A New Hat and an Old One

This weekend we headed out to enjoy the nice weather with a stroll through the local coulee.  I took advantage of the nice light to try and get a better photo of the Stubborn Maiden hat:

If I do intend to give this away as a Christmas gift I had better stop wearing it!  The colours of the Manos are pretty, and it goes down to cover my ears and so far is super warm. 

I also whipped up a Wavy Feathers cap with (almost) the rest of the buffalo/silk blend:

Its a pretty pattern, and warm due to the fibre content of the yarn.  My poor little ears are sticking out however, which means this hat only gets a -5 oC rating.  I’m not so sure its going to cut it for the morning walk to the bus stop anymore!  Its getting a bit nippy in the morning before the sun comes up.  The texture shows up well in the yarn, and there is a bit of a fuzzy halo which I like. 

However, last weekend I did not knit any hats!  I know, how strange was that!  I’m diligently working on my ruinous blues projects, and have added a few new things like a charity project, and a new sweater to knit in November.  More on that later!

FO: Undulating Rib Socks

I guess all the time in airports has paid off recently as I finished my undulating rib socks.  As I wandered around Denver airport (four times, two trips) I kept a sharp eye out for the Yarn Harlot, hoping to see her knitting away in a corner, enjoying some coffee, but no such luck.  As Canadians fly a lot on Air Canada/Unit, and Denver is a big hub we tend to end up there quite often, but it is a good airport so I don’t mind.  The terminals are long enough that you can get some good exercise by walking around, good bookstores, some pretty healthy food, a selection of coffee places. 

I even found some time to go to the mall and buy some shiny new shoes!  I think the dark red goes well with brown, grey, and perhaps black slacks in addition to dresses and skirts.  The pattern is Undulating Rib Socks by Ann Budd from the Favorite Sock book, and is a nice easy pattern.  The BFL from Wooly Wonka gives a nice crisp edge to the raised rib, yet retains a softness.  The colour is Desert Rocks, and is achieved using a blend of red, pink, browns, and perhaps some other colours to give a true depiction of the beautiful rocks in Southern Utah.  This is a true knitters yarn, other knitters that have seen me working on the sock have picked it up and held it up close to look at the colours.  They are amazed at how it all blends, and that there is absolutely no pooling, the dye job is downright perfect! 

 

As this is my first full week back in town after 5 weeks of traveling, I feel like I’m getting to do all my favorite things for the first time.  Knitting with friends again at last, getting caught up, and this morning back to skating!  The skating feels like it is starting off slow, which isn’t so atypical after not skating all summer.  Plus getting to the rink at 6:30 am, and a cold one at that makes for stiff knees, cold ears, and lots of warm up time needed.  Towards the end I was getting colder and needed a break so I took some photos of my spinning position, I was curious to see what I really looked like.  The answer: my sit spin is more like a slightly leaning over spin which must be worked on, but the camel spin is looking okay except for some weird arm position.  And in other exciting news only to me, my back spin is much better this year, actual circles are being turned on the ice!  Woohoo! 

So that is us on Tuesday mornings, two skaters, one coach who is now 5 months pregnant, and almost unable to put her skates on.  I have a mental note to make up a February baby jacket in the boy colour so that I’ll have a back up for the girl colour!  She’s due to have her baby during the Olympics which is exciting!

A Weekend Hat Trick

Last weekend was cold (-10 oC) it snowed on and off, and was generally miserable.  Therefore we stayed in almost all weekend, caught up on tv shows, and I knit hats.  I was knitting hats as it is a good way to use up single skeins here and there, quick gratification, and my head was cold.  I ended up making three!  (The last one is missing the brim, but I was tired and had to go to bed, I can fix that in 15 minutes when I get home!).  Two are going into the Christmas box, one is gracing my head down here in South Dakota.  They were predicting a mix of rain/snow for tonight, which means I’m not looking forward to tomorrow morning. 

I started off making another Couvercle using Noro (Isharoo something, a lovely blend with angora) because I liked the last one I made so much, and had to give it away.

The pattern is from Knitty.com, originally in cotton (!), much better in a wool blend for our cold climate.  I realized I still had a bunch of yarn left over, and made another! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up was another pattern from the Fall Vogue Knitting, #12.  At first I didn’t really like this hat, and it looks a bit big and weird on the model.  However having made four pairs of the mittens from which the cable/bobble pattern originated, and a leftover skein of Manos Del Uruguay, I gave it a whirl. 

The photo isn’t that great, but this hat is a fun, fun knit.  I mean, did I mention it had a lot of bobbles?  Cables?  It was great!  AND my version looks pretty good on, it fits down over the entire ear, and is snug to the head, without the extra room on top.  No modeled shots due to hideously ugly sick me this weekend.  Perhaps when I get home and feel up to it.  Now this is for the Christmas box, but of course now I want one as well, and I happen to have some more chunkier yarn stashed away that might just fit the ticket.  This is a -20 oC hat!

