#54 - FINISHED OBJECT FRIDAY: FENIMORE AND MORE

Fenimore Hat - Ravel it!

Last week, I excitedly bound off my Fenimore Hat and I've shared this already with the yarnies on Twitter and Ravelry, but I am completely in love. It's no surprise that Jared Flood has done it again with an entrancing and engaging pattern. The cables intertwine in a basketweave fashion that leads into pretty little star patterns at the crown. The cables are much less challenging to execute than they appear, and the texture shows off the subtle tonal variegation in the yarn. I'm in love and can see myself knitting more of these in the future.

Crazy Vanilla Sock - Ravel it!

And last night, I finished something that I've had much less love for - my first sock. I can't explain it. I can't blame the pattern, and I did feel like a bit of a magician when I turned my first heel. I think the yarn and I aren't getting along too well - it has no spring and tends to be a little splitty for me, as I'm a pretty tight knitter. Nonetheless, my sock ennui vanished when I realized I had to simply close the toe to bind off this vanilla sock. Let's hope I'm inspired to knit the second one, so my poor mother will finally have the pair of socks I promised her months ago.

The loveliness that is Madelinetosh yarn

Now, I'm fighting a tiny bout of startitis so I can make more progress on two sweaters on the needles. And I'll be starting a third in a few day with this gorgeous Madelinetosh yarn, which unfortunately is photographing more purple than blue in the skein.

Have you finished any new crafty projects this week? Don't forget to check out more yarny bloggers participating in FO Friday.

Happy knitting!!
xx

#49 - OFF THE NEEDLES

'Tis the season of gift knitting. Stressful, blasted gift knitting. I always make the fatal error of planning to knit far too many holiday gifts. Then, add a few commissions onto the pile and I'm in over my head. If I was wise, I'd start in August, but no, I wait until around Thanksgiving for the insanity to begin. Nonetheless, I'm attempting to pare down this year's list - small knits, in mostly chunky yarns, with very simple patterns. So unless you're willing to spend 80 hours on a gift for me and are patient enough to wait until February to receive your Christmas present, don't expect a lace shawl this year.

Ravel it!

But of course, I'm breaking my own ground rules straightaway. I knitted another Brambles, this time for a dear friend, in Cascade Eco Duo, which is an alpaca and merino blend. This time, I modified the beret by adding additional slouch and a faux buttonband.





It turned out cute and cozy, with a slight halo from the alpaca. I'm a tight knitter, so the loose twist on this yarn caused it to be a bit splitty for me, but the yarn is incredibly soft, so I'm willing to overlook it. I'm on a bit of a jag with this pattern, as I'm planning on knitting yet another one for myself with some extra slouch for the chilly months that are upon us.

Ravel it!

Luckily, I'm back on track with my plans - knitted up an Anthropologie-inspired scarflet for a family member's xmas present. This is done in Rowan Big Wool, and seriously, can Rowan just start producing awful, scratchy yarns? Maybe then I'd have a little more money in my bank account because this stuff was just a pleasure to knit. I really like the texture in this, and it was a fairly straightforward pattern. The scarflet still needs a little blocking to loosen up the stitches, but I think you get the idea with this photo. This will be super warm for the upcoming winter season.

Do you make gifts during the holiday season or just stick to shopping? If you do, what are your favorite gift patterns? I need some more ideas asap!

Until next time, happy knitting!!
xx

#47 - FO: MAMA SUE'S READING MITTS

Ravel it!

Mama Sue's Reading Mitts are off the needles!

I'll keep it brief, but I have to give my praise to both this yarn and this pattern. My illustrious mum picked the yarn, Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds DK in brown bluefaced leicester, and she has simply impeccable taste. The undyed yarn has a great neutral shade that will go with all of her winter coats and a really wonderful feel on the skin.


