Begbie

Deep stash yarn and quick, repetitive knitting, by your powers combined, I have the first Christmas* gift of 2013 ready and waiting. Whoever saw this coming, it definitely wasn’t me.

Pattern: Begbie Cowl by Jane Richmond

Yarn: Noro Kochoran - 40

Needles: US 10.5 (6.5 mm)

Dates: October 27, 2012- January 27, 2013

@Ravelry

This is not the part of the post when I write with smug satisfaction about my dedication to getting a head start on my holiday knitting. This is the part of the post when I tell you about last year’s holiday gift knitting that just wasn’t given away. Every year, the fiber guild I belong to has a big party and a gift exchange in December. Last year’s exchange was scarves. I decided to start early and cast on in October. Multiple episodes of Twin Peaks later, I had a bound off scarf that just needed a good block to be finished. Then said scarf sat in a box until January because I went out of town instead of going to the party. Oh well, it’s blocked and ready to be gifted now. 

This scarf has been much improved by blocking. The stitches are even and lay quite flat. I was also able to stretch it out and make it a bit longer. Even better, all the angora in the yarn bloomed and created this beautiful (and I’m assuming warm) halo. 

All finished, this beauty gets to hang out in a box waiting for just the right occasion or just the right person. Might have to wait until Christmas or just next week. Either one is just fine.  

* or Birthday/Mother’s Day/Solstice/Flag Day/Random Gift Exchange gift

How to Sew on a Button with Handspun Yarn

The snow made me do it. Seriously, the only reason I finally sewed the buttons on my latest pair of mitts was because it was cold and snowing. Being able to take photos of said mitts in the snow might also have had something to do with it.  Part of the reason for the wait was that I could never find thread to match the handspun. The thread was too blue, too purple, not blue enough, or not even close. The yarn itself was made of so many different shades of blues and purple that I couldn’t find a good match. Thankfully, I still had a few useable scraps of leftover yarn. Then it was a just problem of attaching the buttons in a way that looked finished instead of just tied on. Solved.

1. Gather your supplies: buttons, yarn, scissors, your almost finished object, and a tapestry needle to fit through the button holes.

2.  Decide where the button will go and push the threaded needle through the button and fabric.

3. Sew through all the buttons holes, into the fabric, and finish with both yarn ends on the wrong side of the piece.

4. Pull both ends through the fabric underneath the button but do not go through the button holes again.

5. With the ends, tie a double knot and trim off the extra yarn. 

6. Repeat as necessary.

If you’re having trouble threading the yarn through the tapestry needle, fold the yarn in half to form a loop. Tightly hold the top of the loop and push it through the eye of the needle. 

Button Back Mitts

Wednesday night, I heard rumors of approaching snow and was quite skeptical. I’ve heard these tales before but this one actually turned out to be true. When I looked out the window Thursday morning, snow was falling at a lovely diagonal. The flakes were so heavy that they didn’t land. They plopped. Dry snow this was not. Still, it’s snow and I took the opportunity to get some photos of knitwear in it’s natural environment.

Button Back Mitts by Cosette Cornelius-Bates

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) 

Dates: December 29, 2012 - January 17, 2013

@Ravelry

This is another pattern that’s been sitting in the queue for ages. I finally decided to cast on for them the last time it got cold and didn’t have anything wooly or long enough to cover my fingers. Putting these mitts on instantaneously warms my hands. I’d like to think that it’s because I’m using my own wonderful 3-ply handspun (it debuted as the sea a few months back) but it’s probably just the thicker than normal layer of wool. Either way, still great. 

The mitts are also extra special because this is the first time I’ve really knit with my own handspun. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I worried about the gauge. I worried about the stitches being too open where the yarn was thin. I worried about the stitches being too bulky and bulging where the yarn was thick. I worried about running out of yarn since this was the only skein I had. Eventually, I just put those anxieties on the shelf and knit a swatch. I picked the needle size that gave me a nice fabric and got to work.  I kept an eye out for problems and tried on the mitts frequently. Know what I found? Perfectly good yarn that knit up evenly and at a consistent gauge. There were no open spots or bulging stitches. There were no breaks. There was just a good, solid yarn that I would love to knit with again. Handspun, I’m officially and unapologetically in love.

