Forest socks planning

There is just something to finding the perfect coordinating yarn for toes and heels. I was so excited about it that I hand wound the gold yarn into a center pull ball using a pencil as a nostepinne.

These forest-colored socks are well underway at this point, and I am feeling really good about making the planned recipient a new pair of handknits. Yay for knitworthy people!

Lisaster birthday socks

I had mentioned previously that I had some vacation knitting fail. We did stop at a Michael's in hopes of finding more yarn, but unfortunately they did not carry it. The silver lining was that I picked up yarn and started knitting a very special pair of birthday socks instead.

Lisaster was about to have a round number birthday, and I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to do something special for one of the women closest to my heart. Normally I stick with stockinette socks, but for this, I went with 2X2 cabled ribs with offset cable turns every other cable. These were knit cuff down with a heel flap heel and wedge toe.

These were a little late in delivery, but a very happy birthday Lisaster! Clearly your birthday is totally a summer date, despite when you received these in hand. Also thank you again for immediately thinking to document their use.

Yarn: Loops & Thread Woolike

Yarn Supplier: Michael's

Needles: US 1 / 2.25mm

The ball is very generous, and I  definitely have enough to make a full sized pair of socks.

This is a new yarn to me, and I was a little nervous about its fiber content for socks. Specifically it is an acrylic and nylon yarn, but true to its  name, it is very wool-like. It has some spring to it, and it is very soft and strong. Due to the nylon content, I think it might hold up reasonably well, but I was nervous about the socks being slouchy. The cabled rib does a good job adding a little extra stretch though.

Amazing Knitting Gifts

I have been incredibly fortunate to have such generous and thoughtful people in my life. And through an interesting congruence of events, I have been the recipient of several gifts in the last few weeks that I wanted to recognize.

A friend brought me back a pair of knitting girl socks from Las Vegas, NV. They are so cute! And the "yarn" is fuzzy! Also I received a thank you skein of Malabrigo sock from a co-worker. And last but certainly not least I was given a skein of Handmaiden Fine Yarn Sea Sock from a friend who had just spent 2 weeks training for a new job in Santa Monica, CA. (I am so excited for her!)

Clearly I am terribly spoiled. Thank you!

Red Cabled Baby Hat

Red can be a super challenging color to photograph (thank you new housemate!), but I love it for baby boys even more than the "traditional" blue. And this yarn is just right for the little boy in Texas it is intended for. It is made from a 50-50 blend of cotton and soy fiber, which was a new yarn for me. It is very soft and comes in great colors, from brights to softer tones.

Pattern: Cabled Baby Hat by Melanie Hoffman
Size: 0-3 months
Yarn: Queensland Collection Bebe Cotsoy
Yarn Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Needles: US 8 / 5.0 mm

Modifications: I shortened ribbing by half and then completely made up my own decreases so that they would look more in pattern than the original. This was a free pattern, which can be accessed on the designer's blog (pattern linked directly, above) and is also available as a free Ravelry download.

Just a reminder! My birthday giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight EST. So if you would like to enter, comment on that post.

*shrug* It's Vintage

Many moons ago I decided to make a shrug for my housemate for when she was in the office. Having finished it is one of the few things that could make me smile about standing outside while it snowed on me without a coat.

And the back:

Pattern: Beacon Hill Shawl (free vintage pattern)
Yarn: Lion Brand Microspun
Needles: US 2 / 2.75 mm & US 4 / 3.5 mm

Modifications: I lengthened the sleeves to be wrist length, and omitted the crocheted edging. Lengthening the sleeves meant I seemed a little more than the recommended 6" above the ribbing.

Also I am not terribly clever and for the first few inches missed the fact that there was supposed to be in garter stitch at the edges of the lace section. So instead I did it in stockinette, which I actually really liked. Especially in the Microspun it gave a lovely soft rolled edge (which also meant omitting sewing down the edge as a collar as suggested) and beautiful seam on the inside of the arm (can be seen in the first photo). Given the generosity of the width of the lace panel, you do not miss the stitches "lost" to the curled edge.

I was a little nervous about doing the lace in a non-animal fiber yarn (eek, no blocking), but it was a must given a wool allergy. This yarn makes an amazing fabric, though, with good drape, and the pattern, which is rib-like, makes a fabric with surprising memory even in something so drapey. My only complaint is that the yarn is just twisted together rather than plied, which occasionally made it annoying to work with.

