Wrapping Up the Old Year

I am not one to make New Year resolutions, but I do like the idea of wrapping up the old year. To that end I thought I would post a finished (previously hibernating) project and a public thank you.

Pattern: One Skein Wonder Baby Sweater by Linda Burt
Pattern Source: One-Skein Wonders
Needle: US 17 / 12.75 mm
Yarn: N.Y. Yarns Action (3.2 yarns)

I modified the pattern to account for my different gauge. I used a cast on of 52 sts, with 24sts picked up for the sleeves. This project has been done for weeks, only needing buttons sewed on. Today I decided was the time to finally do this. Yay! I need to send off this sweater, before the baby out grows it.


I have mentioned it before, but my family is absolutely fabulous when it comes to supporting my creative pursuits. The most exciting gift was a new sewing machine! My old machine has mostly given up the ghost, and the tension pretty much doesn't work at all. Chiquita had been doing some sewing this past year, so hopefully this will be a great thing for both of us.

I also got several knitting books. My mom got me Latvian Mittens, which is fascinating to me as my Papa's family was Latvian. After a little time looking through it I know that it is something I can see myself reading both for informational content and for actually knitting patterns. The other two books (Naughty Needles and Domiknitrix) are from my sister and totally crack me up. Amusingly I did find things in both that I might knit.

Finally for the obligatory crafting recap, I have to say that I am shocked by how much I got done. Final tally:

Baby Sweaters: 6
Other Baby Items: 17
Cell Phone/Camera Cases: 2
Pairs of Felted Clogs: 3
Hats/Earwarmers: 11
Pairs of Mittens/Mitts: 5
Shawl: 1
Socks: 21
Toys: 2

WEBS

For the last few days Salvbard and I have been out of town. I couldn't mention it previously for fear of spoiling , but we went to Binghamton, NY to surprise wish one of my closest friends a happy birthday. The visit itself was great, but I am exhausted.

On the way there, we took the opportunity to stop and see WEBS, as it is just a bit further west than we normally have any reason to go. It was very neat to see it in person, as I had only ordered from them online before. I didn't pick up much, but there is a funny story to that.


I picked up a few free patterns (for yarns that have been discontinued) and one lone ball of the discontinued Jaeger Matchmaker DK. I only need a few yards for a (Harry Potter) House Sweater, but I will use the rest in a pair of socks as toes and heels.

So I go up to the counter with my purchases behind just one person. Obviously I am new, because I didn't realize that standing behind the lady with all the cones that have to be weighed is probably not the fastest option, but that is okay. I have knitting in my purse. I am knitting away, and her total comes up: ~$175. Not bad when you think about how much she got though.

At this point there is a significant line behind me though. So I step up a bit, and a woman who had walked up to the other side of the previous woman shoulders her way in next. Whatever, once again I have knitting. Her total: just over $300, but only because she put back 2 full bags of yarn.

And then finally I got to pay my $2.99 for my purchases. Woohoo, big spender! The staff did a really great job with the sudden rush though and were just as nice to me as to those purchasing significantly more. Overall experience was really good, and it was a lot of fun to wander around both the "store" section and the warehouse shelves. For the latter alone it might have been worth the stop.

Rainbow Socks

I finished up the pair of rainbow socks that I was knitting for SunnyNole. I just hope that they are big enough. It is always nerve racking to knit for someone who I can't take the measurements. I am really happy with how these came out though, so hopefully she will like them too.

Yarn: Regia Ringel in color 5408
Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm
Pattern: Basic Sock Recipe by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Pattern Source: Knitting Rules!

It has been too long since I had a simple stockinete sock. Between the extra holiday chilling time that I could knit during and the simple pattern, they socks simply flew off the needles. Plus the colors is so cheerful that they were a joy to work on.

Native American Pottery

Recently I have come across several of my early knitting pieces that show exactly how far my knitting has come. In a similar vein I saw a cross-stitch piece that made me feel the same way. I don't do a lot of it any more, but it is something that I enjoy. It just isn't as easy to pick up and put down the way my fiber crafts are.


I took this photo this week while I was down visiting my grandmother. This was a gift from me to her for Christmas '04 or '05. It was my first major cross-stitch piece, and it has several faults, but I was so proud of it! If nothing else it could do with a nice press.

The pattern was in Native American Cross Stitch by Julie S. Hasler, and I made it on adia with 2 strands over 1 square. The embroidery thread is in the recommended DMC colors.

Handmade Christmas '07

Despite not feeling like I did much Christmas knitting, I discovered I actually had done quite a bit. But by starting it early, and just putting it away in a box for later there was little to no stress over finishing any of it!

1. balaclava, 2. large earflap hat, 3. Harry Sweater Ornament, 4. cabled handspun hat, 5. simple handspun hat, 6. Gryffindor SC Hat, 7. Red Mittens, 8. Gryffindor Hat, 9. Super Bulky 18" Hat, 10. Garden Dancing Shoes, 11. Novelty Scarf, 12. cotton anklets, 13. Ravenclaw Baby Hat, 14. Child's Fetchings, 15. Stripey Socks, 16. Mexican Jacket, 17. Slytherin hip scarf, 18. Holiday Cards '07

(Mosaic created with fd's Flickr Toys.)