Back to the mitts. The fact that I could knit them long enough to cover my fingers and fold back the extra fabric when it wasn’t needed is what made me queue these mitts to begin with. Cute buttons don’t hurt either. To get the best coverage and the most out of the yarn, I knit the mitts from the fingers down and completely reversed the pattern. Used the same numbers though. 

While I was photographing the mitts, the snow was already starting to melt and turn to slush. See you next time, snow. I’ll be waiting with handspun mitts.

Fili & Kili

Internet, meet Fili the Mouse. He moved in rather recently and has become my new desk buddy. I’ve since learned that he likes Hawaiian pizza, zombie movies, and long books. He’s also quite fond of knitting and the occasional Sci-Fi reference. I think we’re going to get along just fine.

One of his habits is storing things away in his pot and rummaging around for them later. That pot must be larger on the inside than the outside because I’ve seen him pull out huge wheels of cheese, boxes of crackers, and then pull out  numerous skeins of handspun yarn. Really have to find out who makes his pots.

This is is Fili’s friend, Kili. Kili doesn’t have a beard or even a mustache but greatly admires them both. The pair likes to go on adventures though they’re generally home before dark. I’m pretty sure they’re saving up for backpacks and a good camp stove for a journey to Lonely Mountain. Hope they don’t run into any trolls and keep an eye out for dragons.

Fili’s pattern and yarn related details can be found here.

Double Meow

Now that both of these frisky felines have gone to their new homes, I can finally introduce them to you. First up is the daring Ninja Cat with his glowing green eyes and stealthy paws. Second, is the striped and inquisitive Bumblebee. It was hard to let them go since they both looked so cute lounging on the furniture.

I knit them both with the same yarns, the same needle, and from the same heavily-modified pattern. The only difference was that I made Bumblebee with stripes. Even though I’ve been knitting for years,  I still find it amazing how small changes can drastically affect the finished object. Ninja Cat grew to be short and round while Bumblebee turned out tall and narrow. Both are stuffed with a few pebbles at the bottom to help them sit up. See the pattern, yarns, needle, and modifications on the public Ravelry page.

One of the neighborhood cats stopped by for a visit and just had to check out the newcomers. After the initial stare down, Ninja Cat and Bumblebee were deemed worthy of her attention. Then she had a fine time knocking them over. They mostly landed on their feet.

Another Year, Another Blanket

I love knitting blankets. I love casting on a few stitches at the center and slowly multiplying them to hundreds upon hundreds of stitches at the border. I love watching blankets grow from the size of a hat to something I could snuggle up under. So, as a Christmas gift to myself, I took a swan dive into the stash and came up with 4 skeins of Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool for the Norma Blanket. The pattern had been tempting me since it was released and seeing a friend’s finished blanket pushed me over the edge. 

I’ve been adding rows every few days and the lacy goodness is slowly growing. It’s bigger than the crown of a hat but not large enough to cover my lap or fill up a whole circular needle. I’m in no hurry though and completely enjoying this bit of selfish knitting. I’ll be back to knitting things for others soon enough. 

Anyone else enjoying a break from knitting for others?

Small Knitting

I took a slightly different approach to gift knitting this year. The list was shorter. The gifts were smaller. The last minute requests were filed away for a later date. Not rushing to KNIT ALL THE THINGS saved my bacon this year. Plus, not every gift I give has to be something I knitted. I had my list and, aside from some mid-game additions, stuck to it. I wish I could say I started early too but that didn’t happen. I just went small and that’s worth celebrating.

Definitely the tiniest thing I knit was a cosy for my Dad’s iPod. It’s a previous generation and there was next to no chance of finding a case for it. A few quick sketches and 13.6 yards of Knit Picks Comfy Sport later, the case was made.

