I'm knitting socks!

Unlike most knitters, I have never learned to knit socks. I tried to knit some booties with a sock-type heel a few years back, and it ended in disaster.

Now I get to remedy this gap in my repertoire. My local yarn store offered a Socks 101 class, and the first of 2 parts was this morning. If all goes well, J is going to get a beautiful pair of socks by April!

Crafty update

First up, a dress for S:



I love love love this color. I hated hated hated this pattern. It's not that awful, really, just tedious. For you knitters out there who hate stockinette stitch, this is not the dress for you. It was seemingly miles of stockinette ("do 9 rows, then one decrease at each end") until I thought the damn thing would never get done. But it finally got interesting again, and then it was finished. All I need is a button on the back and a coordinating ribbon for the eyelets. J says he may have something that will work. If not, we have a ribbon store in town (aisles and aisles of ribbon), so I should be able to find something...

Next up, a little stuffed heart, just in time for Valentine's Day:

I found the instructions here 2 years ago. That's when I bought my first felt for this project, and I finally got around to doing it. Sadly, we do not own pinking shears (yes, J sews but doesn't own pinking shears), but I may buy a pair to finish off the rest of my hearts. The pattern calls for making them as pins, but I think I'll just put them in a bowl and smile when I see them.

Perfect for a winter's day

The Penmanship Cowl is done:

I really enjoyed making this. It's a handspun, hand-dyed alpaca from a local farm, the pattern was interesting but not too challenging, and it's super warm and soft. The simple meandering lace and interrupted cables give it an interesting texture.

I can't wait to block it and wear it. Because after all, the low overnight this Sunday into Monday is expected to be 0. Yep, 0.

Crochet update

In this post last year, I talked about my local yarn store's work-in-progress event. Where you basically dig through your stash of unfinished projects, register them, and have a deadline to get them finished. It's a great way to clear out the craft room, get stuff off the needles, and rediscover those projects that looked like such a good idea way back when. It's also an opportunity to throw a few more things into the queue and have a defined time to get them done. So far I have registered:

• A knit cabled cape for my mom
• A knitted winter hat for J
• A crocheted fish for S
• A knitted dress for S (more on that in a bit)
• Another knitted dress for S (this one for the summer)
• A pair of gloves for me
• A crocheted sweater that I've ripped back more than once (it's a tricky pattern)
• A baby sweater that has been on needles for 4 years
• A baby sweater for a friend who had a baby in November

I've also started a few projects I need to register:

• The beautiful cowl I talked about a few days ago
• A Valentine's Day sweater for S for next year
• A cupcake hat for my niece's birthday

Now, the crocheted fish for S is part of a pair, described as a daddy and little fish in my amigurumi crochet book. I made the Daddy Lish (that's what we call fish around here) sometime last year. Baby Lish was sitting on the hook for while yet, until the other night:

They turned out so, adorably, cute. I love them, and S does too. She throws them around the living room.

More to come...

Knitting update

Now that the holiday frenzy is over, we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. J is back to work, S and I are in our usual routine, life is good.

My local yarn store is running another work-in-progress event, meaning I can dig through all of my projects and finally get some things done. I have registered close to 10 projects so far, and I keep finding new ones to start. Especially now that I've organized the craft room.

The other day I started the Penmanship Cowl. I had the perfect yarn in mind.



Handspun alpaca from a small alpaca farm in Maryland



I got started on the cables last night.




So far, so good!

Advent scarf knit-along (sorry Mom)

My mom prefers that all my posts center around S, but she'll have to settle for some knitting posts as well.

My local yarn store is doing an Advent scarf knit-along. Let me explain. A knit-along is where a group of knitters knit a pattern, usually one sent to them periodically over a set period of time. Advent comes in because we're getting a piece of a pattern every day from 12/1 through 12/24, much like an Advent calendar. Except instead of a sweet treat in the form of candy (as our Advent calendar has), our sweet treat is the completion of a pretty lace scarf.