Left out of the mosaic was a pair of thick cabled socks I made for my mom. Unfortunately with 19 being prime, there just wasn't room for it. If only I had made one more item it would have worked out great visually!

Balaclava

Tada, my last Christmas present. This was finished a few days ago, before Christmas, but I was hoping to get a picture of it on someone. Oh well! I really liked this pattern, and I have some black wool I will be using to make another for a soldier. This blue balaclava is for my step-brother C who works outside though.

Pattern: Helmet Liner by Bonnie Long
Needle: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in 814

Modifications: I used a crocheted provisional cast-on for the face. I really liked this cast-on although no particular cast-on was specfied. It made it very easy to knit the face ribbing at the end. Also the directions for the decreases in the final row around the face are really general. I recommend making them mostly to either side of the face, as it tends to flare there otherwise. Also I cast-off in pattern, but the pattern does not specify which bind-off to use.

A Different Type of Xmas Knitting

Merry Christmas to everybody who celebrates. Today was a really low key for me, since I was down visiting family. I laid low reading a new book, doing a bit of knitting, and enjoying this amazing view.

I hope that everyone had a restful, safe Christmas! I should be back to regular blogging shortly.

Large Earflap Hat

Somehow, my life is full of giant-headed men. No really. One of my step-brothers requested an ear flap hat to go with his charcoal coat. Fortunately Salvbard has the same 22.5" head, so he can model it for me. As there are several large headed men in my family, I am going to include the basic pattern here. If you make a large hat using this pattern, let me know. I would love to commiserate over large heads.

Finished Circumference: 22.5"
Yarn: 1.5 balls Reynolds Odyssey in color 414 (72.3 g)
Needles: US 8 / 5.0 mm

Gauge: 10 sts/2"

Note: I found that a round or two of single crochet was fine to stop curling, but some others (depending on yarn choice and the whims of the universe) have not found this to be true. If you are worried about it, feel free to add a non-rolling bottom like seed stitch or a folded hem (provisional cast on, knit 1" on smaller needles, purl 1 row, knit 1" on needles for gauge, then knit each stitch with one of the sts held provisionally, continue with pattern as written, measuring length from purled row).

Cast on 112 sts. (Feel free to despair at this point, as you realize how big this hat is. Then realize how much better is than knitting giant socks, and pull yourself together.) Knit even for 5 inches before starting decreases.

Decreases:
Row 1: Knit 12 sts and k2tog around
Row 2: knit even
Row 3: knit 11 sts and k2tog around
Row 4: knit even
Row 5: knit 10 sts and k2tog around
Row 6: knit even
Continue in pattern as established until you have k2tog around. Break yarn and draw through last 8 sts.

Ear Flaps:
Pick up 20 sts from cast-on edge. Knit 3 rows back in forth in stockinette, finishing on a wrong side row.
K1 ssk k16 k2tog k1
knit 3 rows in stockinette, ended on a wrong side row
K1 ssk k14 k2tog k1
knit 3 rows in stockinette, ended on a wrong side row
k1 ssk k12 k2tog k1
purl one row
bind off all stitches

Start second ear flap 35 sts over from the first one. This is slightly asymmetrical front to back, which Salvbard found fit him better. After both ear flaps were done, I added a row of single crochet around the whole hat. after blocking, I found the edges didn't roll, but your experience may vary.


Oh and to give you an idea how big this hat is here is a photo of it on me. Help, help. It's eating my head! And I seemed oddly amused by it.

New Stuff on the Needles

This week the 2 items on the needles are both completely new to the blog: a new pair of socks and a balaclava. Perhaps it is just because of the white outside, but I am loving the color in both of them.


The balaclava is going fast, and should probably be done tomorrow with any luck. I used a crocheted provisional cast-on with the hope that it will make the ribbing around the face neater. It was a last minute Christmas request, that would have gone unfulfilled except that I did the rest of my holiday crafting early.

The striping in the socks on the other hand is driving me a bit batty. It is very close to matching, but each stripe is not a predictable width. Sometimes you just have to let it go I guess with self-striping yarns.

Afrika socks

I finally finished up this pair of socks, which have lingered on my needles, waiting to be kitchenered for almost a week now. They carried me through many meetings and holiday queues. They were invaluable for the post office lines alone! (Note to self: avoid post offices in December unless you need lots of knitting time.)

My apologies to the socks for the less than flattering picture. Unfortunately there is no one with the correct sized feet in the house, and I had to decided between a somewhat "flaccid" picture or an obviously ill-fitting one.

Yarn: Tough Sock by Spunky Eclectic
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm
Pattern: Basic Sock Pattern by Ann Budd
Pattern Source: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns

I hadn't knit with this yarn before, but I am very pleased with it. The yardage is amazingly generous, about 500 yards. These socks are not small, but I have tons left over. I sort of enjoyed the feeling of the superwash wool, slightly slippery and smooth, but not in an annoying way. Plus it has some nylon in it, which makes me happy to gift these, knowing they will wear well. The colorway is called "sunspot", but it made both Salvbard and myself immediately think of Africa and someone who might like Africa-colored socks.