Washcloths made an appearance this year too. The cream cloth is Grandmother’s Favorite in Knit Picks Dishie. I increased to 50 sts before starting the decreases to compensate for the smaller gauge.  The purple cloth is All Washed Up by Jill Arnush in Sugar’n Cream (Country Mauve). I can’t wait to knit the pattern for myself in kitchen towel size. It’s easy, memorizable, and reversible. What’s not to like?

Also on the small list: the annual ornament, two ribbed hats, and two not yet mentioned goodies. I’m not sure if I go small again next year or just start early. What I do know is that I’m not loathing the gift knitting or working on IOU’s which are both good things.

Cheers!

I cut things a little close this year but the annual ornament tradition continues. 2009 saw a stocking, 2010 had mittens, and 2011 got a stocking hat. 2012 gets a cuddly and portly house complete with doors, windows, our initials, the year, and a smoking chimney. The ornament has a high profile spot on the tree and makes me smile every time I walk past. 

I hope you’re enjoying the holidays with lots of food, good company, and piles of finished gifts. Cheers!

Done

Something amazing has happened. All of my Christmas knitting, at least all the stuff I had to make for other people, is finished. In the 6 years since I learned to knit, this is the first time I haven’t had to give out IOU’s or show off stitches still on the needles. Bonus, today isn’t even the end of the world.

To celebrate I’m giving in to the urge to cast on something fun for myself and completely without a deadline. Over a year ago I bought a kit to make Mousie by Ysolda Teague and it’s been sitting in my stash until today. I’ve got grand weekend plans of doing as little as possible, knitting a cute mouse, and enjoying good company. 

If you’re still in the throes of holiday knitting, I wish you speedy needles, tangle-free yarn, and errata free patterns. Good luck. I’m cheering for you.  

Lists = Good

My love for lists is no secret. To-do lists, grocery lists, and check lists have all served me well over the years. Now that there’s only a week until Christmas, the handy list is keeping me sane. This weekend, I was able to cross 3 things off the to-make list. Awesome. This great and powerful list also tells me there’s only 3 things left to make which is great since the list seems so much longer in my head. 

Another thing that’s keeping me sane on the knitting front is ignoring all those last minute requests. I’m just filing them away as future gift ideas and not worrying about them in the slightest.  Less stress and more sleep that way.

Also keeping the stress down is knowing how much I’ve already accomplished. These 2 hats were added to the list late in the game but finished with time to spare. Never underestimate the strength of simple hats, nice yarn, and manly colors. Add in some entertaining movies to stave off boredom and you’re good to go. 

Pattern: Squared Away Ribbed Watch Cap by Oftroy

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash - Grey (900) and Navy (854)

Needles: US 6 (4 mm)

Dates: Dec 5 - 16, 2012

@Ravelry

This is the second and third time I’ve knit this pattern and seems to be my default guy hat. It’s simple but the squared decreases add a nice touch. It’s good travel knitting and good tv knitting which is great since 9” of ribbing gets tiresome pretty quickly. Totally worth it though.

Pattern: Keep It Simple Hat

Another Thanksgiving has passed and I hope you had a great day even if it was just another Thursday. Now, Black Friday is upon us. As someone who has worked retail on this frenetic day, there is no way that I am venturing anywhere near a mall or major shopping center today. I might not even leave the house which sounds like a great idea to me. While I’m here, have a hat...pattern.

The Keep It Simple (KIS) Hat is a slouchy hat with a garter brim and simple Fair Isle stripes. It’s meant to be a match for the Keep It Simple Mitts which I designed way back in November 2010. I can’t believe it’s taken me 2 years complete the set. This hat follows all the guidelines I set for those mitts: a simple pattern in worsted weight yarn, a little color work to keep things interesting, a nice use for all those leftover bits, and a quick, attractive knit. I knit the larger size in just 3 days.

