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.