greenie

this is the wild aran set i knit for Collin for christmas. see, i told you the little cutie was making me a crazy knitting lady. still, this set is really hard to resist.

Irish Leprechaun
design by Dany Ribailler
published in Chic Knits for Stylish Babies

knit in Bollcine Dolly (5 skeins #602 kale green and 5 skeins #603 olive green, 100% superwash merino wool) purchased at K+S=B on size US 3 and 5 needles.

started: june 15, 2008.
finished: december 25, 2008.

this was such a cute little gift, but by did it take a lot of knitting. lets review all the pieces so one can fully appreciate how much knitting was done. i made: a pair of mittens, scarf, hat, sweater, and pants.

yes, i have knit cabled pants.
i have already admitted that i crossed over into a new area of knitting lunacy. what more do you want from me?

i will say that the pants are what really took it out of me. thy were a ton of knitting for their size, and you had to pay plenty of attention to it because while the stitches were not hard, getting the increases and cable turns worked out was tricky if distracted.

i made some modifications to speed up the product because i was up against a deadline of december 28 when i would see my cousin and her family. a few mods...

i joined the pants to knit in the round once i finished the leg increases and crotch shaping. the top was worked this way with a purl stitch to mark the seam at front and back.

i also knit the sweater in the round up to the armholes and then divided to make the fronts and back.

additionally, i knit the backside of the sweater only in double moss stitch rather than in the cable pattern as it was written. i did this for a few reasons... 1. it was faster. 2. babies spend a lot of time laying on their backs hiding their sweaters in car seats and swingy chairs. 3. if i spent a lot of my time reclining, i certainly would not want a lumpy cable pressing into my back.

were i to knit this again (and let's face it, i probably won't) i would make a few other changes to the pieces i knit early on in the process. mittens and hat would have both been knit in the round instead of seamed. i would probably have grafted the top of the hat closed as well, although i think the seam gives it some stability to make the tassels pop out at the sides.

overall, i am really happy with this one. obviously i started it before i got word that Collin was a boy, so i picked green, and i am hoping my cousin will out it on her other kiddos as they come along. who wouldn't love to see the sweater worn with pink or purple corduroy pants by a girl? or how abut those pants with a hot pink hoodie?

my cousin is not a very girlie girl, but her sister-in-law is, so i think my visions of this ensemble being pinked out will eventually come true if a girl comes along.

and now, the gratuitous picture fest... i have not figured out at this point if blogger will let you do a cut in a post, so bear with me.

no one uses dial-up now anyway.

pants! pants! pants!

rustic buttons

sweater. of delight!

i know, these are silly.

tassels!

knitting for me

i did a boatload of knitting for my family and rW in 2008, so i am being selfish for a little bit and knitting for myself. see, that's the thing... i have all this stash for stuff for me. i have to buy new when i knit for others. time to bust some stash and get some stuff knit up for me to boot!

River Twist Vest
aka Greenday Vest
designed by Mari Muinonen
published at Made By Myself

knit in Mountain Colors River Twist (2 skeins "Firehole River", 100% merino wool) purchased at A Yarn Shop in Marblehead, OH on size US 4 and 6 circular needles.

started: december 29, 2008.
finished: january 3, 2009.

let me say up front that this is a good pattern if you have some knitting experience and can use logic to fill in the blanks. the designer is from Finland and her english is good by not her first language. it is no harder to decipher than an over edited pattern in a knitting magazine.

pardon my colors.
it is very hard to take pictures of yourself. i used to be better at it, or at least i used to be happier with my self-photography.

this was really fast and fun, and it is cozy to wear, but were i to knit this again (and i may) i think i would make it longer and bring the neckline up higher for a more functional vest... probably in a more subdued color. this one is just a lot of fun and acts as much as an accessory as a practical garment.

this yarn is beautiful, and i like it so much in the ball that i plan to keep my last 20ish yards as a treat to pet and look at from time to time.

Rapture Cowl
aka Cassie's Cowl
designed by Thea Colman
published at Baby Cocktails

knit in Reynolds Rapture (1 skein charcoal grey 50% wool, 50% silk) purchased at K+S=B on size US 10 needles.

started: january 9, 2009.
finished: january 10, 2009.

fun and pretty.
i knit this from a skien of yarn left from my first sweater. i liked it then and i like it now.

the ribbed lace is surprisingly warm, and now my neck warming garments have chalked up another among their numbers. i have three favourite scarves, and i think i am wearing them out with my devotion.

i have another vest and a scarf on the needles right now. the vest is a fun knit, and the scarf is another fast one for rW. not that he needs a new scarf this week. he is in tampa for a conference.

jerk.
ha. just kidding.

and one washington moment

living in the DC area can be tiresome.
here the national news is the local news, and we hear about every little political detail of both parties in all branches. most of the time, i like being overly informed, but i have one complaint.

enough with Tsars!

