Cold Weekends Means A LOT of Knitting Gets Done

This weekend was snow and cold.   The two social events I had planned to go to were postponed.  That freed up a lot of time to knit....and I did.

The Candyland Mittens

The mittens are finally done.   When I checked on Ravelry, I saw these were started last January.  At least it took less than a year.
The first time I knit the thumb, it took me five or six tries to get it right.   The second mitten...I was ticked to get the thumb done in one try.

Most of the black yarn is used, but I have a lot of the white, grey, blue, and mauve-pink.  I am thinking about graphing a cap to match the socks.  It would not be too difficult and would be way better to do than putting the leftovers back in the pile.

This weekend I was also able to finish the set of four Ms. Claus Pointy Hats that I was doing for four young ladies that I know.  This is a fun and very fast pattern......but it did remind me that I really hat making pompoms......

Now that all of these projects are done, I am moving along to others...mostly for me.   The yarn for the hat that I wanted to make is somewhere in the knitting bags.   When I decided to knit something else until that surfaces in the stash again, I picked up a pair of socks that needed to be re-started.   And just to make things fun, I cast on an afghan...for me.

Art I Like

My friend, Marjorie, knows that I like both cats and yarn.  She shared this picture from Bizarre Art on Facebook.  I love it....I love it so much everyone should see it.

Cat Looking at a Yarn Moon

My cat, Dolly, has been cutting into my knitting time by having me hold her while she sleeps.  While I know she loves me, I have a niggling suspicion that I am being used for my body heat.

The mittens are moving along slowly.  My travel project, an elf hat in purple and pink for a little girl is also creeping along.   At least I get a chance to knit...knit away some of my stress.

This morning, as I was slipping on my coat, I surveyed the yarn that is out in my dining room.   What a wealth!  I do feel the need to get to it and get more done.   My next home project will be another blanket for me.   I have a pick of two........which one...which one.....

I am at a loss......

Today is December 6.  There are 19 days before Christmas.   19 days.   My Christmas knitting is done.  Even the extras I added are done.  I am not sure what to do!

After finishing the blanket last week, I picked up a pair of mittens that I had started last spring. 

Themittens were slightly more than half done.....but put aside so that I could work on some projects for other people.   The thumb on the first of these mittens was, in a word, a trial.   Before I was successful, I worked the thumb five or six times.   It is getting cold again and another pair of mittens would come come in really handy.  Now, I have told myself that I can't start anything else at home until these mittens are done.

As I have a lot of things waiting to be knit at home, this is a good incentive. Somewhere in my collection, there are several pairs of socks in progress.   When they turn up again, I will use those as "carry" projects as they don't take much thought.   Those are good for the odd moments in transit or out knitting with friends.

These mittens require a lot of focus.  While the TV can be on while I am doing these, I am really only paying attention enough to follow the plot.   It is good practice for mindfulness.

Yarn will be left over.   There may be enough to do a hat.  That has to be contemplated.  Coming up with the design .....the fitting as the stitch pattern would match....would take some but not a lot of thought.  We will see (mostly if I want to even look at this yarn more once the mittens are done.).

We Will Finish No Project Before Its Time

Last March, I started a blanket for myself out of Bernat Blanket.    The yarn was so appealing...so soft...so like velvet chenille without the heinous qualities that make me never, never again use it.

For this blanket, I had a general idea of what I wanted.   I looked at a lot of different blankets and

blanket patterns.   As the variegated greens and reds of the yarn are a design element, I wanted to use a very plain stitch pattern.  I settled on a 13 x 13 rib.   Using a knit on cast on, I put 91 stitches on a size 13 and got to it.

Last spring, I put this down to work on other things.    Last weekend, its time had come.  I bound off last night.  This will be a lovely, cuddly cover-up for this winter.

The colors did pool as I knit this, but I am not terribly bothered by that.

One of the bonuses of this yarn is that is launders well. 

Originally, I bought 7 or 8 skeins.  I believe I used 4.5 of that total.  There is enough left to make a smaller blanket...eventually.

Hats and Little Stockings

Four little stockings, stuffed with Burt's Bees lip balms, are tucked away and awaiting wrapping for the holidays.  Little Cotton Rabbits stocking pattern was fun to do.   It is knit flat which makes it much more pleasant for me to work with the Size 0's and fingering weight yarn.

Red and white Knitpicks Stroll were available as there was a project I started and will never finish.  I was happy to re-purpose the yarn.   I was using Knitters Pride Royale doublepoints.  While those needles are lovely to work with, they might not have been the best match for this yarn.  The combo

was a little "splitty."    When I attempted one of the really cool patterns, it fought me.   It looked....bad.   As I did not want to play around with the project right now....I stuck to the stripes and finished what I needed for next month.