Wreath Ornaments

Lately I have had ornament making on the brain, since I like to include ornaments on the tops of little gifts or in cards. One of the latest Stormtroopers 365 even had the troopers making ornaments. (If you haven't seen this project yet, it is super cute.)

This year I have been focusing on origami wreaths, altought I had hoped to do some felt mittens like those seen on Handmade Homeschool. Maybe next year.

The little wreaths are easy, especially if you have access to a paper guillotine, and are a great way to use up some of my 8"X8" scrap booking paper. One page makes exactly one wreath. Or two pages makes two wreaths if you alternate paper types.

These were a great project to do with Chiquita as well. Although she is often frustrated with origami, this was a project she really took to. The 3 wreaths seen here were made by me, but she spent hours making these in all different types of paper as gifts for friends, family and teachers. Each one is fairly simple but has beautiful results.

I.C. hat

Remember the Imperial Cog motif I was working on? I am still working on revisions, but in an effort to be using up stash I finished the first attempt as a baby hat. Seriously, there are few things cuter than babies wearing geek-cred.

Yarn: Filatura Di Crosa Dolce Amore & Reynolds Saucy Sport
Hook: C/2.75 mm

No pattern (yet), but I will be working on the second attempt with the cog shortly.

I always thought that it is interesting that you see a lot more free-form crochet out there than free-form knitting. Having done both now though, I guess it makes sense. You just have a lot more flexibility in adapting as you go without looking too strange. You can, of course, also do free-form knitting, but it needs a little more thinking ahead.

A Wooly Beginning

Remember way back when I had just made a wedding afghan for one of my brothers and I mentioned that I had two brothers getting married this year? Well, I hadn't posted about it yet here, but I have started the second wedding afghan.

The trick was that I knew that I would have to work on it all summer, so I needed a pattern that I could do in small pieces to avoid a giant wool blanket on my lap when it was hot outside. And the modular nature means that I can keep going until I pretty much run out of wool.


So I ended up going with the Cross Your Heart blanket from Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers in some Ella Rae Classic, whose color will hopefully still make this pattern acceptable for my brother. Hey, weddings are about love! Hearts work, right?

Odessa

It has been a while since I have posted. Never fear, the end of the semester is coming soon. In the meantime I have been working on mostly small items. This is a pattern that I have wanted to try for a long time, and I am so glad that I had the chance to actually do so.

Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina (now available as a free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns DK Merino
Needles: US 4 / 3.5 mm
Beads: Size 6 from the Beadworks

One of the really fun parts of this project was trying out knitting with beads for the first time. Instead of pre-stringing them, I used the crochet hook method of adding in the beads. I really liked how the beads sit flat using this method, but found that they also sit a little lower. In doing this pattern again with this method of bead application I would do the beads one stitch earlier than suggested.

I had been looking for a pattern to use the leftovers of the giant skein of which I have made the Ashes of Roses cardigan. Seriously, Lucy's DK skeins are more than generous! Not only did I finish this had from what was left, but there is more than enough for another small coordinating project currently in the works. More on that soon!

Wedding Afghan #1

Months ago I mentioned the wedding afghan that I was making for one of my brothers. Well the wedding shower was last weekend, so it was time to stop putting off weaving in the ends any longer. Since the last time I posted I also improvised the edging based on the stripe pattern, and I am really pleased with the result.

Pattern: Two-Color Afghan by Lion Brand Yarn
Hook: 6.0 mm (J)
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted

I am not crazy about Lion Brand's log-in system for their free patterns, but this was simple enough that it would be easy to reverse engineer if you were so inclined. I believe I started with a more chains since I wanted a slightly larger blanket, big enough for the newlyweds to snuggle up under on the couch.

Perhaps I gifted it a little too soon though. I hear they are already (goodnaturedly) fighting over who it gets to live with until the wedding. It is a good thing that the other brother getting married this year already lives with his partner. Now I just need to pick a second pattern. Any suggestions out there? It just needs to be in worsted weight yarn, because I already have enough of it in my stash in 2 colors.

Penguin

One of my dear friends has a serious thing for penguins, and today is his birthday. And so I had this idea to make him a little amigurumi. Somehow through the wonders of Ravelry I found this pattern and couldn't look back. I have said it before, but Asians seem to have a monopoly on "teh cute".