Intelligence Tsar.
Auto Tsar.
Regulation Tsar.

enough!
enough!
enough!

can't we bring back "Director"? how about "Supervisor"? "Tsar" seems so mustache-twirling, metal-helmet-wearing, spear-carrying... oh, and 19th century.

enough.

my new blackberry

not that kind. the real kind.

this is homemade blackberry jam made by my FBIL who picked the berries with his BFF. i put it on my oatmeal yesterday for breakfast, and it was amazing!

this was the extra special part of my christmas present from my cousin and her culinary-gifted husband*. i wish i had a picture of the whole gift basket of homemade treats, but the basket had to stay in ohio. i squirreled away the treats in my checked baggage individually, and it has been well worth it!

in addition to the jam, there was a box of chocolate chip cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels, bags of homemade pasta, a jar of sauce, and one of my favourite parts--homemade cheese crackers!!

they were amazing. i could have eaten the whole box in one sitting. now you can make your own cheese crackers and eat them in one sitting too. go see the recipe on FBIL's blog here. i am actually scared to make these because i have visions of none of my handknits fitting after i eat a whole pan of crackers. AND this comes form the gal who hates Nips or Goldfish crackers. that says something for his little cheesy delights.

yuuummmmm.


*it is worth noting once again that the culinary-gifted man my cousin married cans his own blackberry jam. in case you didn't notice the canning part. you know, the thing that prohibits the rest of us lazy you-know-whats from making jam.

my academy award

i am not an actor, but if we still had radio plays, i may well could be! i am a master actor when it comes to dealing with people on the phone.

today i managed to cancel a Comcast account in less than 10 minutes AND renegotiate the interest rate on my credit card (i got them to knock off 11.25%!)

i am not sure which i am more proud of. the credit card scoundrels were raising my rates for simply existing during the peak of Free Credit Frenzy. and with Comcast (who will claw you back into their clutches any way possible) i just lied to them. or acted. i acted like i was leaving the country for a few years.

the white lie to escape unwanted services was a technique i developed a few years ago when my former roommate KT was unable to discontinue her AOL account (talk about clawing!). after three attempts by KT, one that resulted in tears, i decided to take her account details and pretend to be her.

i am much meaner that KT when i need to be.

aol: this is so-and-so, how can i help you today?
me: i want to cancel my account.
aol: i am sorry to hear that, what can i do to keep you as a customer?
me: nothing.
aol: well, surely, there must--
me: no. nothing. i am entering hospice care and my doctors have told me to settle my final affairs.
aol: (long silence) well, i am sorry to hear that. may i have your account number please?

KT was shocked and maybe a little appalled, but it worked. and on one level it was also sort of fun. i understand AOL reps have a job to do, but i custmers also need a little respect.

goodbye sidebar

regular readers may note that in my sidebar i give myself a pat on the back and list the projects i complete in the given year. it is that time of year, and the sidebar needs to be reset because soon i will have a completed project in 2009.

so what did i make?

54 total projects.
5 were crochet projects.
49 were knitting projects.

i made..
11 pairs of mittens or gloves.
2 pairs of booties.
13 hats.
7 scarves/cowls.
4 items for the home.
7 adult size sweaters/tanks/shrugs
4 baby sweaters.
1 pair of baby pants.
2 neckties.
2 toys.
and 1 lace christening shawl.

and here they are....

(you can see photos for most of these projects on either flickr or ravelry and in the archives of this blog.)

completed 2008

• crochet


• the littlest browns hat (original)


• piggy (lion brand)


• froggy (lion brand)


• baby starghan (diva crochets)


• jessie's birthday cloths (x4)




• knit


• baby aran sweater (chic knits)


• baby aran pants (chic knits)


• baby aran mittens (chic knits)


• baby aran scarf (chic knits)


• baby aran hat (chic knits)


• OSU Slip stitch hat (original)


• OSU Center Square hat (knitty)


• beer gloves (son of SnB)


• floppy toque (vogue)


• spiral cowl (knitty gritty thoughts)


• expression scarf (yarn over manhattan)


• celtic knot christening shawl (improvised)


• cabled tam (vogue)


• angora booties (LMKG)


• aspen beret (pam allen)


• puffy vest (knitscene)


• unoriginal hat (yarn harlot)


• unshaped shrug (just call me ruby)


• harvest mittens (vogue knitting)


• foliage hat (knitty.com)


• super mittens (weekend knitting)


• beaded cable mittens (cabin fever)


• baby mittens (sassy stitches)


• eyelet cowl (sour cherries)


• FIN beanie (tikru)


• sweet girls hat (original)


• cabled shell (lion brand)


• silk seed stitch tie (lion brand)


• berkshire pullover (weekend knitting)


• unisex knock around sweater (weekend knitting)


• sock tie (koigu wool designs)


• rockabilly bathmat (improvised)


• ribbed tank (stacy charles)


• oh my! cardigan (plymouth)


• gathered pullover (interweave knits)


• rainbow hat (last-minute knitted gifts)


• sideways scarf (last-minute knitted gifts)


• cashmere scarf (last-minute knitted gifts)


• cabled mittens II (101 1-skein wonders)


• orangini vest (minnowknits)


• cabled mittens I (101 1-skein wonders)


• felted bowl (plymouth)


• classic cashmere bootees (erika knight)


• baby squash hat (101 1-skein wonders)


• store model toddler pullover (plymouth)


• jen's fingerless mitts (weekend knitting)


• purl beret (purl bee)


• deb's fingerless mitts (weekend knitting)




• knit + crochet


• luscious collar #2 (interweave)

i FOUND it!

my purl beret disappeared very shortly after i made it last january. i found it! i found it!

i put it away where it belonged, but it didn't stay there. when i pulled something else out of the hat box, it must have fallen behind. when i moved the entire box that lives up on a high shelf, i found it!

this organizing thing is really working out well for me!

moving forward

meet Tangerine the Owl. he came to live with me at christmas. cute, huh?

i think the whole month of december is a wash. the holidays are so time consuming and there are such a large number of other activities crammed into that time that the whole month gets swept away. with thanksgiving so close to december 1st tis year, it felt like a steamroller of holiday absurdity.

let's start the new year with my favourite bloggable thing... a list.

