Knitting

Started: 12/23/06
Finished: 1/03/07
Pattern: Clapotis, altered to be more of a scarf and less of a stole. I know, I'm 2 years late for the party but who cares.
Materials: Sandy Sitzman-dyed merino/silk, handspun and Navajo-plied into a worsted weight; the world's most beat-up #9 Inox straight needles, which I finally threw out after this was finished. Life's too short to use crappy needles.

The first FO of the New Year. It's been finished for a while, but I just now had the chance to take a picture. Ignore the hair. Oy. I'll try to get a shot soon of the whole thing spread out to show the drop-stitch bias pattern. Nothing more fun than intentionally dropping stitches.

Now on the needles: Handspun merino socks for me (finishing up sock 1 in the next couple days); handspun Romney sweater for Josie (almost done knitting the body--doing it bottom up in the round).--read more

Remember the Latvian mittens knit for the NATO conference? They'd released a few photos of the 4,500 pairs of mittens but nothing that really showed the detail. Now they've released a photo archive of all of the mittens as well as online galleries featuring photos of many of the mittens. These are spectacular examples of a folk tradition that must be preserved. Check these out, they'll knock your socks off.

Started: 12/15/06
Finished: 12/16/06 -- seriously!
Materials: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport superwash wool in colorway 92, River; mismatched bamboo #3 DPNs
Pattern: Hello Yarn Top-Down Bonnet without the Totoro face and ears

I cannot BELIEVE how fast this went. I wound the yarn into a ball yesterday afternoon and finished it this afternoon. I had forgotten how fast baby clothes are to knit. But even so--this thing just flew off the needles. I definitely am going to start a stash of these for presents, though I may rejigger/redesign the pattern a little; the figure-8 cast-on is so incredibly annoying.

Ever since making Josie's night cap I've been obsessed with bonnets. I'm discovering that a lot of what might be called "old-timey" clothing is still practical today. Night caps cut body heat loss tremendously (we don't heat our house at night, preferring to spend the oil on our waking hours). Children's pinafores are not only cute, they keep a child tidy and are easier to wash than a whole outfit. Aprons, same thing (why did aprons ever go out of style?). Then there's the whole explosion of wristlets, shrugs, capelets etc. Are we preparing for peak oil and the end of central heating subconsciously, perhaps?

Addendum: Pix are now up of LouLou's Sockies and my Fetching mitts.

Started: Way back in the summer, I think
Finished: 12/14/06
Materials: Silja sock yarn in pink; scrap of pink fun fur; mismatched #2 double points

These are top-down footie-type socks--just enough of a leg to go round the ankle, and that part in fun fur.

Now I'm on to a bonnet for our best man's impending daughter.

Started: 12/10/06
Finished: 12/12/06
Pattern: Fetching from the Summer '06 knitty (free pattern!)
Materials: Lambs' Pride worsted in Deep Charcoal that's been in my stash for 10+ years, set of weird faux tortoise #6 double points

I like this pattern a lot, though if I make it again for myself I will make the palm part above the thumb shorter; my hands are small. These also have a tendency to curl at the top that I dislike greatly, so I might also add some kind of edging to stop that. These were so fast and took so little yarn that I can foresee a great number of these coming off the needles to be stashed for presents and doled out as needed.

They're also toasty, and I can knit while wearing 'em!

This has been my most productive knitting year ever. John says, well that's because you've been sitting on your hinder most of the year. Thanks, dear, I love you too. But at least I've been productive whilst sitting on me hinder. I'm still moving project pages over from knitting911.net so I don't know exactly how much I knit this year (I kept track over there) but I know I made at least 3 pairs of socks, a sweater vest, a lap robe and 3 scarves, off the top of my head, and there are still days left in the year.

Currently on the needles: Josie's handspun sweater, which will extend into the new year; and the second sock of a pair of pink footies for LouLou that I started earlier this year and didn't want to finish because I trimmed the tops with fun fur, and I hate knitting with fun fur. Life is too freakin' short to knit with fun fur, I tell you what.

Oh! speaking of Josie and handspun! She has finished her first spindle full of handspun yarn and is now knitting with it! It's lumpy, bumpy and funky, but it's beautiful and I'm so proud. *sniff*

Started: 12/05/06
Finished: 12/10/06
Materials: Wool, spun in the grease and Navajo-plied, size 2 crochet hook

I rarely crochet, but Josie really wanted a night cap of all things. In part it's because our upstairs isn't very well heated; in part it's because we've been reading a lot of books about the 18th and 19th century, and all the little girls in them have night caps.

When she started wearing a regular knitted hat to bed, I finally said fine, I'll make you a little cap to wear. This isn't historically correct--I don't think they had crochet in the 18th century--but the shape is accurate.

Now on the needles: Josie and I have decided that the blue-green handspun sweater should stay a sweater, and so it shall.

As a smaller, more instant gratification project, I'm knitting up a pair of Fetching fingerless mitts to make up for the gloves that Josie burned a tiny hole in on her snow trip recently (actually it was Daddy's fault but never mind, I'll mend them soon). I'm making them up in absolutely ancient charcoal Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride wool/mohair that I've had in the stash since, like, forever; it was originally for a (pre-kids!) sweater for John that never worked out. They'll be toasty, and my fingers will be free to knit!

I'm nearly done with the mitts, should be completely done early tomorrow--very quick to knit, and doesn't take much yarn. I expect to have many pairs of these, for myself and to give away.

Check out these amazing mittens knitted by traditional Latvian artisans for the NATO summit in Riga. The diplomats were given these mittens--4,500 pairs! I wonder if they know what they got.

