Slipper Socks

Christmas is over - and we have all been catching up on our sleep here. Even my 3 year old son has been sleeping in. All of the decorating, shopping, baking, cooking, wrapping, knitting, attending events, etc. has left us exhausted. We had a great holiday season but, truthfully, I am glad it is coming to an end. And now I am free to show and tell about my few knits I have managed to get done.

When my sister was little, she got a pair of red slipper socks from L. L. Bean for Christmas one year. They almost never left her feet. She absolutely loved them. So when I saw this pattern for slipper socks in the latest Debbie Bliss Magazine, I knew that I had to knit these for her.

Pattern: Cabled Slipper Socks from Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine Fall/Winter 2009
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease in Grey Heather
Needles: size US 7 and US 8

The pattern for these is great. I was completely intrigued to see how they came together and I had a hard time putting them down. Needless to say, the knitting went fast. I had completely no idea how to knit the welt around the toe and foot and the magazine offered up no instructions other than to knit the next stitch with the corresponding stitch 5 rows below. That seems easier than it really is. I went to my knitting instruction books but they had no instructions for this and I was completely at a loss. I finally found instructions on this web page: http://charisa-martin.livejournal.com/24489.html It was an Ah-hah! moment.


I knew that I wanted real leather for the soles and I ended up finding leather working materials at Michael's craft store. They sell single squares of leather for around $8.00 which worked out perfectly for this project. I also found special needles for sewing leather and I used some heat-n-bond just to be sure that the leather stayed in place. I blanket stitched the edges to the bottom of the slipper.


I really love how these turned out and I think my sister loves them too.

A Little Christmas Knitting

I tend to not knit very much as far as Christmas presents are concerned for one very big reason - I have a 3 year old son who demands a lot of my attention. And let's face it, I would rather be doing special things with him around the holidays than spend my time behind a pair of knitting needles. I am managing to get one thing knit up because I saw this and it is very cool and because the recipient would totally appreciate it. Here is a sneak peek:

.....To be blogged about in full after Christmas.

This is actually going pretty quickly. I might even have a chance to knit up one more little thing.

Hoodie Sweater

My son's 3rd birthday was in October and I always like to knit him a little special something for his birthdays. This year it was a hoodie sweater.

Pattern: Child Hooded Jacket by Sirdar from their booklet number 318, Lazy Days and Holidays
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft DK in the color Mist
Needles: size US 6 (size US 3 for the trim)


I made only a few modifications and they were really only in the construction of the sweater. I added full fashioned shaping at the raglan sleeves. The pattern gave instructions to make the decreases right at the edge and there was no way I was going to try to seam that up. Also the pattern gave instructions to bind off the stitches at the neckline only to pick up and knit the same amount of stitches for the hood. I was seriously like, "huh????" so I just kept the stitches on a holder and joined them all together for the hood. Ingenious, I know.

I am really happy with the way this turned out. The closures kind of disappoint me because they are so stretchy that they don't keep the sweater closed all the way and I feel like they look a bit wonky. Other than that, the fit is great and the yarn is a dream. It is so soft and drapes very nicely.

I must say, my son has finally become a good little model for me. I used to have to chase him around and pray for one good shot but now he actually poses for me. I guess he just got used to modeling the sweaters I knit for him. This time around, I would say "turn a little to the left, ok, hold it there" and it was done. "Now give me your best leaf face. Work it, work it."

See, he's a total pro.

Check This Out: Hortensia

I am absolutely loving these knits by Hortensia.




These unique designs are all hand knit by skilled artisans in Peru and they are made out of Peruvian alpaca. Check them out at www.hortensiahandmade.com. Enjoy!

Fairisle Yoked Sweater

Last year, my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary and the gift for your 7th is wool. (Maybe that's why they call it the 7 year itch. Wool. Get it?) Anyway, moving on. My husband said he would really like to see me knit a fairisle sweater and to pick out a pattern and he would buy the yarn for my anniversary gift. Perfect. One year later, I have a finished fairisle sweater. (It didn't take me a year to knit. I had to get a few projects out of the way before I could start this.)


