Christmas Stocking - Finally!

All the siblings in my family have handknit stockings, made for us by Nanny, my Dad's mom.  They are awesome, and now that all the siblings are all grown up, we each have them at our homes.  I have always loved my stocking, so when I had Evy, I naturally wanted her to have a handknit stocking as well.  My stocking was always the biggest of the five, (benefit of being the youngest I think), and so I made Evy a ginormous stocking too.  Her's is definitely bigger and shares the same mottled color look, but is unique enough to stand on its own.  You can check it out here and here if you are so inclined.

Well after I had completed Evy's stocking, I realized that Kev needed one too.  He is always asking for cabled knits, so I decided the Aran Stocking from Handknit Holidays was perfect.  So here it is, Kev's Christmas Stocking.

I started this a little before last Christmas, and then promptly realized it would never be finished in time.  So it sat in a box for a year.  But as the holiday season drew near this year, I was determined to finish it!

I think it's fabulous.

I used Debbie Stoller's Full O' Sheep, which I can't seem to find in the stores anymore.  Good thing I bought a gazillion balls of it when I made Evy's stocking.  For the trim, I held one strand of Full O' Sheep, and one strand of Enchantress together.  It's the perfect amount of contrast, and matches Evy's stocking nicely.

This was a real step up in my cable knitting abilities   I feel like I might actually be able to knit that Aran sweater Kev has been requesting since I started knitting garter stitch scarves.

I've come to realize that my gift knits will never be ready in time for Christmas.  But as they are for my parents, I'm pretty sure it will be ok!

A Wee Hat

Just wanted to take a moment to share the details for the Striped Hat.  I made this recently for some friends, and I thought I would share before the deluge of Christmas knitting.

The original Baby's Striped Hat called for worsted yarn, but I really wanted to use some lovely bulky yarn I had on hand.  So I modified the pattern.  Details on ravelry.

This pattern was super simple (it's from Knit Simple, so that does make sense), and knit up quickly.  This was my first time modifying a pattern so I could use a completely different weight of yarn.  I was pretty proud of myself that it came out the right size!  Especially because there was, you know, math involved.

I used some Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush that I had in my stash from previous baby sweater projects.  I love this yarn for babies.  It's super soft, and comes in lovely colors that are perfect for children.

In other news, I finally finished Kev's Christmas stocking.  Details coming soon!

The Perfect Hat

For several seasons now, I have wanted a slouchy hat.  I made this cabled hat and this coin stitch hat, and for some reason didn't ravel the details for either of them.  By "some reason" I mean I had a wee baby and was working outside the home.  Which I used as my excuse for not being on top of things.  Judge that as you will.

At any rate, this year I found myself with a skein of Malabrigo Sock (thank you, Mom) that I thought would be perfect for a slouchy hat.  I spent way too may hours searching for just the right pattern, and finally settled on Felicity by Wanett Clyde.  I used Followtheyarn's modifications for the lace weight version, and voila!  My own Felicity Slouchy Hat!

This is just the slouchy hat I was looking for.  It's perfect for those days when you don't want to fuss with your hair but don't want to wear a bandanna   So for me, pretty much everyday.

The yarn is, of course, squishy and lovely and full of beautiful, soft color variations.  This was my first time using Malabrigo Sock, and I loved it!

I've also made a wee baby hat for some friends, details to come.  Right now I am feverishly working on Kev's Christmas stocking.  It's the Aran Stocking from Holiday Knits.  I was trucking along just fine, and then I misread the directions late last night and didn't begin the decreases for the instep correctly.  Sigh.  So tonight there will be frogging.  And then on to Christmas knits!

Hoodsie

About a year after I bought the pattern, I finally made Hoodsie for Evy.  This was a great little pattern, I got to use up some stash yarn, and it's a nice practical hand-knit for the colder months.  All around win.

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I used Knit Picks Swish in Indigo Heather, which is really a nice little yarn.  It's soft and squishy, and affordable.  The colors are pretty, and I think it knits up nicely too.