Started: 11/02/06
Finished: 12/03/06
Materials: Brown Sheep Company Top o' the Lamb in Brownstone, trusty 24" bamboo #8 Clover circs, wooden craft buttons stained to match-ish
Pattern: Plain vest from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns

This went together very quickly, especially for me. It would have been done even sooner had I not dallied in blocking and finishing it. The side seams are almost obscenely tidy, and make up for the frankly sloppy shoulder seaming and the slightly off-kilter buttonholes. It fits perfectly.

I'm sort of between projects now. I've got a sweater for Josie on the trusty #8 circs, but I'm not liking the texture. I want something softer for a sweater for her--or for anyone, really. Romney is a bit scratchy for next to the skin. But I promised her that yarn, and the next thing off the needles, so I'm toying with making a large shawl for her instead, maybe in old shale. It'd be fine for that.

In the meantime I'm crocheting of all things a night cap, patterned after the ones girls used to wear in the 18th-19th century. Not the stocking-cap kind, more bonnet-y. Josie started wearing a wool cap to bed at night lately so I thought I'd make her a proper one.

Here's a tiny picture of what I'm knitting (from the pattern):

I'm knitting it in blue, and the yarn (Snuggly Bubbly) is very challenging for a novice knitter like me to work with, what with the lumps and bumps:--read more

Started: 10/24/06
Finished: 10/30/06
Materials: Handspun slubby 2-ply in various purples, pinks and blues, of various fibers--mostly wool with silk, mohair and a little angora bunny; my trusty circular bamboo 8's
Pattern: Feather and Fan/Old Shale

This was a quick knit, once I got the dang thing going, and it turned out nicely. I'm thinking of keeping it. (Update: I gave it to my counselor; it reminded me of her office.)

Now on the needles--the exact same trusty 8s, it seems I make everything on those except socks--is a simple, warm vest for John in good ol' Brown Sheep Top of the Lamb, color Brownstone. It's a really lovely gray shot with a warm brown, and will make a very nice vest. John's a vest kinda guy. After that's done, it's on to a cardigan for Josie in the blue-green Romney I spun earlier this year, though I'm thinking of doing a quickie something for LouLou first. She hasn't had a knitted piece from me in a while, and she could use a sweater actually.

I have been swatching...and swatching...and--well, you get the idea--with this slubby stuff I spun earlier this year from some batts I got at last year's OFFF. The colors are various shades of purple from mauve to lilac to eggplant, a soft periwinkle blue, and bits of other oddments. It's mostly wool but there's some angora, silk, and possibly something like soy silk or tencel in there just to confuse me.

This stuff evaded all efforts to be made into something. I swatched on big needles, smaller ones, open patterns, closed, garter, stockinette, in the round, lace--nothing. It all sucked.

Finally in desperation I actually cracked open my pattern books. I don't like using patterns; I hate having to drag a book around or copy off the pattern blah blah blah. Annoying. So imagine my joy when I found a pattern in Scarf Style that barely qualifies as a pattern. It's just a length of feather and fan in fancy yarn.

But! it was just what was needed. I cast on and viola! apparently this yarn wanted to be a feather and fan scarf, because it's working up nicely. I'm not sure if I'm keeping it for myself or if I'll put it in the gift pile. What gift pile, I don't have a gift pile going at all this year. I have a pair of socks waiting for my mom when she gets here next month and that's about it for the gift pile. True, I don't have a scarf, but this stuff fought me so hard I'm not sure I trust putting it round me neck.

Started: 10/20/06
Finished: 10/21/06
Pattern: Super Simple Tea Cosy in a bigger gauge that the generator doesn't provide. (Sorry!)
Materials: Clover/Tahki Bamboo circ #8, sport/fingering weight 2-ply Wensleydale in an eyepopping yellow and pink colorway, spun from roving bought at Black Sheep Gathering 2005. Oh, and the cording has a strand of green DMC perl cotton, which you really can't see in the picture but which just makes the thing "pop."

This yarn has been sitting in the bin, slowly getting whittled away as Josie's cut little bits off of it for various projects. It was promised to her for a shawl, but slowly we both came to the realization that Wensleydale, as beautiful as it is, is not a garment wool. She gave me permission to use it for something else.

What possessed me to buy this roving in the first place, I cannot say. These are not my colors. But now, spun up and knitted double, I couldn't be more pleased. It makes my English teapot look like a giant peach. The sheen and texture of the Wensleydale is just right in this use. And now I have a second tea cosy and can wash my old one, which is getting pretty ratty indeed!

My new dilemma: I don't have anything on the needles! And I need a knitting project. Oh--well...there is the never-ending pi shawl. Because I'm so uninspired, perhaps that's the project I should be working on...--read more

Yes, I started knitting almost 4 years ago, but considering the 2-year hiatus, I'm a novice.

Here is where I'm stuck:

I'm knitting a little 3-6 mo. size baby sweater.

I was just finishing the back piece and was doing the shape shoulders section. Carefully (I thought) I followed the instructions and cast off 9 stitches at the beginning of the next two rows. Then I counted -- OK, I had 61 stitches, less 18 should leave me with -- accckkkk!--read more

I'm sure you knitting hipsters already know about this -- hello Portland! -- but for the rest of us . . .

I am really enjoying going through all the back episodes of the Podcast Cast On, which I get through ITunes, totally free. I don't have an MP3 player of any sort, so I just play them on my computer while working. Very fun!--read more

I'm cranking out the finished objects at Knitting 911: My Knitting Olympics sweater (6 months late) and th