Somewhere in my stash(es) I am sure I have other sock yarn to try.  When it turns up, I am take another shot at doing the more ornate patterns.  I will definitely make the striped socks again.

My student employees are great people.  This year, I wanted to give each of them something.   My first thought, Starbucks gift cards, would have been easy but too easily consumed.   As I have A LOT of yarn, hats were the answer.

The first two hats are knit out of Willow Daily from the Strib Pattern from Ravelry.   This pattern is great.   When I saw it on Ravelry done in charcoal, orange, and black, I really liked it.   As I had

some Willow Daily waiting to be used (can't remember what project I bought it for....) that would work for two of the students.

The hats were a quick knit.   I was a bit disappointed in the yarn, but it is still nice.   I am the first to admit that I can be too critical.

Now, I am working on a purple hat from Mission Falls 1824 from my stash.   The Photographer's Hat pattern appeared on Ravelry last week.  I picked it up with the thought of doing it for the student who needs a stretchy hat as he has a lot of hair.   If I have a little time, I should be able to finish that hat tonight.   It is another fast and very pleasant knit.  The fourth student will get another hat from a Ravelry pattern....I hope to start on it tomorrow.

Stuffed Buddies

Lately, I have been on a stuffed animal kick.    Last weekend I finished Bucky Beaver.

Bucky is for Owen.  His father had a stuffed beaver toy when he was small.   Helen and I thought Owen should have one too.

Mike and Allison are Badger fans.  We thought it would be funny (we are strange people) to dress the beaver in a Wisconsin sweater.

The pattern for the beaver came with a pattern for a sweater for the beaver.   I modified the neckline for the sweater so that it would look more like a letter sweater.

This was a fun project and reminded me that I need much more practice embroidering faces.
As I have many more patterns and a little (cough, cough) more yarn, I will have a chance to do just that.

 One day, a pattern called "Owen's Opossum" popped up on Ravelry.  I thought this was so funny that I sent it to Helen.  She showed it to Mike and Allison who liked it a like.

The opossum was last Sunday's project.  This was a quick and fun knit.   The opossum feet are little icord structures that were very interesting to do.   The person who wrote this pattern, Sara Elizabeth Kellner, has a good eye for structure and creating fun 3D projects.

While I have quite a few of her patterns, I think this is the first one I have actually done.  I will do more....maybe not soon.

Christmas is coming up quickly.  Many of the things I plan to give as gifts are done.  That is way ahead of schedule for me.

Of course, as things are pretty much done what do I do?   Yes.  Add more.   I am beginning a hat streak.   Seven hats before Christmas.  None of them will be particularly complicated, but all of them will keep people's heads warm.  Those who winter in Minnesota like that.

Another project will be some small Christmas stocking ornaments.  I did a test run on the pattern I am going to use....now to do four (or more) real ones.

Someone who knows me posted the cat graphic on my Facebook page.  I really loved it and am sharing it here. The internet does, after all, exist for cat (and dog) pictures and videos.

Knitting Out the Crazy

There is so much nuttiness in the world these days.   In order to process it better, I have been knitting, knitting, and knitting.

Tiger Hat modeled by a ball of yarn....

The Tiger Hat is done.  It is now blocked, dry and in the mail on its way to Henry.  I suspect it will be a bit big for Henry, but it can be worn loose...and Henry will grow.

In the same package as the Tiger Hat, is a stuffed lamb for Henry's sister, Rory.

The lamb pattern came from the Toys in the Toy Box collection that I found on Ravelry.  This is the first of the toys I have planned from this collection.

Some of the animals are shown with fuzzy yarns that looked really, really cute.  When I looked up the yarns online it was .... of course...obvious that the yarns were being discontinued.   My reaction?  Not looking for a substitute.  Not me.  I acquired a small stock of the colors that I am most likely to use.

The lamb was a surprising quick knit.   I was not happy with the face so consulted with my sister,

Smiling Lamb

Helen.   After putting her suggestions into play, the lamb looks happy and friendly and perfect for a little girl.

This picture does not show the eyelashes which made the lamb look even more cheerful.

This animal was knit out of regular worsted that I had on hand.   My first consideration was that Rory is four weeks old and likely to be gumming her toys.  The fuzzier yarn would become ...oh...disgusting fairly quickly.   The second consideration is that I have not worked with this designer's patterns before and I wanted to really be able to see how this animal came together.

There are things I will do differently on the next animal.  I do want to make a fuzzy one.   Maybe the donkey next?

The Tiger Hat

My oldest grandnephew was born in 2007.  Shortly after he was born, I bought Mary Lou Egan 's Tiger Hat pattern and the two skeins of Malabrigo to knit the hat.