Holiday Highlights 2008!

1. successful knitting. i knit a cabled shell for my mother and a pullover for my father. they both fit very well, and each of my parents is very pleased with the result. you can see photos of them in their hand knits in...

2. Christmas photos.

Christmas 2008

3. i have also... practiced my hand at holiday floral arranging and being a good aunt (via hand knits). both of those items can be seen in the album as well. no pictures of Collin from me. i was too busy admiring him. i forgot to use the camera.

4. travel. i have been to ohio twice in the span of a month and to my hometown three times in a month. i hope this keeps me on Santa's "nice" at least through april or may. i get tense when i travel. going back to serious work is sort of a welcome change.

5. organized! in the midst of preparing for the holidays, i have been trying to get organized, clean out my needless stuff (who else owns 12 copies of the International Male catalogue? yes, it is for my job.), and map out my stash so i can knit it down this year. i have a lot of yarn, and some of it is intended for really big projects, so it looks even more ridiculous. must. knit. faster.

6. i also organized my thanksgiving photos. now you can see the trip rW and i took right here...

Thanksgiving 2008

7. happy new year! my new year's eve felt like 1945 (or something similarly quaint). rW and i walked down the street to a house party with friends who live around the corner. i baked an apple and pear pie and took it with us. (A+ pie crust this time!) i had wine and good conversation. it was a lot of fun!

January 2009 is going to be busy. rW and i both open shows. i am shooting a documentary in conjunction with the show i open in february. the inauguration is going to make the city wacky, and there will be a blogiversary this month.

i have a few projects i need to post about, but we are facing a slow down this month in the knitting department. hang in there with me!

sew confused!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

intarsia

instarsia is also known as "picture knitting". it is most often seen in the wild in the following 4 forms:

1. teacher sweaters.

2. reindeer sweaters.

3. big 1980s flower sweaters.

4. kiddo sweaters.

it is a very challenging means to creating an incredibly tacky end product. unless it is a cute kiddo sweater. i like to think this strawberry, my first foray into this form, falls under heading #4.

being green

most of my recent knitting is of the stealth variety. i will be able to share it all next week, but for now i need to reach back to provide content.

i have been hanging on to this one for a modeled photo. it is really cute when worn, but i have not been able to take a good picture of myself wearing it. i think it is the sort of odd garment that requires seeing the whole person to not have a "whoa. what the...?"

PUFF-n-STUFF!

Himalayan Vest
designed by Katie Himmelberg.
published in Knitscene, Fall 2008.

knit in approx. 6 skeins of Manos Del Urguay Wool (#68 citric, 100% wool) purcased at K+S=B on size US 11 and US 8 circular needles and stuffed with 100% wool roving purchased at Just for Ewe in Marblehead, OH.

started: november 4, 2008.
finished: november 17, 2008.

i started this while watching the election returns. i needed something pretty straightforward because i was obviously distracted.


you knit this with a double strand of yarn on very large needles. this was a little tough on my hands, so while the knitting itself went quickly, i could not work on it for long periods of time. despite being knit almost entirely in one piece, this has a lot of finishing. there are only two seams (shoulders) but because of the construction method with the "chambers" that need to be stuffed to make a puffy vest. there are just a ton of ends that must be woven way.
i wear it with the front open, and you would not think the vest would be that warm, but when you take it off, you really notice a big difference. i like it because it keeps me warm, but i don't get too hot when i have it on.

i have some more vests in my sights for 2009. i want to get back to some sweater knitting for myself, but i plan to go into it slowly because i don't think i can have more sweater disappointment.

we shall see!

i made polenta

and you can make it too. go to Eating Cleveland and enjoy some step by step photos!

this was my first try.
it will be better next time because i have learned a few things.

1. i am short. this makes it hard to stir a pot on the stove. i need a shorter pot and a step stool. seriously, this stuff gets difficult to stir at the end.

2. 5 more minutes on the stove would have done a world of good. (see logic for stopping in item #1)

3. rWs oven sucks, and it needs to be dialed up to bajillion if i want to brown anything. i need to get him an oven thermometer before i try this again.

still, it was pretty good, and i plan to fry the leftovers per another EC suggestion. confession: i will make rW do it. i am bad a frying things. the closest i get to frying is sauteed veggies or the sizzle of pancakes. actual oil frying is a no go for me.

the most beautiful thing i have ever made

i don't even know where to begin on this one. i mean, some projects are just so intense and wonderful that you can't regard them in the same way you do say... a hat. or even a sweater for yourself.

that is more or less how i feel about this one. my Dad tried to ask me how much i would sell Collin's christening shawl for (of course. he sees most things in $.), and he didn't believe me when i said i could never sell this one. and i think that is true. i could be paid thousands of dollars to knit another one, but i could never ave sold the one right off my needles.

it means too much.
it has in it all my hopes for him, and his family. all the happy thoughts i had while making it, and all the frustration too. (all the sweeter for being a little bitter!) i think about the project and i think about all the great things that happened while i was working on it--my cousin's trip out to visit me on the spur of the moment, the oohs and ahhs from other knitters when i pulled out the piece in progress, how thrilled my cousin's husband sounded on the phone when he told me Collin had arrived, the compare and contrast my mum and i had with our various projects for the baby to be, the trip out for the shower.

probably best of all was the reaction from the proud parents when i handed it over. i love when i can make something that makes people happy.

