Evil Giant Space Mitts

I'll explain the title later ...

R has three preschool teachers: Jean, who is also the preschool's director; Anne, who is currently the love of R's life; and Michelle, who works on Mondays while Jean attends to whole school business.

Since this is R's last year at the preschool, the teachers get knitted presents: the sideways ribbed hat is for Jean, the syncopated cap is for Anne, and now for Monday Michelle:


I was going to title these Monday Michelle's Mitts and then I caught a good look at this picture. Do you see the terrified Play Mobile people in the picture? Huddled against the horrific mitted beast bearing down on them from the sky? Now you can see (against all other reason) why these are called ...


Pattern: Evil Giant Space Mitts (improvised)
Yarn: Patagonia Nature Cotton by Araucania
Notes: I've had this yarn in my stash forever. I mean forever. I've been knitting for maybe 5 years now (is that right Liz?) and I think this was some of my very first stash yarn bought maybe 4 years ago.

I needed to get rid of it and I thought it would fit with Project Spectrum and make some nice mitts for Michelle. These are much like the Maine Morning Mitts but a 2x2 rib and the gauge is totally different.

And these are far more evil.

Trio of Mitts

I'm no Tiennie. I don't knit rainbows of mitts for all the playground moms, nor do I knit flowers of snowboarding caps for all my son's friends. No, there's only one Tiennie, and all I can hope to do is to be inspired by her generous spirit and knit for those I love.

Coincidentally, the day before Tiennie amazed the blog world with her incredible colorwheel of Evangelines, my sister-in-law requested a pair of black fingerless gloves to keep her hands warm but still enable her to adjust her MP3 player. My sister-in-law knows that I love to knit on request and when she found herself borrowing her 8 year old's fingerless mitts, she knew she needed to commission a pair.


Pattern: Evangeline, from MagKnits January 2008, inspired by the amaazing Tiennie
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted
I lengthened the ribbing by a few rows on the cuff, but otherwise this is a great, easily modifiable pattern, and they are especially yummy in Malabrigo.


I really do not knit for others to get showered with praise and thanks, but was gratifying to have my sister-in-law tell me how much she loves her mitts, and how she's told all her friends that I just whipped them up by request. And when my daughter brings home schoolwork like this, how can I refuse her when she asks for a new pair? She wanted fingerless gloves too, so she can keep her hands warm and deal with her seatbelt in the back of the car. She had grown out of her Playground Mittens, and really, she prefers gloves. She wanted green, because that's her favorite color. Since I have colorwork on the brain, I threw the hearts (borrowed from here and here) onto a basic Ann Budd pattern and used some Naturespun Sport from the stash.

And since I had a ton of Malabrigo left over, I made some for me too. Like I said, I'm no Tiennie.


Pattern: Natalya by Jody Pirello
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted
Mods: I shortened them considerably as I had to conserve yarn, but otherwise, a simple but elegant pattern from my friend, the certified knittng genius we all know as Savannah Chik.

Rosebud's and my mitts saw a lot of action this weekend as we participated in the Audubon Society's Great Backyard Bird Count. We printed the checklist for our area, we took our identification guides and pencils, and settled in, ready to count.



We counted exactly zero birds in our cold backyard. But at least our hands were warm!

So Long, Manos!

I have managed to knit up just about all six skeins of Manos that had long lingered in my stash. The final FOs were more successful than the first few.

The Purl Scarf (Ravelry link)

I made this with one skein of Manos and one skein of Douceur et Soie, another longtime languishee in the stash. At first, I questioned even using the Douceur, as they were very similar in color, but the addition of the Douceur added a very subtle sheen to the Manos, as well as a lovely halo. That, and I had no idea what I would do with this ball of yarn, having had it now for four years.

The One-Day Beret

I really did need a warm winter hat. I tried Thorpe, and we all agree that while it might be an excellent hat for a Mongolian, it was not so good on me. I then made Gretel. The slouchy Gretel. And it was wwaaaaaaayyyyy slouchy, as in rastafarian slouchy. Rather than simply rip it back to a more normal size, though, I decided to felt it a bit. This the point that my super-slouchy beret turned into a gigantic head cozy. The felting process caused the ribbing in the brim to lose all elasticity, and well, it was a mess. It was impossible to frog (thank you, felting), so I threw it out. I'm sorry I did not take a photo of it, since all our loyal blog readers truly deserved a picture of this monstrosity, but I just pitched it. Sorry, Gretel, maybe next time.

So I needed to attempt a third hat, and since I really do admire Kirsten's work, and after the personal failure of the Thorpe Hat, I wanted to give another one of her patterns a try. The One Day Beret is a top-down beret recipe, and it is totally customizable to any yarn or gauge. Once you get past those first few rounds, it is really simple and quick knitting. My bind-off ended up being a little loose, so I threaded some elastic in the brim and snugged this up nicely. A smashing success!

