Pattern: My own!  Garter Ridge Hat

Yarn:  My own handspun Wensleydale in Christopher Robin colorway, from fiber from Sheepish Creations; scraps of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in colorway 43

Needles: US 3 Addi circulars

Began: January 24, 2010 ; Completed:  January 29, 2010 (Raveled here.)

Notes:  I bought this fiber a few months ago with J in mind; I love the richness of the yellow and the way it makes the other browns, blues, creams, and purples pop.  I spun it up the last week of break into a DK weight two-ply, and I like it even more as yarn.  Then, I made J a Botanic Hat, and it was a mess.  The pattern is wonderful, but my yarn just didn’t work well: the color runs are too long to show up well, and the bumpiness that makes handspun so charming looked terrible when alternated with a more evenly spun, commercial yarn.  I’ll definitely knit that pattern again, but in two commercial yarns.  So that’s waiting to be frogged, and I set about to find the perfect pattern for my yarn.

The problem is that I couldn’t find any.  I wanted something with garter stitch, because garter stitch + handspun = wonderful, but everything I found ended up looking bulky.  I looked and looked to no avail, and then it hit me: just make something up!  So one night I sketched a basic pattern, one that would have garter bumps every few rows and have a knitted hem to keep J’s ears warm without bulk and to protect him from the itchiness of Wensleydale.  This hat is what I got.

I’m so happy with this hat and think that the pattern would work well in a variety of yarns:  it would be easy to customize the size and/or change the gauge, the hem would be great for scraps of soft yarn, and the bumps really show off the color changes in handspun and self-striping commercial yarns.  So, I’m thinking I’m going to write this up and publish it here, for free.  What do you think, folks?  I’ve never done this before, so I’m really nervous that I’ll screw up.  Those of you who’ve done this, do you have any words of advice?

We interrupt your regularly scheduled knitting content to show you some things with needle and thread.  Hold on to your hats.

A few years ago, my Nana very generously sent me her “old,” but really, “barely used,” sewing machine.  A quick tune-up and it’s been working great.  Since then I’ve made some things, mostly of the rectangular variety: coasters, placemats, pillows, and then the odd quilted eye mask.  I hadn’t played with the machine in a while, mainly because our new place is smaller and I have to keep it tucked away.  When I want to sew now, I have to schlep it out and set it up in the living room on the kitchen table.  So, if I’m sewing anything that’ll take longer than a day, I have to put it all away and break it back out later.  Pain in the hiney.

Our new place, while lovely, was previously inhabited by smokers.  Since this is a non-smoking building (we lived below them and could always smell their smoke), we figured they were smoking out a designated window.  It turns out that window is in our now bedroom, which is disappointing.  We used to have our bed against the windows, but every time it rained I could smell the smoke coming from the gross, yellowed blinds, even after cleaning them.  Now our bed’s on the other side, but the windows were still an eye-sore: the blinds are broken, one is bright yellow, and just ick.  I bought fabric to make curtains to match our newish duvet cover back in October, but I was afraid: casings?  What the heck is that?

On my last day of winter break, I went for it.  I spent the better part of a day measuring (which I did poorly.  Don’t judge me for the length of the middle curtain!), cutting, ironing, and sewing.  I was really careful, actually ironing again when the pattern told me so I’d get a neat seam.  Then J hung the curtain rod for me, which we got super cheap.  Thanks, local Kmart, for going out of business and giving us great deals on curtain rods!  And here’s the result.

Not the most exciting thing, but I’m very proud.  The colors are tough to see here, since our bedroom gets really lousy light, but it’s a great, acid green.  I used a lovely, heavy flannel I found on sale at Field’s Fabrics.  Have I said how much I love Field’s?  Because I do, so much.  The people who work there are friendly and helpful, they have great prices and quality fabrics, and it’s about a million times better than JoAnn’s in every imaginable way.  I feel so lucky to be able to support such a fantastic local business.  Which is fortunate, as it turns out I’ve caught the sewing bug.  Last weekend I went with some friends to check out their winter sale, and I got some things.  J got me the pattern for Amy Butler’s Birdie Sling for Christmas, because he’s awesome and remembered when I pointed it out during our last trip to the fabric store.  I picked out the following, and can I tell you just how excited I am?  Nervous, of course, since this is my first “Real” sewing project.  People will see it, out in The World, and that’s kind of scary.  But I can’t wait!