As for the pattern, it's simple enough to knit up in a few days, yet looks very clean and well made for the amount of time required to make them. As well, this pattern includes two features that set it ahead of many basic fingerless mitts patterns - a thumb gusset and a sewn edge. I hate fingerless gloves that don't include a thumb gusset, and although they're easy to add to a stockinette mitt, this is excellent for beginners and much more comfortable for the wearer in the long run. Since the edges of the mitts are folded under and sewn down, it gives them a much more professional look, which is perfect for holiday gifting.

I'm not much on knitting patterns more than once, but I can definitely see myself making up a pair or two of these for some last minute holiday gifts.

Up next - I just cast on another Brambles, this time with several mods - a wider brim with a buttonband and a slouchier body. Of course, I'll be sharing my progress soon. Happy knitting!

#37 - THIS & THAT

Finally back! I've actually quite missed the blog over the last few weeks that were intense and sleep-deprived due to final papers and take-home exams and the like. I'm only a few credits away from my MLS, which is simultaneously exciting and relieving. Meanwhile, in the few weeks I have before the summer minimester begins, I'm packing in lots of yarny and crafty exploits!

From Knitting, etc.

First off, I finally finished knitting my Clapotis! It took much longer than I ever anticipated, thanks to my easily distracted brain, but the final product is really lovely, soft, and drapey in Art Yarns Regal Silk - one of my most self-indulgent yarn purchases. I love this colorway with neutrals, silver greys, greens, and bronze called Paris Rain. Considering that when I was last in Paris it was incredibly rainy for the first week, my Clapotis is a little bit of French nostalgia all around.

From Knitting, etc.

Although I'll probably never wear it like a shawl, I had to show off the drop stitch design. And many thanks to my fantastic mom, who photographed me quite a few times to get these shots! :)

From Knitting, etc.

Also, yesterday I came upon two yarny packages in the mail that I just have to share with you. The first one is my epic order from Nordic Mart, with 40ish skeins of Drops Eskimo for 2 sweaters (including the Sylvi!). This was my first order with Nordic Mart, and oh it was an absolute breeze. I ordered the yarn on Saturday afternoon and it arrived on Monday, zipping across country. How crazy is that? I'm a fan of all the Garn Studio yarns, but the yarn shops around here don't stock it, so I expect to be a return customer.

From Knitting, etc.

Then, my swap parcel arrived from Canada from one of my favorite Ravelers, Jenn! The parcel was MIA for a bit in the post, but landed on my doorstep and I was so eager to tear into it. She sent me a few reusable grocery bags - including one with lots of compartments, which will be a very handy project bag; lots of chocolates, including Aero Bubbles (not pictured... because I already tore into the bag and had to hide them from myself in the pantry); a sparkly beaded necklace and earrings set; an adorable notebook with a little sheep on the cover, perfect for writing down my modifications as I knit (which I too often forget to do); springtime stickers; and glorious, glorious yarn. 2 skeins of Cadenza Hand Paints, to be exact, in a beautiful springy green and yellow colorway, which I hear required her LYS owner to run off to the distributor just for me. Jenn, I can't thank you enough for being such a magnificent friend! You certainly spoiled me.

Now, I'm working on getting a few more lingering WIPs off the needles, so I'm turning on my Electric Sheep podcasts and audiobooks, and off I go!

#17 - A GIFT FOR MYSELF (FOR ONCE)

From Knitting, etc.

Nine times out of ten, I give away the things that I knit. It admittedly brings me great joy to share my craft with the people in my life, and hopefully they'll appreciate the time and effort required to turn a ball of yarn into a wearable, useful item. But I admit, it doesn't always turn out the way you plan. You imagine the recipient opening the box, eyes wide and mouth agape, instead of a hesitant, "...Oh, you made this."

But it's not their fault. Non-crafters don't realize that good yarn might cost $10+ a skein or that we can't whip up a pair of fair isle mittens while watching a few episodes of The Office. And I realize that I'm a showoff. I want people to be shocked and amazed at my abilities. I create gifts because I'm a sap, and I want my loved ones think of me every time they put on the scarf or mittens or hat that I made specifically for them with my own hands.

From Knitting, etc.