 

 

And just so ya’ll know who really runs our household, its DEMON CAT!!!!!!

If you don’t pat her quick, she’ll get you!!!

FO: Feather and Fan Scarf

Here we are, in the middle of our Thanksgiving weekend, and I’m watching the snow fall outside, and watching the thermometer fall.  We didn’t leave the house yesterday, but had to make the trek out today for some supplies for our dinner.  Due to my cold, the weather, and how much time we’ve been away from home sweet home lately we aren’t doing any family related activity, just hermiting up and cooking at home.  On the menu is of course pumpkin pie, arabian squash casserole (Moosewood cookbook), regular and sweet scalloped potatoes, stove top stuffing, and turkey breast that I think we’ll bake.  So far this weekend I’ve knit two hats, and I think I have enough left over to make a second Couvercle, so I’m about to start that for the Christmas box.  We’re catching up on episodes of Dollhouse, Fringe, and Stargate Universe!

During the trip to Toronto I made another green feather and fan scarf with leftover yarn from the first one.  I ended up giving it to Mr. J’s grandmother, who was an avid knitter until lately (she’s 93).  I think she liked it, and hopefully it will keep her neck warm as winter approaches.  We looked at photos of her in Germany in the 1920’s cutting hay with a scythe, and raking it into piles for the horse drawn carts to take to the barn.  What a different world she lives in now.

FO: Wedding Mittens

As usual I was working on this present until two days before the wedding, but in my defense it was because knitting time was sorely lacking in the two weeks leading up to the event.  During my week in South Dakota I wasn’t getting back to my hotel until around 8:30 pm, and by the time I ate dinner, checked e-mail, well you know how it goes.  But the main point is that I had the last mitten washed and drying by the fire by Friday afternoon, and it was dry by Saturday evening.  With the Custom Woolen Mills (white) and Briggs and Little (coloured) it is so important to wash them first, the difference is like night and day.  The mittens even out, and soften up like magic.  I even had time to braid a little cord to hold both pairs together. 

I was really worried the mittens would be either too big or too small, and I’m still not sure.  I sincerely hope they fit okay!  When I gave them the mittens, the groom seemed puzzled at first until I pointed out the names, dates, and explained a bit about the tradition.  He then looked rather pleased and impressed (according to Mr. J)  It’s not necessarily a tradition of my English/Belgium culture, nor of their Hungarian/Canadian/Scottish culture, but I think borrowing from other cultures is entirely acceptable, especially when it is a good idea.  These mittens were made using leftover wool, so essentially no cost to me, which I think fits the bill when the couple asked for no wedding gifts. 

This weekend is Thanksgiving, so happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends, and to all those others who only celebrate Columbus Day.  Even after 8 years in the US, I still think it makes so much more sense to celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend instead of so close to Christmas.  We intend to stay home, do as close to nothing as possible, and pat the cats.

Home to Discover Winter has Arrived

Is it snowing where you are?  Its snowing here, and chilly.  I felt really bad as I had left the furnace off the 7 days we were in Ontario, but the cats are covered in fur after all?  Piper immediately assumed her position on the furnace vent last night when the heat got turned on, and was rather grumpy for a bit until some serious cuddling occured.  Jack seemed just fine, he did not get sick again and die like I was worried about for 7 days.  On one hand I’m upset that Mr. J was right and I worried myself half to death for no reason, and on the other hand I’m really glad my adorable little furry boy is okay.  We are all also very happy to be reunited with our new mattress, which I’ve now slept on more than 7 times in one month.  The problem with having a nice new comfy mattress is that you notice how much the other hotel mattresses just don’t measure up, whereas before you were blind to the whole situation, and none the wiser.

After the weekend wedding extravaganza we began a whirlwind tour de Ontario and various relatives, and enjoyed the beautiful, beautiful fall colour.  I have a few projects to share with you, but first I must share a photo of the world’s most adorable 1.5 year old girl, my second cousin.  She finally fits into the BSJ jacket I made her, and she looks simply stunning in it.  Now her mother was a dear to put her in it for my visit, but there was a wonderful telltale sign of wear by the arms which mean it had already been well worn.  Nothing makes a knitters heart happier than evidence of much wear on our work.

This little sweeties great grandmother is from Estonia, which means I’m cooking up an idea for an Estonian pattern inspired sweater for her Christmas present, using the patterns from my Folk Knitting in Estonia book.  It will need to be a sweater that moves well, as this tiny girl does not stop for anything!