I decided this morning that I'm going to post my progress each day and let you know how it's going. December 1 brought a 16-row gull-wing pattern, and it turned out like this:




I only had to rip it out once ;)

Colorful crafty update

Not long ago, I posted a crafy update, including a really cute newborn Santa-style hat and a floral scarf in a rainbow of colors. I may have mentioned I wanted to repeat the hat, but in a blue and white stripe.


Done!

I also mentioned I was working on a hat to go with the scarf, again in a rainbow of colors.


And...done! I love this hat. It came out the perfect size (which is a miracle, because I typically crochet big and have to majorly alter things to get it to work out right). It's also some of the softest wool I've played with in a while. It's successes like this that makes me pine for colder weather.


Here it is on my head in a close-up so you can see the stripes in living color.

Of course, this has freed me up to add more projects to my queue. I've been meaning to start some mittens for S, and I have a hat I started for J that needs some work, and I found a great pattern to go with the sky blue alpaca I bought last weekend.

Thank God my child naps.

Crafty update

Welcome to Dr L's Craft Time!

My friend Amy had her baby girl Elsie last month. She and her family were waiting until Elsie's arrival to find out the gender, so I held off on making her something until I had a color in mind. As soon as I heard "girl", I found this beautiful wine-colored washable wool, and a pattern for the 5-hour sweater. It took me a bit longer than 5 hours (don't ask), but not much, and I love how it turned out. So did Amy. I hope it's nice and warm for Elsie this winter.



While we were at our photo shoot last weekend, our friend Jen complimented me on S's pumpkin hat, and asked if I had any patterns in mind for a newborn Santa-style hat for her Christmas sessions. I cast about and found a great munchkin hat pattern. I used the same wonderful washable wool in wine, along with some white stripes, to knit what turned out to be an adorable hat. I may try this again in blue and white to have in my stash.



In the meantime, my crochet bug caught up with me, especially with a new book and yarn I talked about here. I made the first project that caught my eye, a scarf of interlinked flowers.




I was originally going to make this for my sister in law (and they can fight over which one it was ;), but I loved it so much I decided it's staying in my house.



That's OK, I have enough yarn to make 1 or 2 more, so maybe both sisters in law will have a cool homemade Christmas present from me. Maybe...

Stay tuned. There's a striped hat in similar colors to the floral scarf that's on my hook, and a few more projects kicking about. And I'm going to my knitting circle Tuesday night :)

Knitting success!

In this post, I talked about the work-in-progress event my local yarn store was doing. I am proud to announce that I finished all 5 of my registered projects within the deadline! I was one of only 6 people to do so, and I managed to do it with a newborn in the house. Yes, I am quite proud.

My last project was these mittens. I had made them before, but I wanted a pair (for me this time) to match this scarf.

Ta da!

So now that I don't have a deadline, things are progressing more slowly on the knitting/crochet front. I started a dress for S, but it's tedious going. Good thing I have a year to get it done before it fits her. I started crocheting a baby and daddy fish, but they won't be done in time for Father's Day. J doesn't seem to mind. I have a couple of other random projects I started last year that I'm trying to get back to. The mojo will come back soon, I'm sure.

What I've been knitting

My local yarn store is doing a genius promotion this spring, revolving around works in progress. The purpose is to finish all those knitting projects you have started and really need to finish. If you get it done by the deadline (Joanne gave us 2 months to get cracking), you're entered into a drawing for fabulous prizes. If you register a minimum of 5 projects, you can get a little something for participating. Considering that the promotion started a month after S came home, I just went with 5 projects and hoped for the best. One of the gals registered 33 projects! Needless to say, I am impressed.

The reason this is genius to me is that I work really well with a deadline. Of the 5 projects I registered, I finished 3 already, and still have a month to go before I have to finish the other 2. The other reason this is genius is that poor S doesn't have anything to wear that Mommy knitted for her. So I could pull out all those cute baby patterns and go to town.