With all of this said, sometimes you just have to make something for yourself. It was with that thought in mind that I bought a single skein of Farmhouse Yarns' Cotton Blossom Yarn by Dixie at Purl Soho amid a pile of yarn for baby gifts. The seafoam green colorway was subtle, soft, and full of texture. I knew I didn't need a fancy pattern, just a basic garter stitch to show off the yarn, so I picked the impossibly easy wham bam thank you lamb cowl neckwarmer. I'll share a few gratuitous pictures of myself wearing it - check out that texture! I'm sure this will make regular appearances in my wardrobe.

From Knitting, etc.

From Knitting, etc.

More de-stashing to come soon!

#14 - HOLIDAY INSPIRATION

From Blogger Pictures

Talila Abraham's Dantela, 2004

via The Curated Object

The holiday season gets me thinking about ritual and how we move further and further away from it as a society by being so wrapped up in consumerism.  On this train of thought and in search of good reading material, I stumbled upon the exhibit Reinventing Ritual at The Jewish Museum in New York, running through February 7, 2010.  Ritual allows us to transcend our everyday activities and to provide them with meaning.  Some artists are seeking to revive our connection to ritual, and pieces like Talila Abraham's Dantela are of great inspiration to me.  Merging art, technology, and craft, Abraham has created a metalwork object that is reminiscent of traditional lace textiles.  An item to be used at the Passover seder, it connotes tradition, family, faith, and history.  I hope that my holiday activities can similarly reflect upon these ideas, and the process of hand-making gifts helps me to do just that.

From Knitting, etc.

From Knitting, etc.

With all of that in mind, I finally have some finished objects to share!  First off, the Building Blocks scarf from Interweave that I shared in the veeery early stages last time.  I knitted it in an admittedly small gauge, thinking I could figure things out as I went.  I made no alterations to the long scarf pattern, and after blocking, it was still much too short to actually be a scarf.  Not wanting to frog it, I decided to stitch it up into a loop, making a lovely double-wrapped cowl.  It's so soft and the colors look great, so I hope my friend doesn't notice my measuring error and thinks I intended to make it as such.  Also, please excuse these sort-of awful photos that illustrate how irritated I became with my camera's self-timer.

From Knitting, etc.

(yeah, PhotoBooth is the worst.)

From Knitting, etc.

I also knitted up the Cable and Bobble Headband, also from the Interweave Holiday Knits issue for another friend of mine.  She requested a headband-type item with big pom poms, so I'm pretty sure this delivers.  It was quick and really simple - made from Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica in an afternoon's time - and I think the pom poms are a nice touch.  Here's hoping she agrees!

Now, I'm working on some fingerless gloves - the Spirogyra wristwarmers from Knitty, yet another gift.  I'm altering the pattern a bit so I can use up more of that giant pile of Turkish yarn in my stash.  Depending upon how these turn out, I may make another pair for my sister-in-law.  If not, Fetching is a reliable standby.  

I'm so very glad that the semester is wrapping up this week... because I have so much more knitting on my plate to complete by December 25.  5 hats, 2 pairs of socks, and a shawlette - if all goes according to plan.  Undoubtedly that will change, but I like to aim high - so we'll see what happens!

#5 - APOLOGIES

isn't it funny how summer has this way of speeding things up and slowing them down at the same time? life has felt really full right now - the days are so busy and hectic, exciting and tiring, and despite being stressed, i can't really complain. when i reflect, everything this season has been completely unexpected, but it seems that life is shifting on my own terms for once.

but what i really mean to say here is this - i am terribly sorry (to the 7 of you who actually read this) that i've turned out to be such a horribly inconsistent blogger/knitter/maker/do-er of things. i've come with the best of intentions. i realize that life will never slow down, but i will continue knitting and sewing and photographing and thinking about new things to create. i have some really big plans up my sleeves. that's the only promise i can keep.

with that, here is some of my undeniably slow progress on the yarn-front:

From Knitting, etc.

the springtime bandit is complete! this is probably my favorite FO thus far, for good reasons - this yarn is luxurious, the acid yellow color is perfect for the early spring, and it was a really fun pattern to knit.

