Cowl-a-licious

They say that the cowl is the new scarf and I can see why.  It takes about the same time to knit, but you don’t have to have all the bulk to wrap around yourself.

I found this amazing pattern on another knitting blog, SourCherries.  Her cowl was made with a merino/cashmere/nylon blend but I opted for a wool/acrylic blend.  My daughter will be wearing it and with her being 10, I wanted it to be washable.

I love not having to carry patterns with me and this pattern is a very simple one.  It’s one you can easily commit to memory, and knit it up whenever you’re out.  I am wondering how pretty this would look made out of a black yarn, larger needle size and then thread a very narrow ribbon through the eyelets.  I’m sure that you could dress this up very easily.  Oh the possibilities…

Tweedy

No, I did not see a puddy tat.  It’s Tweedy, as in tweed.  I finally finished the Tweedy Irish Hiking Hat for my non-husband, husband (aka my best friend’s husband).  We joke that he’s my non-husband, husband and I’m his non-wife, wife.  He works Rescue and is often responding to calls outside.  I wanted to make sure it was warm enough for our cold Vermont weather.

The hat is pretty stretchy and can fit a large head.  The next time I make this, I will add at least another inch to the flap to fold up.

Stay tuned for my first finished cowl……

Let it snow….

Between last night and tonight, my little corner of Vermont got about 20 inches of snow dumped on it.  Within a 30-mile radius there were reports of anywhere between 12 and 33 inches.  Pretty impressive for a 24-hour time period.  Roads were nasty, and the snow just kept falling all day.  What better to do than sit in and knit?  And that’s just what I did.

Warm Things

I have been working on some goodies.  I finished up one half of a pair of fingerless mitts for a work gift swap.  I did wrap it up and give it away, but not without explanation.  I’m not a poet by any means, but I did my best to come up with a little piece.  It went as follows:

I am a pretty fingerless mitt.

I have just as beautiful a mate.

Please don’t fuss, or throw a fit,

For she’s running fashionably late.

I wrapped it up and put it in a box, along with a nice throw blanket.  I will be finishing up it’s beautiful mate this weekend.  The girl that got the mitt is ok with waiting.  I had intended on having it done sooner, but another co-worker commissioned me to make a scarf out of eyelash yarn.  I just finished that tonight.

It’s made from Lion Brand Exotic Fun Fur.  The color is somewhat of a pewter with a darker base to it.  I like the sheen.  And here’s the scarf.

A semi-accomplished feeling.

I’ve finished one half of the Tua Cha pair.  I’m as pleased as I can be.  It won’t fit me, but for someone with a smaller hand, it will be perfect.  I love how easy this pattern is to knit up.  I had 2 inches knit up this morning, before leaving for work.  I picked back up after dinner this evening.  It’s now finished completely.  This is definitely a pattern for a lazy, snow- day.  You can have a pair completed in a day if you’re persistent–or a weekend if you’re going to take it a bit slower.

The sizing is for a medium woman’s hand.  For the medium size, it’s a bit tight on my hand.  I think I also need to loosen up with my bind off.  If I were to make it for myself, I’ll definitely go up a needle size.  I can’t even imagine how much smaller the small size would be.

The pattern was originally on Magknits.com, but as that site is no longer active, the wonderful Victoria Myers has offered it for free on Ravelry.  You do have to have a membership to Ravelry to obtain the pattern.  If you do, you can find the pattern here.

Yarn fail….

I have been knitting but it’s been slow going.  I ripped out the Rose Tyler cabled mittens 3 times and finally gave up.

I cast on Knitty.com’s Fetching.  While it was an easy pattern, I found that it just looks way too sloppy.  The method for the thumb is also really inconvenient.

A friend came over and we spent a great few hours knitting and watching classic Doctor Who.  I finished one mitt out of a pair using a modified Voodoo pattern.  He nearly finished a mitt of his own.

I made Tua Cha a couple years ago and I recently cast that on once again.  I realize I’ve become FAR too much of a perfectionist and ripped this out already once.

I am knitting a cute little scarf out of sock yarn for my newly acquired bowling pin.  That’s actually not giving me a hard time at all.  Simple garter stitch on size 2 needles.   I need to figure out a pattern for a cute little Santa hat for him too.  I had named him Wilson, but was told I can’t name him that, as that’s the name of the volleyball in the Tom Hank’s movie.  I’m open to suggestions as to a new name.

I’ll eventually get something finished.  Until then, I’m still playing with yarn.

The most wonderful time of the year

That time of year is nearly upon me again.  Funny how it shows up every year, at the same time.  And yet…I can’t seem to prepare myself for it early enough.  It’s just hot to have a pile of knitting in my lap during the hot summer months.  This leaves me with two options.  Either I knit right after Christmas, and put it all away for the upcoming holiday, or I bust my butt to get it all done right before the holiday.

What do I do?  I do the latter.  I’m busily knitting up a storm, trying to get gifts done in time.  I will show what I’m working on, but can’t even begin to elaborate on who they’re for.  They read things like this

Oh!  I need to tell you all about my newest, cool find–square double pointed needles!  I had to find out what was so cool about these new items.  The back of the packaging says that they’re easier on your hands.  They are also supposed to be good for those that have carpal tunnel, arthritis and stiffness in their hands and fingers.  They also say that they let you keep your stitches more uniform.  So far they’re feeling pretty nice in my hands.

Baby things

I recently finished a cutesy little baby hat for a co-worker’s baby shower.  I can’t even remember the brand of yarn that I used, but it was called “Plush”.  It is the softest, cuddliest yarn around.  A really creamy yellow, flecked colorway.

The hat was super simple to knit up for baby Michael.  We’re all looking forward to meeting this little man.  This picture doesn’t begin to do it justice.  All my co-workers were oohing and aahing over how soft it was

I’m still alive

It’s been a while since I’ve posted and for that I apologize.  I have just been so busy lately.  I was talking with a friend, over lunch today, and determined that I have a case of the “I-just-don’t-feel-like-knitting” blues.  He encouraged me to pick up blogging about knitting at the very least.

I have so many ideas running through my head, but have no ambition to actually sit down and create.  The other reason is the heat and humidity here in Vermont right now.  Yeah, I know you’re all thinking that Vermont is the land of pretty colored Maple trees and snowy mountains.  Not so folks.  The past couple of months, it’s been the land of rain, rain and more…..RAIN!  There are so few days in a week that are actually sunny, that people almost have coronaries when the sun DOES show it’s face.

All this rain makes things very muggy and just plain ICK.  Not a very good combination when you have a pile of yarn in your lap.

But tonight, I’m determined to at least START to finish a project that is about 75% finished.  I would like to have some stock to list on my etsy shop by September or October, for holiday sales.

And for something knitting and creative…I’m planning on getting a tattoo.  I have a friend that is going to do the design and ink me up.  It’s going to be a purple ball of yarn, with metal skull topped needles and drops of blood coming from the needles.  Then there will be banners with the words “Slip, Stitch and Stab”.  Yes, I’m all about the knitting geekery.

This is the base of what I want my first tattoo to look like

Button, Button, Who’s got the button?

I finished Hannah’s necklace today.   She came out, saw me working on it, and asked me what I was making.  I told her that it was for her.  She got all excited.  I let her pick out the buttons for it.  She’s all excited to wear it to school tomorrow.