit Picks 6"/15cm Sunstruck Wood Double Pointed Needles

ravelry.com

Petty Harbour pattern by Rayna Curtis

To celebrate the launch of my new blog, I am releasing this free pattern!! Enjoy!

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

And, I do know that I should really be swatching with the exact yarn I'm using and not another color. I likely will be digging out my second ball of rainstorm heather, and restarting the gauge swatch with that.

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I started some socks 🧦 because I wanted a change from gauge swatching, and surely, I could do this? Only to realize, I regret this decision, and have now started the appropriate gauge swatch. I had to shuffle my DPNs around a bit, but since I can't knit both at the same time, it works out. 🧶

A small ball of dark red yarn (hollyberry) attached to the beginnings of a gauge swatch of stockinette in the round, going across two wooden double pointed needles. A third double pointed needle is lying on top of the started gauge swatch.
Next to this lies a larger skein of yarn, attached to the beginning of a sock, in a teal heathered yarn (rainstorm heather), also on double pointed needles of the same size as the ones in the gauge swatch. The cuff is done in one by one ribbing, and half the leg is done, in a pretty textured pattern that alternates between rows of knit stitches, and knits and purls in two different configurations.
There are bulb-shaped stitch markers attached at the beginning and the end of the cuff ribbing, as well as to mark the beginning of each pattern repeat. There are eight stitch markers in pale yellow and orange, to mark the pattern repeats, and one stitch marker in red, on the first stitch, to mark the beginning of the row.

Both are lying on a beige bedsheet.
In the top left corner, part of a blanket cover is visible. It is white, with irregular black dots. Also visible on the bottom left is the long edge of an orchid purple warming mitten, made of minky fabric.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I did drop the spindle a few times, the yarn got too thin and broke occasionally, and my results are still a bit lumpy and uneven. However, this is my first half pound or so of corriedale wool, so I assume, and expect, that this is part of the learning process. #HandSpinning

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I just tried drop spindling while cycling. Twas great fun, I'll be trying it again next time. 🧶 (I get a little bit bored while cycling, even with an audiobook running, and it's hands free (it's a desk cycle), so I end up looking for something to do with my hands. This might work? We'll see!)

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Today Sunshine discovered that I was cutting the brown sugar cookie bars that I'd baked yesterday, and needed a moment. He spun in a thinking circle, and then appeared himself on the kitchen mat. Once there, he was rewarded with what he had hoped for: a tiny cookie bit. #DogsOfBluesky

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Re-gauge swatching after re-reading Let The Tool Do The Work, again. And Patty Lyon's Bag of Knitting Tricks. My gauge lately has been wildly unpredictable. How does it get smaller when I am knitting on larger needles? Apparently tension, and technique. 🧶 www.moderndailyknitting.com/community/as...

moderndailyknitting.com

Ask Patty: Let the Tool Do the Work – Modern Daily Knitting

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

In today's Brain Fog Adventures, I had in one hand, a paper towel, to throw away. In the other, a measuring cup, for washing. I'm sure you can guess which one went into the trash with a nice thunk noise, and had to be fished out again. #ChronicIllness

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

What a lovely memory to have! Practical skills, and time spent together :⁠-⁠)

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Me too! I'll post something about it, when I get there :⁠-⁠)

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

I do the same when I brush Sundae outside! But indoors, I am selfish enough that I collect his fluff and keep it, when I can. There are enough other dogs in the building that the birds are not being deprived :⁠-⁠)

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

I think a lot of pet owners have this thought, especially during shedding season! There's just so much fluff everywhere. I believe cat hair is also a possibility, for spinning? And possibly for felting? It's worth looking into, if it interests you!

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

This is knitting adjacent, I suppose? 🧶 The final goal is to spin my dog's fur, and knit something delightful. It doesn't really matter what. It'll be delightful because it's a little bit of Sundae, and he's delightful. So this is the first step towards that.

A medium weight drop spindle, with a warm red stain, in a steampunk gear style, hanging by a spun white thread that goes around the whorl, in one of the gear notches. and wraps around under the whorl, where the already spun thread is temporarily being stored.
The background is a white bedspread, with multi colored flowers and leaves, in a cheerful summer pattern that makes one think of an early morning summer walk.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

I have seen that hole in my interchangeable needles! That seems like a really convenient way to put in a lifeline. I'll have to try that out the next time I'm using them. My project is on fixed circulars, so it looks like I'll be using a tapestry needle instead :⁠-⁠)

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

That's such smart thinking, thanks for the tip! I think I will try that on my next attempt. I haven't yet tried to preemptively add a lifeline, so that will be a new experience :⁠-⁠) I added a note to my notebook, so I don't forget!

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

And, for anyone who followed my Mohair Saga, this is my current adaptation: instead of the hot pink mohair I reacted to, here's Make It Tweed, in neon pink! It's not mohair, very obviously, but it's adding bursts of color and texture that I am enjoying. So far, no reaction! #ChronicIllness

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I made the same mistake more than once, I discovered. While it would be faster to fix them, or even leave them, and just keep going, I think I am going to rip back to just before the bubbles. I'm in no rush, and I learned a lot from this round. I think I'll enjoy redoing this! 🧶

A small section of a deep purple and lavender knitted shawl in progress, on the cord of a circular needle, lying on a white bedspread with a colorful flower and leaf print.

The section contains slightly uneven lavender bubbles with deep purple borders, and slightly wobbly brioche ribbing, the deep purple being the main color, showing as knit stitches, the lavender, with an additional neon pink, white, and black tweed yarn running along with it, as the contrast/background color, as purls in between.

