Little bits of Knitting

The first-ever Cabled Knit item, yes!  It turned out MUCH better than I anticipated (only a couple oops) and ---yikes- it even fits! Miracle.

Here is the bear wearing his sweater & other finished items from the class, including that dratted mitten. The last project will be something in lace.

Then I bought some more yarn - O~Wool. oh dear, like I need more in the stash.

I'm so bold, next I'll try socks. Good grief, I need yarn for socks!

And this soft cushy wool, hard to resist.  Another hat maybe?

The Rowan yarn for the next cabled hat. Not as soft as I'd thought, but a pretty oatmeal nubby color.

I liked this sock yarn too, a little stretch helps at first. :)

Here's the one & only mitten (or thumb) I'll ever make.  Who needs mittens in Arizona?  I'll never knit another thumb that's for sure. Let alone - fingers, gloves.  eech.

Busy busy busy

I must have been nuts to plan taking a 4-part knitting class, in December !!...but there you go.  I am nuts. Cookies to bake, gifts to find, wrap & mail (and to Sweden!) a 40th birthday for co-worker this week (tomorrow), 2 cookie-exchanges & one department holiday party, one office/volunteer holiday party....and never mind decorating anything or sending out cards of any sort.  Well.  Let's knit instead ! The bears are dressed & nearly finished with the mitten - only the thumb and I'll wait for the next class to finish it.  

I started the Cabled Hat last night. The yarn is ever so soft and makes me re-think knitting with wool. Even a die-hard Arizonan knitter of cotton can learn new skills.  Yikes.  Here's what I'm using:

Berroco Ultra Alpaca
Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)  Wool, Alpaca Texture
50% Super Fine Alpaca 50% Peruvian Highland Wool
And here is the link to free pattern, courtesy of O~Wool:  http://www.o-wool.com/O~Wool%20Classic%20Free%20Cabled%20Hat%20Pattern.pdf. 

I couldn't help myself - a black dishcloth for the birthday girl.

Scenes from the Ranch

Baby Fritz with his mom Emmy. 

                                                                          

The 4 horses (L-R) are Ginger, Mia, Star & Bucky

Little bit of this & that

I'm taking an intermediate knitting class.  Finally one available on Saturdays; a chance to learn all those little things I can't figure out from a book. Yes, a visual person. Show me once, I'll figure it out.  So the teddy bear sweater is first project, next are mittens, and after that, a cabled hat. What fun, picking out YARN for more projects.  I did one of the teddy sweaters in the burgundy-red for nephew's school colors (burgundy & white) I'll stitch the Texas A&M logo on the front (I hope).  Then I (had) to buy a bear.

And here is little Fritz, the latest donkey-baby out at the ranch.  He was born about 3 weeks ago.... pretty cute and worthy of awww....

Here are the three heart dishcloths, in heart-colors.  Now I can't let go. I want them.

The bear sweaters again- the grey marle is nice - paton's classic wool, and the deep red is also paton's shetland tweed.

Knitting is Therapy

The creation process is so therapeutic. I marvel how quickly I relax, lose myself & problems. They don't go away, just recede while I patiently ponder how to knit what I want to accomplish -quickly, of course!  The little hearts knit up fast.  A red one is in the works for a birthday gift.

I wish all worries & problems could be knit-away like these hearts; if only life were that simple. And if only my worried-mind state would be replaced by a bigger state of thankfulness ---- well, I wouldn't need knitting.  And THEN, what would I do with all that yarn.  I am grateful for the unconditional feline love of 2 cats, my Dad, my friends & family, my wonderful job with the best co-workers of all time & to work for 13 yrs for the best company in the world.

I am blessed. 

Finished another one

Another Ballband Dishcloth, Christmas gift this time. I like the red and used a half-double crochet edge for the messy sides.  Faster to do this time.

A Week Off

A week (that means 9 whole days!) off, no work, no Dad, no cooking dinner, no library anything.  Well. I did get the car serviced, cat vaccinated, teeth cleaned, aunt to dinner, patios cleaned, desk/office filled, legal papers submitted, 3 books read, one afternoon of knitting with old movies & one afternoon of ironing with old movies, & 4 mornings slept-in. Oh yes. I bought some yarn. The stash was dangerously (gasp!) low.

Another Windmill dishcloth.


Started the HEARTS birthday gift for co-worker; plan to make several, in purple, pinks, red- you know... heart colors.  Simple, easy & fast. My favorite three things. Here is the link to pattern, courtesy of designitgreen:
http://www.colouritgreen.co.uk/heartcloth.htm


The freeform Seaform Scarf is knitting along....


Something FISHY popped up, another example of really simple, easy & fast.  I think I'll make a nice gift set with soap & scrubby added.  Here is the Pattern, courtesy of knitalittlestore:
http://knitalittlestore.blogspot.com/2008/03/bubbles.html


And.. Crabby Abby visited the Vet, came home & took a long long nap.  Exhausting. You'd be tired too, 45 minutes of chasing, ending with the successful capture into THE CAT CARRIER.

A few things

Here's what I've been doing. Cotton Crochet Pink Grid Scarf, Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton, "G" Hook

A garter-stitch Prayer Shawl out of that yarn I don't like but bought for a friend so at least it's cooler weather to be knitting this warm thing on my lap......

Knitted Seafoam Scarf has replaced initial idea of shawl, but using only 7 yarns to experiment with the freeform thing.  I guess I like it, probably 6-7 repeats, we'll see.

And Max is thoughtfully pensive, meditating on my needlepoint pillow. He's my sweet boy.

I take the DPN Challenge

A small & easy hat project, practicing double-pointed needle knitting skills. Really. Other people knit with these things, so can I. From the top of the hat this time, without a glass of wine. Three tries and off I knit.

Doesn't look so difficult!

Oh sure. Only a couple of un-ravels.

Seriously, I amend an easy pattern. Loved the red yarn with nubby color bits. It's wool & acrylic, not anything I'll be wearing in this climate. Not a chemo hat either.

Patons Shetland Chunky Tweeds
Weight: Bulky / 12 ply (7 wpi)
Yardage: 123 yards (112 meters)
Unit weight: 85 grams (3.00 ounces)
Gauge: 15.0 = 4 inches
Needle size: US 10 / 6.0 mm
Fibers: 75% Wool, 25% Acrylic
Machine wash? yes
3oz / 85 g Length: 123 yd / 113 m

Pattern to follow!

Arizona Shawl

I love it !

I love how it turned out, debated about adding fringe. Though I tried, just to be sure and then found it didn't need the added length. The neutral color over black is great, perfect shawl weight for Arizona too.

It has a drapy-ness that I guess is only from linen/rayon combo, but a lovely weight for Arizona, hence the name. Beautiful friend & co-worker Kit models in the library. Finished size is 14"x80".

This is the yarn used:

Berroco Linen Jeans
Weight: Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)
Yardage: 80 yards (73 meters) - I used 8 skeins
Unit weight: 50 grams (1.76 ounces)
Gauge: 19.0 = 4 inches
Needle size: US 9 / 5.5 mm
Fibers: 70% Rayon, 30% Linen
Texture: linen tape Color: Natural

The pattern is One Row Lace Scarf, courtesy of Turvid : http://turvid.blogspot.com/2009/03/free-pattern-one-row-lace-scarf.html

I cast-on 64 stitches; any multiple of 4 will work and about 4 rows of garter at either end. I think of it as my Closer Shawl - I watched seasons 1, 2 & 3 of The Closer this summer, while knitting this shawl. I can't see Kyra wearing this :).