The first pair of mitts, I knit as a gift but this first hat is all mine. I’ve already put it to good use on a few  cold, windy days. Thanks to all the different colors, it’s a great match to all of my coats and a large percentage of my hoodies. I love the versatility.

The Keep It Simple Hat

Worsted Weight Yarn; Main Color(140, 160 yds), Contrast Color (9, 12 yds) per stripe

Shown in: 

Valley Yarns Stockbridge (Main); (Contrast) Patons Classic Wool, Knit Picks Swish, and Knit Picks Merino Style

Sizes: Small (20”) and Medium (22”)

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) 36" circular for Magic Loop or Double Points & 16” Circular

Gauge: 20 sts = 4” in stockinette

Download

@Ravelry

The Denver Socks

Can I still call this pair ‘The Denver Socks’ even if I only knit on them for a few minutes in the hotel and waiting at the bus stops? When I cast on for these socks before leaving home, I thought I’d be knitting on the plane, at cute cafes, and generally killing time between awesome. Turns out, 6:15 AM flights are not conducive to knitting nor are large, flying sardine cans with no elbow room. Ended up just reading a book, The Night Circus, on the flight back. At least, I didn’t have any problems getting circular needles on a plane at either airport.

I’m not disappointed by the lack of sock knitting, or any kind of knitting, while I was on the trip. 4 days isn’t a much time as you would think and I was busy filling it up with walking, museums, shopping, food, an aquarium, and general explorations to notice much. I wanted to experience a new place and all the sights and sounds that entails. I could knit at home after all. Now that I am home and back to my usual routine, the socks are steadily growing. I’m keeping it simple with some 3x2 ribbing and a pair of afterthought heels. I’m still calling them ‘The Denver Socks’.  

Pattern: Slouchy Babe

Things started out simply enough. My mom was going to her niece’s baby shower and requested a cute baby hat. But only if I had one in stock. I didn’t and decided to remedy the situation promptly. So, I started perusing Ravelry with a few ideas in mind: simple, slouchy, eyelets, and baby sized. There was nothing quite like I wanted so out came the sketchbook, the calculator, the needles, and the yarn. After more swatching, ripping, and pages of notes than I’d like to admit, I had a simple, slouchy, baby sized hat with eyelets. Knit from the top-down too.

Mom headed off to the baby shower, hat in hand, a few days later and I kept knitting. Soon there was another baby hat, a toddler hat, a kid hat, and an adult sized hat because I wanted one too. I wore it to the breast cancer 5k, hiking in the woods, all around town, and even took it to Denver with me. It’s warm, it’s comfy, and it looks good. What’s not to love?

Slouchy Babe

Sizes: 0-6 mo (16”), 6-18 mo (18.5”), 18-4 yrs, 4 yrs & up (20”) 

Worsted Weight Yarn (60, 75, 100, 130 yds)

Shown in Berroco Vintage and Berroco Ultra Alpaca

Gauge: 21 sts = 4” in eyelet pattern

US 6 (4 mm) needles

download  |  @ravelry

Flying West

Hopefully, by the time you read this, by the magic of time zones, and if the SquareSpace servers hold out against Hurricane Sandy, my flight will be landing in Denver, Colorado. I cast on for a new pair of green ribbed socks just to keep me company on the plane. To keep the socks and their needles company in the bag, I printed out a sheet of paper from the TSA website that declares knitting needles permitted on aircraft. Otherwise, I’m going to be really sad I didn’t pick out a book to read on the plane. I’ll let you know how that goes.

If you’re on the East Coast, I wish you the best of luck in fending of Hurricane Sandy’s last hurrah.

Oh, and Happy Halloween.

IT'S A TRAP!

Totally couldn’t help myself. Plus, the whole “It’s a trap!” thing is an internet mandated requirement whenever Admiral Ackbar is involved. Also, go watch the Admiral Ackbar cereal skit. I’ll wait. 