For various reasons, that child did not get that hat.  Periodically, the yarn or the pattern would surface in the work stash.   I would put it back from whence it popped out to think about.....later.

Henry loves his tiger.   As I am going to make his sister Rory an animal, I really can't send his sister something and not send Henry something as well.

About that time, I moved something to try to find a particular yarn, and this yarn surfaced.   The exact whereabouts of the pattern were unknown. Proceeds from the pattern go to Heifer International.  That is a very good cause so I bought another copy.

So far the hat has been fun to knit.   The patterning requires a lot of attention but is worth it.   My knitting tends to be loose.   To get gauge, I dropped from a 7 to a 4.   I like the fabric this is making and it is a pleasure to hold the soft project.

Last night, I started the ears.   That construction looks interesting....something good to tackle that will teach me something.   Finishing this hat is my goal for the weekend.

Progress

The Westport Blanket is nearly done.  I like this pattern so much that I have ordered yarn in my current favorite shade of Burrow Bulky (Vamp) to make it for myself.   There is a half done afghan in Bernat Blanket that I could have pulled out and redone in this pattern but I decided that was just crazy talk.   I do think the Westport would look better in a solid color than in the variegated tones of the afghan waiting to get back in queue.

The Westport Blanket a week ago....

This picture of the blanket shows the color fairly well.   Willow does a great job of making saturated colors in beautiful tones.   Burrow has the same content as another one of my favorites, Plymouth Encore.  Encore does not have the range of colors available in Burrow..and is a little more expensive.

Rory will be two weeks old tomorrow.  I hope to get this blanket...and Henry's hat and mittens in the mail early next week.

The needles have also been flying getting more stuffed animals done.   Owen's nursery theme is "forest friends."    A year ago I had fallen in love with a kit for a stuffed fox that was available at Patternworks.   Now, for Owen, I had the motivation to actually get the kit out, knit it up, and send it out.   The fox was finished last weekend and left in the mail on Monday.

Like the gardening bunny pattern, this fox pattern was done in an interesting way.   While the stomach was done in intarsia (my favorite - not), the white part of the face was done as a separate piece and sewn onto the head.   I really liked doing the white part this way as the edges could be manipulated easily to the curve and height that looked best.   The ears were a lot of fun to do...and easy to place.

The stuffed animal that left as a buddy to the fox is not a forest friend.  Rachel Borello Carroll from Yarnigans designed a series of sea creatures.  One of the patterns was for a manatee.   Manatees are a beloved animal for one of Owen's mother's best friends.   Helen and I thought it would be a good idea if Owen had his own manatee.   I made it so.

For me, one of the big challenges is embroidering the faces on the animals.   My small motor skills  are not that great.   My handwriting is so bad that the day I learned to type was a great source of happiness to many people.   The place in which I really notice this is putting good faces on the  

creatures.   By the time I am done with this run of animals (at least three more to go), I hope I am better at this!

Making the animals is interesting.   I keep saying this but I marvel at the minds that can figure out the construction of the critters.   My next animal will be from one of the Toys from the Toybox collections.   I believe it will be a lamb.  There will also be a lamb hat.....  

I am grateful for all of the children in my life so I have recipients for these fun projects!

Westport Blanket

Ravelry is the source of many wonderful things.  When I am having a rough day, I look through the patterns.  One day, the Westport Blanket  popped up.  As I was looking for a pattern for a baby blanket for little Rory, I downloaded the pattern and began knitting.

 I had another lovely shade of Burrow Bulky available.   The gauge on a 10.5 needle worked out for the way that I knit.   The fabric is a little firm but will relax, a bit I think, when it is washed.

This pattern is simple but a row counter is still your best friend to make the process easier.   I am now further along than this picture would suggest and am still entertained by the pattern.

This is my "carry" project.  At home I am working on some stuffed animals and getting ready to do a series of hats for the Jacobs girls.  

The Westport blanket adapts easily to size changes and would be a good choice for many different yarns.  Do your swatch...do your math....cast on....and end up with a lovely blanket.

Leafy Baby Blanket

The Leafy Baby Blanket....I love this pattern.  As I have made it twice and still love it...that says a lot.

The first time I made it, I used a worsted weight yarn and made an actual baby blanket.  This last time I used a bulky yarn from THE STASH and got a little out of hand.   Version 2 is a throw.

Version 2 is for Owen's nursery.   Technically, it is for Owen but is really for his mother.  My lovely

The Leafy Baby Blanket as a throw, folded in half and draped over a chair.

niece Allison loves blankets.  She and Owen can use this blanket together for many hours of bonding.

Burrow Bulky was a great choice for this project.   The blanket knit up fairly quickly and the stitch definition was good.

