October 2025 - On and Off the Needles
I'm not always the best at keeping life from getting in the way of the shop, but I'd really like to start a monthly feature - on the first Friday of each month, I'll try to post about what's recently off the needles, what I'm working on, what I'm thinking about casting on (in other words, starting to knit!) next, and what's going on outside of knitting. So - without further ado, here's October!
Finished in September
I feel like I did a lot of knitting in September, but in actuality, I only finished three projects. Of course, I have a lot of works-in-progress (WIPs) that will likely be finished fairly early in October.
My first finished project for September was a hat - and, actually, that's the first hat I've knit in 2025! I wanted to learn a new technique called double knitting. Double knitting means that you're knitting two layers of fabric at once; the way I did it means that one side of the hat's brim is one color, and the other side is a different color. The pattern also used two-color brioche, so the hat is totally reversible - wear it inside out and see the reverse colors from the "right" side! Unfortunately, I messed up the decreases at the top of the hat. I was trying to finish it one night when I was probably (definitely) too tired to still be knitting, and I made a mistake that I just couldn't fix. I'll sell it at a discount given the mistake, which can probably be hidden with a fun pom on top.
My second finished project was another multi-colored textured cowl. Even though I already have four others in the shop, I just can't resist the fun of combining different colors and seeing what happens, and it's the perfect combination of mindless knitting but just enough variation in the stitches to keep it interesting. I have yarn for yet another one in my stash, and then I have enough leftovers to create one with a mish-mosh of colors that I think will be super fun. These have been a top seller. What color combo would you like to see?!
My third finished project was a big one - an oversized, cozy colorwork poncho. This used a whopping 1500 yards of yarn (the equivalent of about 17 city blocks in Manhattan!) and went with me to a beach vacation and many soccer games. Even though it was more of a feat than I'd imagined, the results are super striking.
The items aren't in the shop yet, but stay tuned! I hope to do a shop update by mid-month.
October Works in Progress
I've got seven items on the needles right now, although two are just kind of hibernating. One is a cowl that I started last fall and would love to pick back up and finish this October because the colors and design are so perfect for fall, but it needs me to use a new colorwork technique (ladder back jacquard) that's daunting to me. I keep pulling it out of the storage bin thinking that there must be another way to knit it and then concluding that no, I really need that new technique.
I also have a shawl that is mostly neglected but is my grab-and-go when I don't have another good travel knitting project. I didn't touch this one in September and am not sure I will in October, either.
I actually have not one but two pullovers for myself on the needles! One is a really pretty colorwork sweater with ideal fall colors. It's at a mindless part, so I imagine I'll be working on this one a lot more now that the poncho is done. I think it'll tag along this weekend for soccer and the movie theater.
The other one wasn't really on my radar for something I'd knit this year, but when I bought yarn for the poncho, I first ordered a charcoal gray for the main color that proved to be darker than I'd been imagining. I put in a second order for lighter gray and contemplated what to do with the original gray - send it back? Knit a blanket? Keep it in my stash until I'm inspired? Then I saw a knit-along in one of my knitting groups for a gorgeous sweater - oversized, v-neck, with incredible cables, textured panels, and lace. I don't think I've ever knit a sweater with cables, so I cast it on pretty eagerly. It's knit in parts that are seamed together, so we'll see how long it takes me to actually sew the parts together. I have aspirations of finishing it this month. We'll see!
I've got a Christmas gnome on the needles for a custom order! It's got a lot of cables, so it requires a bit of attention, and I set it aside to wrap up that poncho last month, but I'm hoping to finish it this weekend.
(That's not my current work-in-progress but the pattern that I'm reknitting upon request.)
When I got back from the shore (our September beach vacation is one of my favorite things in life), I immediately missed the ocean, so I cast on a lace scarf in a colorway called "Salt Water." The yarn is a gorgeous blue-gray with a sheen to it. I'd initially tried using it for a lace shawl pattern that I'd wanted to knit for years, but I didn't like how the pattern was turning out in the yarn, and I found the pattern overly fussy, so I ripped it out and cast on this scarf instead. which showcases the lovely yarn so much better.
Another impulse cast-on in September was a baby blanket! I have a pending order for a striped item, so I was digging through my stash to see if I had anything in the requested colors, and I came across the leftovers from the large blanket I knit a few years ago. Remember this one?
So I'm doing a quick baby blanket to use up those leftovers, although I'm concerned that I'm going to run out of my background color and need to order more yarn (oh, shucks... although I probably won't manage to use the full skein, which means that I'll end up with more leftovers...).
What I'm Thinking about Casting On
Well, this absolutely wasn't on my radar until this exact moment, but I just found a mystery gnome knitalong that kicks off today with a fall theme! The gnomes are called Gnumpkin ("a pumpkin-inspired gnome") and Gnettle ("a very witchy variation") by designer Sarah Schira (@imaginedlandscapes). So I think these are a thing that I need in my life, and right after I finish writing this, I'm going to go dig through my stash to see what I have that's appropriate. Gnomes are perfect for using up leftovers!
Although I'm not a big Halloween person, October always has me thinking about fall themed knits, like the spider cowl I knit last year. There are some really fun Halloween "doodle cowls," so named because each section is like a doodle (created by designed Jamie Lomax). This is not my picture, but how cute is this?!
My "big" cast-on for the month is going to be two super cute matching colorwork sweaters that are a custom order for two brothers (2.5 and 5 years old) for the winter holidays. It's a pattern I've wanted to knit for a long time, and I'm excited to get started. (I still have more space on the needles for your custom order before the winter holidays! Drop me a line at oneknitwonderswv@gmail.com, and let's dream up the perfect gift for the special someone in your life -- or better yet, for yourself!
Beyond the Needles
We are Swifties in this house, so TS12 is already on repeat! I love Taylor for her lyrics so although I'm loving the catchy melodies so far, I'm looking forward to picking up a knitting project so I can really focus on what she's telling us with these songs.
The timing is perfect, because it's my daughter Rachel's 9th birthday tomorrow! She got up in the 5 am hour today so she could listen to the full album before school, and to kick off her birthday sleepover tomorrow, we'll be heading to the 3 pm showing of The Official Release Party of a Showgirl. Rachel is One Knit Wonders' biggest fan and is the best at helping me pick out yarn colors and patterns and then helping me style the finished objects. I'm so excited to celebrate her this weekend.
I started a new job in September! It's another career pivot for me, from working as a teacher/professor for most of my career into an edtech start-up in 2023 - and now into mental healthcare in another tech start-up. I've had a longtime desire to see mental healthcare become more accessible and have thought many times about pursuing a counseling license for myself. In the meantime, though, I'm excited to have the opportunity to have a broad impact on mental health accessibility through my role at Spring Health. My days are full right now of lots of learning - about employee benefits, health care more broadly, Spring Health's range of products, and new-to-me technologies needed to do my job. I love me a steep learning curve, and boy do I have it right now!
One of the exciting perks of my job is that Spring practices what it preaches, and one of our benefits is 20 free coaching and 20 free therapy sessions per year (per family member!!). I dove right into the opportunity to be coached for the first time. Because my last job had so much responsibility, I'm finding myself with more free time, and I'm using it to explore two questions: what is the role of creativity (and especially writing) in my life in this new phase, and what is my next goal for my career? I'm so grateful to be able to be coached through these questions.
How's it going in your world? What are you hoping to see in the shop in the next month or so? What blog entries would you want to read? I never know where inspiration will come from and am eager for your thoughts and ideas!