Long story longer, here is what I've finished for S so far.
I just love how this tulip yoke cardigan worked out. I even had some cute flower buttons to sew on it. S will likely fit this in a month or so. I just hope it still fits her when it gets cooler this fall.



I just adore how this little jacket worked out. I had some silver buttons with Celtic knot designs that look great. This is a 12-month size, so hopefully S can wear this by her birthday in March.

My other finished project is a shrug for me (yay!). What's left is a pair of mittens I've been meaning to make for me for about 4 months now, and a sweater for S that's been sitting on needles for 2 years. It's about time I finished it off.

I've already suggested that this be an annual event, because I think it gives everyone a great excuse to go through the house, find stuff they didn't know they were working on, and get them done!

Babies and knitting

I have made a baby something for just about everyone I know. Yet when we got the call for our little girl, I didn't know if I had anything for her that I had made.

I went through my stash of completed projects and found 2 sweaters that won't fit her for a year, a sweater that won't fit her for another 3-6 months, a giant pair of crocheted socks, and one pair of newborn booties. Yes, with all the yarn and knitting I have, there is only one thing I've made that she can wear.

I guess I need to get busy.

Winter knits

What's a girl to do when she's sick and snowbound? She knits!

And these have a story. I like yarn with stories.

Not long ago, my mother in law got me The Book of Wool. I totally fell in love with this book. It talked about many of the different kinds of sheep that make wool for wool yarn, going into the specific characteristics of each type, what kinds of garments will work well with each, and so on. I read it from cover to cover.

It just so happened that we hit up a yarn store while we were visiting, and there was a basket of random wool yarn for a great price. The label said it was Corriedale wool, handspun from a local farm. I bought a couple of hanks and headed home.

I can't tell you exactly what my book told me about Corriedale, but I thought it was cool I could see what the sheep looked like, and the book said the yarn felted well. So I found a pattern for a simple felted wool hat and started knitting.



Here is my hat. It is way softer (and not very scratchy) than I thought it would be. And that's not a trick of the light--the top is darker than the bottom, because I got 2 unrelated balls of yarn, I don't care, I think it gives it character.

So while I was making the hat, I started thinking about another 2 balls of yarn up in the craft room. I picked them up at an antique and consignment store in the Finger Lakes when we were there last October. Since that was yellow yarn as well, and I just got another book with a mitten pattern, I figured I'd make some mittens to (sorta) match the hat.



These were really fun to make, and only took me a few hours.




Now I have a sunny winter hat and mitten set. I'm pretty stoked.

I think I have enough of the mitten yarn to make socks. I've never made socks. And then I'd have a real winter wool set. Hmmm....

Happiness is...knitting progress

As I have mentioned way too often, I was busy working on a knitting project for a Secret Santa recipient, and I got a late start. But I finished it. And it is awesome.



That's right, it's a bacon scarf. Meant to look like a giant slab of bacon. It's using a technique called double knitting that makes it reversible, which is one reason it took so long.

But it was so worth it. It is beautiful. And my Secret Santa got it this week, and loved it.

If you ever want to give this a try, the pattern is free here.

I also finished one of my baby sweater projects, for a friend who is due in March.



I love this sweater. The alpaca I used is buttery soft, the tonal blues are gorgeous, and I just want to sit and hold it. I still need buttons for the wrap part, and then it will be ready to send off.

This next project has a story (Dr. L, you're going to tell another story? I'm shocked!).

I started making this hat sometime last year with some leftover yarn from a sweater I made. I think part of me wanted a matching sweater/hat set. It was my first attempt at knitting in the round, and it was going well. Until I got to the that dark brown part in the middle and realized I was running out of yarn. Quickly.

I hit my local yarn store and the owner helped me find a nice red wool that would go with the brim. I took it home and it disappeared into my yarn stash. When I looked for it 2 months later, it was nowhere to be found.