The top will be the body, then the other two will be the handles and the lining.  Any preferences?

Pattern: Leybrun by MintyFresh

Yarn: 2 skeins KPPPM in colorway 856

Needles: KnitPicks US 0 circs

Began:  May 14, 2009;  Completed:  December 29, 2009 (Raveled here.)

Notes:  I love these socks.  J bought me the yarn several Christmases ago, and I love the colors; they go from a dark, almost-black purple to small runs of fuchsia, wine, and deep aubergine.  The colors are just gorgeous, and I really wanted to find a pattern to show them off.  I’d been eyeing Leybrun for a while, and I thought the slipped stitches might show-off the yarn’s subtle variegation.  Boy, was I right!

I cast-on for these the night before our rehearsal dinner in May.  We had a house full of friends, family members were in town, and the next day we were heading to the inn for our wedding weekend.  Needless to say, I was rather nervous and thought socks would be a good project to distract me.  I ended up taking the socks on our honeymoon and did some knitting on the airplane (not too much, though, as I’m such a nervous flyer that my hands get embarrassingly sweaty), and I didn’t pay much attention to them after finishing the first sock in June.  I picked these back up this fall, turned the heel, and then picked them up again over break to finish them.  My only mods were to sub twisted rib for standard 1×1 ribbing, as I do with most of my sock cuffs.

Don’t let my long time to completion dissuade you: this is a great pattern!  I was merely focusing my knitting time on various gift projects and a sweater.  Now that they’re done, though, I can’t wait for the snow to be gone.  These go rather high up my calf (I used every last bit of yarn) and will keep me nice and warm.  I don’t want to hide these socks under boots, however; I plan to wear them as I do in the picture, with cute black flats to show off the stitches.  These babies want to be seen!  I love the socks, and I really loved the yarn.  I’ve never knitted socks out of KPPPM before, mainly because I didn’t want socks that I’d have to hand wash.  After a blocking, however, I can see why this yarn has so many devotees: the fabric is squishy, warm, and springy.  These are some comfy socks and, if I say so myself, quite good-looking to boot.  This project makes me wonder why I don’t knit more socks for myself.  They’re sweaters for your feet.  What’s not to love?

Pattern: Rinconada Mitts by Mary-Heather Cogar  (pattern still in test-knitting stages, so no link just yet.)

Yarn: KnitPicks bare merino fingering weight and Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Champlain Sunset, leftover from my Monkeys

Needles:  Addi US 1

Began: November 29, 2009  ;  Completed: December 26, 2009 (Raveled here.)

Notes:  When Mary-Heather posted photos of these mitts on her Flickr and called for test-knitters, I jumped at the chance.  I had the bare merino and sock weight leftovers in my stash, and I couldn’t get over how cute the pattern is.  I love M-H’s original version in natural and brown, but I also love my own in variegated colors.  The cream rows and slipped stitches make the sock yarn colors really pop; they look so much brighter to me here than in my socks made with the same yarn.

The pattern isn’t available yet, but should be shortly I believe, and there’s even talk of a matching headband to go with the mitts!  I really recommend it when it’s ready; it’s a quick, easy, and very addictive pattern with great results.  I really couldn’t put these down once I began; they only took a bit of time to make because my finals week got in the way of my knitting time.  Plus, it’s great for sock leftovers, and I know most of us have a bunch of those.  I gifted these to my little sis for Christmas, and she wore them all week to school.  She now informs me that her friends and family, both male and female, are asking for pairs.  So it gets the stamp of approval from the pre-teen set as well!

Pattern: Garter Yoke Sweater by Melissa LaBarre

Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers in Lichen

Notions: 11 yellow, plastic buttons from Fields Fabrics

Needles: Addi Turbo 4s

Began:  September 22, 2009;  Completed:  January 3, 2010 (Raveled here.)

