Magazine Review

Bought a copy of the Spring "knitscene" which is published by Interweave Knits. I like this quarterly magazine, in general, and really like the new issue in particular. Lots of cute cardigans to knit and some great articles. My favorite is by designer Stephen West who writes about garter stitch -- which I am addicted to. Also, there is a terrific and easy garter stitch shawl pattern in the magazine. This one is a keeper for me.

Something For Me

Aren't these colors yummy? Raspeberry, denim blue, sage green, and gold. Wow! Late last summer I purchased a number of skeins of Ty-Dy cotton yarn for a shawlette Boneyard Shawl by a young designer Stephen West. I started it on size 8 needles, got distracted and then Fall arrived and it was time for knitting with lucious woolen yarns.

I have to admit...I DO NOT like cotten yarns for knitting. Interesting because those 3 hats I just knit are all from cotton yarns and so is this shawlette. I am loving this project because the yarn has a wonderful feel on the hands and knits up nicely. Of course, I don't think a knitter can miss when using a design by Stephen. He is so talented.

I have quite a ways to go and of course get distracted by new patterns. I will finish this in due time. Watch for progress.

Coco's Beret

Beret is finished. Yarn is loosely woven so I think this hat will stretch. My great-niece Coco might not be able to wear it until next Spring. But I think it is very cute.

Aren't These Cute?

Last night I finished the baby hats for Annie and Lily. Can't wait to send them to the 6-month-old twins in NJ this week.

Yarn is from Knit Picks and is called "Comfy Worsted." Machine wash/tumble dry...perfect for a busy working mom.

The tops on both is in the Honey Dew colorway. The main part of the rosey one is Peony and the main part of the yellow one is Creme Brulee. Their mommy dresses the girls in similar clothing but not identical colors, hence similar hats in different colors. Hope their mom and dad like the hats!

The beauty of rolled brim is that is they are a bit too long just roll them up a bit and wa-la, they fit.

NEXT: A beret for my great-niece.

Sockless in PA

For years socks have been my primary knitting passion. But, somehow, with the invention of shawlettes I have moved away from socks. Shawlettes are wonderful but often take a long time to knit...those rows of stitches are never-ending. I don't need a lot of yarn for my socks because I only wear a size 5 1/2 shoe, so being frugal I pick out sock yarn and knit the shawlettes because I use most if not all of a skein. Time for sock knitting reason to set back in!

I am vowing to get back to my sock knitting because:

a) I love handmade socks because they fit me

b) They are a much more portable project

c) Socks are a quick knit -- a sense of accomplishment

d) I have boxes of stashed sock yarn that needs to be used -- well, I am using it for shawlettes

e) Realistically, how many shawlettes can one person wear

f) I LOVE SOCKS! Wear them daily....

Photo is of a pair that has been in the works for some time. Sock one is done and sock two is well on its way. Love how they match. Goal is to finish shawlette this weekend and then this sock is next project, along with two summer baby hats which in DK weight yarn won't take long...photos of them in a week or so.

Major Progress on Shawlette

I am nearing the eyelet rows for the edging of Simple Things Shawlette. This is a delightfully easy pattern to knit and the results are really nice. I knit one in a sparkly handpainted wool in shades of raspberry and pinks for the holidays. Loved it!

Maryland Sheep & Wool is quickly approaching and I wanted to have a small handknit to wear to the show. If you have never been to a fiber festival it is well worth the trip just to see the handknits people are wearing. Generally fabulous.

Dug into the stash and pulled out a lovely ball of Sockotta fingering weight yarn. Sockotta is a nice blend -- 45% wool; 40% cotton; 15% nylon. Loved the shades of blue and decided it would look nice around the neck of a tee shirt. So, I started knitting. Only have 3 rows remaining on the stockinette section before I begin the 10-row repeats for the eyelets rows. The pattern calls for 2 rows of eyelets, but I know I have more yarn than called for in the pattern, so I'm planning to do 3 and maybe even 4 rows...will depend on amount of yarn in the skein and my desire to get finished.

Will post a completed photo when project is done, which I anticipate to be in another week. What's on your needles?

Part Two -- Ravelry Valentine Exchange

Kandice received her package in today's mail and loved what I sent to her. Yeah!!!! I knit her Laura Chau's "Simple Yet Effective Shawl" which can be purchased for a few dollars. This can be knitted in many weights and a large variety of yarns. I chose Schaefer Anne's shade of purple in fingering weight. The shawlette I made for Kandice has 5 repeats each of the two sections -- one is stockinette and the other garter. I was going to do 6 of each but was running out of time and yarn. There are a lot of stitches in this shawl.

Photos show the finished shawl and a closeup of the pattern sections. I really, really love the shading in this yarn. Enjoy Kandice!

Ravelry Valentine Exchange

Since November I have been participating in a Valentine's Day gift exchange on Ravelry. The Loopy Ewe group to be precise. Today I mailed my gift to Kandice in California. Once she receives her box later this week I will post a photo of what I knit for her. I really like it and hope she does, too. Kandice is now one of my blog readers, so I am not posting until I know she has opened the gift. I've been teasing her too long to spoil it now!

Last week my present from Janet arrived. Wow! Look at all the goodies in this photo. At right is a gorgeous lacey short scarf Janet knitted for me from Zauberball. Those colors are lucious and just perfect for my wardrobe. The scarf looks cute flipped over in a short tie and also with a shawl stick.

Janet also sent me a gorgeous skein of Sweet Georgia yarn in a beautiful raspberry-purple combination. There is plenty for a shawlette. But, I think I will knit lacy socks and use the leftover for fingerless mitts. Plenty for both in this large skein. The candy Janet sent me is gone, gone, gone ... and yes, I enjoyed every bite. Additionally, there is a cool box with a variety of cocoas and a recipe book. Going to dig into that this weekend. She sent an adorable card, too, which was a nice touch.

