My Knitting Life

Man's Mistake Rib Hat and Scarf3 balls Rowan Plaid, Size 11 NeedlesDecember 22-24, 2005(Or, what to do when it's a few hours to Christmas, and you must give a knitted gift.  This was meant as a stand-in for the unfinished vest.  My husband seemed pleased, and I just bought some more time for the vest.)

Directions...

Scarf:  Cast on 23 stitches.  K2, P2 across, end K2 P1.  Repeat Every Row until 2 balls are used.

Hat: 

1. Cast on 65 Stitches
2. Row 1:  K1, *K2,P2, *repeat across, end K2,P1, K1
3. Row 2:  P1, *K2,P2, *repeat across, end K2,P2, P1
4. Repeat rows 2 and 3 until desired hat depth is acheived - mine was 28 rows total.
5. Crown decreases:  Row 1 - K1, *K2, P2tog, *repeat across, end K1, P2, K1.  Row 2 - P1, *K2, P1, *repeat across, P1.  Row 3 - K2, *P2tog, K1, *repeat across, end K1.  Row 4 - Purl across.  Row 5 - K2tog across.  Cut yarn, draw up through stitches and seam back.

Comments:

Rowan Plaid is a great, bulky weight yarn!  Soft next to the skin, and really nice to work with on bamboo needles.   Two skeins for the scarf and one for the hat.  And Mistake Rib is a great choice when you are stressed out and want things to look harder than they really were!

Plan A: 

Me:  "Merry Christmas, honey, here is your present."

Him:  "Oh, something knitted!  What is it?"

Me:  "A vestback!"

Him:  "What's a vestback?"

Me:  "The back of a vest, of course!  Sorry.  I didn't have time to knit the front."

Plan B:

Put vest aside.  Run like crazy to LYS.  Buy three balls of Rowan Plaid.  With size 11 needles - cast on 23 stitches and knit Mistake Rib until your hands fall off.

I'm going with Plan B.

The other day while Christmas shopping in Borders, I came upon this book, Robin Hansen's Favorite Mittens:  Favorite Traditional Mitten Patterns from Fox & Geese & Fences, Flying Geese and Partridge Feet.   While I often peruse the shelves at Borders, I usually come across a book or two that catches my eye, and then I debate whether it is worth making the purchase.  With this book, I knew right away it was joining my collection, and I haven't been disappointed.

A couple little gems...

"Time was, when a man went out in his boat in winter, he took his mittens off a nail on the boat, dipped them in the warm salt water cooking the engine, rung them out good, and put them on wet....His hands stayed warm in the wet wool mittens, even working with the  wet traps dragged out of a frigid Casco Bay.  When he peeled the mittens off later, his hands were so warm they steamed in the cold air."

and...

"At one time most Maine mittens were knit without ribbed cuffs, or without any cuff at all.  The cuff was separtate, a wrister, and stayed on even when a man had to take off  his mittens in the woods to do a fine adjustment on a bit of harness or a tool."

Robin has instructions for many patterned mittens, along with some unusual techniques such as "mittens hooked on a dowel", "thrummed mittens", and "double rolled mittens".  And who can resist the "petites mitaines en fleur-de-lis" for the small ones?

The past week has been so hectic, with very few opportunities for long, relaxing knitting sessions.  Instead, I have just enough energy late at night to reach for this book and read a section or two.  I go to sleep, dreaming of the wintery weeks ahead, post-holidays, when hopefully I will get a chance to play around with some yarn and Robin's wonderful mittens patterns.

 

 

Together at last!  This little mitten had to wait for its mate.  Since March 2005.  I would see it sitting around, and yet nothing moved me to finish #2.  Until the other day.  How quick it went!  Why did I wait so long? 

Malabrigo Mittens on Size 5 DPNs, Woman's size M from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns.

Maddy will use them to keep her hands warm as she walks to the bus in the morning.  Malabrigo is really soft, probably not the most durable for mittens, but just give a little layer of warmth.

"Cute In Cable" Hat"From hats, gloves, scarves by Louisa HardingLess than one ball Rowan Kid Classic, Size 8 Needles

OK, it's not knitting perfection.  See those sloppy rib stitches?  The messy increase row?  (you can't see it because it's under the cuff.)  It's all I could do to finish it.  The yarn did not like the old metal needles I used.  I kept plodding on, though, knowing that it was a short project.  It's kind of small.  Looks ridiculous on me.  I think it will be cute on my neighbor's daughter - a little blondy, age 8.

Halloween is upon us.  My boys are all set with their rock star and baseball player costumes. 

Halloween is weird if you are a 12 year old girl.  Do you keep the tradition and go with your brothers?  Do you stay home with your mom and hand out candy?  What if kids from school come in groups to the door and see you there with your mom and that you didn't go?  That you weren't invited to go with anyone?  What if you go in a costume and its not the "right" costume?  (You were thinking it would be fun to be a pirate, but you heard some popular girls at school saying they were going to be Charlie's Angels.)

Oh well.  Happy Halloween.

Added Later:

We're going as a pirate!  Or maybe a cowgirl.  Or not.  Whatever.

