Sassy shrug

Originally uploaded by knitterbay

This has been done for a couple of weeks. The hold up was getting it photographed. If I just stretched it out on the couch it would look like a long tube. If I put it on a daughter, the sleeves would go down to their knees. Finally I had on some clothes that I would wear with this sweater. It is just a fun sweater, nothing to take too seriously. It is made from Himalaya's Recycled Silk and just plain black wool.

I searched the web trying to find a photo of what this shrug looks like to me.

Do you see it too?

Photo from Webers Circus

Feisty Feral Tam

The Feral Tam is done. I did remove and reknit the band to make it tighter. Then I wanted to make the companion mitts that Kathleen Taylor* also offers on her site. In her posting of finished pieces she showed store bought gloves. I don't have any gloves, so I winged the pattern and made gloves. Although the gloves are fine and warm, I see a few areas that bother me as I am being over critical. I know that washing and blocking won't fix it. I was then on the hunt for glove instructions. I was able to download a book on glove making and how to knit them to fit properly. But before I knit another pair of gloves I want to finish the Companion Feral Mitts first.

Gloves may be the new 'socks' for the rest of the winter or until I have figured out the key to knitting good fitting gloves. Meanwhile here in Michigan it is freezing - I will just hunker down and knit.

* Kathleen Taylor graciously shares her patterns for free on her site. She is also the designer of the cute button band hats I made for my nieces at Christmas. She also has a few knitting books and one coming out soon.

Rekindling an Old Flame

It had been about 28 years since we were last together. I was in High School looking for a little excitement. I found a challenge. I was excited and prepared. As with most flames, they eventually die out. What becomes of them? Where did it go wrong?

It was my first.

Others were normal. Others were abysmal. Others were too far of a stretch. This one stood out from the others.

Over the years, I would often think back to this time in my life. How colors were brighter, visions of future were clearer. I look back with fondness and wonderment.

For the past few years I have searched the internet and old stacks too see if I could once again find my old flame, my first.

My first...
My first Fair Isle
My first charted pattern
My first color work knit
My oldest UFO (unfinished object)

I remember completing the back and partially the front panel. The main color was cherry red and had sparkly charcoal grey and light pink as the pattern colors. I remember carefully knitting the pattern and watching the figures slowly emerge as I continued. I was especially fond of the little pink snowflakes that dotted the big cherry red field. They looked like little hearts.

Why had I never completed it? I loved that silly sweater and the daydreams of how it would look once completed. Over the years I always thought I could always pick it up and finish it anytime. However, that was so long ago. Once I had gotten back into knitting, I began to look for the project. For the past few years I searched my old family homestead, eventually I had to concede, it wasn't here.

I have looked at every pattern book and website. I was constantly in search of the dancing boys and girls. I began hunting for the book instead of trying to find the charted pattern. This was the easiest route. Unlike today, back then there were fewer resources for knitting. There was only a smattering of Scandinavian knitting booklets.

Long last, I found it! (on Ebay) I present to you -

Nomis Scandinavian Sweater Pattern Book 1946

Now that I am reunited with the old book, I will finish the sweater. I also see why it took so long to knit. It was worsted weight (probably used Red Heart) yarn knitted on #5 needles. That is a large amount of time commitment and concentration for a teenager. I am not the same person (nor the same size) as I was back then. I have to decide to knit it either for my youngest daughter or for myself. Either way, it will involve some recalculations. Keeping with the color choices as before, I do have better yarn selection than Ben Franklin had to offer.

Feral Tam

I was yammering on about the next project I was going to try. In the middle Ram-niss said, "Feral Tam?" It took me a beat to catch what he had said. Although if the knitting goes badly it just may be a feral tam, but for now it is Gramma K's Fair Isle Tam.

2008 and it feels like forever

Recycled Silk Shrug
Originally uploaded by knitterbay

In my head I know that it is only the first full week of January. But to me it feels like March. Some of it has to do with the weather, some of it is the bug that has been going through family members and work. (fun times)

Currently on the needles is a Recycled Silk Shrug (using Blippity + Deco-Ribbon Shrug pattern). I love the colors and texture of the Himalaya Yarn. Knitting with it is a pain. Most projects made with this are not the most flattering to wear. I had an idea on how I wanted to use it, but there was a lot of Christmas knitting going on here. I now get a chance to experiment and try to see if it is any better in smaller doses. So far I like it, but we will see.

I have a lot of newly finished objects, I can't tell you which if any were the official first FO of 2008. The holiday week was a blur. My guess would be one of the 5 lowly dishcloths, or maybe it was the pair of felted clogs, or it could be one of the button hole bags.

My favorite FO over the holiday week was my Ga Ga Glittens. This was my first attempt at color work on mittens and making gloves. From this quick and simple project I got some very warm gloves/mittens and a huge need to make Selbuvotter (black and white patterned Norwegian mittens). This also makes me want to knit simple gloves too. I can't believe I was afraid to make gloves before. I believe that using the magic loop method instead of DPNs makes it easier. (I don't have to switch needles as often, nor am I accidentally pulling out a needle from the live loops!)


Reminder to those in Michigan...

...the snow will be back. (Let's just hope that it is gone by May.)