From Knitting, etc.

i only had 4 skeins for this, so i had to cut out a few sections of the beautiful lace rows in the edging. oh right, and i have short hair now.

From Knitting, etc.

also working on the silk kerchief, also from kate of the fibre co. i love how the noro silk garden yarn is striping so perfectly. i'm on a triangular scarf kick, lately. this one will be excellent with blazers in the autumn, no?

From Knitting, etc.

i waited the longest time to get the perfect yarn for my clapotis! i love love love this yarn, and it was quite a splurge - impressionist regal silk in paris rain. i cannot wait to see how this piece turns out, but here's a peek at my progress.

there are a few other projects on the needles right now, but i'll save those for some FO photos. and i'll be back around these parts of the interweb more often, fingers crossed.

#4 - CATCHING UP

From Chris and Bethany's Wedding

Taken on 05.15.09 in Stevensville along the Chesapeake.

i hate to admit that i've done hardly any knitting at all since my last post. life (especially school) was constantly getting in the way. oh, those silly term papers. nonetheless, summer looks like it's shaping up nicely with plenty of good friends, good music, bike rides, cold drinks, and warm city nights. and i have some swell summer knits in the works, too!

but first off, let me share an FO that i didn't post on earlier...

From Knitting, etc.

it's erica's acapulco scarflet!

From Knitting, etc.

this was a fun and super fast project. i made this with two skeins of copihue alpaca from araucania yarns. the most harrowing part of this project was the button search, but i scored these pretty etched shell ones that worked out perfectly! the tangled moss stitch really shows off the yarn, and i think the colors will go beautifully with erica's hair. here's hoping she agrees.

now, i'm back to work on the checkerboard lace scarf, and i'm starting up on the springtime bandit from kelbourne woolens as my confidence as a lace knitter grows. i'm also itching to start some of ysolda's whimsical little knits. but until then, here are a few to illustrate my impossibly slow progress...

From Knitting, etc.

From Knitting, etc.

now my evenings of back-porch knitting and mojitos are back. wahoo! i also have some yarn spinning plans in the works, but i'm not going to spill the details on that just yet. plus, i was finagling with my sewing machine today, and started work on a pretty little something with some of my leftover scraps.

From Knitting, etc.

my mind is so full of ideas and my hands can't seem to make everything quickly enough! we'll see what develops.

#2 - SEEKING INSPIRATION.

I find that inspiration strikes me most often when I'm not seeking it. Case in point: Fairly recently, I was re-watching I'm Not There, the Todd Haynes film based on the life of Bob Dylan. I love how the film is an obvious pastiche of Haynes's influences - Godard, Fellini, etc. In the segment with Billy the Kid, we're set in a fading western. The colors were once rich, but now take a hazy, vintage look.



This clip doesn't really do the film complete justice, but I think you get the idea. And it doesn't hurt that this segment includes one of the best covers from the soundtrack (in my opinion) by Jim James and Calexico. This imagery has been floating around in my head and from it, my recent yarn purchases have been rich fibers in muted tones.

From Knitting, etc.

Araucania Yarns - Copihue Alpaca in Color 910

From Knitting, etc.

The Fibre Company - Road to China Worsted in Citrine


I'm planning to use the Road to China on Kelbourne Woolen's Springtime Bandit scarf, my first foray into lace knitting. I'm still seeking out a simpler lace pattern to try before I start this one. However, I found a quick-to-knit and surprisingly fun pattern to use up my 2 small skeins of Copihue - a cute little scarflet called The Fidget. The twisted moss stitch pattern really shows off the colors and creates a lovely, layered texture.

From Knitting, etc.

These new colors are quite a contrast from the bold, saturated tones I was using in the dead of winter - take this Quant headscarf made with Malabrigo in a deep purple, for instance (but excuse the poorly lit self-portrait).

From Knitting, etc.

A few more FOs should be ready in the coming days, fingers crossed.