finally...

The time between finals week and Christmas FLEW by... I spent all my time making and wrapping and spending time with people. I had a great time teaching Katie how to knit and encourage her to bust out a scarf for mom for Christmas, as well as working on my own knitting endeavors. Most of this last week has been spent making Katie's armwarmers out of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I am really proud of them. I really improved my design from my first pair. Instead of the one cable I upgraded to a braid, as well as threw in a couple decreases after the ribbing to make them more fitted. The thumbholes on these aren't huge like the last one, and are long enough to go over the knuckes.. I love them. If they weren't such a bright pink color I would have kept them and given Katie something else for Christmas..

The other labor this past week has been a hat. I have wanted to so badly since I pulled this bright red knitted thrift store hat out of my sock drawer a few weeks back and have been wearing it every day since. I have never knitted a hat... so I decided to do what I normally do (since I have to take the time to actually learn how to read patterns) and made things up until I got what I wanted. I have a bunch of DB Alpaca Silk left over from scarf projects and decided why not. Well, in the case of armwarmers that usually worked out the first time. Not with the hat. I made one that was too small because I started decreasing too early due to the double points not being able to hold all the stitches. Then I got a circular needle and made one WAY too big. I'm pretty sure It could have fit all of planet earth inside. So I pulled that apart and last night finished this. It is a little smaller than I originally intended (I like to put my hair up in them) but it works. Katie is modeling it for me... and It feels as soft as it looks.

I have to figure out how to get that fancy what I am working on stuff in my sidebar. Now I am making more armwarmers because now everyone wants them, lucky me. I found this sweet vintage button store and bought some buttons for a design I am thinking up... come back in a couple days to see if it actually works.

Mickey

looking forward to the break

I have three days left of finals, and then three weeks of break until next semester. I am completely excited.. I have lots of yarn stashed for projects over break. My little cousin Madleyn was visiting from Oregon a few days ago and I was teaching her mom to knit.. while she decided to make a large knot of my new yarn [this picture is before the knot, which took Noah and I a good hour to untangle...].

Speaking of Noah... he loves yarn, even more now after the knot experience. He just made a beautiful scarf for himself over thanksgiving.. see, isn't this picture convincing?

I need to start some socks... but I am slightly terrified.

Mickey

well hello there

So I have recently re-found my former love for knitting... I put the needles away for a couple years, mostly because I haven't been around for Christmas US style for about four years, which meant no knitting presents. Well, here I am, as addicted as ever. Thankfully it is finals week and if I can keep myself away from knitting for a few days i'll have about a month of relaxing until I have to start with school again.

I found two neat yarn stores in TO... funny, because they happen to be only a couple blocks from each other. One had a modern look to it, I believe it had just been opened. They didn't have too much yarn but looked like they were building up their stock. The other shop had a very homy neighborhood feeling to it. It had tons of stuff and the ladies were very friendly. It was kind of messy and had stuff everywhere, but I kind of preferred it to the neat and cleanly designed other store. Anyways, I bought some yarn at both places and started some projects.

After experimenting with armwarmers for a couple weeks back, I made these at my own whim:

They really have no pattern to them, and were my first attempt at cabling and knitting with double pointed needles. It was knitted out of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, which worked out quite well for me. I kind of just flew by the seat of my pants... there is no regular interval between the cables and they are barely consistent with each other (meaning each glove is unique) which I didn't try to do on purpose (I tried to count stitches on the first one) but was not very good at it. I like them and am keeping them for myself. Now that I kind of know what I am doing, I am working on a pair for my sister for Christmas. This time maybe i'll write out a pattern for myself and see if I can actually make two identical specimens... although I highly doubt it.

Next in line: a simple moss stich scarf for my cousin and some more armwarmers.


Mickey