The real beauty comes after a trip through the washer and dryer.   The stitch definition remains.  The yarn softens up so that it can give the cuddly hug that all  throws should give the users.

There are more luxurious yarns it is true.   The beauty of yarn that can go through the washer and dryer is that it will be USED.   Knit offerings that require special care often get put away "for good."   My hope is that the knitted gifts I have will be used until they are in tatters. I hope Allison and Owen have many happy hours wrapped up in this throw.

The Traffic Signal Hat

Henry is a great little guy.  He is at the age at which he is a lot of fun.  He is about to have a new little brother or sister who will get a present.   I decided that Henry should have something too.

When my nephew Mike was small, I made him a pair of the Child's Safety mittens from a vintage pattern book.  He loved them.  He wore them until he grew out of them.  When a friend of his really, really wanted those mittens, he passed them on to the friend.

My sister reminded me of those mittens.  She thought Henry would have a blast them with them.
Naturally, as a really good auntie, I made sure I had the right yarn and made a pair.  The mittens
are ready to go.

I decided he needed a hat to go with his new mittens.   The light bulb popped on over my head and I hit Knitbird to graph the pattern.   Round 1 did not work.  Round 2 did.   My knitting could be better, but the had and the mittens are now waiting to go to Henry!

Hope he has a lot of fun with the mittens!

Playing with these may help him to behave in the car...or when the new baby is getting attention.  Let us hope!

I wanted to find out how the hat would look worn.....and did not have a good model.   Fortunately, I could turn to the kitchen for what I needed!  A ripening cantaloupe worked perfectly!

This was good practice both with intarsia and Knitbird.    I think the hat and mittens makes a nice set!

Now I am contemplating what to make the baby.   A blanket is
in the planning stages.   When the baby arrives, I will choose an animal pattern in hopes that the new baby loves the animal as much as Henry loves his tiger.

Knitbird......software I am VERY happy to have...

Knitbird is a charting software that one of my friends told me about.   I think I have talked about it before here.  Over the past day or so I have learned a lot more about working in this program by working out a design for a hat I want to knit.

Being able to see in front of me the color patterning I was able to make decisions before having to rip out...a lot.   I found this really, really fun.  While I was doing this, I was able to get a better visualization of my finished project.

Tomorrow, on my time off, I will locate the yarn and begin this hat.   I am excited and hope that the hat looks like the picture in my mind.

Thoughts on shopping from my own yarn store

Today I spent some time checking boxes of yarn here.   I am not saying there are a lot of boxes, but if I knit ten copy paper boxes of yarn into projects per year, I will have this knit down when I retire.   There is this much at home.

It is time that I got serious about knitting down my stash.   Lately I have been thinking about it like paying off my bills.  Both need to be done.  Unfortunately, I cannot give away bills as easily as I can give away yarn.

This will stretch my creativity as I will have to fit the project to the yarn rather than the other way around.    Some yarn may get re-homed.   The project I bought it for may no longer be something I want to do.  I may not care to wear the color anymore.   There can be any number of reasons that some skeins have lost their luster.

This blog was originally started as a record of knitting out the stash.  It has grown instead.  Time to turn it around!    Well, after I use my Needlework Unlimited gift card......

In the many, many years I have been knitting, the things I like to knit have evolved.  The fibers I can and want to knit with have also changed.   What has not changed is the ability of of color and texture to seduce my mind and fingers.

While I knit because I like the finished product, I have begun to have more of an understanding and appreciation of process knitting.   The yarn slipping through my fingers is soothing (most of the time) and the repetitive motion slows down the crazies.  When I miss knitting for a day, I notice it.

Let us begin...the real journey to the center of the stash.....

Owen's Nursery Has a Forest Friends Theme

When I saw a picture of the set that Allison and Mike are buying for Owen's room, I immediately thought of one of the blankets made for one of the Rocksusto girls.   In one of my many, many boxes of yarn there was, waiting, just the right yarn to make another Leafy Baby Blanket. 

The yarn was originally purchased to do an afghan for me.   After a time, I decided that I did not want to do that afghan and allowed the yarn to languish in the stash waiting for the right time to do something with it.

Owen's blanket....begun and growing......

The time is now.   Saturday, after finishing the Elf Sweater late Friday, I cast on for the Leafy Baby Blanket using my stash of soft mossy green Willow Burrow Bulky.    I will admit I did not do a swatch.   This is a sin.   Swatches are important.   In my defense, I had just done another blanket (for Owen) using the same yarn in a different color.

The blanket is moving along.  As the yarn is bulky weight this round, it is moving quickly.  While I think I really like the pattern better in a smaller weight yarn, this is looking nice and will be cuddly for the baby.

The "holes" in the pattern may not be the greatest for little fingers and toes....but it is pretty and fits with the theme.  