FO:Baktus Scarf

This little scarf was a quick knit that has turned into a handy accessory already.  Its a garter stitch triangular scarf using 1 skein of Twist of Fate BFL.  By tying it on backwards, point down, it forms a shape that cups your chin and nose when pulled up, is tight to your neck, which keeps it warm, and dips down to a point in front to plug any holes in your coat or sweater so that cold air can’t get down there.  I wore it each night we were camping, so that my concentration didn’t waver from Killer Scabble, Death Rummy, or Zombie Backgammon due to a cold neck, chin, or nose.  This morning I wore it loosely tied around my neck, point in back, just to ward off the early morning chill. 

For the crochet border I pulled out my trusty collection of Magic Crochet magazines.  To confess something: I can’t for the life of my understand written out crochet patterns.  The MC magazine draws everything out using symbols, which makes it all so easy.  Hello graphical depiction, so easy! 

Another confession: I’m addicted to Finnish knitting blogs.  I think it is because they are knitting for similar climates, warm woolies are a must, and have wonderful taste in fashion.  Also, they have extremely cute babies on their blogs covered in wool and homemade clothes.  And great ideas, like putting pom-pom’s on the ends of your Baktus scarf!!

FO: Tenner Toque

Kissing the monkey!  Unfortunately you can’t see the pattern on the hat clearly, but it is the #10 hat from VK Fall 2009.  First hat of many from this issue!  Can you see it better here?

The yarn is a buffalo blend given away by Margeneat a long ago Salt Lake SNB, its so soft, extremely warm, and has a lovely “wet” feeling to it in the way that cotton feels “dry” to me.  The hat isn’t quite long enough to cover my ears, so it doesn’t get the below -20 oC rating, but its really warm, so warm that I had to take it off directly after our photoshoot last night.  The photo quality is poor alas, our days are getting shorter up here.  No more daylight until 11 pm, and it’s dark when the alarm goes off at 5:30 am.  We’ve got about 1 month of biking to work before it gets too dark for my comfort, so we’re trying to take advantage of the nice weather and light when we can.  This hat goes into the Christmas gift box, but I have enough of the yarn left over to make another hat of some sort!

FO: February Lady Jacket

Finally got this one finished off, Ravelry reminds me that I started it back in April.  It may not have been the best idea to make this in a much thinner yarn that used in the pattern, but somehow it all worked out after much agonizing.

Its not too small, its not too short or long, and it fits very comfortably on me.  The Silky Wool is beautiful with a deep blue colour, and a touch of tweed.  The sleeves are not too baggy, as I made them as small as possible without actually decreasing stitches, no extra stitches were cast on and I sewed up the resulting holes under the arms. 

I knew the yarn would grow upon blocking, and so tried not to get too worried when trying it on as I knitted.  Before blocking it was too short for my taste, now it is a good length.  I did make a mistake on placing the button holes, instead of centering them in the middle of the 14 stitch button band, they are on the side.  It annoys me, but I’m working on my “crazy asymmetrical side” and hoping that I grow as a creative person instead.  Since I didn’t realize this until I actually sewed the buttons on and put it on, there was no way I was going to fix that.  The neckline was a bit stretchy so I ran a bit of crochet around it to give it structure, catching the loops of the cast-on for a pretty effect.  The buttons were bought last spring at Jo-Ann’s, when I get a chance to visit now I stock up!

This is going to be a good addition to the wardrobe, something I can wear to the office, and at home.  It doesn’t look very nice unbuttoned however, the buttons are too heavy for the thing fabric.  Good thing I”m cold blooded and will most likely have it done up all the time.

FO: Flower Shawl

What a fun little shawl to knit, out of 16 rows only 4 have a pattern on them, and its really simple.  The petal border was a lot of fun to knit on after, even if it felt like it took a long time.  I used two strands of Misti Alpaca held together to match the yarn used in the original pattern from last summers Knit 1 magazine.  It still came out a bit small, and only stretched a little bit surprisingly during a vigorous blocking.  This was to be done at the end of the Tour de France, which is wasn’t HOWEVER, we still haven’t finished watching the Tour.  We are on the last stage, and Monday night I got sleepy watching Lance drink his glass of champagne on his way into Paris, we still need to finish watching to see how the final sprint went.  We know the end result, but I would like to see it! 

This is going to be a Christmas present for my Aunt Lil, hopefully it will warm her shoulders on the cold Ontario nights.  Believe it or now, I now have a Christmas present box, and it contains 2 presents.  I know, I’m very impressed with myself!  Normally on Dec 15 I decide to make things, and scramble, but here I am a whole 4 months ahead of time with two down already.  I feel so mature and organized. 

By the way, the observant among you will notice puddy toes belonging to Jack in the photo above.  The rule is no cats on the table, but he sat there so patiently, so evidently wanting to help out with the photoshoot, and add the necessary fur to the shot, what could I do?  He got shooed off after.  And after that, and after that,….then the girl cat,…and again, and so goes the evening.