So what if the pattern is once again in Japanese? And so what if I have never done crocheted color work before? (Actually this is the same source as the 28-10 Cotton Smile Cardigan, last seen on the blog here. I need to post new photos as I have finished the crochet portions of that project.)

Pattern: amikomo3-33 Amigurumi Penguin Cell Phone Strap by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Ltd) (direct pdf link)
Hook: 2.25 mm steel hook

Modifications:
I skipped color C entirely, replacing it with more B. I did not attach a cell phone strap, and I embroidered the eyes rather than use plastic ones.

This little guy is so flipping adorable that we may have to make some for our house too. Doesn't he look like he is enjoying the snow? Little did he expect the balmy temperatures today, which were in the 50s *F (high of 9*C). Enjoy it while it lasts, little buddy!

Babies in Handknits

Seriously is there anything cuter than babies in handknits? Sunnynole posted this amazingly cute photo of her Ella a few days ago.

Recognize that sweater? It is the stripey sweater I made for a her a while back.

Pinafore

I know that I don't have a lot of sewing experience, but that never seems to stop me from jumping in with both feet. I found this great dragonfly fabric (image click larger), and I knew that it was perfect for a pinafore pattern I had picked up previously for Ms. L.

This pattern is super simple and really straightforward. I am glad I made a much bigger size though, because I think it won't be too long before it fits my 1 year old niece.

Pattern: S8948 Toddler Pinafore
Size: 3

Modifications: I changed the shape of the pockets from ducks, and then promptly ignored the instructions on how to attach them. They are firmly attached with nice turned edges, though, which would have been harder with their original shape.

Also I started doing button holes at the tops of the straps as instructed and was really unhappy with the second one, even after repeated attempts. So instead I used snaps. This had the extra advantage of making the whole thing more reversible, though there are only pockets on one side.


After finishing the pinafore I still had enough left over from the 0.75 yard of the dragonfly material to make a good sized, coordinating drawstring bag that could fit the pinafore, the Swing high cardigan, and the Stripey BSJ.

Swing High Cardigan

This weekend we are celebrating my niece's first birthday. So a last minute FO was in order. I was getting worried that this would be too small by her one year, but I think it will be just right for this Fall.

Pattern: Swing High Cardigan by Louisa Harding
Pattern Source: Miss Bea's Playtime
Size: 1-2 years
Yarn: Mind's Eye Yarns DK Merino
Buttons: La Mode Buttons Hook 1519 Style 4782, four antique white 7/16" (11mm) buttons

I can't believe this yarn doesn't simply fly off Lucy's shelves even faster than it does. The base yarn is very nice to work with, smooth but easy on the hands. And the yardage is nothing short of incredible. This one skein would have been enough for a much bigger sweater. The smallest size of the sweater, shown here, called for 490 yards but I found it took closer to 300. That left me with over 180 yards left or 1/3 of the skein left!

The pattern itself though I did really like. This whole pattern book is just adorable, and I can see myself making several other patterns from it. The sweater is worked in pieces, but I am really pleased with my mattress stitch, so that was okay. This was the first project where I had to do any extensive amount of it before, so I am really glad that it went alright.

I am almost concerned that the neck seems too wide at the shoulders, but looking at the same project by other on Ravelry it seems fine on actual kids. Also I thought it a little weird that it is a little tapered at the hips, but it doesn't seem as severe when I look at the whole finished project. it is the picot edge that totally gets me with the cuteness though.

A Surprise Package

I am feeling more than a little overwhelmed with life these last few days. (I have a bunch of stuff I want to share with you guys, but just have not found the time to do it. Soon!) So I was really surprised and touched by a random package I received in the mail this afternoon.


Even the presentation was so thoughtfully done. I knew who had sent it, but had no idea why. I read the note, and I admit I got a bit sniffly. I have been so caught up in thesis stuff, the end of the school year for Chiquita, and some assorted health worries, that this little random kindness took me totally off-guard.


Aren't they beautiful? They were a gift from SunnyNole, who I have been so happy to watch as she taken to knitting as if she was born to it. Only a few months ago she was knitting her first hat and now she is knitting her first socks. Thank you so much! Two of them are already in use on a House Sweater that I had just started yesterday. They are so much prettier than the safety pins I had grabbed from the desk for the same purpose.

Birthday Poncho

With Chiquita's birthday coming up, I asked her what she might like me to make for her. She didn't even pause for thought: a poncho. Really... a poncho? Are you sure?