Every so often, “Your tongues cannot repel flavor of that magnitude!” floats through my mind and I can’t stop laughing. Whose tongue would be able withstand a combination of marshmallows and imitation crab meat, after all? Silliness aside, it’s time to get down to the serious business of knitting a Star Wars alien admiral.

Pattern: Admiral Ackbar Sock Monkey by Carbonscoring

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes - Persimmon Heather, Cloud, Coal, Silver, and Turmeric

Needles: US 4 (3.5mm) DPN’s

Dates: Oct 9 - 25, 2012

@Ravelry

Ackbar was knit as a gift and I really, really wanted to keep him for myself. He’s giant, floppy, cuddly, and has such a great face. I’m going to have to knit an Ackbar clone just for me once all that pesky holiday knitting is out of the way. He can guard my desk and warn me of traps. 

The pattern description says that the knitting will be a “cake walk” if you’ve ever knit socks before and it’s true. Since the pattern is adapted from a sock monkey, the head and mouth are sock toes and the the butt is a heel flap and gusset. The knitting was pretty easy and mostly stockinette. You just have to obsessively count the rows and be prepared to spend some time sewing up the face. You can find a full list of my mods on Ravelry.

Gotta love a Mon Calamarian man in uniform.

Adventure Socks

I started these socks last month to keep me occupied while The Bearded One and I drove around Atlanta. They came with me on a road trip to Mississippi. They hung out in my purse while I ran errands and wandered around town. They showed up at knit night. Now, in a great bit of timing, the pair is bound off and ready to be worn on my next big trip to Denver, CO. From henceforth, these socks shall be known as The Adventure Socks.  The Driving Atlanta title just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Adventure Socks

Yarn: Cascade Sassy Stripes - 714 (discontinued)

Needles: 2.25mm circulars

Dates: Aug 31 - October 23, 2012

@ravelry

These socks were such great company during my travels because the pattern was so simple: toe-up, 3x1 rib, a few calf increases, and an afterthought heel. As a true testament to the simplicity, I finished knitting the last rows on the second sock, bound off, put the heel stitches pack on the needles, cut open the heel, and started the decreases all while walking around the mall. It helped that the mall wasn’t crowded that day, but still, simplicity rocks. Self striping sock yarn is good stuff too and I’m glad I’ve got several more pairs worth in the stash.

Now that these socks are going to be on my feet and off the needles, I need some new travel knitting. Another pair of simple socks might be just the thing. Also, anyone have recommendations for fun stuff to do in Denver?

Afterthought Heels the Cat Bordhi Way

It’s only been a month and a half since I cast on for these socks in Atlanta and the pair is almost finished. The first sock, in all its toe-up, self-striping, 3x1 rib glory, is bound off. The second sock is not. The first sock has a heel. The second sock does not but soon will thanks to an awesome technique called the Afterthought Heel.

When it comes to socks, I’m usually a big fan of the gusset and heel flap since the combo fits my feet really well; however, the socks I’ve made from Cat Bordhi’s Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters have shown me that I don’t need a gusset to have a well fitting sock. So, when I started the socks and wanted even stripes all the way up, I decided to try an afterthought heel with 3x1 ribbing on the instep to help the fit. The rows would stay the same width, and I wouldn’t have to worry about where to start the gusset increases or measure the sock every 5 minutes while stuck in Atlanta traffic. I could just knit and put my mind on other things. 

Most afterthought heels call for knitting in a half row of waste yarn where the heel should go which leaves a gap in each of the corners. In Personal Footprints, Bordhi has a great alternative that prevent gaps and is very easy to knit from. You just can’t be afraid to cut your knitting. Honestly, it’s not as scary as it sounds.

When you reach the spot for the heel (Most patterns mark this as 2” or 2.5” less than the total length but I only needed an 1.5”. My sock came out .5” short but still fits well so the measurements are forgiving.) or come back to it after a few more inches of knitting, thread a lifeline through through the sole stitches on one row of the sock and the sole stitches two rows up.

Come back and slip your needles back into stitches on the lifeline. Pull out the lifeline.