Swaps are fun. I love what I received. I hope Kandice feels the same when her box arrives in California.

It's Baaacccckkkk!!

What is back you may ask..well my Knitting Mojo, that's what. And I am so glad. Now if I just had more time to knit. Sigh...

Right now I am on a deadline for a swap gift on Loopy Ewe Ravelry site. I am enjoying knitting for this young woman who lives in California. We have developed a terrific relationship via email and I know it will be one I will foster for years. I will be the recipient of a handknit gift from another Ravelry woman who is also a dear and I love emailing with her too. I think our friendship will be a good one, too.

I am about 85% finished with what I am knitting. I think my partner might read my blog so just to be careful and keep the surprise, I'm not mentioned what it is or showing a photo until after she receives it. The packages are to have arrived by Valentine's Day, so it won't be long until I can share photo. I love it and am really happy with the way it is turning out.

Once completed, I have a knitting list a mile long. When I need a break from this larger project, I am knitting two baby hats for my almost great-nieces. Annie and Lily were born at the end of August and are just adorable. The hats are alike but the colors are different. When I get a bit further with the first one I will post a photo.

I have several shawlettes I want to knit for myself, some socks, and I want to knit a worsted weight circular scarf that matches a hat I made for myself. Also have some other worsted twisted wool for some sort of cool scarf/hat for me. I'm tired of freezing at Penn State football games each winter.

I am trying my best to knit from stash this year. We will see how this progresses...

I Did Not Buy Yarn

I was only at the PA Farm Show briefly on Saturday morning and might go back again this Saturday. I didn't buy yarn and won't be buying any. First, I don't need yarn. Second and probably more key to me not adding to my stash was that I didn't see any yarn I liked. The PA Alpaca Breeders Association has a much smaller selection than last year. I saw only 4 skeins of fingering weight and the rest was worsted weight. It was pretty and I think commercially dyed. And it was expensive with low yardage. There were two other women with yarn. One had hand-dyed with a rough base and not very good dying. The other had all worsted weight and commercially processed and dyed yarns.

But, I did buy this little Yarn Angel. Isn't she sweet and she was only $15. I'm glad I nabbed her as she was the only one with a knitting basket.I now have to decide where to locate her.

Saw the baby pigs who were fighting to get fed by their mom. Oh the squealing could be heard for a long distance. They were so cute -- only 2 1/2 weeks old.

Of course my favorites were the alpacas from A Suri Farm which is owned by my friends Monica and Dennis. The cuties in these photos were born in May, 2010 so are still babies.

A Time For Resolutions

Happy New Year! I hope 2011 brings all of you good health and memory making fun.

As always I plan to do a lot of knitting. Timber is still time-consuming but is quite a cute Golden fellow so I don't mind too much. Teddy Bear is an angel...and I remember the time I never could imagine describing him like that. He is now 7 and is grown up but loves to play with his 11-month-old Golden brother. Lily is doing well on her thyroid medication, so I'm hoping she continues to ride a steady course.

I will be knitting for myself and others. I knit for a very few selected friends and for charity. It makes my heart feel good to knit a simple hat for a child, teen or adult who otherwise would be cold. The people of Penns Valley are important to me. I have encourage my fellow knitting group members to knit for charity and the people of the Valley. I haven't heard responses yet but I'm hoping they consider giving a little of their time and talents to knit or crochet something for others. Our knitting group has plenty of donated yarn and others of us have niceleftovers that could be knitted into striped hats, scarves, neckwarmers, mittens and gloves. It is horrible to be cold. I'm planning to knit at least a dozen charity items this year and more if possible. I am trying to be realistic and do know my time constraints.

Other charity knitting on my list is fingerless mitts to donate to Golden Retriever Rescue for its sales table. I think they will sell well...at least I hope so. I have nice yarns from Knit Picks for those items.

My mantra for the year will be "Knit From Stash." I have tons of yarns of varying weights, colors and fiber contents. I'm also going to share some stash with others who would love to use a nice skein of hand-dyed yarn but it just isn't in their budget right now.

I am not unrealistic enough to say I won't buy any yarn....heck if I lived in a cave I'd find a way to order on-line! But, my purchases are going to be better thought out, not spur of the moment, and measurable less in volume that the past few years. The two places where I know I will buy yarn of some sort is the upcoming Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA (begins on Jan. 8 for a week). There are a number of vendors with hand-dyed yarns and many with handspun fibers. Really nice. Also, a number of alpaca farmers have booths and their yarns are scrumptious. And of course there is Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival in May. I have some specific goals in mind for this show and plan to visit as many booths as possible. Last year I saw less than 15% of the show but this year will be different. It is always an awesome time.

I need to knit myself some more socks. Yes, seriously, I do. But instead of the heavier weight ones that I'm hooked on I must add more fingering weight yarns into my sock knitting. Some heavier ones wont fit into certain shoes so don't get worn often enough.

I resolve to learn to knit a cable. OK, laugh. I'm sure they are as easy as you all say but until I knit one several times I won't be convinced.

I also want to learn to felt, if only to knit slippers for three guys who I know will love them. I have plenty of terrific stash yarns that will work. One thing I want at MDSW is to purchase slipper bottoms for each of them...that will definitely get me knitting and felting.

Hopefully, even if it is just a few rows I will be able to knit almost every evening. It is relaxing before bedtime.

What are your knitting resolutions for 2011?

A Golden Christmas

Merry Christmas! Kim, Teddy Bear and Timber