Notes:  This sweater is the culmination of my knit-along with Amy and Laura, which was such a fun experience.  And I love the results!  Words cannot express how much I love this cardigan.  It is soft (note to self: make more sweaters out of Cascade 220), I love the color, and the design is one I’ll wear a lot.  I went with the brighter buttons over the subtle, wooden ones I bought, and I’m so happy with my decision.

My mods were very few.  I lengthened the cardigan a tiny bit so that my final button could be evenly spaced like the others, because I’m annoying like that.  I also placed two decreases every inch, which for me was six rows, after the elbow until I got down to 4 stitches below the smallest size.  This seems like a lot, but I wanted the sleeves to be slim-fitting since the rest of the sweater fits me with about zero ease.  This is now a nice, fitted cardigan and it’s so soft against the skin.  I’ve gained a little weight since I started it so I was worried about the fit, but I’m quite pleased; I love it all buttoned up to show off the bright yellow and it’s soft enough to wear just a tank-top underneath.  I honestly want to knit this cardigan again, right away; it will see a ton of wear.

I’ve got a stack of FOs on my Flickr stream that need documenting, but I love this too much to make it wait.  I came home yesterday from chopping off all my hair and it was dry from blocking, so I slipped it on and J took some photos.  (Thanks, honey!  You did a great job.)

Pattern:  Moderne Log Cabin Blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting, by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne

Yarn:  Valley Yarns Northampton in Eggplant, Fawn, Burgundy, and Lavender

Needles:  Denise US 6 for the body and US 8  for the i-cord edging

Began:  June 25, 2009; Completed:  December 26, 2009 (Raveled here.)

Notes:  It’s not everyone that appreciates a knitted blanket; these are very time-consuming gifts, and I knew that, if I ever made one, it would be for someone who would really understand all of the time, work, and love that went into it.  Our dear friends, Renee and Jax, are those someones.  They moved into their new house in April, and in June I bought yarn to match the colors in various rooms (which, not coincidentally, happen to look great together).  I worked on this blanket pretty faithfully for months, with breaks for smaller projects in between, and was able to give it to them upon their return from their honeymoon.

I did many things differently here, but nothing really ground-breaking.  I measured my gauge and did some math, since my yarn was heavier than that called for in the book, and it worked out really well; my blocks were all multiples of five, with heights of either 25 or 50 rows.  Easy peasy.  I omitted the last two large blocks for a throw-sized rather than bed-sized blankie, since my friends are pretty petite people.  I did an applied i-cord edging, my first ever, and I loved it.  And finally, I really wanted to make this a personal gift, so I knitted a small rectangle of stockinette in the corner of one of the blocks, and after it was finished I embroidered their wedding date in the rectangle.  This is probably my favorite detail of the blanket, and my friends really appreciated it.

I loved the pattern and loved the yarn equally; this was a great, relatively mindless knit for watching tv or relaxing.  It didn’t travel well toward the end, but other than that it was lovely.  The yarn was also a joy to knit with; only one ball had knots, and the rest were great.  My friend rubbed the blanket against her neck and was awed at how soft it is, and I call that a win since she doesn’t relish the sheepiness like I do.  It was inexpensive, too, which is definitely a factor when tackling a big project like this.  Overall my friends loved it, I’m happy with it, and I got to knit many rows of therapeutic garter stitch.  I’m pretty pleased with this one.

In the past I, like so many other crafters I know, have fallen into the trap of handmade gifts.  I get so excited about my hobby that I want to share it with others, and I don’t stop to consider two very important facts.  Fact the first: I am only human and can only accomplish so much.  Graduate school is stressful and time-consuming, and so committing to make every person on the list a handmade item may not be the best plan.  Thing the second:  Not everyone loves handmade gifts.  This is not a reflection on me, and I should not take it personally; some would prefer a gift certificate or book or what have you, and their preferences should come first when it comes to gift giving.  To force handknits on someone who may not want them is just silly and selfish.

This year, J and I cut our gift-buying budget way down, both with ourselves and our families.  We’re both still in school and saving for possible unemployment in the future, and so our families understand.  I looked at our list and decided that, while I couldn’t make something for everyone, I would for each of our mothers.  This is handy because they both proclaim to love handmade gifts (and are, as always, very encouraging of my crafty endeavors).

First, I tackled the gift for my mother-in-law, since it was a bit more time-consuming.  She enjoys knitting, which is awesome for me as I have yet another person to discuss the wonders of fiber with, and I thought she might like a skein of handspun yarn.  I’ve never spun for anyone before and, though I know I’m nowhere near perfect, moms tend to overlook those flaws that we worry about so she seemed like a perfect recipient.  J and I looked and looked on Etsy for fiber she’d like, and settled on 4 oz. of SW Merino from Spincerely (whose customer service was just impeccable and whose fiber is gorgeous) in the colorway Aegle, full of vibrant oranges and purples that would suit J’s mom perfectly.  I then spent some spare moments over a few weeks spinning it into 208 yards of two-ply, light fingering to heavy fingering, yarn suitable for socks.  My mother-in-law seems to like it, and J and I are both quite pleased.

Second, I spent my first two days of winter break making the gift for my mom.  When I was home this past summer, I noticed her table was a little bare.  She loves to entertain people at her gorgeous dining table, but her placemats were old and mismatched.  This doesn’t suit my mom’s fantastic sense of style, and so I hatched the plan back in August to make her a set of six placemats for her table.  I chose two coordinating fabrics that reflect the decor in her dining room as well as her living room, and then spent two days at the machine making the placemat pattern from Amy Butler’s In Stitches.  I’ve used this pattern before, but this time I think they came out worlds better; I took my time and worked very hard at sewing straight lines, which sounds easy but isn’t for this neophyte seamstress.  I was quite pleased with the result, and my mom seemed to be, too.

So there you have it, the two gifts I was able to make by hand this year.  I think cutting down the handmade gifts, and perhaps rotating them to different family members each year, will work out well.  This way I can really take my time and put a lot of thought and effort into the gifts, and I feel the love and care comes across in the final product.  This is the point, after all, of making and giving something from scratch.  I hope to keep that in mind in the future.

The new year always seems to sneak up on me.  I rush and rush to get my work done at the end of the semester, Christmas is gone in a flash, and suddenly I’ve got to learn to write new numbers for the date (which always takes me longer than it should, for some reason.  Maybe it’s my brain’s natural reaction to change).

2009 has been one long rollercoaster; it contained both painful losses and new additions, joyous celebrations and periods of uncertainty.  Perhaps it’s due to half the year being filled with feverish wedding preparation, but 2009 has really gone by in a blur.  Looking back at my goals from last year, I accomplished them about halfway.  My crafty goals seem to have gotten thrown aside, but I’ve achieved many of my personal goals, which seems like a win.  This year I’m just going to write a bit about what I’d like to do, learn, and accomplish, and the kind of person I’d like to become.  This may not be very interesting to many of you, as the list is really so that I can get it out there and hold myself accountable,  so please feel free to close this window and come back for my next post, where I’ll show you one of the four unfinished objects I’ve converted to FOs over the past two weeks.

And so, looking forward to 2010, here are things I’d like to do, in no particular order:

• Be kinder and more gentle to those around me.  I can be quick to anger and some what callous, and I need to consider others’ feelings a bit more.
• Work on my own negativity.  I want to be the kind of person who looks on the bright side a bit more often.  The people I love are bastions of positivity, and I would like to return the favor.
• Be healthier.  J and I have fallen into a very bad pattern of eating out because it’s convenient, and the MI winters lend themselves easily to a more sedentary lifestyle.  I’m hoping to drink more water, do more yoga, and eat lots of healthy, vegetarian soups.
• Practice mindfulness, paying attention to what I’m doing, thinking, feeling, etc.  I want to experience a bit more and stop rushing through my life.  I’d like to find the time for quiet moments, whether they be in the morning over coffee or in the evening before bed.  Multi-tasking has really gotten in the way of my truly experiencing the things I hold dear.
• Spend a LOT less time in front of my computer.  I plan to check my emails/facebook/etc. 3 times a day, and that’s it.  That sounds like a lot, but having wifi in the house makes the internet way too accessible.  I can’t resist it.  This will also allow me to spend more time with the people and kitties that I love.
• Destash, both in the knitting and clothing sense.  I don’t need new clothes or new yarn, and I will only buy what I truly need.  My own tendency toward being a magpie in shopping situations is rather intense, and I come home with things I don’t/won’t use.  I’ve been working on this, but there’s definitely room for improvement.
• Take it a little bit easier on me.  I’m a work in progress, and I’m trying, and I need to be okay with my less than perfect self.
• And finally, try as many new things as possible, and with an open heart.  I’m not very good with change; it causes me a whole lot of anxiety.  I want to take deep breaths, feel that anxiety for a second, and then move through it.  Life is full of change, and I’ll get along a lot more easily if I just go with it.