The pattern has become one of my standard ones, but after several I am desperately craving a simple stockinette paire. Now I just need to cast on a new pair of on-the-go socks.

Harry's Sweater Ornament

Okay, I admit it, I am starting to get in a holiday mood. The holiday decorations before Halloween and even before Thanksgiving, drive me crazy, but I do get there eventually. To get more in the mood here is a tree ornament.

Pattern: Mini Weasley Sweater Ornaments by Alison Hansel
Pattern Source: Charmed Knits
Yarn: Wool-Ease in cranberry and gold
Supplier: Spark Craft Studios
Needle: US 7 / 4.5 mm

I have always wanted to make one of these little guys, but now I totally have the excuse to do so. So cute!

Also to get you more in the holiday spirit, we have this acappella medley.

Button Advice

Ok it is time to get this baby sweater out of my to-do basket and add some buttons. Now the only question is which ones. Fortunately since this sweater is made with such bulky yarn, no button holes are needed. I have flexibility about how many buttons to use, since I will basically be stitching the buttons through the knitted band.

Choice 1: 4 pale yellow vintage buttons

Choice 2: 3 opalescent buttons

Both types of button are machine washable, and thus baby and mommy friendly. Any thoughts?

An Unoriginal Handspun Hat

Apparently I am drowning my sorrows over the Aran sweater in quick knits from handspun. Today's project was made from the first handspun I ever made on my wheel: a bulky merino/tencel blend.

Yarn: bulky handspun in merino/tencel
Fiber Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 10.5/7.5 mm
Pattern: An Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Modifications: did an extra set-up row, skipped rows 4, 6, 8, and 10 of the second pattern repeat and completely changed the decreases

And if you have a moment, consider stopping by Eileens's new blog. She just made her very first post and asks for knitting ADD/too many WIPs advice. Share the fiber blog love!

Snowy Day Knitting

They closed Chiquita's school early today, which was just as well because by the time we got home the snow was really coming down. It was the perfect weather to stay inside, drink hot cocoa, and knit.

I wish I had a better picture to show you the scale of the snow. The footprints here are at least 8" deep, and all that snow only fell over the course of a few hours. In fact it is still falling now.

Yarn: my handspun, a worsted weight
Roving: merino/tussah silk from Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 8/5.0 mm
Pattern: Top Down Hat
Modifications: cast on 8 sts inititally and added ribbing to the bottom

This yarn was one I was not totally happy with. I knew I wanted it to ultimately be a gift for my aunt, but in trying to get a funky yarn, I just ended up with something with overspun places. Knitting overlooks a lot of minor imperfections in handspun though, and the hat is cute.

Holiday Cards '07

We printed this year's holiday cards, and I have to say that I am very pleased with them.


The front image was taken by Salvbard, and then the cards were designed digitally for printing. Now I just need to finish them and send them out.

More Cables

Salvbard's comment when he first noticed me cabling without a cable needle this weekend totally cracked me up. "What are you doing?! Hold on little stitch. You are going for a ride!"


We have reached a point of good news bad news. After finishing the second ball, it was time to split for the arms. So good news: sweater is moving right along. Bad news: it is huge. Once it was off the single 32"circular, it suddenly became quite evident that this is not a child sized sweater. In fact it has the same chest circumference as the sweater I am wearing right now. I haven't decided what I am going to do. At the moment my first instinct is to put it away in a box and not think about it. Salvbard votes to just rip it out and start again. I should have enough to finish it in this size, but he is probably right. I am just not ready to think about it.

Pay It Forward

I hereby pledge to send a handmade gift to the first three people who comment on this entry. No real promises about time frame, but it’ll be within the next 365 days. In return, you have to post the same offer on your blog, and prepare to send a gift to three other people.

Remember, you have a year to get your gifts done! Please remember, you don’t have to knit or crochet to participate, anyone who can make a nice handmade gift is welcome to join. And thanks to Angela Marie who pointed out that there is a group set it for it as well if you are on Ravelry.

IF: Little Things - Worms

This week's Illustration Friday prompt is "little things". I immediately thought of my latest pet project: worms.

Salvbard is helping me build a wormery, and I am so excited! Since we don't eat much processed food, we have a lot of vegetable scraps. But we live in an apartment, so a compost bin is not an option. I love this idea of a way to reduce our "green waste".

This drawing was also a chance to try out my new 9B pencil. Mmmm, it is so smooth to work with. It is like all of the pleasure of working with charcoal, and it scans better. The only potential problem might be that it is so soft that it will probably transfer off the page a bit with time and wear.

One ball into Aran Sweater

We had more snow today, but since Chiquita was at a friend's house it was the perfect time to curl up and do a little secret holiday knitting. This is how far one ball of Cotton Ease will get you in a 34" sweater, about 6" done.


Did I mention that previously? She picked out the yarn and the pattern months ago, but she doesn't actually know that I am making her the sweater. I am hoping to make it a surprise, but that will depend on how much of a time crunch I end up being in.

