It really is amazing how these windy scrolls¹ take shape before your eyes. I didn’t hesitate to jump into this project even though I had yet to try two stranded knitting.²

While knitting the body of the mitten I realized that I was holding the dominant yarn in the wrong hand. The little red v’s looked lost in the white stitches, so I switched the red yarn to my left hand. You can see where I made this change and how I didn’t do a very good job of keeping myself on track with the chart. My knitting lacks neatness in areas I think of as transitions: when I knit the decreases for the mitten top, when I pick up stitches around the thumb (which is a little short). This is something I hope to work on in future projects and in the second mitten.

Knitting with two hands proved to be comfortable and I don’t think I had any major problems with tension. The woman who taught me to knit a few years ago knit Continental style, but I quickly switched to English style. My Grandmother showed me how to knit this way when I was young and although I didn’t continue the craft at that time, there must have been some physical memory of how to hold the yarn and needles. If my Grandmother³ was here with me today, she’d say, let me see your floats.

Wishing you all health and happiness in the New Year!

1 Eunny Jang's Anemoi Mittens.

2 A note on how I approach areas of knitting that are new to me. I cast on and forge ahead even if it doesn’t look perfect or I make little mistakes along the way. If it is wrong I’ll rip, but if there is a tiny mistake and I know how I made it and can learn from it, I just keep on knitting. Honestly, if I ripped out every mistake I’d never finish a project. It’s important to finish something that’s new and get the full flow and experience of the process. Push yourself to new knitting heights, put it out there on your blog, the next one can be perfect.

3 She knit amazing Fair Isle Christmas stockings for everyone in our family, including a sock she knit before she died intended for the first grandchild. A second grandchild has recently joined us and needs a stocking. I’ve slowly started knitting for family members this year but I’m hesitant to branch out into the stockings. It’s totally crazy, but I don’t want them to think I’m trying to take over something that was hers. I’m sure they don’t feel this way. They’ve sent me her needles and patterns. They obviously want me to carry on the tradition and yet I hesitate to knit this item. Knitting this mitten was a good first step in trying the technique, now I just have to get over the feelings that come with knitting a sock.

Posted by brooke at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

I acquired this sock yarn a few weeks ago but was so focused on finishing my dad’s scarf I didn’t have time to share this minty goodness. In October I had the opportunity to knit with some Spiders and saw Lisa knitting a sock with some gorgeous sock yarn by Brooklyn Handspun. Tempted by the pretty and soft stitches Lisa was knitting up I knew I had to try some…

Brooklyn Handspun Signature Yarn in Minty Subtle Solid. It’s at the top of my stash and will soon be on the needles.

Posted by brooke at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Pattern: Badcaul socks by Amelia Raitte My Fashionable Life *
Yarn: Koigu kpm, 2 skeins
Needles: 2.5 mm circular needle
Notes: knit in the spirit of Socktoberfest, finished a little late :)

Short and sweet today. Simply, I loved knitting these socks. They lingered in my knitting basket with only the ribbing left to finish, guess I just didn’t want to cast off. Yesterday we had a lovely Christmas dinner with family, an evening that ended with everyone wearing paper crowns. Hope you’re enjoying the holidays!

* On the needles in 2007? Definitely Anna’s Flicca and Bridie.

Posted by brooke at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Posted by brooke at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Are you working on your two-stranded knitting project right now? Me too. Knitting my first two color project, reviewing tips, slowly moving cropped yellow post-its up the chart and listening to this. Now back to the knitting!

Posted by brooke at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pattern: Shifting Sands by Grumperina
Yarn: Rowan Silk Wool Dk (No. 304 Cord) - 3 balls for scarf measuring approx. 60" (4th ball required to add fringe)
Needles: Lantern Moon 5 mm straights
Mods: Cast on 32 sts

Beautiful pattern full of cable-y goodness. Thank you Diana for suggesting Rowan Silk Wool when I asked for advise on yarn subs. I absolutely loved knitting with this yarn and really got into the rhythm of the pattern. I almost forgot I was knitting a scarf! I submerged it in water and pinned it out on the rug (surrounded by chairs so in the morning we wouldn’t step on it). The cables really wanted to pull in so I had to use lots of pins to keep it at my desired width of 5 inches. Despite the severe blocking, the yarn still retained the punch of the textured cables. Off to the post office to mail it to my dad (insured!) and I probably should grab this sock to knit while I wait in line.