The pattern is Fairisle Yoked Sweater by Debbie Bliss from her booklet called "The Cashmere Collection." I also used Debbie Bliss Yarn - Cashmerino DK in seven different colors. The original color of the sweater is in a light blue with a darker blue as a contrast color. I wanted a white sweater with navy as a secondary color and then I chose the other colors to compliment the white/navy combination. Neddles were a size 5.

The only mods I made were to add an inch and a half to the length and two inches to the sleeves. I am so happy with the way this sweater turned out and it fits me perfectly. I made sure to measure everything this time around and I feel like I finally got it right.

One of the reasons I chose this sweater over other fairisle patterns was because of the cuff and collar detail. I love how the cuffs turn up. Overall, a great pattern and a fun knit.

Check This Out: Lutz & Patmos

As I was perusing my October issue of Vogue (not Knitting), I came across a lovely picture of Charlize Theron in a totally gorgeous, chunky, cable-y handknit twinset. And I am a huge sucker for cables. It was a write up on the brand Lutz & Patmos, whose eco-friendly, timeless knits are making a big splash.

Then, I got the latest West Elm catalog, and there they were again, with thick knit cabled throws and pillows. Don't you just want to wrap yourself up in this:

I love when knits go mainstream. You can check them out at www.lutzandpatmos.com and you can find that cozy throw at www.westelm.com. Enjoy!

Blink

Well, it seems that if I blink, months fly by! I have been off the radar (again!) and not really meaning to do so. I can tell you exactly what happened - besides life being incredibly busy and all that. I had finished my sweater way back in the end of August after finally weaving in all of those pesky ends, I had my husband take pics out in the park on a very sunny morning - and they came out bad. The sun was too bright, the shadows were too dark, the colors came out all wrong, etc., etc. So I never posted them here and I have been meaning to schedule another photo shoot but have never had the chance. Crazy, I know, that in the past two months I haven't had a few minutes to take pictures of my sweater, but it is true. They are coming - soon. I hope. No, they are, they are.

In the mean time I have other things I am working on, and that I have completed, so I will get on with those. Here's what's on my needles:

A simple ribbed hat - almost done.



My "Holiday" sweater. Can not wait to finish this one. Can. Not. Wait.

I will be back, hopefully with some pictures of my finished fair isle sweater that are good enough to post.

Really?

Well, the knitting part of my sweater is finally complete. Yay! Now I am just left to deal with this:

Do I really have to weave in all of these ends?
OK, I know the answer to that. Better get started.....

Catching Up

The second half of my summer got really busy. Between a two week getaway, visitors, and other summer activities, I haven't had a chance to sit down catch up. I have finished a project, started a new one, and continue on (and on) with the sweater. I left for vacation in the end of July, but before I left I finished up the pair of socks for Oliver.

Pattern: Classic Socks for the Family by Melissa Goodfellow
Yarn: Classic Elite Alpaca Sox in Gray
Needles: size US 2 dpns

He really likes his socks and has been wanting to wear them. I told him he's just going to have to wait until the weather gets cooler. Hot summer weather plus alpaca socks plus sweaty toddler feet do not mix well.

When we went out of town, I decided not to bring the sweater to work on it. It was getting too big to carry and I didn't want to put it in my suitcase - I'm always afraid that my luggage is going to get lost and then there goes all that work and yarn. So I started a simple project that I could knit on the plane and here and there on my vacation. I have been eyeing the Baktus scarf recently and went for that.

I am not sure I love it so far. It is made out of worsted weight cheapy yarn from a box store but I liked the color combo. We'll see.

Progress on the sweater is being made. I am close to being finished with it and I'm trying to get it done as quickly as possible. I'm feeling the crunch with fall approaching quickly. Oliver's 3rd birthday is also coming up for which I have a sweater planned so I need to get my butt in high gear!