Next in queue for Owen is a short series of stuffed animals.  Three are (more or less) forest creatures for his themed room.   One is just because I think it will be funny.

Baby Bredeson will arrive next month.  Until I know who this baby is, I am not planning the project(s) to greet the new family member.  Henry, who will be an excellent big brother, will be getting mittens and a hat at the same time.   The mittens will be the vintage Safety Mittens pattern which his cousin Mike loved when he was a little older than Henry.  The hat will be a coordinating pattern that I need to design.

The Elf Set

The Elf Hat with the Elf Sweater

The Elf Set is done.   One thing I would change is to have the stripes match.   In the long run, it does not matter.

The buttons have deer on them and are perfect for this project.   As JoAnn's does not do a good job with buttons anymore and I did not want to expose myself to the temptation of a brick and mortar yarn store, I shopped for these buttons at Knitpicks.   What a find!

The yarn is Willow Burrow worsted.  Plymouth Encore and Willow Burrow are very similar.  I love them both for projects that need to go through the washer and the dryer safely.   The hat and the sweater went through the washer and dryer last weekend and emerged must softer.

On to the next project!

Still knitting...knitting...knitting

The needles have been working too much to slow down and take pictures.   

This weekend I hope to finish the Elf Sweater that matches the Elf Hat that is done.   Baby knitting has been a really fun adventure.

After the Elf Sweater, I will be doing more stuffed animals and a baby blanket.  Pictures will come.

My travel project is Raggi socks for Christmas.  Raggi, I am deeply sad to hear, is not going to be available as the distributors in this country are retiring.   I bought some up for me.  I have no Raggi socks out of the many pair I have knit.

In my quest to knit more interesting socks, I have decided to take on the pair of Raggi socks that were just published in Interweave Knits.   Those will be for me so they will be knit....later....sometime later.

September is nearly done.....knit faster!  Knit faster!!!!

Knitting through the Madness

The past month has been crazy.   Fortunately, I had my knitting.   Knitting, even troublesome knitting, is calming.

I just finished leg warmers for Piper.  Sharon, a.k.a. Grandma, knew exactly what Piper needed.  She and I conferred on the patterns and choose the best one.   The color had to be black for Piper's skating costume.  The result looks narrow but it is a one by one rib.  VEEEEEEEEEERY stretchy.

Piper's Legwarmers

Ravelry makes choosing projects so much simpler than that process used to be.  Seeing a lot of patterns quickly gives a good idea of what can and can't be done easily.   This gives me a better shot at knowing the project will work for the person the project is for....

Sometimes, I just take an idea and run with it.  I think I have previously talked about my love of seed stitch.  As this is not the most exciting stitch in the world to do a lot of, even I find this puzzling.   Some skeins of True Blue burrow bulky wanted to be knit into seed stitch.  Really.  They told me.   That is how Owen's baby blanket came to be.  It is nice and squishy..and launders well.

The Garden Bunny has overalls that match the blanket.   This bunny was a weird pattern in many ways.   While I learned a lot, I am not sure I would do this again.  The head is oddly small.   I accidentally sewed the head on as a foot.  Cursing ensued.   A lot of cursing.

The bunny is cute.  Not what I had hoped.....but cute.   The picture has the second attempt at a face.  The first go made the bunny look a bit psycho.  That had to change.  

More knitting for Owen is in the works.  Hope life calms down.

The Horse Hat!

The horse hat is finished!

Thank heavens for Pinterest and Knitbird without whom this could not have been accomplished.

I am happy enough with it.

Grandma Sharon thinks Mal will like it.

Hope she does.   On to the next project!

The Horse Hat

The pattern for Mallorie's horse hat ......no matter what I did I could not get the gauge.

Thinking carefully, I hit the internet for a new horse graph.  There are a surprising number of graphs out there.   After finding one that works, I drafted a pattern.  I am knitting it now.  If the pattern works as I think it will, I will post the hat.  If I really like it, I will post the pattern.

All the stockings are done and delivered.....NEXT!

Last weekend, the last of the stocking were delivered.   Not a moment too soon was the last stocking finished and all three sent through the washer and dryer.

Stockings for Mike, Owen, and Allison

Mike's stocking, with the bear, was a bit of a challenge.   After FINALLY getting through the chart in the original design, I held the stocking up and looked at it carefully.   I looked again.  The "bear" looked like a giant tail-less rat.  That would not do.  Not at all.

Annie's Woolens has a stocking with a great bear chart.  Using the Knitbird software, I adapted the chart to the pattern for this stocking.  The results were pleasing.   I am happy to say Mike's mother liked it too.

Now I have moved on to other things for Christmas....as the wedding throw is too large and too warm to knit right now.   Four of the grands will get knitting offerings this year.   In consultation with Grandma, the projects will be three hats and a pair of legwarmers.  

