FO: Leftovers to Toast

Last time that I spent hours and hours of typing I picked up my Reading mitts as my hands were freezing. Those did not work well with ten finger typing, though. I felt constantly restricted. I hope these ones will be better.

Pattern: Toast

Needles: 4.5mm 

Yarn: Noro Kureyon 250 and 102, leftovers from my skirt. 50g.

FO: Lanesplitter skirt

It must be just a bit over half a year since I last wore a pair of trousers. Yup, I haven't worn jeans for seven months now. I switched to wearing skirts as that is more flattering for my body type. Now the problem is that I have quite a pile of summery skirts, but not that many for the winter. Encouraged by Amy Herzog that a knitted skirt will look good on me, I set out to knit a skirt that I've had my eyes on for quite a while now.

It's good that I waited as so many knitters have knitted it already. And provided notes on their mods. All I had to do was swatch, measure the length of my favourite skirt, calculate and cast on.

As I used 2 Noro Kureyon colourways, I did try to do mix and match, putting the bluer tones on the k rounds and reddish-pink ones on the CC bits. There were quite a few ends to weave in.  And I love the result.

Notes

Pattern: Lanesplitter

Needles: 4.5mm for the main part and 3mm for the band

Yarn: Noro Kureyon 102 and 250

Verdict: Love. This. Skirt. After 2 days of wearing it, there is no sagging, it holds its' shape really well. Guess what, there's a second one on the needles already.

ongoing WIP - stash enhancement

We all want to knit from stash, to reduce it, blah blah blah. But it does feel good to get some newcomers. Ones that have not yet been tried. I got some Opal Hundertwasser and Van Gogh colourways and my sister sent me some Faroese wool.

Over the holidays I taught my niece to knit some socks. Thus, a present for her was some sock wool and some knitting needles. I don't remember what wool it was (a solid German quality, that for sure), but it was one of those self-striping types. I was also knitting some socks for my husband and me. Those were plain blue. And I was jealous of the wool that my niece was knitting with. Now I'm set for the upcoming pairs.

FO: Nordic stars beaded wrist warmers

This was fast! Just a bit over a week and these are done. Each time that I knit beaded wrist warmers, I wish I would knit more of them and knit some for me. Well, these ones are not for me. I love this pattern, as Fridica commented, these are almost like colourwork. The beads are higher contrast than what it looks like in the picture. In fact, they are pinkish violet. I already have 2 more pairs of wristwarmers lined up in my head. Let's see when I get to knitting those.

Facts

Needles: 1.25mm

Yarn: Drops Alpaca, 45g (CO 60sts to use up as much of the skein as possible)

argh... and rip

Sometimes you make a swatch, adjust the tension, but when you start knitting the actual garment, the gauge changes and the result won't fit. I made one of these, but that will have to be reknit. I'm not very excited about it, but I'll power through it. Normally I read the instructions before knitting something. And that's what I did this time, but it did not make any sense. In this case I had to work as I went and then it was all perfectly clear.

To end it on a more positive note, I started a Lanesplitter skirt. Oh the joy of aran and 4.5mm needles after knitting fingerweight! It's hard to put this down.

Remember: it's not a race

on sock-yarn blankets again

With all the responses to my Tuesday post I feel I should defend the sock yarn blanket pattern a bit. No, the pattern is not ugly. Have you seen these?

I'm more than confused now. In a way it looks as if one needs to purchase some yarn to make a workable solution to either of the two. I'd want to get even edges, the way Birgitte suggested. Then, there should be some kind of a prominent colour that keeps it all together. All these choices. I think I'm not ready yet for this endeavour.

wordless WIP Wednesday

should I dare to?

This is some of my sock yarn leftovers. Recently I've been thinking if I should dare to try a long-term project and start knitting either this or this. My very first quilt that I made some 10 years ago was a leftover quilt and we use it a lot. Too bad it's not really big enough for our family of three. I like the look of the Beekeper's quilt blanket much better, but I'm not convinced this is a pattern for a usable blanket. Somehow it looks more like a bedspread and not something I'd want to cuddle under. Many praise it because it is such a portable project - you can work on it one piece at a time. But to me that's a big minus. I know all those little cushions would be all over the place before I have enough to sew them up. It sounds as if I've made up my mind, doesn't it? But the beekeeeper's quilt is soooo pretty! What do you think?

wordless WIP Wednesday

FO: Honey cowl in red

There will be quite a few FOs from last year appearing now and then as I slowly get to photographing all the finished knits. This is one of them.

Pattern: Honey cowl

Needles: 5 mm (US8) circulars

Yarn: Skeinny Dipping Merisilk DK in Spritz colourway. I already raved about this yarn here, so no need to repeat myself.

Thoughts: Love this cowl. I think this would have also worked in a tighter gauge really well, but this way the cowl has a very nice drape. It's really warm and I've been wearing it lots. Above you see me in my ski attire.

knitting goals for 2012

I am no good when it comes to setting myself any knitting goals. 2010 I wanted to knit 12 pairs of socks. Fail. 2011 I wanted to make 12 pairs of mittens. Fail. I got only 1,5 done, so that's not even close. Looking back it seems as if that was a ridiculous goal in the first place.

Moreover, whenever I think of setting myself any goals, I feel reminded of my former boss and her constant wish "to take it higher" and questions of how we are going "to take it to the next level". Knitting is my hobby and I do not want to force anything. But, as I look back, I try to see what I learned and think what patterns should come next. I won't go that much into details as this blogger. But the idea of tracking the progress is not bad.

2011 was good knitting-wise. It was mainly a baby-knits year. I tried many different patterns and enjoyed knitting for my little one.

So what should I knit in 2012?

I want to knit for my little one so that she has a sweater, a hat and some socks for each season. Now that shouldn't be hard, right?

Then, I want to get back to knitting some more socks, though no number shall be set. If my sisters visit me, they shall never be cold at my place. I need some socks not only for my feet. Also, I've noticed myself wishing I had some beaded Lithuanian wristwarmers "stocked". Those make great presents, so I'd like to knit some of those. A pair for me as well. I could use up Drops Alpaca that I got left from this.

I really enjoy colourwork, so I should knit an item beyond mittens. Maybe that Selbu Modern for which I got yarn over a year ago?

Finally, I'd like to knit myself one garment that I'd wear beyond the FO shots. That's a harder one, but I've been thinking a lot, going through this. I got an idea now of what might work.  This I want to start in the second half of 2012.

As to stash, enhancement from indie dyers is allowed, so is sock yarn. I'd love to get some Opal Hundertwasser. Otherwise, knit all the above from stash. And should I end up travelling to either Faroe or to Shetland islands, real splurges are ok.