Top 10 “Stash Projects” Knit a Long

So yesterday I mentioned the Top 10 Stash Projects KAL. The basic idea is that you find 10 projects for which you already have the yarn which you really want to knit this winter (December until April). There are even prizes if such things motivate you, but the idea of just re-discovering yarn I love is enough for me.

Finish
Fairly Ease Fair Isle Sweater
Sampler Afghan
Slytherin blanket

Things I would love to make
Quidditch Sweater in Charmed Knits from Berroco Comfort
Slytherin Knee Socks from Mind's Eye Yarn's Merino DK
Children's Aran Pullover K-1002 by Joyce Bernard in Cotton Ease
York in Silk Garden Lite
child's hat (Elf Hats - Twisted Pumpkin?) in Cashmerino Aran
Trellis in Järbo Garn Raggi Multi
boring pair of socks for Salvbard

This list feels a little too ambitious though. There are 3-4 sweaters, 2 blankets, and 2 pair of socks. That is so different from my normal knitting habits, that I fear that I just won't be able to stick to it. Can I really live with so few socks? Perhaps I should take another look around...

Current Knitting

Many thanks to the several offers that I had for hunting down of more silver for the Slytherin blanket. We had a brief dyelot scare (who knew that Red Heart had dye lots?!), Salvbard was able to get me more. I should have more than enough to get through the project now so that we don't have to worry about it again.

This week I am working on the Afrika socks some more, and I cast on for a sweater for Chiquita. The sweater will be part of the Top 10 Stash Projects KAL, but I will post more info on that once I finish up my list of projects I want to work on.


Chiquita picked out the yarn for this at Windsor Button during the last Boston Knit Out and Crochet Too... which would make it just over a year old. I bought 6 skeins (~1200 yards) of Cotton Ease so that I could knit any pattern that she wanted, since we didn't have one picked out in advance. That is totally unlike me. She absolutely loved the color, though, and the yarn had been dis-continued (and since re-continued though in different colors). We have settled on an Aran pattern (she loves cables). I admit I had a bit of a shock when we took measurements, and I realized how big a sweater she needs these days, though. Pretty soon she will be able to steal my clothes!

Slytherin blanket update

I have reached a small road block in the completion of the Slytherin blanket at just over 2" (61 cm). I ran out of silver yarn right before the next broad green stripe. Chiquita has already used what has been done so far today though, as she came home sick from school, and was found snuggled up underneath it on the couch.


The grey/silver is just Red Heart Super Saver in Grey Heather. Unfortunately I can't find more anywhere. With any luck Salvbard will be able to get me more at the Michael's near his work, but in the meantime I am stuck. I guess that means it is a good time to work on something else.

Gryffindor SC Hat

Today we woke up to snow and a school delay. Needless to say, Chiquita was delighted. We even managed to start a snowman in the backyard. She was in such a good mood that she even was willing to humor me with a quick photo shoot for this single crocheted Gryffindor hat I made. This hat is going in my pile for Christmas in the City.

Pattern: Single Stitch Beanie by Chauntel

Yarn: Wool Ease in Cranberry and Gold
Supplier: Spark Craft Studio
Hook: I / 5.5 mm

If you are new to crochet, I would recommend this pattern as a good one to get your started with something beyond rectangles. It's simple construction calls only for increases, single crochet and optional color-changes. It gives alternate numbers of increases for different sized heads, but I found the pattern as written is perfect for a child.

Red Mittens

Part of me finds it slightly ironic to be finishing these red mittens the day before World Aids Day. If you have a moment, please consider lighting a candle over at Light to Unite.

Pattern: Bev's 2-Needle Mittens For Kids by Beverly A. Qualheim
Size: 6-8 years
Needles: US 8 / 5.0 mm
Yarn: Wool Ease in Ranch Red 102
Supplier: Play Time
Modifications: worked in the round, because I dislike seaming

Gryffindor Hat

I often have the experience that I think I am knitting for someone, only for the object to tell me that is was destined for someone else. This Gryffindor hat was one of those objects.

Pattern: House Hat (Beanie) by Alison Hansel
Pattern Source: Charmed Knits
Yarn: Wool Ease Solid in Gold and Cranberry
Needles: US Size 8 / 5.0mm

Modifications: I changed the crown decreases to be spiral decreases, just because they please me.

I thought that is was going to be a child's hat, but gauge foiled that plan. So suddenly with a women's sized hat on the needles, this hat whispered who it would rather go to. No, I won't say who, as the recipient doesn't know that she will be receiving it, although I don't believe she reads my blog. But it is someone that I only would have met because of the fandom, and so the choice seems appropriate.

Knit WIPs

Another Wednesday is here, so let's pull out my knitting WIPs. This week I am working on a pair of children's mittens and a pair of women's socks.


The socks are being knit from some lovely Spunky Eclectic Tough Sock, that I had been saving for just the right person. It is an absolute pleasure to knit with. The mittens are knit from some stash Wool Ease in Ranch Red, which defies all attempts to contain the photo saturation.