My original plan for Elle's hat got kicked to the curb when I saw the Love-ly Cap knitting pattern.  What a cute hat!  Even better, the yarn could come out of the stash...the edges of the stash...and was easy to find.    While is is not my best work...I still like it.

Elle's Love-ly Cap

The yarn for the stockings and for Elle's hat is the ever useful Willow Burrow worsted.   Their colors are lovely.   Burrow has the same fiber content as Plymouth Encore.  Both launder like a dream and are pleasant to knit.   These are my workhorse yarn for kid projects and toys.

One morning in Ravelry, I spotted the combat booties.   What a hoot!  When I showed the pattern to my sister as a prospective project for Owen, she asked for a pair for the new baby a friend just had.  The friend is a marine and she knew he would love the booties for his son.  As I wanted these to be worn a bit, I used the biggest size.  The project was fun to do and is already passed off.

All of this yarn came from leftovers from other projects.   It was a fun way to use the bits and pieces that were in the stash.  No new yarn was purchased for this project.

As I was looking through the stash for yarn for Mallorie's hat, I realized that I have not knit for me in a long time.   Someday.

Mallorie's hat features horses which she is still mad about.   Swatching is our friend.  I do feel like the Goldilocks of swatching as the first two yarns swatched too big.  There was no way I could get gauge without the hat being stiff as a board.  The third yarn was too small.  I went deep into the stash and will swatch a fourth yarn.  I hope that will be just right.

Moooooooooooooore Stockings.....

Willa's Stocking

During the past couple months, I have been a Christmas stocking machine.

Willa's stocking  - also known as #6 of 9 - is done and shipped.   I am happy with the way that the backwards knitting I used to do the black boots blocked out.  There are upcoming projects I can use that technique to accomplish. 

The exciting part of these projects is having a chance to practice color knitting.  The color knitting is something I like to do...and wish I was better at doing.    By the end of the run of nine stockings, I will have A LOT more practice.

Short rows, as the ones used to make the elf foot on Beaumont's stocking, make a lot of different types of shaping possible.   Having done the short rows on a couple of projects lately, I can say I have gotten better.  I really would like to do that well also.  Thank heaven's for the tutorials on Craftsy and You Tube.

Allison and Mike moved into their new house a couple of months ago.  When they married last fall, I

Allison's Stocking

was planning on making them stockings for their life together.  Now they are expecting Owen.   I wanted to try some different patterns.  Santa's Sock Central out of Dublin, Ireland has some patterns that are different......and very nice.  I will admit that I had to do some modifications to get the shaping to work.  And that between Allison's stocking and Owen's, I forgot what they were.  Sadly, that was only a week apart!  Hope I remember them for Mike's!

The yarn in the Annie's Woolen kits is wool and a bit rough until it softens up in the washing.   That yarn is fine but not great for a household that may be wool sensitive.   For the Schaal stockings I used Willow Burrow worsted.   This is a really nice yarn for knitting.   The content is the same as another favorite, Plymouth Encore   The colors available are really lovely.  Willow Burrow did not have a Christmas green so I chose something a little different.  I am very happy with the way the colors look together.

Owen's Stocking

Owen's stocking  needed a four color for the gingerbread men.  I had a brown but was just not happy with it.  That brown was too rusty orange and fought with the other colors.   What to do?

Somewhere in my stash, I had a skein of Encore in a dark brown with a little red to it.   As I did not want to go into the stash..the though of it made me shudder...I went over to Depth of Field.   There were several good choices there but I went out with the color I went in for in the first place.  I really like how this brown blends with the other colors.

Mike's stocking (#9 of 9) will have bears where the gingerbread people are on this stocking.   This brown will be ideal for that!

With a little luck, I am hoping to finish Owen tonight and segue smoothly into Mike's.

More Stockings!!!!

Beaumont's stocking is done.   While I have made this before, for his brother, I had a lot of trouble with the foot.   I did some research and, on the fifth try, was happy with the way things turned out.  

Beaumont's Stocking

Dolly has figured out exactly when to jump on my hands to totally screw up the complicated parts of the knitting.  That is what cats do.

The Firstborn Elvish Christmas Stocking is a Lorna Pearman pattern.  Her patterns are colorful and quirky...and a lot of fun to knit.

Willa, Beaumont's cousin, was a surprise Christmas gift to her family last year.  She was due in the spring but chose to arrive on Christmas Eve instead.    Her sisters, Carys and Sylvie, have Annie's Woolens stockings.   As I wanted Willa to have the (relatively) same thing as her sisters, I went over to Annie's Woolens to see if there were any stockings that I had not done before.