Last weekend was the yarn store's Super Bowl sale, and I knew I was going to get some yarn and finish the damn hat. I found the gold stuff that now makes up the top of it, and a woman there convinced me to buy a second skein so I'd have a matching pair of mittens. Being drunk on wool and silk fumes, I went for it. So now I have to sit down at some point and make mittens.

Speaking of mittens, my only frustration this weekend was my mitten attempt using some amazing merino that I have. I screwed up the pattern twice and got lost while frogging it, so I tore the whole thing out and will re-try when I'm in a better frame of mind.

In the meantime, I have a Celtic knot shawl that I started several months ago, and it's calling my name. I need to make some progress on that.

By the way, if anyone knows where to find a good pair of size 1 knitting needles for a good price, let me know. I have a silk sweater pattern tempting me.

Back to knitting

I've been working on a project that kicked my butt from mid-December on. But it's finally finished, so I can start working on some new stuff that's been sitting in the backlog pile.

((Pssst...I'll show a picture of the butt-kicking project when it reaches its recipient))

I knitted up all the pieces to a baby sweater I want to finish by March. It's buttery soft alpaca in tonal shades of dark blue. I might have enough to make another one a lot like it! I'll finish it off this coming weekend. And I'll post pictures, I promise.

I'm also starting a pair of mittens for me. They're the Bella's mittens I did here, but using the same yarn as for this scarf. Yes, I will have a matching scarf and mitten set that I made all by myself.

I have another baby sweater in mind that needs to be done by June, I need to work on that Celtic knot shawl I took a class for in September, and there are some crochet projects lying around too. Oh, and I scored big at my yarn store's Super Bowl Sale, so there will be more stuff coming up.

Hurray.

More craftiness

I've decided that I knit to relax, so I must be stressed! I finished yet more projects this weekend:



This toddler sweater is with some yummy yarn that I got at a yarn store near my work. I've been working on bits and pieces of this forever, so it's nice to finally get it put together. J says he thinks it's the neatest sweater I've done so far!


I crocheted bootie I did today. This worked up really quickly. We'll see how long it takes to get the second one done!

So, I've been knitting...

These are a couple of examples where I had some cool yarn and just needed a pattern for them.

First up, one of those great "buy the yarn, get the pattern" deals from a local yarn store. I just adored the variegated blues throughout. It felt so, so soft, and was a joy to work with. This kimono sweater pattern was pretty darn easy.



Next up, the product of a basic baby pattern book and a great nubby cotton yarn. This just shouts spring to me. If only I had taken a picture against a lighter background...

The reason I'm getting these done all of a sudden? My wonderful husband made me not one, but two blocking boards. I just discovered the importance (and dare I say it, the joy) of blocking knitted items to make seaming and assembly that much easier. So all of those sweater bits that were rolled at the ends and overwhelming me with the thought of making them look decent are now slowly becoming nice, flat bits that sew up together quickly.

So expect to see more pix soon. I already have another toddler sweater pinned on my boards, then I'll get started blocking the sweater in shades of blue I made for little old me!

Another multi-purpose post (or, what I've learned lately)

Lesson 1: check out your property before you buy a blueberry bush. All of 2 of the blueberries in that picture are from my purchased bush. The others are from the wild ones growing between us and our neighbors (sigh).



Powdered milk may or may not be a good deer and bunny deterrent, but ants LOVE it! The exterminator came by about 3 hours after I took that picture, and watched streams of ants carrying away grains of powdered milk.



Spiders can be cool



Onions can overwinter, even when it gets to be brutally cold in PA.




Taking a chance on a mildly difficult knitting project can pay off.

More roses, and a knitting update

My pink roses are popping!







And for the first time in a long while, I finished a knitting pattern! It's called the meandering rib scarf from Lion Brand Yarn.



I used this yummy yarn I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.



It's a luscious merino wool, but it's has a nice heavy cotton feel. And the color--the pictures don't do it justice. I still have one ball left, so I'm searching for another good pattern.