The crocheted blankets are still moving along slowly, but they don't look all that different at the moment. And although I don't think I had mentioned it yet, I did finish the Cotton Candy sweater. I am still on the hunt for the right buttons though. Does anyone out there have a favorite place to hunt for buttons in the Boston area?

Action Baby Hat

Looking around the internet, I had a really hard time finding a small hat pattern that uses a super-bulky yarn (that I have left over from the Cotton Candy sweater). I figured I would type it up to save myself (or someone else) the math to figure it out again. I tend to knit somewhat tightly, so if you do not you may find that you need to go down a needle size. This pattern takes just one 50 g skein.

Needles: US 17 / 12.75 mm
Yarn: N.Y. Yarns Action, a super-bulky yarn
Gauge: 8.5 sts/4 "
Finished Circumference: 18" (suitable for 12-18 month old)

Cast on 38 sts, and join into the round, careful not to twist.
Place marker at the start of the round and work in 1X1 rib for 1.5".
On the next round, increase 1 st and k to end. (39 sts)
Work in stockinette for 5.25" before beginning decreases.

Decreases:
k4 *k2tog k3* (32 sts)
k even
*k2tog k2* (24 sts)
k even
*k2tog k1* (16 sts)
k even
*k2tog* (8 sts)

Cut yarn, leaving at least an 8" tail. Using a tapestry needle, draw tail through remaining stitches. Pull tight and weave in ends on the inside.

One Red Mitten

One, one red mitten, hahaha.

I know that this is a season when a lot of people are starting to go a little crazy with their holiday crafting, but I have decided to add an extra project or three.

Pam of Lick My Sticks has teamed up with Christmas in the City (an all-volunteer organization that helps the homeless families of Boston) to collect hand knits (or crochets) for the children living in homeless shelters in Boston, MA. She is going to drive the donations to Christmas in the City a day or two before Christmas for them to distribute among the Boston-area shelters to Children who are most likely looking at a gift-less Christmas.

You can read more about this project on this post. You hear a lot about projects to send warm items to children in all different parts of the world, but this idea of helping those a lot closer to home is dear to my heart. So maybe if you have a little bit of time, maybe you could think about adding one small project to your holiday crafting list too.

Feeling Productive

What a productive (crafting-wise) weekend! I finished knitting the Cotton Candy sweater, but I need buttons to finish it. After I pick them out and sew them on, I will show pictures. The socks I had started are at 5"/13 cm long in the leg now.

Also as you can see, I made a little progress on the Slytherin blanket. By a back-of-the-envelope calculation I am over a quarter done. Wow! Crochet does go a lot faster than knitting per unit area, even when it is my inefficient version.


If it isn't clear the blanket is folded in quarters to avoid it looking like a long strip. Sorry for the shadows. Even though this photo was taken at 2 pm today, the longer shadows of the winter seem to have set in.

Travel Projects

The best thing about the holidays is all that time spent sitting around chatting. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by people who don't mind if I knit while I talk (though it helps that for a simple sock I don't need to look at it).

I did end up casting on a new sock, and it is progressing nicely. The other project that I brought with me, though, was my Slytherin blanket. Wouldn't it figure that somewhere between bringing our bags downstairs to the car on Thursday and actually arriving at Thanksgiving dinner that I lost the hook? That was the only thing that got me into a retail establishment on Black Friday, which I otherwise avoid like the plague. (No offense to those deal-hunters out there, I just really don't like that many people in one place.)

That brief shopping trip meant that I could crochet today while Chiquita worked on her annual Christmas ornaments with my sister. Part of me feels guilty for not bringing the Sampler blanket, which is much closer to being done, but the simple ripple pattern needs no instructions, which makes it quite desirable as a traveling project. I even re-discovered the ability to do something (in this case crochet) while having a baby sleep on you. Soon it will be too big to carry around though.

Travel projects, for me, should be small and mindless. I know Elizabeth Zimmerman used to recommend shawls for travel knitting due to to the amount of knitting time you can get out of one project, though. Socks are usually my happy medium between to these two ideas in knitting, but I haven't figured what my ideal travel crochet project is yet. What are your favorite travel projects, and what type of craft are they?

Garden Dancing Shoes

When I first got Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers, one of the first patterns that caught my interest was for Dancing shoes, designed for babies 3-6 months old. As my niece, Ms. L, is just 3 months old, I thought this would make a very cute Christmas present.

You may remember this yarn from my Garden Monkey socks that I had knit from Mind's Eye Yarns April sock club yarn. Lucy said that her original inspiration for this colorway was a field of flowers. I am so glad that this affect translated as well into crochet as it did in knitting.

Pattern: Dancing Shoes by Lesley Stanfield
Pattern Source: Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers
Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns Merino/Tencel
Hook: 3.5 mm / E / Size 0 steel hook
Buttons: found in the button box at Windsor Button

The pattern with recommended gauge is supposed to produce a 4" long show, which looks significantly longer than the average 3-6 month-old's foot to me. Better to grow into them thn for them to be too small though.