The Santa Stocking is new this year.   None of her cousins have this one.   Last week, as soon as the knitting was done on Beaumont's stocking, I started this one.   This past weekend was very warm here so I sat in the air conditioning and worked on this project.

Once again, I tried the short row heel.   Four times.    It did not work out.   At all.   It is the afterthought heel again.   I tried.  I really did.   When I graft the toe, I want to be done!   Maybe next time.

Willa's Santa Stocking

Santa wears black boots.   As I worked down the stocking I kept thinking about how I wanted to do those boots.   I definitely did not want to carry the yarn for such a small motif.   Intarsia in the round is not (yet) in my skill set.  Duplicate stitch was sounding good until I read about knitting backwards on one of the knit lists.  You Tube, also known as the fount of all knowledge, had some really good videos.   I tried it.  It worked well enough.  I will know for certain after the stocking is washed and the stitches even out.   I am not 100% pleased but...then I usually am not as I work a project. 

With a little luck, this stocking will be done this week.   Then it is six done, three to go!

The Jacobs Series is Done

This morning, Emily will come to her office and find the stockings displayed on her table.  The stockings for her little girls are done.   Doing these is a labor of love.  Her girls are adorable!

Doing these stockings also taught me a bit about shaping.   Yes, these are things I should know.  On some level, I do.  In the actual practice of making the stocking I found I struggled a bit with the size of the foot versus the size of the leg.   Before I do the next "off the pattern" Christmas stocking, I will rethink what I did this time.   The stockings don't look bad...but could look better.

The three stockings together.  

Jacobs Stocking 3 is in process

The third and final stocking of the Jacobs series is in process.   My goal is to finish this and launder all three this weekend.  I will pass them to Emily as soon as this is done. 

Stocking 3

The girls play with their stockings so I am going out of my way to make the stockings sturdy.  When  I finish the knitting of each stocking, I check for potential weak spots and reinforce the potential trouble spot.   The hanging loops are knit onto the stocking and stitched down in addition.  These are made to be used and loved.

As I did not want to have to think about how I did this..or make anybody else reverse engineer what I did, I wrote out and posted the notes as a pattern.   My huge excitement was to see it in the "Your Pattern Highlights" on Ravelry for a few days.   WOW!

Jacobs Stocking 2 is Done!

My bus stop layover in the morning has been an extremely productive time for me.  Yes, I should be walking and getting some exercise BUT I have a lot of knitting on my list.

As I sat this morning, I finished the knitting on the second stocking for the Jacobs girls.   The charts came from the Nana Knits pattern that I liked so much.

Jacobs Stocking 2

This has a little more pattern than the second...and I do like the way this pattern turned out.

If things go as I plan, I will start Jacobs 3 tonight.  I know what charts I want to use.   Each of these stockings has to be different enough to be interesting, but similar enough so that they hang well together.

The shaping of the foot on these is not my favorite..but it will work for what it needs to do.

When this set of three is done..there are five more stockings to do.   Different patterns will keep it interesting.

Jacobs Stocking 1 is Done!

The first of a set of three stockings is done!   While I am not totally happy with how this turned out, it is fine.    I have set up a .pdf with the notes detailing how I did this.  Get it here. 

This is the first time I have used Knitpicks yarn Brava.   I chose it for three reasons:   colors, washability, and price.   Brava is okay.  While I was doing this I found it a bit "splitty" and had to be mindful of hidden stitches that were one ply and had to be picked back and redone.

Here is the finished version 1:

Sock Production

Every Christmas, I give a pair of socks to each of a group of people.  This year, I am trying to stay ahead of the curve....

I have two more pairs to make before Christmas.   Having this much done is really, really calming.

Christmas stockings also get presented to new family arrivals.  I owe two from last year and there will be two new babies this year.   I am also making them for three lovely very young ladies that I know.

The Bredeson babies get the Happy Holiday Striped Stocking from Bernat. 

This makes a very large stocking that will be a challenge for St. Nick to fill.   This is a quick and lovely knit....worsted weight.  I used size 6 needles and Willow Yarns Burrow.   Burrow does not have the classic Christmas colors but I love that yarn and am happy with the way this one turned out.

The stockings for the Jacobs girls are being put together from a couple of patterns.   This time, I am making notes as I go along so that I don't have to think too hard as I do the next two.....the first is getting figured out as I go along.  

The pattern I am using for most of the stocking is the Hearts and Trees Stocking from Nana's Knits.   I did not want to do an afterthought heel or make these stockings huge.  I changed that.  Now I am working out how I want to do the toe.  I think I know what I will do.

The yarn is Brava from Knitpicks.   Not my favorite but the colors are lovely.  The yarn has a nice

Stocking 1 in progress - Jacobs Series

sheen.   As these will be played with, it is also wonderful that they can machine washed and dried.  that is also the reason that I choose to do stripes after the pattern set at the top....I wanted to minimize the floats that could get caught and pulled as the stockings are stuffed.

