More Glittens

Pattern: Minnesota Mittens from Folk Mittens

Yarn: Berocco Foliage

Needle: US 4

Start: December 25, 2008

Finish: January 5, 2009

One of the first times Alex and I hung out we met in Santa Fe after work and took a walk around the Plaza. It was just before Christmas; it had just snowed and Santa Fe was all decorated with lights, so it was really beautiful. Anyway, he knew that I knitted, although at that point he hadn't seen anything I had made yet. That evening he asked me what I was making and, of course, I had my current project in my purse so I pulled it out to show him. I was making my glittens. He like them and immediately said he could use a pair for fly fishing. Thats when I had my first inkling that he might be a keeper. And so, I made him a pair.

They were quite a bit easier to make than the first pair I made, mostly because I used a size 4 needle instead of size 2, and because I knew what I was doing this time around. The 'pattern' in the book is really more of a guide as to how to make these, not really a pattern. I would not recommend it for someone who hasn't made mittens before and isn't familiar with how mittens are constructed. Anyway, it was much smoother sailing this time around. He requested that there be a way to poke his thumb out so he could use it without taking the mittens off (which makes complete sense - I'm not sure why I didn't think of that.), so I made a hole in the thumb by binding off 6 stitches and then casting 5 on the next row (just like a button hole). They turned out great, fit perfect, and he loved them.

Winner.

Some angora goats (the curly-haired ones) and other good-looking goats at a farm I visited a few weeks ago for work. They were so darn cute!

I have started a new hobby. It is printing. I have invested in some high quality equipment to the tune of $60 and renovated the craft space to be my new printing center. The photo above shows the disarray of the kitchen before said renovation. My first project was a tandem bicycle carving in linoleum. I've been doing a lot of simple prints on fabric to give to friends as patches.I can just sew the edges with some zig zag stitch (if only the sewing machines were my friends) and Voila, a personalized piece of art to sport on your backpack or bulletin board! I've also purchased a few cute tops at Target for $3.24 to print on. One of them is below, with a series of bicycles printed up the top.I have also done a few cuts in gum pads, which are a little cheaper than linoleum (and much much much much easier to find?) , but I'm not impressed. It is basically the same as cutting into an eraser, and just as easy to break. I had a nice little cut with a series of stems and leaves but it broke in half, and now I'm waiting and hoping Elmers will fix it. It is much softer to carve into, but it is also much easier to chip and just isn't as sturdy. Linoleum is very stiff and takes some elbow grease to carve into, but I think the end product provides much crisper edges and a stamp that will last much longer. I bought the only small sized linoleum block at the local art store, and Michael's doesn't even know what linoleum cutting is. boo.

Anyway, more prints to come but those are all the photos I have right now!

One and Only Christmas Gift

I only made one Christmas gift this year - these linen placemats for my brother. They are very simple double crochet rectangles. I started these in the airport on the way home on December 22. I finished the second one Christmas afternoon. My hand really hurt; it is not use to so much crocheting. But I really like how they turned out - they are small placemats because my brother has a small, round kitchen table so thats what works on his table. The yarn is Berrocco NaturLin. The two placemats took three skeins of beige and one skein of blue. I had a little left over which I crochet in to a little circular coaster, but I didn't get a photo it, so you'll just have to use your imagination!

Molly made the scones for Christmas breakfast. She is the best scone-maker I know.

Mountain Hat
Still using up the extra Cascade 220 from the shalom cardigan. This time I designed a simple black "mountain" pattern for the brim of this hat. Nice and cozy.

Globe Hat
I designed this hat from a stitch in The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume 2: Cables. I think it turned out really well and I gave it to my friend Sarah for Christmas.

Pattern: toast

Yarn: Malabrigo Silky Merino

Needle: US 7

Start: December 16, 2008

Finish: December 21, 2008

This yarn is amazing. I got it for Christmas last year (Thanks, Jamie!) and it has just been chillin while I wondered what it should be. Every now and then I would take it out and pet it because it is incredibly soft and fuzzy and squishy. I saw the pattern for toast online and thought that the two would be a perfect match. And it was. The pattern, of course, is incredibly simple - just a tube, but I love simplicity, especially when paired with gorgeous yarn. I didn't make thumb holes because I wanted to be able to just push them up my arm if I wanted to. And I do actually wear these... I have a lot of shirts with 3/4-length sleeves and when I wear them I sometimes get a bit chilly. But now I have something to keep my arms warm!

The armwarmers only used one skein of the yarn and I had two, so I made a matching cowl with the other skein of yarn: