Ive had a busy little winter of knitting so far, with many lovely FOs (finished objects) to show for it! I'm so pleased with all these, I had to share them here in addition to my Ravelry account.
(The next time you wonder why I haven't blogged in a while, remember this list representing my work from November to January. My fingers are probably busy with yarn instead of a keyboard.)
I made this cardigan for Amanda for her birthday. It's made with a linen blend from Madelinetosh called Dandelion. It should get very soft and drapey with washing and wearing. The garment is knit in one piece from top to bottom.
Here is a warm hat with two different yarns I spun myself. Never got a great photo of it. Also, I made it a little too long and I keep thinking about pulling out the brim to take and inch off. But it's wearable as is.
These are mittens I made for my Dad for Christmas. I hadn't used this brand of yarn before. It was so nubbly and fun to knit with! I'd love a whole sweater out of it (but it would cost an arm and a leg!)
This hat was a fun, quick project I gave to Jenn for Christmas. The pattern is called Beeswax and I found this rich amber Madelinetosh Tosh DK for it. I added a removable pompom and bee pins. This picture is before I blocked it. Jenn, please send me a better product photo for my collection!
Not too exciting, but I had these sock "hibernating" on needles for over a year. I finally finished the second sock. For some reason the old one is much tighter than the one I finished recently! Annoying, but I still wear them.
I made these socks with Madelinetosh Sock yarn. I hadn't used that type before, but like all things Madelinetosh, it was delightful to work with. My feet want to wear hand knit socks every day! Someone has a birthday coming up and would love some more sock yarn ;-)
Ben gave me some luxurious Woolfolk yarn for Christmas. It's only merino wool but it's as soft as cashmere and so squishy soft. I turned it into a cowl with lots of undulating brioche stitch ridges. Love it so much, I'm wearing it now.
You may not remember this sweater from 2014 (but you probably remember that hair - yeesh!). I had a hard time wearing this cardigan. Too hot in warm weather, too cold for chilly days. Not many outfits were flattered by it.
Such a shame. I was proud of the construction and work and I love the color and yarn (another Madelinetosh Tosh DK), but what good is that if I don't wear it?
In a rush of bravery, I unraveled the whole thing. I put them in loose hanks and reset the twist in a warm water bath. After drying I wound them all back into cakes to use again.
I made this sweater last spring of 2015. I loved the fit, but hated the cheap yarn from Hobby Lobby. It pilled terribly, looked messy after just a season of occasional use, and didn't block well.
I decided to make this pattern again using the Tosh DK recycled yarn. It's a masterpiece! I've never been happier with a sweater I knit.
It looks great and fits great - despite a lot of improvising. I had to adapt the pattern from fingering to DK weight (I'd already had to change it from fingering to worsted on the brown sweater). I also added a deeper collar with shaping and cables along the body side and up the inner sleeve. I jumped around from sleeve to neck to body, doing a little at a time to make sure I had enough yarn for each direction of growth.
Now I'm working on
a new shawl with (you guessed it) Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light. I have four gorgeous colors and a pattern with fun, new techniques. Too bad I can only work on it when kids are sleeping. If I try to knit when Sam is around he claims my lap.
I have two non-knit finished objects to show off. Jack saw
Dr. Doom on Super Hero Squad swearing a snuggie. He asked me if I could make him "a blanket with sleeves." Sure! What else is a crafty mom to do but whip up two snuggies on a Saturday night.