Even so I had a little trouble with gauge. Even going up from the recommended 2.5 mm hook to a 2.75 mm hook, I made a sole that would only make a 3" long shoe. So be careful with your gauge on this one. Be aware though that the finishing will increase the size of the show slightly though accoding to external measurements.

Giving Thanks

Today was great. I had the company of people I love and the leisure to really enjoy their company. The past year has been a hard one for several personal reasons, but life is full of so much I have to be thankful for.

My daughter is such a joy to me, and this year we added my lovely neice Ms. L to the family. Despite the health concerns that my sister and I have had, we are both feel well for the most part and can enjoy our daughters.

I am grateful for the blogosphere. Blogging this year has been fun and has pushed me to expand my creative pursuits. Your feedback and comments are always appreciated and often educational and interesting. I love to visit your blogs and be inspired by your experiences and projects. Similarly Flickr has been a source of inspiration and a great way to get to know some of you who might not have blogs.

There has been a lots of talk on Ravelry about our thanks to Jess and Casey for its creation. I know that there are many still waiting to join so I will keep it short. I appreciate not only the really neat aspects that let you cross reference yarn and pattern in ways that have changed what I knit and crochet, but also the community it has created. The fiber community has always been a great one, but they have connected new people in ways that would not have been possible before in the same way.

So in total life is good and I am so happy to be able to enjoy it. I feel so fortunate. It has been a wonderful year, and thank you for all for being part of it.

WIPs Wednesday

It is Wednesday, so it is time for a check-in with my WIPs. Unfortunately afghans don't make particularly good progress photos, so I am not going to show you the status of the Slytherin blanket (actually one row shorter than last check in as I caught a mistake and ripped back all of my progress) or the Sampler Square blanket, since I have no new squares done that you haven't already seen at least one version of previously.

What I do have is a potholder and a bulky baby sweater in progress.

Knit from some stash super bulky yarn, Action from N.Y. Yarns, the baby sweater is going really fast as you might expect at 2 stitches an inch. I have been weaving in the ends as I go, so this project should be done before we arrive at my dad's house.

The bee potholder is actually on hold though. I need to pick up some white kitchen cotton for wings and some cotton batting for the insulating layer in the middle. I did have some superwash wool in my stash that I was going to use, but then I started getting nervous that it would singe more easily than the cotton. After all I only see pot holder patterns made from cotton. Is there a reason why you couldn't use wool?

Meeting in the Common Room

Today I had a package arrive from Faery Fiber. I had ordered during Tammy's grand opening (still going on, 20% off), and then cursed when she updated a few days later. (I love what I got, but the colors on the Voldemort colorway are great.) Also key to this story is that she is including stitch markers with purchase.


I originally "met" Tammy during the the first Hogwarts Sock Swap. Then she was in my house again for HSS2. Her color sense is amazing, and I am so glad that she decided to try having an etsy shop. Despite the great colors, the yarn wasn't what stood out to me most. It was the stitch markers and incredibly thoughtful note tucked inside the package. See, she took the time not only to write a sweet note thanking me for my purchase, but also to say that she recognized me as a Slytherin (from the swap) and so couldn't resist making sure my markers were in house colors. Thanks Tammy for making the fiber world seems like such a small, friendly place!

Novelty Scarf

This past weekend my dad dropped the fact that he, my step-mom and my little sister (age 7) were going to be out of town for Christmas. That means that my last chance to drop off my sister's present would be the first week of December. Okay, I guess that means I needed to cast on right away. Digging around in my stash I found this lonely skein of yarn that is a bit too novelty for me, but just perfect for a little girl.

Yarn: Gleam by Moda Dea in blue topaz

Needles: US 8 / 5.0 mm
Pattern: Eros Extreme Belt by Carol Smith
Pattern Source: One-Skein Wonders

This project was so simple that you really need no pattern. I am just listing this one since it gave me the inspiration on how to use this yarn. This version was knit with a cast-on of only 8 stitches. This pattern used just a single skein, and only took a few hours of mindless knitting.

I can't say working with this yarn thrilled me. It is made of of 3 strands: a mohair one, a ribbon tape one and a glitter one. It was a bit splity, and the mohair was getting to me after a bit. The results though have been positive to several little girls I have asked.

Rogue SPS

This week's autumnal Self Portrait Sunday is brought to you by my Rogue. This was my NaKniSweMo project last year, and I admit it was what tempted me to consider doing NaKnitSweMo again this year. Unfortunately, life is just too crazy for such a commitment right now, but hopefully I will be able to participate again next year.

I absolutely love this sweater, and despite the fact that I wear it often, it still looks new. The color is great, and it is quite snuggly and warm. Somehow though, this is the only adult-sized sweater I have ever knit. Perhaps after the holidays I should correct that.

Anklets

One of my best girl friends has been not to subtly hinting that she would really like a pair of socks. Since I had a day long lecture style meeting, I brought along these anklets to work on, and I finished them before we went home. Is it just me or is this colorway very similar to the kitchen cotton I made the Swiffer cover with?