Proportion is tricky.   I think I have the toe worked out....and will post a picture as soon as the first one is done.

More Henry's Tiger

My sister Helen is very skilled at presentation.    Her present wrapping puts me to shame.  Me, I wrap something in tissue and put it in a bag.

Henry will be visiting Helen and Sam this weekend.   The tiger is there waiting for him.  Helen's presentation for the tiger is really fun.

A special box with air holes for breathing.....

Helen made a special travel box for the Tiger that has air holes so that Tiger can breathe freely as he waits for Henry to open the box.

This is way more exciting than finding a gift bag with tissue spring out of it....   This is more of a mystery.   Henry is two....and is old enough to find this exciting...I think.

Tiger with the note...

There is a note Helen wrote on my behalf (good thing as my handwriting is not legible).

"Dear Henry,

 I found this lost baby tiger cub.  He needs a strong, brave boy to be his family and keep him safe so I am sending him to you."

As the Tiger goes into the box, I think he looks happy.  I am hoping that Henry and the Tiger have a good long relationship together.

The Tiger is smiling...

Helen placed Tiger so that he looks like he is reaching out for a hug.  The finished size of the tiger is small enough that little hands will have no trouble hauling him around.   I stuffed the tiger so that he would be very squishy and cuddly.

Faces on stuffed toys are really important.   When I was doing the eyes...which I embroidered...I wanted to make sure that the eyes looked friendly and not squinty.  Tiger is supposed to be friendly, not having an attitude.   When I was stitching the mouth, I made sure there was a smile.   Making a "personality" is fun.   Were this for a teenager...the face might have been a little more snarky.   Tiger's face is good for a buddy.

Ready for Henry.....

I will be excited to hear how Henry likes the Tiger.   This, after figuring out what I had done wrong and re-checking the pattern, was a fun project.   The second tiger, for Augusto, has been mailed.   I hope both tigers are good buddies to their boys.

A Tale of Two Arms

I have been knitting the "Tigers are for Cuddling" pattern for Henry.  He needs a cuddle buddy as he has a lot of changes going on in his very young life.   I finished this last night.....after having to figure out a few things.

Henry's Tiger Ready for Cuddling...

Gregory Patrick, who wrote this pattern, also has a pattern called A Boy's Bunny which I have knit several times.

Knowing that I wanted this project to be done on time to ship it to a place Henry would be, I launched into this project a week or so ago.

Everything went fairly well until I got to the arms......

The problem is really in the reading of this pattern if you aren't paying full attention.  The long arm was the result of following the directions I thought I saw.   The short arm, which I used, is the result of reading more carefully.   There is a little problem with the wording of the tail...but not one that really matters.

This makes a really cute tiger.  Don't let the many stripes prevent making your own little buddy.

The yarn I used was a Paton's Canadiana and some Willow Burrow.   I stuffed it so that it holds its shape, but is still squishy enough to be cuddly.   Henry is pretty little...and is going to have a sibling soon...so the eyes are embroidered rather than using safety eyes.   The mouth and nose are also embroidered....and I made sure the tiger is smiling.

The Squirrel is Finished!

Frontal view of the squirrel.

The squirrel is finished!

Making the tail was interesting.  I will admit that I was worried that it would not look like I wanted it to look.  It doesn't, but it is okay.

Even if you aren't interested in making a squirrel, checking out the tutorial on making the tail is worth checking out for the technique.  This is something I had never really thought of doing...and will use on other projects.   One of my grandnieces loves horses.  This technique would product a pretty snappy mane.

I did embroider the eyes..not my best job but it works.  Safety eyes would not have given me what I wanted with this project.  The size would be way too big.....and the embroidered eyes just feel as though they are a better design choice.

This was a great project for learning new things.  Will I do it again?  Maybe.

Rabbit Hole Knits really is a great resource for stuffed animal patterns.   The added bonus is that a number of the patterns are free and none are inexpensive.

Short Rows

Knit 1, Squirrel 2 from Rabbit Hole Knits - in progress

One of my friends wanted a knit squirrel.  I don't judge.   Sarah Kellner had this cool pattern that I have been wanting to try.  Picked up some cheap brown yarn and had at it.  

I got to the body shaping and was stopped because my short rowing looked....very bad.   OH NO!   Craftsy has an excellent free short row class by Carol Feller.   Saved!

Carol Feller is a good teacher.  I will also be taking her longer class on short rows as I have decided that I really want to learn how to do short rows well...and learn how to use them in many different ways.

One of the best things about knitting is that you never, never know it all.   Learning new things is good for one's head!