My Year In Knitting

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year,

Filled with good health, finished projects, and yarn stashing.

Keeping Mother Mary Warm This Winter

Not much Christmas knitting happened this year for me. I knit these, and I knit those, but that's old news to you. I had good intentions (I always do), but then that sweater took over my entire knitting life which left me with little time to crank out much else.

That is until... I came across this lovely little project.

We have had these kits at the shop for a while, and everyone who knits one raves about it, and usually casts on a second one no time after the first one is finished.

After knitting one myself, I can see why.

I'm still not sure if it's the hustle and bustle of the holidays that has left me a little brain dead, or that big ol' sweater, but in any case, this was the perfect project to get me back on my knitting track.

Quick, inspiring and just oh-so-super soft. (Seriously... it's living at the shop for a while and you're welcome to pop by and have a squeeze).

I like to knit for my mom at Christmas (knitting is sort of our 'thing', you know? It's what we do), and these days, I try to knit something other than socks (I save those for Mother's Day). This Christmas was looking like it was going to be a Chapters gift card until about December 10th when I finally kicked it into high gear, wound the yarn, and knit like the wind.

By Christmas Eve, it was in a box, wrapped up in some pretty paper and I even managed to slap a sweet little bow on there. The best part? I wasn't feeling stressed about it and my shoulders weren't in agony from too much midnight knitting. This project just seemed to sort of fall off the needles.

Good thing too because now that it's finally cold, that woman is going to need this. Her house is absolutely freezing, and I don't even feel the cold the way that she does. Better bundle up mother!

There is no such thing as 'too much' fringe

Info you may want to know.

Pattern- Mountain Colors Warm and Wooly Throw Trio (I did the Easy knitted Throw)
Yarn- It's a kit! But in that kit there are four yarns as follows
-Mountain Colors Mohair
-Mountain Colors Moguls
-Mountain Colors Merino Goat
-Mountain Colors Merino Ribbon
Colourway- Harvest
Needles- 8 mm Chiaogoo bamboo

And just a wee piece of advice to those that might want to knit this. I followed the pattern exactly, but the kind people over at Mountain Colors are more than generous with the amount of yarn in the kit. If I were to knit this again, I would most definitely add one more repeat.

So dear knitters, I hope that the holidays have left you feeling all warm inside- whether you have a new throw to cuddle up under or not.

The end of December means that it's finally time to knit for ourselves.

So, get cracking already!
What are you waiting for?

Merry Christmas To All

And to all,

a good night.

In Which I Overcome My Susperstitions

I knew when my boyfriend showed up for our first date wearing a knitted (albeit not hand knitted) sweater vest, that perhaps this could be the man for me. (Way to jump to conclusions Lynn!!!) I vowed that I wouldn't dive right into the "I'm knitting my boyfriend a sweater" stage for a while as I didn't want to freak the poor guy out. As we sat over Indian Food on that cold and rainy night however, he spoke of  how many siblings he had, where his family was from, what kind of food made him sick (thankfully, not Indian)... While he filled me in on first-date-details, I did my best not to look like I was doing a brain scan of my stash. I have a mental rolodex of yarns I own, yarns I could own, yarns I want to own, patterns I love... and if I meet you and really, really like you, I start a search of that catalogue- without even knowing it.

When I heard it through the grapevine that his 30th birthday was looming, I felt that that was my green light to go. Interesting, because I'll have you know, I'm quite a superstitious person- this is something I'm not proud of. For those that missed the memo, there is a well known superstition amongst the knitting world known as the 'sweater curse' which essentially tells us to 'never knit your man a sweater, unless you have the ring'.
Five months before his 30th birthday however, I gave myself a pep talk, made the decision to test fate, and cast on.

By the end of November, I handed him over his sweater.

Honeycomb cabling on a man??? Yes please.

When I first made this crazy idea known at the shop, many eyebrows were raised. I can't say I blame anyone for doubting me. My track record is pretty shady when it comes to actually finishing projects. So for me to get through this sweater is a major milestone in my knitting career- especially, getting through it on time (deadlines are something that I desperately struggle with, even outside of my knitting life).

Since when did I get all grown up and pay attention to the calendar?

 

I'm pretty sure I'm going to get 'spoken to' about this posting this photo

My mother also had her doubts when I got the crazy idea to get knitting a project bigger than a foot. So much so that she even called me at home on a Sunday after I had swatched a couple of yarns (which is to say that I must have meant business) to try and talk me out of it.

You see, my mom actually really likes my boyfriend, and hated to think that I might dump his sorry (and cold!) self if I tried to knit him something other than socks.

Turns out, I didn't. I made it to his 30th birthday and was able to gift him a sweater. It's been a few weeks now and at this point, we're still a team (which is to say that we have overcome the sweater curse- thus far).

Sorta neat, right?

Should you want to make this sweater for your favorite man's 30th birthday, that's neat too.

Here is what you need to know.

Pattern- Sandnes Peer Gynt Fritid 9809-1 by Halla Einarsdottir (out of print)
Yarn- Sandnesgarn Smart, 18 balls
Needles- 3.5mm and 4mm Addi Turbos

And if you're still having a hard time believing that I actually knit a sweater for a grown man all by my lonesome (for which I wouldn't blame you)...

The proof is in the sweater tag.

Deck Those Halls

Well if I didn't open my email this morning to the most perfect Christmas/knitting image I've seen in a while... from none other than guess who!?!?!?

Yup- the mastermind (or maybe I should say part of the mastermind) behind this wreath.

And this one.

Oh yeah, and this one too.



Those knitting needles are surely moving faster than the speed of light.

I hope your decorating isn't getting in the way of your knitting dear knitters!

'Super Cupcake' Indeed

I am going to start by saying that the name of the pattern I am about to share with you is called 'Super Cupcake'. I would be lying if I didn't admit that the name was the inital draw to the pattern.

Why? Well (if you must know), I like cupcakes -A LOT.

Then, a yarn arrived at the shop that I wanted to knit with (shocking, right?).

And then came an opportunity to sit in a car for four hours as a passenger (Oh Motor City, how we love thee).

By the end of the drive there and back (well, plus maybe a bit more time on the couch to be perfectly honest with you...) my very own 'Super Cupcake' of the fat free variety was born.

Cowl and hat.

Easy as pie, simple as punch, cute as a cupcake on a birthday.

All I need is a cape to take this to the next 'Super Cupcake' level.

('Super Duper Cupcake' perhaps?)

Gift giving season? HAH! Hilarious.

I'm keeping this puppy all to my greedy little self.

(Judge all you want. You'd do it too if you gave these accessories a squeeze).

Pattern- Super Cupcake by Bonne Marie Burns over at Chic Knits

Yarn- Cascade Eco Cloud in shade 1802- two skeins for the cowl, one for the hat (if your math is anything like mine, you'll be curious to know that equals three skeins total)

Needles- 4.5 mm and 5 mm, both 60 cm circular

Three cheers for Shaker Rib!

And three more for bolts of Liberty fabric.

Jingle All The Way With Some Wool

As I was working my way through my Google Reader list this morning I came across this video, on this blog.

I present you with the same dare that she presents to her readers- just try not to smile.

It's December 1st my pretties.

You'd better get your knit on.