Pick a stitch in the middle of the middle row and snip.

Unravel the remaining middle stitches but leave the last 2 at each corner. They prevent those annoying gaps. You’ll knit the corner stitches just like normal stitches.

With new yarn, start knitting a toe. I went for a standard wedge toe and to help the “toe” fit better I decreased on the last 2 rows to round out the shape. Then, I grafted the remaining stitches. Feel free to drop in any toe you like. 

Cat Bordhi has a great video demonstrating this technique on a pair of Houdini Socks (Afterthought Legs!) that I highly recommend.

Sock one is all finished and I am in love. The stripes are even, the heel looks great, and the fit is wonderful. Now I just need to finish up sock number two before the weather turns much colder.

Surprise Shawl

Nothing says “Why don’t you wind some yarn and cast on for that shawl you’ve been dreaming about for months,” like hearing about a surprise road trip first thing in the morning. So, I wound 2 skeins of yarns, printed the pattern, got presentable, and hit the road. 

The shawl in question is the Stripe Study Shawl which Ravelry tells me has been in my queue since February 19, 2011. It took me ages to finish other shawls I had on the needles and then pick the yarn. The blue is Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering (Tavern on the Blue) which waited patiently for me to decide on Madelinetosh Merino Light (Antler) as it’s partner. I love how the two look together and how much the cream is starting to pop against the ever widening blue stripes. 

For the next few months, this shawl is going to be selfish knitting, pure and simple, since the birthdays and holidays coming in full force. A few short rows here and some stripes there should take the edge off.   

Cotty Socks

Finally, these socks are purse knitting no longer! I knit them on a road trip through Georgia, running errands around town, in restaurants, in bars, at knit night, and even in front of the television. Now I can wear them and keep my feet warm while knitting something else. Must implement this plan when it actually feels like Fall.

The Cotty pattern had been in my knitting queue for ages before I found just the right yarn. It had to be bright and variegated to counter the simplicity of stockinette and the tiny bit of lace. Hello, Yarn Pirate Merino/Tencel. The colors pooled more than I usually like but it doesn’t hide the pattern and is fairly consistent. Plus, the yarn has a wonderful sheen which only highlights the lace.

Most of my usual sock mods went into effect: toe up with a tighter gauge, finer yarn, and more stitches. I also tried out a new heel idea inspired by the greatness that is Cat Bordhi’s Sweet Tomato Heel but more on that later. The biggest change I made to the socks was the top edge since the original picot edge is just a bit too girly for me. A K2, P1 rib is more my style, matches the lace pattern, and is quite stretchy. Full technical details over at Ravelry. 

Happy toes!

In Atlanta

Adventure time in Atlanta is officially over since I’m driving back to Chez Strategos today. Atlanta was great even if The Bearded One and I didn’t make it to DragonCon after all. We spent the long weekend driving, inspecting potential future residences, eating all of the food, and playing Diablo in our down time. We also took a break to watch the latest episode of Doctor Who. I’ve been waiting for the Daleks to show their metallic appendages again.

It seems like the two of us spent most of the weekend in the car which is probably true based on how much sock is on the needles. Over 8” worth, all told. I’m letting the self striping yarn - discontinued Cascade Sassy Stripes - do all the work and knitting a simple 3x1 rib. Not even worrying about the heel, afterthought all the way, until I get I get home.

While the Bearded One and I were still driving around town, I couldn’t help but wonder about local yarn shops. I had Tuesday mostly to myself and decided to visit a shop or two since seeking yarn is a large part of any adventure, you know. I ended up at Eat Sleep Knit and had to wait for my mind to reboot after seeing the walls of Madelinetosh along with enough hand dyed yarn to happily bury myself in. Somehow, I walked out with just 2 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted - Sunset which might turn into the Arroyo Shawl from D’oh!mestic.

Time to hit the road. There’s a 2.5 hour drive ahead of me but I’ve got podcasts, chocolate, and pretty yarn to keep me company.