Pattern: Fixation Socks (pdf)
Yarn: 1 ball Cascade Fixations Effects in color 9843
Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm

This is not the first time I have worked with Fixation, but this time I went with a significantly larger needle size since the pattern calls for 4s and I tend to need to go up a needle size. Despite casting on the number of stitches for a women's medium, I think these look more like a women's small. Maybe that is just because of poor gauge, I am not sure. Oh well, I guess if they don't fit my friend I have a few other ideas of whom they might fit.

Merino/Tussah Silk

The nice thing about the cooler weather is that I have been able to rediscover my love for spinning. This is good, since Salvbard had just been noting that all summer and then through September and October I hadn't touched my wheel. It isn't that I love her any less, but it isn't until the weather cools that I really love to spin.

This is what I have on the bobbins at the moment: some lovely merino/tussah silk from Mind's Eye Yarns. It is absolutely lovely to spin, but I am not sure how much of a tight twist is needed with this sort of blend. It is my first time working with silk at all. Any experienced spinners out there with some advice?

Ballet Slippers

As I mentioned recently, I have been doing a bunch of cleaning. This includes my house in general, but also I have been going through my craft supplies and reorganizing. One problem area has been my mending basket.

Going through it, I discovered several projects that I had forgotten, and amazingly enough I even got a few of them mended today. One of the projects I unearthed though, appear never to have made it to my blog, because I hadn't sewn buttons on them.

Pattern: Fiber Trends Felt Ballerina Slippers (AC-14)

Size: children's large
Yarn: Rowan Magpie Aran in color 697
Supplier: Woolcott & Co.

I had made these for Chiquita last year, but they had ended up too big. Good thing I rediscovered them before she out grew them! (And yes I do realize how rocking her sense of style is with the leopard print tights. You should have seen them with the turquoise gaucho shorts.)

KP Sample Cards

I was cleaning out my craft corner this afternoon and came across some Knit Picks sample cards for their Telemark, EssentialSolid, and EssentialTweed lines. If anyone is interested I would be happy to send them out to you. (I have 2 Telemark cards and 2 EssentialSolid/EssentialTweed cards.)

Danke II Socks

I have now knit two pairs of socks from cotton/wool blend sock yarns, first the Danke socks and now the Danke II socks. I can't decide what I think about knitting them, but they do make good gifts I think. At the moment though I am wishing for wool socks for myself. Perhaps I should extend the same for those I care enough to knit for.

Yarn: ONline Supersocke 100 Cotton in Summer 787

Needle: US Size 1/2.25 mm
Pattern: Basic Sock Pattern by Ann Budd
Pattern Source: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns

The problem with gift knitting in this season is the danger of it being mistaken for a winter holiday gift. Generally I prefer my handknit gifts to be random gifts. I just feel like they are more appreciated as a happy surprise. Which method of gifting do you prefer as a crafter?

Sheldon la Tortuga

Guess who was out for an adventure today. Yup, it was Sheldon, Chiquita's tortuga plushie.

Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic in 3726 (lime) and 3764 (holly)

Supplier: The Knitting Room
Needles: US 4/3.5 mm
Pattern: Sheldon

Chiquita was so anxious that he be done that when I got up this morning she was sewing on his legs by herself. (And she actually did a pretty good job.) I finished the i-cord on his shell and embroidered on his eyes, and then they were off to adventure. He is really cute, but there is a reason I don't do many toys. There was so much detailing and finishing work even though he is small!

Blanket Re-discovery

New England has been getting much colder. The heat hasn't kicked in yet though, as it won't until it is below 52*F in the house. We have broken out a bunch more blankets though, and so with the cooler weather I have blankets on my mind.

Do you remember the sample square blanket I was working on? It got too hot, and I put it away until this week. I had forgotten how much fun the squares are.

Patterns: Springtime Square (left) and Cluster Flower Square (right)
Hook: H/5.0 mm

It is good that I like making them so much though, since I have gotten a bit more ambitious since the summer and would now like it to be big enough for a bed, rather than just as a lapghan for the couch.

Ravenclaw Baby Hat

Remember the Fetchings I finished up the other day? Well I was thinking of what to do with just the third of a skein of the Baby Cashmerino that was left over. Fortunately I had some more in another color, so I immediately thought of a stripy hat. (Each stripe was 9 rows wide other than the last stripe, and all the decreases were done there.) The holidays are just around the corner, so a few small gift projects are always a good idea.


Yarn: Baby Cashmerino in 203 and 340 (~1/3 of a skein of each)
Needles: US Size 8s/5.00 mm
Pattern: Ribbed Baby Hat by Lucy

I think the parents of the baby will be amused by the HP theme, but they are great colors anyways. As an added bonus it is gender neutral and could be saved for the next baby.

Ravelry t-shirt

I had seen them starting to appear in my area, and I finally have m Ravelry t-shirt in my hands.

Love it! (BTW I normally wear a small and am very happy with the medium.)

Many thanks to those who expressed concern about how Chiquita was feeling. She pretty much slept all afternoon and night yesterday. Then when she woke up she felt almost completely better.

Fetchings

Today when I picked up Chiquita, the first thing that she said was that she didn't feel good and had a headache. I knew it was serious when she wasn't interested in the playground even for a few minutes. By the time we had walked most of the way home she had requested soup and hot tea with lemon. Then minutes after she got home she was asleep in bed.