Collin's Christening Shawl
based on the Celtic Knot Stole
designed by Sarah Kendra Hughs
published in I Dream of the Sea

knit in 5 skeins of Rowan 4-ply Soft (#376 "Nippy", 100% merino wool) purchased at K+S=B and knit on size US 4 addi Lace circular needles.

started: april 17, 2008.
finished: november 27, 2008.

if you want the complete glamour shots and work in progress photos, they can be viewed in the picasa album posted below. there are 2 mistakes that are visible in the final project, but they are relatively small. if you want to stay on my good side, you will keep them to yourself.

finally, here is the link to my ravelry page for the project. other ravelry members can read all about the knitting trials there.

Collin's Christening Shawl

"neck" is a funny word

there are some words that the more you say them, the funnier they sound and the more they seem to lose meaning as a word and just become a sound. rW and i were saying one of these words over and over again yesterday--'pointy'.

'neck' is one of this words.

obviously our shopping trip went poorly yesterday if the thing i am reporting is funny words we said, not gifts bought. gah!

SO!
things that go on necks.....

Serenade Cowl
designed by kittything
offered as a free pattern with yarn purchase at K+S=B.

knit in 2 skeins of Artful Yarns 'Serenade' (#6011 "Against All Odds" 70% pima cotton, 30% angora) on size US 7 needles.

started: october 22, 2008.
finished: october 24, 2008.

i whipped this up for the shop as a store model. we started carrying this odd cotton/angora yarn for scarves and needed something to show it. turns out, it is not that great as a scarf yarn
and it is mostly used as a very basic sweater yarn.

so i made a simple cowl. i like to think it as a scarf one cannot lose. pretty.

after i knit the cowl for the shop, i wanted one for myself.

Spiral Cowl
designed by Keri McKiernan
published at Knitty Gritty Thoughts

knit in 1.5 skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino (#430 "smoke" 50% merino wool, 50% silk) purchased at Now and Then in Takoma Park, Md and knit on size US 5 circular needles.

started: december 1, 2008.
finished: december 5, 2008.

i started and then had to entirely rip out this project on the ride home from thanksgiving. i twisted the join and would have had a yucky mobius.

after i overcame the initial stumbling block, it went fairly well. i knit it at a first read for a play and then on the metro when rW had to borrow my car for a few days. i think it is excellent train (or bus, or tv) knitting.

were i to knit this again, i wold cast on fewer stitches because i think it is a little larger than i would like for keeping warm. i will say it works very well with a brooch or stick pin holding the extra fabric in place. and it looks nice!

the best things: the yarn and the edging. this is the extra yarn i did not use to knit the cabled tam. i loved it for the tam and i still love it for this. also, the edges are very pretty. i used sewn down picot "hemmed" edges. this was my first go at this technique and i think ti is very pretty, but i want more practice.

and finally, a scarf.

Go Diagonal! Scarf
designed by Sophia Kessinger.
published at Yarn-over Manhattan.

knit in 3 skeins of Plymouth Expression (#3326, 55% wool, 45% acrylic) purchased at K+S=B and knit on size US 11 needles.

started: december 2, 2008.
finished: december 6, 2008.

i am not a big fan of scarf knitting, but every so often, i will turn one out. this one is for rW's mother. i decided that she needed something happy and colorful for christmas, and i think this just about fits that bill.

this yarn knits up very fast and reminds me a lot of Berroco Foliage, which has been discontinued.


more holiday gifts revealed after the big day. i can't believe how quickly it is coming!

hop hop hop

i have a new favourite fiber: angora. it is warm, fuzzy, and comes from the cutest creature possible... a long haired bunny. i have recently knit two projects in this delightful stuff.

Bunny Toes
aka Angora Baby Booties
designed by Joelle Hoverson
published in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

knit in 1.25 skeins of Spinnerin "Ballerina" (lipstick red, 100% angora) purchased at A Yarn Shop Marblehead, OH on size US 5 DPNs.

started: november 6, 2008.
finished: december 1, 2008.

these are incredibly cute, easy to knit, and take no time at all. i would have finished them the same evening i started them had i not run out of yarn. my gauge was correct, but i still ended up needing a little more yarn to finish

my mum was kind enough to get me a second ball at one of her local yarn shops. unfortunately the dye lots were different and the one cuff is a little off in color. i doubt the future baby who wears these will notice. if they do, then i have decided i don't like that kid or their parents who let their kid criticize a gift.

so there.