Chevalier Mittens

I fell madly in love with Tikru's mittens when I first saw Grace's a few months back. Mine still need a good blocking, but since I've been wearing them every day, I've been unwilling to soak them and wait days for them to dry. They are a little too long than I'd like, but they do keep out the chill on cold mornings. I also made a huge error by knitting these on Addi Lace needles. Pointy needle + single ply yarn + cabling without a cable needle = lots of splitting and poking of the fingers. I could have easily gone upstairs and gotten a blunter needle, but I was lazy. Thus, I deserve the finger poking.

So, instead of making a whole sweater out of this yarn, as was my original intent, I made a ton of warm winter accessories, for me, for Rosebud, and for charity.

What yarns can you set free?

Fear Not!

Fear not fellow knitters, I only had to endure a few short hours with no knitting on the needles. (Breathe deeply Madge, I survived! Never again, never again ...)

So here are some FOs as yet unposted.




Pattern: Hiiumaa Socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Trekking pro natura (75% New Wool, 25% bamboo) in 1501 (white) and 1503 (brown)
Needles: US 1s
Notes: It's easier to tote around socks when you are only working from 1 skein of yarn! Well, that was the only excuse I could come up with for not knitting these quickly. They were the BackBou's Xmas present which I am happy to report he loves. One minor complaint is that they slouch a bit much for him (I like the slouch myself). Maybe some ribbing changes and calf shaping would have helped with that.


Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts from The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes
Yarn: Valknitz (55% mohair, 45% wool)
Needles: US 5s
Notes: Quick and easy. When I'm not wearing these, the BackBou is. I'm planning on making some for the girls as well. I get compliments on these constantly. The yarn is really beautiful and warm. Our new Sunday activity is ice skating and these keep me warm while still allowing me to lace up the skates.


Pattern: Syncopated Caps from Interweave Knits (Summer 2007) by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co., natural white and magenta variegated
Needles: US 2s
Notes: I intended this to be for myself, but I noticed early on that my gauge was (duh) incredibly different in the colorwork and in the round. So I didn't stop (because that would have been prudent and sensible) but thought, "oh hecko, it's sure to fit someone ..." And so it does. R now has a new hat! This pattern rocks -- I loved knitting it and could barely put it down.



I am going to the yarn store today to buy another colorway to go with my remaining white so that I can have one as well! What can I say about this yarn other than every knitter should have some in the stash or on the needles.

And I will encourage, by force if necessary, Liz and Mo to pick some up when we see each other this Sunday. That's right! An XRK summit in Richmond! Huzzah!

Setting the Manos Free

I've had this sweater's worth of Manos in my stash for a couple of years.

A lustrous turquoise, I got it on sale during our lean years in Virginia, and it felt like an incredible indulgence at the time. I wound some, swatched some, even started to make a sweater with it, but it never got made into anything. I diligently considered tons of sweaters, and spent endless hours surfing Ravelry to match the right project with this yarn.

Until I finally figured out what the problem was. I do not want a sweater out of Manos. I just don't. I also really love turquoise, but I do not want a turquoise sweater. I just don't. But turquoise is a flattering color for me, especially near my face, so I decided to wantonly break into my sweater's worth of Manos, and make myself a warm winter hat to match my down jacket.

I started with the the Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat, and it was too small, despite multiple modifications to account for my yarn's different gauge. So I slapped on a huge pom pom and gave it to Rosebud, who also needed a warm winter hat.



This week's spring-like weather does not have me fooled. I know I have many more freezing mornings at the bus stop ahead of me, so I tried again, this time, making Kirsten's Thorpe hat, with some contrasting pink Nature Wool Chunky from the stash.


This hat fit, but it definitely didn't flatter. It took me a day or two to realize that through. And in the meantime, I had begun matching mittens.

The color combo stopped working for me altogether, so the hat and mittens are headed for Dulaan. Yay for serendipitious charity knits!

But I am undaunted. I'll start hat #3 tonight.

Party More!

I can't say my slate is exactly clean; I'm having some neckline issues with my laceweight sweater, but still, I am content with my year's worth of knits.

Here's the final FO for 2007, then, Herringbone Mitts from Elliphantom.

I used Cascade 220 in cream and a tweedy brown and size 6 needles. This is my second attempt at colorwork, and this was the time that it clicked! I think the colorwork bug has bitten me badly, so look for more stranded goodness here at XRK in 2008. In fact, I've even begun major swatching for the next big project, the Sugarplum Pullover (Ravelry link) from Handknit Holidays.

Many New Year's Eve's ago, my family was celebrating together, and we made a series of lists: the 5 best things that happened to us that year, the 5 worst things that happened to us that year, and 5 New Year's Resolutions. It was the one and only year we made such lists, but there was one resolution I remember vividly. It was my sister-in-law, a senior in college, who resolved to "Party More!"