There are red stitch markers on the needles to show where there is a small mistake that could be fixed if one laddered down those three stitches: it looks like in one of the earliest brioche rows, I accidentally pulled the yarn up from the previous row, so the yarn strand is moving through a higher row than it should.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Again, I don't think anyone else would have noticed. I only noticed because I was checking for any problems before I moved on. I thought about leaving it. But I wanted to see if I could fix it, and if not, I was fine frogging and redoing the whole section. That'd just be more knitting fun?

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

I think I pulled a yarn over from the previous row up into the next row, which made it look like the contrast color was traveling oddly through one stitch. This then meant it was out of place on one side of the stitch on either side, as well. So, they all had to go, and then get redone.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

I'm not sure how long I just spent fixing a very small brioche mistake that nobody else would notice, but it was an enjoyable period of time. I had to undo and ladder down three stitches to fix it. I didn't think to take photos, maybe I'll remember to do that next time I am fixing my knitting. 🧶

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

The abscess seems to have healed, he's got one day of antibiotics left, and a vet check next week. At this point, he's not particularly interested in licking the area anymore, and whenever he starts thinking about it, the cone goes back on for a little while.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

He had an anal gland abscess, hence a few weeks of cone wearing, and he has been very good about keeping it on, until the last few days. He doesn't hate his cone, it's soft and fuzzy. He just doesn't think he needs to wear it anymore, and so far, he's been right.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Sundae has decided that it's time to phase out his cone. He has communicated this by taking it off himself, whenever he feels like it. Since he's not licking, mostly, he's getting his wish. At least during the day, when supervised. #DogsOfBluesky

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

So, I'll be swatching. I might still end up using a needle size that doesn't meet the gauge, but then at least I'll know!

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

And, it's a lace shawl. Gauge is really not critical for this. However. The rules are the rules (the rules in my head that is. You do you!), and a gauge swatch only takes a few days. I'll feel better having done it, otherwise I'll be wondering if I got gauge all the way through.

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

I am gauge swatching (still? Again? It doesn't really end.), and I'm tempted to skip knitting the next swatch, based on what I have learned from the previous one. 🧶 I can now make a reasonably good guess that going down two needle sizes should be pretty close to the gauge I need.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Sometimes I use my stitch stoppers not to keep my knitting from escaping, but to keep my stitch markers from disappearing into the ether, if I happen to stop at one of those points where a marker is at the edge of a needle. This happens surprisingly frequently. 🧶

A partially knitted shawl, in lavender and deep purple stripes, one set of stripes going in a semi circular pattern, one set attaching to the semi circle in straight lines, lying on a black and white striped background. A piece of magenta scrap yarn is crossing over the shawl.

There is a square, textured metal circular knitting needle lying on top of the partially knitted shawl, with a copper colored pear shaped safety pin stitch marker on it. A bright pink heart shaped stitch stopper is on the end of the needle, preventing the stitch marker from falling off the needle.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

I have now learned why one should tie hanks in multiple places. 🧶 It's fine, really. I oddly enjoy detangling? Worst case: this, or any other silly eventuality, is why I got an extra skein of each color, just in case. Either way, I'll be knitting the next set of gauge swatches soon enough!

Five small hanks of light purple sock yarn, wet from washing, and in various states of tangled, tied with ties of magenta yarn, lying on a gray cotton t shirt with a yellow flower print, on a bathroom floor. There are some speckles of water on the t-shirt from the yarn.

The amount of tangling in each hank seems to be related to the number of ties in the hank, and if and how often they have been woven through the hank.

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The results look a bit higher in moisture than the photos in the recipe, so I could cut the almond milk back by a little bit each time that I made this, if I wanted a slightly dryer loaf. Buttermilk is thicker than almond milk, so this was not unexpected. I don't mind. I'm happy with the results.

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Baking powder - Wikipedia

For the buttermilk, I used the same weight of almond milk. I used baking powder in place of baking soda, because almond milk instead of buttermilk means you're missing the acidity that baking soda likes. Baking powder brings its own acid, along with the baking soda. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_...

en.wikipedia.org

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Here's what I did: I haven't tried teff flour before, so I used the same weight of buckwheat flour instead. For the whole wheat flour, I used 60g buckwheat flour, 30g tapioca starch, and 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. I like buckwheat, so this substitution works for me.

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Multi-Grain Molasses Bread

I made a gluten free, dairy free version of this bread, and it turned out very edible! I tried to keep my expectations low, because when you make substitutions, results can vary accordingly. But I will probably bake this again. www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/mult...

kingarthurbaking.com

A multi-grain bread featuring teff flour.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Sunshine has now managed to alert to a migraine prodrome so early on that the next time he does this, I'll have to set calendar alerts for the next few days, to check in on symptoms and such. At that point, I had barely registered the eye pain. I only noticed because he noticed. He's the best.

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I assume this would work for other wide mouth bottles, I just haven't tested them all, so I can't say for sure. I find this is less effort than emptying a full tray of ice cubes into my water bottle. I'm chronically ill and my upright time is limited. The little things can really matter.

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Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

In case this information is useful to anyone else: if you freeze water in a half cup Souper Cube mold (or a similar butter stick mold), you can fit two to three of the resulting ice cubes in a 32oz wide mouth Hydro Flask, depending on the lid, or two in the 24oz wide mouth Hydro Flask.

Isabelle @itsisabelle.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

I've been having a lot of fun with it, it's so squishy! And the way the colors line up is endless fun. I used Stephen West's tutorial: youtu.be/9Sl86WbucDk?...

youtu.be