Saturday, December 31, 2011

Goodbye 2011!



I did it! It fits and I love it! If you want details on mods they're up on Ravelry. I can't wait to get some better shots when the wind stops howling.

Happy New Years Eve to you and yours, I'm off to eat and make merry with my family!

Cheers,
Jill

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Plain and Simple Update


This holiday season I've been knitting like a crazy person trying to finish this top. The pattern is Plain and Simple by Veera Valimaki.

While I like knitting plain stockinette stitch, this much is making my head hurt. I have been using the trick that Jasmin from the Knitmore Girls talked about a few episodes back. See that little blue stitch marker? I add it to my knitting when I start each day and at the end of the day marvel (or not) on how far I got. Most days have been very productive and I'm so close to finishing this puppy that I can almost taste it... or wear it anyway... hopefully...




The yarn I'm using is Palette from Knit Picks in Verdant Heather. It's a really odd mix of olive green, mustard, teal and crimson red that somehow turns into this complex amazing green. I bought 5 balls and I'm almost through with the 4th. I'll have lots left over in the 5th ball but Palette is great for doing colourwork mittens and you all know how much I love knitting a good mitten.

My goal today is to get the collar finished. If I'm super fast and ignore supper and company I may even get the ribbing on the sleeves finished! My poor family!

They haven't been suffering though. They've been eating lots of goodies and playing with new toys. They even got outside to make a friend when it snowed the other day.



If I don't actually meet my goal of finishing this top and posting a picture of me wearing it before (or more likely on) New Years night, then this will probably be my last post until 2012. If so, have a wonderful New Years night and day and may 2012 be filled with more fiber and fun!

Cheers,
Jill

Friday, December 23, 2011

My Christmas Wish For You

One of the lovely ladies on the Itty Bitty Forum on Ravelry posted this today and I thought it was lovely, so here it is.  

My Christmas Wish For You: 

My Christmas wish for you, my friend
Is not a simple one
For I wish you hope and joy and peace
Days filled with warmth and sun

I wish you love and friendship too
Throughout the coming year
Lots of laughter and happiness
To fill your world with cheer

May you count your blessings, one by one
And when totaled by the lot
May you find all you’ve been given
To be more than what you sought

May your journeys be short, your burdens light
May your spirit never grow old
May all your clouds have silver linings
And your rainbows pots of gold

I wish this all and so much more
May all your dreams come true
May you have a Merry Christmas friend
And a happy New Year, too ..

- Author Unknown

Have a wonderful holiday season. I'll be back in this space in a few days.
Cheers,
Jill

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Cozy Wooly Cabled Scarf

I bought this yarn at Michaels knowing I would be making JoAnn a scarf for christmas. A thick chunky cabled scarf. I also knew I could come up with my own pattern. I mean really... I've been knitting for half a decade, surely I can create a simple cabled scarf on my own by now...



So here it is:

Cozy Wooly Cabled Scarf

Materials: 225 yards super bulky yarn, 8mm (US 11) needles, cable needle

Gauge: doesn't really matter for this scarf. Finished scarf after blocking measures 16cm (6.5in) wide and 180cm (71in) long

C3F - Slip next 3 stitches onto cable needle, hold in front, knit next 3 stitches, knit cable needle stitches

Set Up Rows:
Row 1: P1, K1, P1, K1, P3, K6, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1
Row 2: P1, K1, P1, K4, P6, K4, P1, K1, P1
Repeat Row 1 & 2 once more

Pattern:
Row 1: P1, K1, P1, K1, P3, C3F, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1
Row 2: P1, K1, P1, K4, P6, K4, P1, K1, P1
Row 3: P1, K1, P1, K1, P3, K6, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1
Repeat Rows 2 and 3  two more times. Then repeat Row 2 once more.





Cast on 20 stitches

Knit Set Up Rows once.

Knit Pattern 38 times or until scarf is desired length. Knit Rows 1 & 2 of Pattern.

Repeat Set Up Rows once.

Bind off in pattern.

Block if desired.


Feel free to shorten or lengthen your scarf by doing less... or more... of the pattern repeats.

If you make one, let me know! I'd love to see a picture!

Cheers!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Green Loop

A few weeks ago I went to The Golden Willow (one of my LYS's) to look for 16 inch 4.5 mm circular needles and I left with different needles (the ones I wanted were on order) and yarn of course. I bought 2 skeins of Americo Cotton Prima DK in the most lovely pea green. I had visions of a loopy lacey scarf to go with my salmon coloured top.

I got on Ravelry, started searching and found a great free pattern by Helen over on the Pumpkinbelle, knits and bits Blog. This is exactly what I was looking for. I cast on right away and knit for two nights. It worked up remarkably fast and only took one skein!

I made a few mods, mostly I cast on 240 stitches. I could have cast on more really. I can wind this scarf into 3 loops but it would look equally as good with a 4th loop.

I also did a seed stitch border instead of garter stitch and knit it for 7 rounds. Everyone who has made this scarf on Ravelry has talked about how it rolls. I thought seed stitch would be a firmer border. It is... but it still rolls a bit. I think it's the nature of the scarf and frankly it doesn't bother me at all. I think it's charming!

Other than that, I followed the pattern. I used Jenny's Amazingly Stretchy Bind Off. I like using Cat Bordhi's video on YouTube. She does a great job of explaining how to do the bind off.



So that's it. A simple amazing scarf. I'm gifting this one to one of my bosses for giftmas. Don't worry though. I have one more skein of yarn and this pattern is a siren song I tell you!


Saturday, December 17, 2011

Newfie Mittens finished!

Yup, here they are. And they turned out super cute! I already have orders for another pair in black and white. I think I'll make a few pairs for the mitten bin in the new year too!



Friday, December 16, 2011

Hats

December blogging is hard. I feel like I have nothing I can show you and yet I've done so much!

I did knit 2 hats I can share though.

The first one is the last of the Year in Colour offerings from Tanis Fiber Arts. The yarn is a lovely red/pink called Cranberry,



and the pattern is by Kirsten Kapur, called Asteroidea.



I balloon blocked the hat and over blocked it of course. I threw it in the dryer and that shrunk it up a bit.  I still have tons of yarn left, I could easily make another because geez it's a cute hat!



I think it's destined to go to the Itty Bitty Knits Groups December/January Charity KAL. Mary Rose is hosting and the charity is asking for hats for kids/teenagers that are going through cancer treatments. This hat is super soft for sensitive noggins and there's a definite cool factor here!

The other hat is a test knit I did spur of the moment for Irina Dmitriev. She designs the cutest cabled hats. I love so many of them. This one is knit out of Cascade 220 in natural, a nice little cream coloured wool. I took my time knitting this project so it took longer than I would normally spend on a hat but it's so worth it!



I love the cables! The hat is called Icicle. My only complaint is it's a bit big. I'll knit this again in a DK weight and it will be perfect. So I'm going to gift this to a friend with a bigger head than myself. It's so warm and cute!



We're having our christmas party at work next week and then I can share the cute scarves I knit. I'm so happy with one (I made my own cabled pattern, so easy) and the other... well... I'm already casting on to make another for myself.

Little Sheep Virtues

Happy Friday! I'm pretty excited to be sharing this cross stitch project with you all. Pattern: Little Sheep Virtues 1-12 by Litt...