Posted by brooke at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

A quick look at the corrugated ribbing of my Anemoi Mittens before I dedicate the day to finishing dad’s scarf, baking cookies, wishing for snow, making holiday cards and going to the local nursery to get my MIL an amaryllis plant. (A thank you for helping us take care of our dog who had an allergic reaction this week. Her lower eyelids puffed up and one ear had angry red hive marks. A small dose of Benadryl cleared it up and she’s better today.)

I knit the ribbing using 2.0 mm Blue Sky Alpacas dpns and then moved the stitches to a circular 2.5 mm needle to start the body. (I prefer dpns but was unable to find a pair in this size after searching through baskets and my needle drawer.) The cuff looked really small after doing the tubular cast on, but once I took out the scrap yarn (and knit a few rows) it loosened up a bit. Thank goodness for being able to try on projects as you knit. It fits but it’s definitely a snug cuff. Nice and cozy – now if it would only snow!

Posted by brooke at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

I really wanted this Cascade Dolce to work for Ariann, but I can’t get gauge so the yarn is off to the stash to hibernate till next year. I’ve been following Cara’s Ariann and I’ve caught the bug. I have some Cascade 220 in gray and coral that would work and will swatch again tomorrow.

I started Eunny’s Anemoi Mittens with this Sundara Yarn and white koigu. Hopefully pics tomorrow of some pretty corrugated ribbing.

Posted by brooke at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

2006: Month by Month

[via Sandra ]

Instructions -- Copy the first sentence that you posted in each month of 2006.

January
Here’s trellis, all knit up.

February
Even though we’ve had a mild winter, my hands are still dry from the weather.

March
I made some good progress on birch while flying.

April
This shawl is based on Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Pi Shawl, with different Shetland lace patterns thrown in between the increases by Dale Long.

May
Sweater high.

June
I knew what I was getting myself into after looking at the charts and photo.

July
This pullover was a straightforward knit – make a front, back, two sleeves, submerge block and then sew, sew, sew.

August
A 12 inch circular needle and coffee in triple digit heat?

September
Second sock/gusset, I lost track of the decrease rounds and didn’t count the stitches before I knit the foot of the sock.

October
I love spending a good hour or two on Sunday afternoons at a local bookstore.

November
Working from my stash for the past month or two has been easy.

December
Thanks for the great yarn suggestions for the Shifting Sands scarf.
#

How was your year?

Posted by brooke at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pattern: Shetland Tea Shawl from A Gathering of Lace by Dale Long based on EZ’s Pi Shawl
Needles: 3.25 mm Addi 40 inch
Yarn: Ornaghi Filati Merino Oro 86 Muted Turquoise, 100% merino wool
The blocked size is about 30 inches in diameter, half the size of the shawl in the book.

A rocky start. Lots of variety. Overall, a challenging pattern knit in delicate merino yarn. I knew I put everything I had into this pattern and was ready to cast off sans beechleaf edging. I started knitting lace this year and with each project I’ve tried out a different yarn. Although this yarn makes for a beautiful finished project, I don’t plan on using it again for lace. Knitting the last few rows before casting off felt disjointed. I think how the yarn glides through your fingers as you knit is key to really getting into the rhythm of knitting lace. The movement of the stitches as they dance from one needle to the other is what draws me to continue to cast on lace projects. I’m becoming increasingly picky when it comes to lace weight yarn, especially after knitting my sister’s shawl out of silky Sundara Yarn. Luckily, I knit the majority of this shawl before I started my sister’s shawl and had no idea what I was missing.

Posted by brooke at 06:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

Thanks for the great yarn suggestions for the Shifting Sands scarf.

First up, Rowan Silk Wool Dk. This yarn is so soft and definitely would be nice wrapped once or twice around the neck. I cast on 32 stitches instead of the 52 in the pattern.

Louet Gems Opal Sportweight

Here it is knit up, a festive color and also quite soft. I like the generous width (here 6.5” unblocked) and would definitely make it 60” long for my tall dad. I think some of my stitches look a little stretched out or elongated – maybe because I pull the yarn too much when I cable without a cable needle? Anyway, must decide soon which one to keep on knitting!

Posted by brooke at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)