I ordered this knitting machine in November. It was supposed to arrive by December 10. I have FINALLY received it (Jan 16!) and it is an actual “Sentro” (a lot of people seem to be receiving various brands).

Of course, I had to interrupt my current work in progress to play with my new toy!

I *should* be finishing this square, not learning a new toy / skill

The box was quite beat up and the Styrofoam inside was crumbled. I was pretty nervous it would be broken. But, other than not having yarn in the box (like advertised) it seems to be perfectly fine!

My daughter helped me as we learned how to cast on and keep tension. She also learned NOT to turn the knob the wrong way… ? I had to learn how to pick up stitches anyway.

She has created a tutorial for you!

YouTube video

As you can tell, she is very excited! And, after a few restarts, she created a beautiful hat!

Focus on her happy face and not my laundry lol

I stayed up late to make this blue hat, and I am so happy with how it came out! I just used up the whole ball. It is 3.5 oz of superwash wool from Loops and Threads (Washable Wool Stripes). It made 103 rows on my 48 pin machine, which, as it turns out, is pretty much the perfect size!

My bestie bought me a few grab bags when Michaels was having a clearance sale and I think there were 7 or 8 of these balls in 3 different colorways. So, it looks like I will be making at least 7-8 hats. ?

I need to get back to working on my valentine’s day project. I had hoped to publish this a month before valentine’s day but it is already January 18 so I missed my made-up deadline. Sorry.

I do not seem to balance “work” with “work” very well. I have computer work (drawing patterns, turning them into patterns you can understand, advertising, publishing on Etsy and Ravelry, etc) and I have crochet work (I have not crocheted all of my patterns, but I do have a lot of yarn to use up and I know that you guys like seeing the patterns in yarn-form plus I always need a yarn picture to post on my Instagram page and keep that current and engaging).

Plus, there is my actual life-priority: my family.

So, it is a learning experience. For me. I am always learning how to best do this or that and how to balance and stay sane. I hope you are staying sane too!