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to celebrate, Lisa Lloyd has designed two beautiful scarf patterns, available free from her site.  The scarves can be knit in fingering or sport weight yarn, in two sizes, the possibilities are endless.  I cast on using only pink yarn I have in my stash right now, this soft shade of Kidsilk Haze called "Grace", size 8 needles.  The lace pattern is simple, very soothing to knit.  I think this scarf will be a late birthday gift for my mom.  Thanks, Lisa, for your generosity in sharing these beautiful scarves with us!

Did you go to Lisa's site to check out the scarves?  See anything else new there?  Lisa is now offering the Heirloom Baby Aran Pullover and Hat as a pattern and she used the photo of my version on the pattern!

PS - added later - I just posted my progress on Flyingdales over at the Knit BWA Website.  I had not been there in a while, and I was amazed to see some of the beautiful sweaters people have going.  Take a look!

Monday, Monday....

Last week I stopped in to visit my pals at the LYS, and the owner and I were admiring her new shipment from Fiesta Yarns.  This is "Water Mark" a mohair/wool blend, in the gorgeous color "Moroccan".  I placed it in front of a photo of my husband (boyfriend at the time) and me, taken in July 1990, at a cafe in Marrakesh, Morocco.  If you can see the cloth hanging in the background, you can see that this color of Water Mark captures perfectly the feel of a Moroccan cafe.  Weren't we young (and naive)?

The yarn is 60% mohair, 40% wool, and so it is soft and fuzzy, definitely a luxury fiber.  I told the shop owner that I would play around with it, search for a pattern, try to find the best way to show it off.  We have sort of an unspoken agreement that I can always take yarn to knit for the shop, and if I like something I can just pay for the yarn and keep it.  It's such a great way to try new things.

I did rummage around my patterns, but I'm leaning toward just making a simple pair of mittens.  I would love to hear any ideas you may have!

Monkey on My Back

Kim got me thinking about it.  Just the other day, she showed the Brooks Farm yarn she purchased last year at Rhinebeck, and I thought, "oh yeah, me too.  bought some.  never did anything with it."  Now Rhinebeck is approaching, and with it, a one year anniversary for that yarn in my stash.  Phooey.

As I rummaged around my stash, I came upon so many other impulse buys.  One of which was ONE, that's right, one skein of Rowan Plaid.  That was last night.  And today, I bring you a skein no more!  Just one cozy hat, and a square for the Memorial Project, to boot.

"Cool"

Rowan Plaid - 159 "Seamist"

Size 8mm Needles

I'm not going to make any grand promises about whittling away my stash, one skein at a time, but it sure feels good to turn something idle into something useful.  Now I'm hearing some talk around the blogs that there might be a new pattern coming out for Brooks Farm yarn, so I'll be on the lookout for that.

Happy weekend, happy knitting to all!

Several weeks back, I wrote about knitting for my niece who is graduating from high school and heading off to college in a couple weeks, starting early with the summer semester.  Commenters sent in so many wonderful ideas for gift knitting - afghans, a hat, mittens or a scarf among the most popular.  Alas, the days and weeks flew by and I never cast on, and last week I found myself within 48 hours of her graduation party and not-a-thing done!  (I did manage to set my mom up with knitting an afghan, so at least that base is covered.)  But I needed there to be something from me, and so I started this mitten kit last Thursday night, knitting a bit here and there, finishing them on Saturday morning only minutes before the car trip down to the party.  She loved them, saying all her new college friends might be jealous and want a pair!

Morehouse Merino Striped Mitten Kit in Cream and Navy

Adult Size Medium (on the small side)

Size 5 DPNs

Single Skeins

Last week I treated myself to this sweet book of hat patterns, Hats On!, by Charlene Schurch.  There are mostly classic styles, watch caps, two and more color and patterned knitting.  I started to read through and noticed that there were no yarns specified, but very clear hints as to what yarns were used.  For example, the Topflappen Cap on page 80 calls for Worsted Weight, 85% Wool/15% Mohair, 190 yds per 4 oz.  Now any knitter who's been around the blocks a few times knows that that must be Lamb's Pride Worsted - right?

So now I'm hooked.  Let's see, Andean Cap with Earflaps:  Worsted Weight, 100% Wool, 4 ply, 210 to 220 yds per 3 1/2 ounces.  Okay, it's Cascade 220 for the 220 yard version.  But how about the 210 yard selection?  Here's some others that I got:

Yarn Required - My Best Guess, How About Yours?

Bohus Patterned Cap:  Shetland Jumper Weight yarn, 150 yards per 1 oz, 8 1/2 sts/inch - Jamieson's Shetland

Komi Cap:  Fingering Weight, 310 yds per 50 g, 10 sts/inch - Lamb's Pride Naturspun Fingering

Doublemassa:  Fingering Weight, 230 yds per 2 oz, 6 1/2 sts/inch - Your Guess?

Ullared Cap:  Sport Weight, 100% wool, 5 ply 246 yds per 3 1/2 oz, 8 sts/inch - Gansey Wool?  Your Guess? 

Danish Earflap Cap:  Smooth Worsted Weight Wool, 109 yds per 50g, 6 sts/inch - Your Guess?

The vast majority of the patterns call for worsted weight, most likely Cascade 220 or Lamb's Pride Worsted, and this reminded me of how I purchased a bunch of single skeins of Cascade 220 last year in different colors, from the Webs sale, which is going on again right now. I still have some left and although I think the orginal plan was felting, it now might be hats!