Bunny Flop
aka Floppy Toque.
designed by Cathy Carron.
published in Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2008.

knit in 12 skeins of ACA Supreme Pure Angora (ink black, 100% angora) purchased on Ebay and knit on size US 6 DPNs and circs.

started: december 5, 2008.
finished: december 7, 2008.

this hat is super warm. i love how fuzzy and soft it is, and i enjoyed knitting it as well. you work it from the top down and knit with two strands of angora held together. it is very dense and even thicker because the deep ribbing folds back on another layer of hat. delightful!

i really like the look of this hat, and i may make another one, but i would probably switch to brushed alpaca because angora is just a little too rich for my bank account. at least it would be if i tried to use it all the time!

proper topper: hats part II

the hat chronicles continue. i noticed something as i thought about my hat knitting some more. i tend to make hats in the last quarter of the year and there are very few that fall outside that period. funny, huh.


Unoriginal Hat
designed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
published in the Yarn Harlot

knit in 1 skein of Malabrigo Chunky ("bobby blue", 100% kettle dyed merino wool) purchased at Now and Then on size US 10 DPNs.

started: november 13, 2008.
finished: november 13, 2008.

i bought this skein to be the pom pom and i-cord on the earflap hat i never knit out of the other skein of darker blue malabrigo. i had this pattern kicking around my queue for awhile and i thought it would be a good back-up gift to have on hand in case i can't find something better for the person i have in mind.

it is a fun and simple pattern. cables rock.


Gold Star Beret
aka "Aspen Beret".
designed by Pam Allen.
published in CEY #9092 Autumn, Book One.

knit in one skein of Lion Brand Woolease Thick & Quick (#189 "Butterscotch" 80% acrylic, 20% wool) on size 13 DPNs.

started: november 18, 2008.
finished: november 19, 2008.

the star stitch was very fun!
i started this when i was in dress rehearsals for Lord of the Flies. there was enough light spill from the stage that i could see the star stitches, but the pattern was easy enough that i didn't have to pay much attention.

the student actors thought i was a super star because they saw me knitting the hat on tuesday night and i wore it on wednesday.

were i to knit this again i would have gone down a needle size for the ribbing because it loosened up with wear and i have had to thread a drawstring through the ribbing and tie it in a bow at the back to keep the hat on my head. eek!


#09 Cabled Tam
designed by Jennifer Hagan.
published in Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2008.

knit in 1.25 skein of Malabrigo Silky Merino (#430 "smoke" 50% silk, 50% merino wool) purchased at Now and Then and knit on size US 5 DPNs and size US 4 & 5 circs.

started: november 14, 2008.
finished: december 4, 2008.

this project started with the yarn. i had. to. have. the smoke silky merino, and i bought enough for the bobbed tam also published in this issue of Vogue Knitting. then i decided the color was not good for the bobbles and switched to the cabled tam. the pattern calls for more yarn so i bought a third skein.

it turned out that i barely needed the second!

this hat is really beautiful, and the pattern is very good, although there is a small mistake in the last couple of rows of the chart. as enjoyable as it was to knit the tam, i will say it had a few tedious moments. most of those were centered around the rows in which every single stitch is cabled and you are working over 240 stitches in the round. those rows were blessedly few, which means on the balance, this was extremely enjoyable and gratifying to knit.

i call the project done, but i am pretty sure i am going to tear back the bind-off and ribbing and reknit it on size US 3 needles and for a few more rows to make a snugger band. this hat has a problem similar to the Aspen Beret.

one more hat to go!

put a lid on it: hats, part I

while i have been primarily devoting myself to complex gift projects that are running on deadlines, i have managed to squeeze in some other projects. almost all of these have been hats because they are very fast to make, and some of these have been skill builders to boot.

hats! hats! hats!


Foliage
design by Emilee Mooney
published at knitty.com

knit in 1 skein of Malabrigo Chunky (#98 "tuareg", 100% kettle dyed merino wool) purchased at Now and Then on size US 10 DPNs.

started: october 31, 2008.
finished: october 31, 2008.

i originally bought this yarn to knit an ear flap hat with a pom pom top and ties. as i started the hat, i discovered it looked awful in this yarn because it is too springy (texture, not season). i bought all of this color at the shop, so i couldn't get more to make something bigger than a hat, so i was on a search. i don't knit a lot of lace, so i decided to try this hat and see how lace in a chunky yarn looks. i like it. this is going to be a holiday gift to match the blue mittens i posted about a few weeks ago.

the construction was really cool for Foliage. you knit the hat from the top down increasing in the leaf lace repeat. fun.

FIN beanie
designed by Mari Muinonen
published in Made by Myself

knit in 1 ball of Jo Sharp Silkroad DK tweed (#409 "night" 85% wool, 10% silk, 5% cashmere) purchased at K+S=B on size US 5 DPNs.

started: october 21, 2008
finished: october 22, 2008.

i love this yarn, and i am a big fan of this hat because it has an awesome star decrease pattern on top. pretty straightforward hat that really shows off the tweed yarn.

yum!


Sweet Girl
design by kittything
available free with yarn purchase at K+S=B

knit in 1 skein of Schoeller + Stahl "Sweet Girls" (100% acrylic with silly ruffles!) on size US 10.5 needles.

started: october 4, 2008.
finished: october 21, 2008.

this is a store model to show this funny yarn we are carrying this fall. i am not into novelty yarns, so this is not my thing, but the hat design itself is cute. the top has an eyelet row and ribbon drawstring to close it up so a little girl can wear her ponytail through the top of the hat.

i know, adorable. speaking of adorable...