So I sat down and worked out the details with her. It should be in blue, purple, light green, and pink ("not a light pink"). There would be black trim. And it should be crocheted, not knit. Ravelry to the rescue! We looked at many patterns, and she selected one. Then she picked out some colors, and we were off and running.

Pattern: 89-6 Crocheted Poncho with blossom by DROPS design
Size: 8/10 years
Yarn: Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids in Country Rose, Light Mint, Medium Purple, Turqua, Black & Lion Brand Pound of Love in Denim
Hook: I/5.50mm

This still needs a run in the dryer to soften up the acrylics and give them more drape, but Chiquita wouldn't wait to give it a test run. I am just relieved that it seems to have exceeded her expectations. You never know with little ones.

I think my favorite detail about this pattern is actually the rose pin. It seems like a fabulous little girl accessory, and I definitely could see myself making more without necessarily making the poncho. Since it is a separate piece, Chiquita has already been planning on what else to wear it with.

Black Man-Socks

Given that the weather seems to be acknowledging the approach of spring, it is inevitable that I would be finishing these self-declared winter socks. I kitchenered the toes over Falathwen's house yesterday, where Chiquita and I had a lovely time visiting with her family.

Despite their current lack of usefulness, these socks are just in time for Salvbard's birthday. Fortunately he is a man who is more than happy to receive hand-knit socks as a birthday present. I guess he will just have to put them away to use next year.

Pattern: Gentleman's Plain Winter Sock with Dutch Heel by Nancy Bush
Pattern Source: Knitting Vintage Socks
Needles: US 1 / 2.25 mm
Yarn: Lang Yarns Super Soxx
Yarn Supplier: Stoff bei Stoff in Lübeck

This yarn was souvenir yarn from our visit in Lübeck, Germany. Only love could convince me to keep knitting these fingering-weight solid black socks, though the interesting construction helped too.

The wide toe went over well, but I think that these will have to be worn for a while to get the final verdict on the Dutch heel. His initial impression is "different, but still good." I have to admit the detail that cracked me up is the faux back seam. (To accent his shapely calves?)

Happy Lunar New Year

I absolutely love Lunar New Year, and today we are now entering the year of the rat. (One of my Chinese co-workers tells me that snow on the first day of the new year is a good sign for the harvest to come. I will have to tell my CSA farmer, since we did get some snow today.) In honor of her first Lunar New Year, I had planned on a special gift for my niece (born in the year of the pig).

Pattern: Minnowknits China Doll by Jil Eaton
Size: 1 year
Yarn: 1.8 skeins Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in 935 Salmon Berry Red
Supplier: The Knitting Room (now closed)
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Stash Down Yardage: 387 yards
Total Stash Down Mileage: 1.2 miles

Modifications:

• I knit this in seed stitch instead of double seed stitch, because apparently that is what my fingers wanted to do. I kept finding that I had gone back to it, so ultimately I just went with it.
• I did knit the front and back separately, but I adapted the sleeves to be knit in the round.
• I also decreased the number of buttons from 4 to 3, since the instructions for spacing did not make a lot of sense for this, the smallest size.

I am so happy with how this little sweater turned out. My favorite detail is probably the mandarin collar, which is hemmed similar to the Quidditch Sweater, but the slip stitch edge with button loops is pretty adorable too.

FO: Baby Sandals

This pair of booties has sat almost finished on my WIP pile for almost a year. Time to finish them before the baby out grows them!

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Fiber Content: 55% Merino wool, 33% Microfibre, 12% Cashmere
Supplier: Mind's Eye Yarns
Pattern: Sandals from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Yardage: 72 yards (0.52 skeins)
Stash Down Yardage: negligible

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
Yardage: 22 yards
Total Stash Down Yardage: 0.86 miles

I absolutely love these. The garter stitch makes them so squishy, and the yarn is deliciously soft to begin with. I immediately cast on a mitered square for the memory blanket that I am working on.

Baby Quidditch Hat

After finishing the Quidditch Sweater I had about 50 yards of Comfort left. So I cast on a quick baby hat with the leftovers.

Yarn: Berroco Comfort
Needle: US 8 / 5.00 mm
Stash Down Yardage: 50 yards
Total Stash Down Mileage: 0.84 mile

This was a simple 60 st rolled brim hat, so it didn't need a pattern. I loved the look of this yarn in stockinette when I saw Blackrayne's SKB, but the stockinette highlights the softness of this yarn even more than the ribbing of the Quiditch Sweater .