I haven’t really included crafty goals, other than the continuing destashing, because I don’t want to think about my hobbies as things that need to be accomplished.  I want to continue enjoying knitting/spinning/sewing, learning new techniques as I go and truly slowing down to enjoy the process of creating.  This seems to fit well with the personal goals I’ve listed above.

So there we have it, folks.  I’m hoping 2010 is a bit more quiet than 2009, and I thank you all for reading along as we go.  Happy New Year!

Every year J and I give each other a Christmas ornament for our tree.  When we first moved in together, we didn’t have any, and so the tradition was born.  That year we had to buy two boxes of assorted Christmas balls because we had only two additional ornaments.  I’m happy to say that, after several years together and a few other ornaments we’ve collected, we used those generic Christmas balls as a centerpiece this year because there was no room for them on the tree.

I’m sort of shocked to admit that I’ve never made J his ornament.  Every year I want to, but it’s difficult to find the time to knit him something when I do all of my knitting in the house when he’s around.  This year I was having a hard time finding the perfect ornament, and then I found this tutorial from Elsie Marley for a gingerbread man ornament.  Not just any gingerbread man, but a half-eaten one.  Perfect.

I whipped this ornament up in a few hours at craft night last week, and I’m really pleased with the results.  I subbed in different ribbon because I couldn’t find white mini-rickrack, and I used two large sequins instead of white felt for the eyes.  I also fudged the French knots, because I couldn’t get them to work.  This may be why the one eye is coming off, but I’m calling it a design feature.

The end result is both adorable and creepy, which fits my husband’s dark sense of humor perfectly.  All night I kept holding up the ornament, in various levels of doneness, and exclaiming, “Oh no!” in my best Mr. Bill voice.

Merry Christmas!

Pattern: Super Hero Helmet Hat by Cosette Cornelius-Bates

Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky in Purple Mystery, a little less than one skein, and some bulky alpaca scraps for the stripes

Needles:  US 9s

Began November 25, 2009; Completed November 27, 2009 (Raveled here.)

Notes: You know how sometimes, when you’re really stressed and it’s the end of the semester and you have two long papers to write, three projects on the needles (one of which is a deadline knit), and a Thanksgiving meal to prepare, you decide to cast-on for something new because you just can’t not cast-on anymore?  And that one thing becomes all you can think about, and you finish it in record time despite being colossally busy, and you wear it around the house for days on end because it’s just the BEST HAT EVER?  That’s what happened to me here.  I knew you’d understand.

Back in October, Cosy had a great idea on her blog; she had daily prizes of different, fabulous patterns she designed.  The deal was, if you won, you had to produce an FO and link back to her in two months.  I won the Super Hero Helmet Hat, just happened to have the world’s softest, squishiest yarn in the most perfect shade of purple, and the fates came together to produce this hat.

It is the best hat ever.  I wear it all the time, both inside and out of the house.  It is squishy, soft, keeps my ears warm, and is just whimsical enough to make me feel like a winter sprite.  (This is a requirement of my winter knits: must have a touch of whimsy.)  When BarefootRooster Amy made hers, she immediately cast-on for another.  I scoffed, thinking she was a wee bit obsessed with garter.  And then I knitted one, and immediately started looking for other oddballs of bulky yarn in my stash.  Go forth and buy this pattern, knit this hat, and wear it with glee.  It’s my new favorite winter accessory, and I bet it will be yours, too.  Thanks, Cosy, for another awesome pattern!