The Littlest Brown
designed by kittything
unpublished improvisation

crocheted in scraps of Frog Tree Merino (100% merino wool) with a size I hook.

started: november 6, 2008.
finished: november 6, 2008.

this is a hat for Collin to match the browns hat i gave his father last year for christmas. i made it from the scraps of the bigger hat. you can see father and son sporting their tasteful sports themed hats together on Collin's blog. this kid is amazing. he is cute, quiet, and already a prolific blogger!

goodbye fall, hello 300!

guess what folks? this blog has officially reached 300 posts! thanks for hanging in there with me through work, play, knitting floods, and work related droughts. onward, 300 ho!

this week it has officially become cold in the greater DC metro area. it has been hanging out in the 30s more than the 50s (surprisingly low for this month) it was fitting to take down the fall bittersweet wreath and haul out the christmas tree.

i'm glad i knit.

speaking of knitting, i have been doing more of that then blogging. the most notable accomplishment on the knitting front is the completion of Collin's christening shawl. it rocks. it is done. the knit-on edging made me near suicidal.

(not really. sort of knitterly suicidal. not the real kind.)

i still owe a post on all the hats i have been turning out, and i plan to do one of all the glamour shots of the shawl. i hope to get together a photo album of the trip rW and i took to ohio for thanksgiving.

promises, promises!

yeeeesssss

this photo represents my current state of mind.

i am full steam ahead on a single minded mission to knit the edginging on to Collin's christening shawl. i am now 75% finished with said edging (i week ago i was 20% finished), and i feel this haze setting into my line of vision. everything that is not cream lace edging receds in importance.

who knew knitting come be so important and consuming. i have high hopes for this project. time will tell.

and shortly, i hope!

in other news, rW brought me orange roses. this is one of my favourite colors for roses. beautiful.



did anyone else notice how my blog's coolness just went down 17% as soon as i introduced lace and roses into it tonight? yeah.

eww.

hi! i am a totally humiliated Interweave Knits model!

the preview for the winter issue of Interweave Knits is out, and i am unimpressed.

1. most of these sweaters make the skinny mini models look fat. not fat, i guess.... the sweaters are not adding fat rolls but it does make them look thick and/or chunky. that is an adjective i want to apply to peanut butter or soup, not sweaters.

2. if the sweaters are not fat-looking, the photos are! ew. ew. ew. who publishes in a magazine a picture cropped in the least flattering way possible? that makes me want to knit Fatty McGee sweaters. yeah.

3. colorwork accessories. ugly ones at that! gross. okay. the poinsetta mittens are cute, but they re a little cheesy.

4. and to be fair, the one man sweater in the issue is very nice. too bad i am not a man.

the first

for the first time ever, i have run out of yarn on a project. moreover, i have run out of yarn on a project on which i should have had enough because...

1. i have the amount the pattern calls for.
2. i am getting gauge.
3. um. this never happens to me.

this almost happened with the sweater i made my father. according to the book, i needed 7 skeins, i bought 9. i used all but 4 yards of the last skein. nice.

but at least i had what i needed that time, and more importantly i could get more because i bought the yarn where i work. is that the case this time? no way. this is bright red vintage angora i bought in ohio at the yarn shop my mum and i only go to because well... it is there. and there may be something interesting.

like angora.
the kind i only need 4 more yards of to finish a project. gah.

good news: my mum found it, and when i go visit for turkey day, i will be able to finish my project.

lest you feel abandoned.

i have abandoned no one!
i have just been busy with a new show, meetings for winter projects, and the store. , yes... and the election! it was, dare i say, fun. i was reading a lot of commentary and listening to bipartisan speculation about the forthcoming administration. it has been pretty interesting, not to mention historic.

i have also been knitting some gifts and finishing up projects that were languishing at 50%. i have a current favorite... mittens!

here are four projects for your enjoyment.


Yellow Harvest Mittens
designed by Mari Muinonen
published in Vogue Knitting, Fall 2008

knit in 1 skein Manos del Urguay 100% Wool (color X "topaz") purchased at K+S=B, on size US 6 and 7 DPNS.

started: september 11, 2008.
finished: november 3, 2008.

these were a lot of fun, and they look great. i blocked them after this picture was taken, and they are awesome.

charts were good. bobbles are fun to knit (who knew!) and i have only one complaint. the pattern tells you to work the decrease area in stockinette but if you want continuity on the mitten, you need to be using reverse stockinette. i followed the directions exactly and realized when i was done and had blocked them that i should have been a rebel and changed the pattern.

live and learn, but i still love them. this is a project for me obviously.


Super Mittens
designed by Margrit Lohrer
published in Weekend Kitting

knit in 1 skein Malabrigo Chunky (color 98 "Tuareg", 100% merino wool) purchased at Now and Then, on size US 10 DPNS.

started: october 29, 2008.
finished: october 30, 2008.

these are a gift. i want to keep them. not really. i don't wear much blue, but they are super squishy and soft and this yarn was a delight to knit. this project continues to reinforce my love for the book Weekend Knitting

i was given the book last year for christmas, and i have made 6 projects from it so far. two of those were sweaters. not bad considering how ADD i get about patterns.

i made a hat to go with the mittens. i will share it later in the week.