Party. More! I loved it. And I instantly adopted it as a go-to resolution. Now, as a thirty six year old mother of two, partying means something different than my then college-aged sister-in-law, but I love the attitude of wanting more celebration in life. So I resolve to Party More in my life, to celebrate life's precious moments more in 2008, and to look for ways to add more joy to my life and the life of my family.

Knitting remains a joy and a passion, and one of the ways I truly do party in my life. I resist rules and structure in my knitting, and allow whimsy to be my guide. I'll continue to follow the spirit of my inspirations this year, and knit what pleases me with yarn I love.

So from Ann, Mo, and me, we here and XRK wish you a Very Happy New Year and urge you to Party More too!

MIA

I have been MIA in the knit world lately. No Ravelry, no blogging, and today was my first knitting group in almost a month. Unfortunate yet this is just what has to happen in order to keep the holidays sane for me. (I will be around much more in January!)

Along with the rest of the family, I've been purging the home of unused or unwanted toys (Diversity Thrift here we come!), cleaning in preparation for our tree and Christmas decorating this weekend, shopping for gifts, and enjoying the smaller holidays (St. Nicholas Day, Santa Lucia Day, Winter Soltice) that happen in December. And of course I am busy with holiday knitting!

Here are a few things so far ...




Pattern: Dashing by Cheryl Niamath
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted, Cafe au Lait
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Great pattern. Easy. Fast. For my older brother. They are already in the mail. I loved knitting these! Isn't this yarn a great colorway?



Pattern: Coronet by Andrea Virgiel
Yarn: Malabrigo, Stone Blue
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Great yarn. Great pattern. I had the band knit for quite a while but had put it down for more than a month. Picked it up and finished it in a day. It was meant for my MIL, but then a neighbor had surgery that left her without any hair and I couldn't think of anything better than having Malabrigo warming her head. My MIL is now getting Koolhaas (I love the pattern and should be done soon!).


Back to my knitting and enjoying the unusually warm weather with a picnic in the park!

Marigold Mitts

I am determined to warm the hands of all my friends and family. This makes the fourth pair of fingerless mitts I've knit this autumn!

Pattern: Fingerless Mitts by Ann Budd from Weekend Knitting
Yarn & Needles: Vermont Fibers Handspun Alpaca, US 9
Mods: None

This yarn should look familiar to you, Ann, since it was last summer's housewarming gift from you to me! And wow, Ann, this is some amazing stuff. The rustic texture of the yarn is the perfect thing for a garter stitch, and softness of the alpaca is a treat for the hands. This was my first experience in knitting with handspun, and I am officially hooked. I loved it.

But what intrigues me the most is that these are naturally dyed using marigolds and onion. Here's what the label says:

This yarn is made of fiber from Vermont's finest farms. It is hand processed and dyed with natural plant materials using traditional dye methods involving flowers, bark, lichens, and mushrooms.

Of course! I tried to describe the color to someone once, since it isn't a sunny yellow, or a mustardy yellow, or a greenish or brownish yellow. I should have explained that it is the color you would expect if yarn was dyed with marigolds and onion skins. This is exactly the color you'd imagine. Now I want yarn dyed from lichens. And mushrooms!

The tag also reveals that the yarn comes from an alpaca named Marigold! I love that! I have furiously searched online to learn more about this yarn, (and where I could get mushroom or lichen yarn) but it appears that having serious earth-cred also means having no online presence. Fiber Festival attendees and Vermonters, keep a sharp eye for Vermont Fibers from Plainfield, VT, and buy this yarn.

The individualness of the yarn made it especially hard to give these away, but while I love them, they are even more perfect for someone else who reads this blog. If she is at all paying attention, she'll notice right away that they match the scarf I made her last fall. And that they are super-natural and Earthy and green and eco-conscious, which might tweak this certain person's enthusiasm. And that having recently acquired a job that requires a commute, she might need some help in the handwarming department.*


* They're for my sister, my Favorite Person to Knit For, new commuter and all around enviro-woman.

Wishing...

This is a project I wish I never made.

These are gloves for my friend Katie, who's father just died two weeks ago. I wish he didn't die. He had cancer, and while his death wasn't exactly sudden, it happened very quickly and unexpectedly, and no one was ready for him to die, including him.

I wish I was there to hold Katie's hand, the way she was there for me when I lost my own father three years ago. I wish I was there to drink coffee with Katie and drink margaritas with Katie and talk and cry with her.

I wish I could do more than send along a pair of handknit gloves, a proxy for my own hands, to comfort her. I wish I didn't know first hand how much little gestures like this can comfort the grieving.

The details for this project:
Pattern: Unisex Mittens from One Skein by Leigh Radford
Yarn and Needles: Cascade 220 (leftover from the CPH), US 6 & 7
Mods: I made the fingers tipless to ensure that they'll fit the recipient