Thursday, January 22

Presents on Ravelry

If you want to knit a pair of child's mittens, go to Ravelry and enter that search phrase in the Patterns search. If you keep scrolling for, maybe 6 pages, you will see this example:




Mittens
by Kajsa Lindquist
from Nomis #5, Scandinavian Snow Sets
6.5 stitches = 1 inch

I put my picture up and when the pattern was not included in the possibilities, I entered the pattern from this little book. I think I got the booklet with a bag of needles I bought at a garage sale in Americus, IN.

This is the second picture of mine that is the example for a pattern.

The first one was for a neckwarmer named Wayne F by Amy Anderson. I am still surprised that there are not more of her patterns in Ravelry. I bought this pattern and others from Lakeside Fibers in Madison, WI. If a neckwarmer pattern is not available in Wisconsin, where the heck can you find one?



I gave the neckwarmer to my mother in law who visited from Mississippi in Nov. Even though this was before Thanksgiving, the temperature was about 40 degrees and all she had was an Army jacket. Brrr

I will probably never see this again but I still have the cashmere I bought at the same time. I might make a different Amy Anderson pattern. And post it on Ravelry.

Sunday, January 11

Snow, snow, snow

It's been snowing since Thursday night. This weather makes me want to bake bread. That's what we did in 1977 when my parents and 5 kids were snowbound for 2 weeks. Baked up all the flour, sewed up my mother's fabric stash, and used up all the toilet paper. Then some farmers cleared the road and all the adults headed for the bar.

No one in Chicago gets stuck for very long, especially now that Richie has backed off his plan to plow the side streets only during regular working hours in order to sock the money away for the Olympics. Our sidewalks are kept cleared by the janitor with his snowblower and different grounds crews for the UC and parking facilities with snowplows on their Gators. Living on a bus route means the street in front is plowed as a main artery.

Regardless, the snowflakes blowing sideways outside the windows made me think I needed warmth and good smells in the apartment. I baked applesauce bread and made a pot of black-eyed peas using the roasted chicken from earlier in the week. I wanted new wool socks, and these would be perfect if I could use the Paton's Kroy (Gentry Grey)I got for Christmas.



I disappointed myself on Friday night by not finding the project of my dreams - I almost started the Yarn Harlot's Keystone socks - but then just before bedtime, I found Scandinavian Socks in The Little Box of Socks. Just the thing! Combined with Regia 4 Fach Haltbar and the sock is knitting up very cushy. I am tempted to make a sleeve instead.



But starting a project at 10pm is not a good idea. I guess I decided to go with the women's large/men's regular size, which turned out to be a bad idea when I thought the Lacy Rib socks would be for me. As I started the heel flap on 35 sts, I began to think these socks would be too big. DD#1 thinks the socks are pretty. Now she has a new pair on the way.


Thursday, January 8

2009 FO#1


What more can I say? Conceived and finished in the same week! Baby Maggie has outgrown 2 sweaters that I intended for her. If I mail these tomorrow, these mittens will fit and be appropriate for the season!

From Scandinavian Snow Sets, Bonnet and Mittens project. Size 3 dpn, using Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift Sunrise and Sand.

Since I finished two UFOs on my list, I wanted to reward myself with knitting that has not been well-aged. I wish I could find the trim I started for the Tree of Life afghan.

Friday, January 2

Day 2 and I'm keeping my resolution

In an effort to finish more in 2009, I reached deep into the pile of knitting projects that have accumulated and the elves have not finished. So much time and yarn and so little to wear!

I assembled Audrey (Louisa Harding). Made for DD#3 who then told me she doesn't wear hand knits I think she decided to adopt it after all when she saw what kind of a life the vest faced if I wear it. So much promise in my imagination but, alas, too small for me in reality.

The Wool Gathering #76, Guernsey Pullover, lacked one sleeve. Knit from the bottom up, split at the underarms for the detail on the yoke, then finished with the sleeves knit from the top down.




I bought all the Filatura di Crosa 501 that Nana's Knitting Shop had on hand but the math told me I was one skein short. I will never believe the math again! I thought I would have to go with 3/4 length sleeves but the way the sweater turned out with droopy shoulders, the sleeves are comfortable. Next time I walk the fine line between ample and not enough yarn, I hope I remember to cast on using a provisional cast-on so I can work the interesting bits (yoke and sleeves), then work the boring stockinette stitch with the flexible sizing (body length and possibly circumference). I am fascinated with the Indian Corn stitch. I had hoped to finish off the sleeves with that detail also.

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