Wool Leaves as a Wedding Present

Jared Flood's Wool Leaves pattern is a lovely, lovely pattern.   My first go at it was for Lucia

Rocksusto's blanket.   That was an audition for the pattern for my nephew Eddie and his fiancee Megan's wedding present.   The wedding present had to be sized up.    My first try was going along nicely.  I stopped to take a picture.   The blanket looked a bit narrow.  It was.   It was fourteen inches narrower than I wanted it to be.    Oh well!   Now I am back on track and using my time off to make some good progress.   Dolly liked checking the blanket out but feels that the knitting of the blanket rudely interferes with the time she should be being held.

Over the next few days, I hope to make quite a bit of progress.   The pattern looks complicated, but really isn't.    It moves along quickly and I have hopes of finishing the project before I get sick of doing it.

Burrow Bulky is becoming one of my favorite yarn for blankets.   The yarn washes up beautifully and can go into the dryer.  The price point is attractive and the colors are glorious.    I have a secret stash of it already.

IT WAS A RAT

A Rat on a Mouse

Things ran a little behind for me, but I finished up the knit a long this morning.    At the end of the second clue....the end of the tail...it was pretty clear that it was a rodent.    I pressed on as I knew who the rodent would be good for...for an excellent use.

This morning, with the help of my faithful companion Dolly, I finished up by sewing on the legs.   Was this fun?  Yes.   Would I have done this if I had known it was a rat?  UMMMMMMM.  No.

The pattern was well written and showed me a few places in which I need to really up my skills.

Next adventure?   The wedding afghan...rip out...refigure...and madly knit to the finish.

My First Mystery Knit A Long!

Rabbit Hole Knits designs really, really cute knitting patterns for huggable animals.   She put a Mystery Knit A Long up on Ravelry.    Despite feeling a little overwhelmed these days, I was intrigued.   I have looked at other MKL's, was tempted, but drifted off.   This time, I signed on up and have knit the first clue.

Whatever can I be???????

My cell phone did not take the greatest picture this morning, but the day one clue is there and visible.  There are so many things this could be.   Three more clues ....... three more days ..... excitement builds.

A few years ago I went on an animal knitting binge.  The critters all went to happy homes.   As I have odds and ends that would be happier in little hats or little animals, it might be time again.

Shall I admit that I still have my faithful stuffed companion?  While she rests in a drawer, she is still present.

Animals can be comforting to those who receive them and for me, were oddly comforting to make.

Every once in awhile there will be a pattern that SHOULD be easy but ends up giving me fits.  Most of the time, I soldier through it and banish it to the trash.   This time, I am close to throwing the project....just throwing it.    This is a pattern (I won't reveal which one...just say that it is slippers) that I now dislike so much that I will finish it and give the end product to Savers.  I am choosing another for the gift I am giving.

There are other patterns that I like so much that I will do a second time.  On of these is the Family Affair throw from one of the Yarn Girls books.   The Yarn Girls write good patterns.  They are not overly "fixity" and will not be terribly dated.

The first time that I knit this, I did it in two strands...one a really pretty mohair and the other a very nice wool.  That was for me, I I know I will launder it as it needs to be laundered.    Willow Yarns has arrived on the scene.  Their Burrow Bulky is a great, and easily laundered, yarn for doing throws.  This blue was perfect for the recipient.....and I liked doing it through the entire project...even a second time.    That is good.

Family Affair Throw done in Willow Burrow Bulky

Knitting Groups are a Great Place

I belong to two "formal" knitting groups. 

One of the knitting groups, Ample Knitters, came together off a listserv.   That group meets once a month and people come and go.  Everyone there is interesting and the conversation is always lively.

Economics Department Knitters has been going on since 1997 or so.  The members shift a bit.   The conversation is always good.   We come together once a week to work on our projects, share what we know, look at magazines, patterns, feel good yarn..and laugh.

The Honey Wine Beanie Has Been Blocked

The Honey Wine Beanie After Blocking

After this was blocked, the cables looked so much better.   DUH.   This was a challenging and fun project.    I used a knit-on cast on to control the amount of yarn left as a tail.   I added the four extra rows for a little extra length as suggested.   As I was finishing the knitting, it was one of those knit a row and check the remaining yarn thrillers...much more scary than a horror story.   The end was happy though as I had a foot and a half left as I secured the stitches remaining after shaping.

The designer of this hat is one of those shaping geniuses.   The Man Hat is another of my favorites for the same reason.   The decreases the form the crown are cleverly worked into the pattern so that they are disguised among the cables.  I really, really like that.   The minds that come up with the neat ways to shape hats that are elegant, simple, and enhance the pattern are truly clever ones and I bow to them.

Tiny Sock

Yesterday, Ana Rose was at work.   She is growing but still very small.   I had the urge to measure her

Ana Rose's Sock with a cell phone for size comparison.

feet and see what I could come up with for a sock as KatieRose has mentioned she could use more booties.    I have a little yarn....and wanted to see how an Ana Rose-sized sock would turn out.

Willow Yarn's Gosling is a merino, bamboo, and nylon blend.  The fingering weight does not come in a wide range of colors, but the colors available are all good choices.  There is a lovely free bootie pattern that I had this yarn on had to make.   The ball has good yardage so I will have plenty for that project also.

Ana Rose was very mellow about having her feet measured.   I did my swatch during Tuesday knitting and it was off to the races.   Before we left for the evening, I had the first sock done.   I am going to try to do the second at lunch today.    Jan put the cellphone the picture so that the scale of the sock would be easy to see.  I don't think second sock syndrome will be a problem.

I may write up the pattern so that I don't forget what I did.  If I do, I will post it here.