Ripple Weave Socks

I liked these socks the moment I saw them in the Fall 2006 issue of Vogue Knitting (aka the best issue of Vogue Knitting evah! Seriously - I love almost everything in this issue.) It was the kind of pattern that made me go Hmmmm.... and part of the reason I knit these was just to figure out how it was done.

Pattern: Ripple Weave Socks by Charlene Schurch
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in Quilla
Needles: size US 1 dpn's

I had a little bit of a slow start with these. There is an error in the third line of the chart that is not reported so I had to figure it out myself after my sock did not look like the one in the picture. I ripped out and started again. From there on it was smooth sailing.

These were really enjoyable to knit and I really like the small details of them, like how the cuff and the toe blend into the pattern, and the Eye of Partridge heel, and the all over twisted rib. These are going to get a lot of play once the colder weather comes around.

Scarf Love

I love scarves! As a knitter, I should really knit more of them. Surprisingly, this is the first scarf I knit for myself. And there is no wonder that there are currently 3,643 of them on Ravelry and it is in 6,069 queues. I totally love it! It is a pretty darn good first scarf to have.

Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery from Knitty Spring 2008
Yarn: Classic Elite Alpaca Sox in gray
Needles: size US 3 straights

There it is, kids. All 80 inches of it. I like that it is really long but I feel like it took forevah to knit. It was well worth it in the end. With the cooler weather this summer, I have already worn this a few times. It is so stylish and so easy to dress up a plain t-shirt when I throw it on as I walk out the door. Did I already mention that I love this scarf?

This is also my first time knitting lace. I made a ton of mistakes but this pattern is so forgiving that only I can tell where they are. It is even harder to tell after blocking.

I used the recommended yarn and I am so glad that I did. The alpaca is so soft and the scarf drapes beautifully. It is a little bit hairy, which gives the scarf a nice look. I only used around 1/4 of the second skein that I have enough left over for another project. I already started a pair of socks for Oliver - because he asked me so sweetly. I just can't say no to that.

Getting a Head Start

I know it is only June, but I thought I would get a head start on my fall knitting. I usually tend to wait until the appropriate season rolls around to knit for that season - and I never have enough time to finish everything, especially if I actually want to wear my finished objects in that season. Seeing as I didn't have anything queued up for summer, I dove straight into fall with a fairisle sweater.

I have had this yarn sitting around for quite some time. Look at how pretty these colors are. I couldn't resist starting this.

Birthday Socks

About a year ago, on a trip into NYC, I paid a visit to String Yarns and purchased a skein of Colinette Jitterbug. I stopped at my mom's house afterward and showed her my purchase and she fell in love with it and proceeded to tell me how much she loved that particular yarn no less than a thousand times after that. She also complained that I never knit her anything. She is not too subtle with her hinting. So for her recent birthday I knit her a pair of socks with that skein that she loved so much.

Pattern: Par 5 Socks by Ingrid Hiddessen
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Olive
Needles: size US 2

These were a relatively quick knit and I love the cables. The yarn is so soft and squishy, it is a really great sock yarn. After putting them on my feet I debated keeping them for myself. In the end, I reluctantly wrapped them up for my mom - and she loves them!

Sachets

I saw these in the Holiday issue of Knit Simple magazine and they were actually the only reason I purchased this issue. I thought they would be a great Christmas present for my grandmother. I started knitting these back in December and then decided I had too much to do during the holidays so I put my knitting aside. I picked them back up again after the holidays to finish them in time for my grandmother's birthday in March.

Pattern: Sachets by Rosemary Drysdale from Knit Simple Holiday 2008
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas, Alpaca Silk in cream and lavender
Needles: size US 3 and US 4


I must tell you, I did not enjoy knitting these - at all. They are very pretty, but sooo fiddly to construct. There were so many pieces not to mention the lace border - and then seaming it all together. Ugh! I really dragged my heels on these. I rarely complain about knitting but these were a total pain in the butt! My grandmother loved them so I guess that is all that matters.


The yarn was a dream to work with. It is lovely - maybe the softest yarn I have ever felt. I am planning on using this in a sweater. I had also found a very nice lavender scent to fill the sachets with.