The only downside is that it tends a pill a bit.  However, I must admit that I have only ever used Swish for Evy's sweaters.  And as any toddler would, she wears her clothes out!  I should use Swish to make myself something to see how it holds up to normal wear and tear.  Did I just create another reason to buy more yarn?

Hoodsie in action.

I love hoods, and Evy seems to like them too.  She has fun lifting them up and down over her head.  Kev thought the sweater vest looked a little like chainmail, so where better to wear it to than the Renaissance Festival?

It was a bit colder that day than we thought it would be, and poor Evy already had a cold coming on (commence mother guilt trip now).  So Kev helped her out.

Evy inside Kev's sweater.

I would love to say that I knit both this amazing sweater and his most favorite hat in the whole world, but I did not.  The sweater was a souvenir from his parents' trip to Ireland (hand knit by some lovely Irish person), and the hat was a Christmas gift from my mom years ago (hand knit by some lovely Peruvian person).  So no, I didn't knit them, but somebody did!

Olympic Knitting

Yes, I know the Olympics are over.  Sniff.  But I still want to share what I knit during the 2 weeks of awesomeness.  I put Bigger on the inside on hold because, let's face it, I simply cannot do complex knitting while doing much of anything else.  Besides, I have this completely geeky thing going where I only work on it while watching old episodes of Doctor Who.  But more on that later.

Friends of ours are having a baby in January, so I decided to use my Olympic tv watching time working on this:

It's the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'N Bitch, one of my very first knitting books.  It's a great pattern; it's easy to follow and creates an adorable hat with no seaming.

I received a free ball of Brava, the newish acrylic yarn from Knit Picks with my last order of wool.  It was some sort of promo where I got to pick a color and get a freebie with my order.  I'm not big on acrylic yarns, only because they are made from petroleum products.  Not even going to attempt to go into all that.  You're either with me on that one or you're not.  At any rate, despite my dislike of acrylic yarn, I really did enjoy using Brava.  It's super soft and not at all squeaky or scratchy, the way some acrylics can be.

This little hat only took a few days, so I started on Hoodsie for Evy.  I chose to work the 3-year-old size, because nothing is more irritating that working on something for a child and having them grow out of it before you're finished.  But now Hoodsie is on hold while I get back to Bigger on the inside and my beloved Doctor Who.

Allons-y Scarf

I've finished my Allons-y scarf!  I know, a scarf in the middle of summer - what am I thinking?  I'm thinking that I'm not the hugest fan of cotton, and I am a sucker for both themed things and sequins yarn.  I based the scarf off Lisa Gentry's Sparkle Scarf pattern, published in Knit Simple.

My scarf is a bit skinnier than the original (details on ravelry).  The lace pattern was nice and simple, nothing too daunting but still an interesting knit.

I love the sequins on the yarn, and I love the way the colors gently change as the scarf progresses.

I called it my Allons-y scarf because I am still obsessively watching Doctor Who.  So this scarf is my take on the quintessential Doctor Who scarf: tonal color instead of stripes, 6 feet instead of....10 (12?), and lace instead of garter stitch.  And of course, it's blue.

I love it.  And now, come Fall, when my doctor says, "Should we take Little Miss to the park?" I can grab my blue scarf and say, "Allons-y!"

Spacey Lace Cowl

Sometimes my daughter and I find ourselves in Hobby Lobby, just for something to do.  I can't imagine how that happens.  Well one day I happened upon this pretty yarn by Patons.  And hanging right next to the yarn was this lovely pattern.  Well it only called for one ball.  So of course I bought the yarn, took the free pattern, and started myself a lovely cowl in the middle of summer. 

I'm calling it my Spacey Lace Cowl because I knit most of it while watching Doctor Who, my new obsession.  I'd like to say it's the new show I've discovered, but let's be honest and call it what it is, the new obsession.  The best part about this pattern is that the lace pattern was easy to memorize, even for me.  So it was good late at night, watching tv knitting.  I also like the way the cowl looks good on both sides.