Pobracita! But since she was out I got to weave in some ends on a pair of Fetchings that I had knit for her. They were going to be for the holidays, but if she is still feeling yucky tomorrow I might surprise her with them to cheer her up. I have a pair of cabled fingerless gloves I knit from cashmerino years ago that she loves and always tries to steal, so I thought she might like her own.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in color 203
Supplier: The Knitting Room
Needles: US Size 5/3.75 mm
Pattern: Fetching

These were knit out of baby cashmerino rather than the aran weight to fit smaller hands. I find that they also fit my (admittedly small) hands too though. And the greater yardage on the lighter weight yarn meant that even after lengthening the 4X1 ribbed section by several rows, this project only used 2/3 of a 50 g ball.

What's On the Needles Wednesday

For all that I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of projects on the needles at the moment, I suddenly realized that right now I really only have two knitting projects that I am actively working on.

The socks are a simple pair for the playground. I know the recipient I have in mind, but it is a surprise. And the green blobby thing is Chiquita's "tortuga". We saw a Sheldon at The Knitting Room this past Sunday, and she absolutely fell in love. What's on your needles today?

Received HSS2 Package

As I mentioned yesterday I received a wonderful package in the mail from my HSS2 pal Angela Marie of Girl with a Twist (previously of Enchanted Daffodils).


Sorry that once again photo conditions were not optimal. It is raining very heavily today. We even lost power for several hours this morning. She put a lot of thought into this package though, so I wanted to make sure that I publicly thanked her.

She included all three of the Socktopia Harry Potter themed patterns, beautifully printed in color and placed in 3-ring binder slip covers. I don't know if I mentioned it previously, but I do keep my hard copy patterns exactly this way in a binder. So this extra step was really appreciated.

The bookmark is knit on what I can only image were toothpick fine needles. It will be perfect for all the paperbacks that I read. And the colors of the little "book scarf" are absolutely perfect.

As for yarn she not only included a skein of Lisa Souza's beautiful sock yarn in Emerald City, she also threw in the leftovers from the socks and another full skein of the Knit Picks Essential Solid. I have never used either of these yarns, so I am super excited. And I have enough of the green and grey/silver that I think I could knit a whole other pair of socks if I like.

As if all that was not enough, there were a ton of extras. There's a mini sock blocker, which I have seen on other people's blogs but never in person. Too cute! Also included was a tin decorating kit, that I will probably do with Chiquita since there are two tins. Inside was also a golden snitch, which she may have seen on my Ravelry queue. And then to top it all off there were some spooky Halloween pencils and bunch of candy. (I love tootsie rolls and usually convince Chiquita to share hers with me from her trick-or-treating stash since she doesn't like them, but this year she got none!)

Thank you so much Avada Finchfletchley!

Daylight Savings

Daylight savings time has defeated me for the day. I had several things I wanted to share today including my newly received HSS2 package (which is wonderful and I am wearing the socks now), but the general lack of daylight by the time we got home from the playground has thwarted any plans involving taking photos. I can't say my sleep is suffering from the time change, but I do need to rethink when I am going to take any pictures.

Oct ATC and Rowena

I did two cards for October's CMP ATC Swap theme of "Tell me a story." My first I idea for this prompt was something along the lines of face lit from below by a flashlight, a la campfire-story-style. I wasn't super pleased by the way it turned out though. So I made another one, more simple and maybe less fun, which is the one I actually sent.


Also, now that "Avada Finchfletchley" has received her HSS2 package I can talk about a little surprise I made for her package. Inspired the by Chocolate Frog cards, I made an ATC with Rowena Ravenclaw.

watercolor crayon and micron pen on cardstock

The quote along the side is the Ravenclaw motto: "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Given my enthusiasm for all things Harry Potter/Hogwarts, Robbyn of Yarnpath had encouraged me a while ago to try my hand at HP fan-art, though I had never done it before.

Grey Mitten Morning

This morning it was quite chilly even before the rain started, so Chiquita got a chance to wear the new pair of mittens I finished for her. Her pair from last year is ludicrously small. (How could she possibly have grown that much in less than a year?) So I had her dig around in my stash for a worsted something to make a new pair. Yes of course she would ferret out a merino/cashmere blend. That girl has taste.

Yarn: Lion Brand Lion Cashmere Blend
Supplier: Sparks Craft Studio
Needles: US Size 8s/5.00 mm
Pattern: Basic Mitten Pattern by Ann Budd
Pattern Source: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns

So armed in our new mittens, we hoped on the bus to meet up for the Ravelry meet-up brunch at Athan's in Brighton. The food and company were wonderful as always. Even if you are not a member of Ravelry you are welcome, so drop me a line if you are local and interested.

After brunch Chiquita and I went with Suzanne of Double Helix, Cynthia of I Hate Waiting, and Mishka of Mischka Knits to the Knitting Room for the beginning of their closing sale. I am so sorry to see this store go. They were always one of my favorites, and I supported them regularly.