Saturday, January 19, 2008

Getting the Hang of This

Okay...so blogging regularly is harder than it seems. I have a new appreciation for those of you who entertain us weekly with your witty thoughts.


I just want to get up some of my projects that I've worked on this past fall/winter.




These matching hats were for baby Levi and his dad, Jake. Levi was born last fall. His dad is the perfect kind of new dad who would be game for a matching hat with a newborn. The pattern was adapted from a pattern from Knitty called "Flower Power." The yarn is made up of lots of unknowns from my stash.



This is my first argyle. I love it. It was for baby Kaleb. Knit in the round with Lion Brand Wool-Ease (and something white). My own pattern that was scratched out on paper and unlikely to be found or read again. I was very impressed with myself after finishing this one.









Here we go with my scarf and hat pattern that I made for my husband. Being half Greek, I really wanted to knit something with a Greek key design. After searching the web and my old Harmony Guide to Knit Stitches, I came up with this pattern. It's semi-Greek key. You have to look hard with an open mind. I also love this set and am very impressed with myself for designing and making them, but mostly I am so pleased that my husband also loves them very much and has worn them regularly all winter. That really is the best. Yarn is Sirdar Highlander Chunky...purchased soooo many years ago for a vest I made for myself and had a few balls leftover. Now I'm down to one ball left. Don't know what it will become.






















After purchasing the One Skein Wonders books for myself and my class, I fell in love with this baby sweater pattern and had to make it. I do not have a baby girl. I currently do not know any baby girls. This sweater was truly made for the love of the pattern and for the love of the yarn, which was Sensations (a Jo-Ann exclusive) Bellezza Collection Cosetta. Someday my princess will come. I'm sure I'll know her when I see her. And she'll get the sweater. Until then I will be trying to figure out Zimmerman's method of the afterthought buttonhole to get some buttons in this thing. The hat also came from one of the One Skein Wonders books.



I learned to make socks last year (about July/August 2007). I started with some baby socks and then did a hat to match. Socks are amazingly addicting and I've had a pair going ever since.



I purchased my first sock yarn at a nice little shop in Fort Bragg, CA. Navarro River Knits. The nice lady gave me much needed encouragement that I could do socks. The yarn is Plymouth's Sockotta. It was also my first self-striping yarn...you can imagine how much fun these were for me.







Don't let the dolly freak you out. I had to try these things on something...since I didn't have someone. Socks and hat were made for baby Sean.













Here are the socks I did for my husband and me. He seems concerned about wearing these out and so does not wear them but for special occasions and only when wearing Birkenstocks (unlike his constant use of the hat and scarf set). I wear mine whenever I'm wearing something that will match. His socks are from the Earl Gray pattern from the Yarn Harlot's website. I used Knit Picks Risata in Ash. For mine, I used Knit Picks Felici in Clay. I followed the Yarn Harlot's sock recipe from her book Knitting Rules! (which is perfect and memorizable) with a K3, P1 rib throughout the leg and instep. Wearing them makes me happy.



Finally, my most recent finished project is this felted bag. Oooooooh I love this bag! It's my first felt. Pattern is from Pursenalities, by Eva Wiechmann. Yarn is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky and Noro Silk Garden. Very fast. Very easy.










Can't wait til it's all the way dry so I can show it off.