And the absolute best part, besides the lovely blue color, is the sequins.  I'm a sucker for sparkly things.

This is the first cowl I've knit, and I definitely don't think it will the the last.  Next up, my Allons-y scarf.  Told you it was an obsession.

Iced

Ok so this has been completed for a wee bit now.  But I could never seem to find the time to put the dang thing on while Kev was home and have him take a photo.  We finally managed to today!

Not my best picture...

This was a great first sweater.  I should clarify, I've been making baby sweaters for years, so this was a great first adult sweater.  But I think it would be a perfect project for someone looking to progress past the easy stage of scarves.

I used Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in a beautiful blackberry color.  Very courageous for someone who always wears shades of gray.  And it goes very nicely with an old Gap scarf I had lying around.  Works nicely as a belt.

As for modifications, I added a bit of length to the sleeves, and to the bottom so it would hit right at my hips.  But I have a real issue with row gauge, so I am not surprised that I had to knit a bit more.  Luckily, I had plenty of yarn.  I have some left over, so I'm thinking of Bella's Mittens.  I do so enjoy themed things!

Next up, a pretty lace cowl in Patons Lace Sequin .  I know it may be out of season, but couldn't resist the sparkle!

Spring Softie

Psst...I've finished Iced.  But we have to wait for photos for that post.  Here instead is Granny Bunny:

Granny Bunny is one of Nana's Bunnies from Vintage Knits for Modern Babies, one of my favorite books for baby knits.  Evy calls her Granny Bunny to distinguish her from the two other bunnies we have in the house (all stuffed).  Turns out, Evy has a thing for bunnies.

I used some left over Frog Tree Alpaca yarn and knit this cutie up in an evening.  She looked lovely and refined in the Easter basket next to the wooden eggs and hand kite we bought from apple n amos.

Sidetracked

I'm still working on Iced, and it's coming along quite nicely, but I got a little sidetracked by these:

Fingerless Mitts from Weekend Knitting.  They are a super easy, quick knit, which make them perfect for gift giving.  These are for my Aunt Mary, who has been very supportive of my parents these past few months (there have been some difficulties, to say the least), and who has been very supportive of my little shop.

I made a pair of these for my mother years ago, and the aforementioned aunt has dropped hints about wanting a pair ever since.  So here they are, in a nice soft, brown heathered wool.

First FO of 2012

Some dear friends of ours are having a baby in February, so of course it was time to bust out the baby knitting!  I started this cardigan in August, as soon as I found out it was baby time.  After hours of searching through baby patterns, I chose Puerperium because of the side buttons.  The sweater is designed for newborns, and the side buttons make dressing baby so much easier.  The sleeves were supposed to be knit using the magic loop method.  I didn't have the needles required to pull off magic loop, so I stashed the sweater in my works-in-progress box, thinking that I would buy the needles at a later date.  Then of course, it was baby shower time and I was without a finished sweater!  I took another look at the pattern and realized that I could easily complete the sleeves using two circulars. 

 I actually had 6 shank buttons that fit the button holes.  Amazing.

Now back to Iced!

Goals...Old & New

Just ignore our red eyes!

Wow.  2012.  Time for my annual New Year's goal setting post.  I set five goals last year, so I'll stick with five this year.

Goal #1: Knit myself a sweater.  I've already started this lovely sweater, so I think I could succeed at this in 2012.

Goal #2:  Be happier.  This will be a goal every year I think.

Goal #3:  Be a more patient mom, and a more patient partner.  This will also most likely reappear next year.

Goal #4:  Knit myself a lace shawl.  I already know which one!  This gorgeous piece from Jane Austen Knits 2011.  Perfect.

Goal #5:  Get fit.  Which for me means being able to do 5 pull-ups, 50 squats, 20 push-ups, and a 2 minute plank.  Phew!

Wondering how I did on last year's goals?  Well, I made two out of five.  I knit a pair of socks, and I knit Kev something (the aforementioned socks).  Two out of five....hmm... 

Here's to five out of five this year!  And I hope all of your goals and dreams come true in this new year :)