Baby Mittens
designed by Kaitlyn Wong
published at Sassy Stitches

knit in half a skein of Artful Yarns Serenade (color 6211 "Against All Odds" 70% pima cotton, 30% angora) purchased at K+S=B on size US 5 DPNs.

started: october 24, 2008.
finished october 26, 2008.

i knit these for Collin. i started them when my cousin told me she was headed to the hospital because i needed something else to focus on... a movie was not cutting it. i finished them the day after he was born and they went off in a little birthday gift package with a hat. more on that later.

i modified the pattern to use heavier yarn. the designer calls for fingering weight doubled. i used a "worsted" that i consider especially light.


"Beaded" Cable Mittens
designed by Shirl the Purl
published by Cabin Fever

knit in 2 skeins of Berroco Pure Merino ("kale" 100% superwash merino wool) purchased at K+S=B on size US 4 & 5 DPNS.

started: october 2, 2008.
finished: october 28, 2008.

these are a store model that is part of out holiday 2008 gifts display at the shop. they were fun to knit, and i love the color, but i think the mittens would have looked nicer in a wool that was a bit sticky and didn't have as much smoosh or softness.

i know, sacrilege to exchange looks for softness, but that is how i feel about it.

obviously the pattern is written to be beaded, but i decided to forgo beads because that is a technique many knitters have an artificial fear of trying.... and as a store model, it needs to appeal to the masses.

i also think these could be good for a man in a masculine color, and then the beads are going to be a no-go for most occasions.

looks out for more knitting updates later in the week.

tonight i have pledged to fix my mistakes in the shawl and get back to work on that thing. i really want to take it back to ohio on turkey day... even if i have longer, i feel anxious about it!

yes, maxine, democracy can be boring.

today i stood in line to vote in front of man who brought his daughter with him to see democracy in action. he was very sweet and she was a cute second grader who asked a lot of great questions. when we had been in line for just over an hour she declared voting boring. i told her that democracy can be boring, but we have to vote anyway.

her dad thought that was funny.



two major thoughts about the experience... touch screen voting is strange and it is cool seeing a lot of people you know at the polls. especially because they are excited to participate in our occasionally "boring" democracy.

knitting update: i took a lizard ridge afghan square with me to the polls and i was so excited and weird while in line that i kept having to rip what i knit. i think i did 4 rows in line.

heeeehheeeehhheehe!

Skelley says Happy Halloween!!!!!

my grandmother can have peace

i made good use of those apples yesterday. this is my first apple pie.

i am not a very good maker of crusts, and this one is my first personal success. rW had some hand in it. he encouraged and helped cut shortening when my arm got tired.

it turned put pretty well.

the filling is made from the Rome apples we picked saturday and one Honeycrisp apple to throw in some textural variety and sweetness. i spiced it with both cinnamon and allspice.

now my grandmother can be a happy woman. it took 90 years to reach this point, but now she has the icing on the metaphorical cake... her wayward granddaughter has made a real pie. crust and all.

knitting content soon, i promise. i have been busy on secret knitting.

wet but fun saturday

saturday was a very busy day. we will start with the top story.

my super-awesome cousin gave birth to her first child saturday morning. His name is Collin Thomas, and you can see the photos on his very own website (with commentary by his father, a man of eccentric humour.) which i am sure will have frequent updates of cuteness.

the family expansion was happening in cleveland, so here in the mid-atlantic, we had a pretty typical weekend on our hands.

rW and i took a trip out to Mt. Airy, Maryland to pick apples and a pumpkin. it was fun, and we took a bunch of pictures. i even did some knitting on a mitten in the car.

the only hitch in the day was some inclement weather. we got pretty wet, but it was worth it. the pumpkin we found is as perfect as any pumpkin i have ever had. it has one slightly flat side, but someone clearly picked it up off its side and set it upright before it finished ripening and turning orange because it doesn't have too much of a deformed side.

i sort of also wanted to take home one of the fancy bright orange pumpkins that were already picked, but i am happy with our guy. rW will have to name him because i am bad at that sort of thing.

here is an album of our countryside activities....

Pumpkin' and Apple Pickin'

later saturday evening i went to a cocktail party at my friend Jen's apartment. i met her new man (well, new so to speak, they have been friends for a long time, but they started dating this year.) and caught up with a few old friends.

all in all, fun and busy.

17

last night i made 17 bean + barley soup. these are the beans before i soaked them. pretty!

it was delicious.
i served it up with pumpernickle bread and halves of delicata squash stuffed with veggie sausage (or "fauxusage", if you will). it was delightful. i had never had "sausage" stuffed squash before, but as i said of faux meat technology... there have been advancements.

i am pretty sure that fake sausage just tastes like smoke and spices, but it works for me.

i am on a store model knitting spree. i have a cowl on my needles right now that is made of cotton and angora blend--fluffy! this is the 2nd one this week that i have designed myself. photos soon.

help!

remember the head shots i had taken on sunday for the company website? the proofs are up, and now i have to decide which 5 i want to have edited. here are 52 to pick from.

please help me. photos are here. i am fairly certain they won't be up much longer than a week.

leave your favourites in the comments by photo number.

or maybe i should use my self-portrait?

another thing

i have been sent public and private comments about how i handled my ear infection. specifically how i handled in incorrectly.

yes, i realize there are ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world. i also realize they handle these things much better than a GP, an urgent care center, or Minute Clinic ever could. i even went to one the last time i had a throat in infection that kept me in bed for 5 days.

but specialists cost a lot of money.

health care in general costs a lot of money. the kind of health insurance i qualify for as a "young" single female in the state of maryland can be described as either "under insurance" or "$800 out of pocket per month".

to put that figure in perspective, i currently spend as much combined on my car insurance, student loan repayment, and rent every month.

well, some insurance is better than no insurance right? not really. when i had health insurance, i could never find someone who was qualified to call themself a doctor who would actually see me. i didn't have expensive enough insurance to be seen by someone fancy and reputable.

when i went to the ENT, 100% was out of pocket, even though i had insurance.

now, without it, i am the pariah in the corner at urgent care.

i try not to get political or turn my blog into a PSA, but this gets my goat. the faceless uninsured are not just the homeless black children living in the inner city you can readily conjure up in your head when you watch the evening news.

it is also me.
a white woman living in a small hippie town next to the big city. someone with a car, a roof over her head, her own business, a job at another small business, and a terminal graduate degree.

put that in your pipe and smoke it.

sweet life

i have been doing secret holiday knitting that the blog readership cannot know about (hi family peoples. what up.) so i will share a so-not-me project here today.

this is a store model for the shop. i designed the pattern to be given out with the yarn, which as you can see is sort of silly. i plan to see if i can knit a second one in a plain yarn for more long term use in the shop.

the details....

Ruffled Drawstring Hat
designed by kittything
free with yarn purchase at K+S=B

knit in one skein of Scholler+Stahl Sweet Girls (100% acrylic) on size US 10.5 needles. fits a toddler or young child (16"-18" head).

started: october 4, 2008.
finished: october 20, 2008.

i started knitting this and then realized i didn't have a real plan. so i set it aside, designed it out in my head and finished it in one sitting yesterday while watching the movie Airplane!.

because it is store model (needs to be easy to knit) and it the yarn is a little tricky, i knit the hat flat and seamed it rather than knitting in the round.

the ruffles are goofy. you make them by grabbing only part of the ruffled section of the yarn and knitting or purling only the edge. on the knit side, you purl the ruffles, on the purl side, you knit the ruffles. it is opposite in order to keep the ruffles on the right side of the work. strange.

the cute thing about the pattern (never mind the yarn) is the drawstring top. a little girl can pull her ponytail through the top of her hat. cute!

in other news...
i had my head shots taken on sunday (and had to miss a BBQ at my aunt's house for it! grr!) and they went better than the horror show in my head. hair and make-up was easy. she didn't lecture me about home hair dye or going to a dermatologist, so that was good.

photo shoot was also good. we will see how the pictures turn out. i think i was done up a little on the vintage pin up side, and my glasses were problematic with glare so i had to take a lot without them. but i am sure there is something i can use.

last night i made a favourite dish from my childhood--macaroni and cheese omelet! it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. macaroni, egg, extra sharp cheddar cheese, fake bacon, salt, pepper, milk, frying pan. cook it. delicious.

prior to last night, i only have eaten it once since i went veggie. it is sort of bland without the bacon. now fake bacon technology has caught up and i was able to make it with the fakcon (as rW and i like to call it) and enjoy a slice of childhood once again. i also substituted in whole wheat macaroni.

i bet the whole thing could be made vegan, but i am opposed to soy cheese for personal reasons.

a month ago

that was the last time i wrote an update. egads. much has happened.

and unrelated to all of those things which i will detail, is this photo rW took of me. i like it because i am relaxing on the floor betwen the couch and the coffee table--a favourite spot. AND (!!!) because i am wearing the Gathered Pullover i knit for myself.

i opened 3 shows. Busytown (children's musical), Temptation (political satire with costume party!), and The Serpent Woman (fantasy/commedia).

i was sick from september 26th through.... well, probably this past wednesday, but i am still not at 100%. it started with a bad cold that spread into a double ear infection that eventually also became tonsillitis in one (and only one) tonsil.

then i went on antibiotics that made me 500% more sick and didn't cure the ear infection. so i could neither eat nor hear and was still in tech.

now all the shows are open, and my ears are still about 40% clogged, but i am told it can take up to a month for ears to fully clear and webMD says i shouldn't really get too worried unless i still have hearing loss after 3 months.

ridiculous.

i read Breakfast at Tiffany's while i was at the urgent care and on the metro because i was sick enough to not feel like knitting (!!!). i have since recovered enough to report that i have knit....

75% of a christmas gift. 2 mittens, each from a different pair. 20% of a hat. and one whole side of the edging on the christening shawl. i made a mistake on that on day 2 of tech #1 and it has been sitting ever since until i have the time and brain power to tear back and resume.

jess has assured me the bambino will not be baptised until december, but i want to get it done before his arrival as a point of pride.

other items of note for the month:

locked myself out of the apartment. twice.

rW and i have passed the 6 month mark.

i have started to sew for myself again.

my car had to go to the doctor.

i registered to vote in maryland.

i started my christmas shopping.

and i discovered a new bakery.

tomorrow i am having a head shot taken for use on the company website and programs. i am unsure how i feel about this. it means i need to go wash my freshly dyed hair so it will be manageable tomorrow for the hair and make-up gal.

i hope i get to wear my glasses.