This and That

Do I still have a blog? Why do I still have a blog? On the other hand, Ravelry gives me no place to ask deep searching questions like that, so I guess I will ask them here. (And what about Naomi? Does anyone else remember Love of Chair?*)

So. To business.  I have been knitting – it's serious keep-warm-knit-and-watch-tv weather here in Rochester – but going out of my mind with boredom with my cabled cardigan.  Maybe I need to learn to cable without a cable needle.  Anyway, I polished off this Noro stripe scarf, which I love, though it might not have been my first choice in colors.  (I made it with my Fetching leftovers.) I flirted with the idea of giving it away, but couldn't do it.  Given how many knitters have made this scarf, I'm amazed that I don't run into people wearing it at the grocery store. What everyone says is true: it is lots of fun to knit and watch the colors change.  I can almost imagine knitting a scarf like this forever.  As opposed to my cables, which just feel like I'm knitting them forever.)

Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf by Brooklyn Tweed

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, 205 and 201 

Needles: US 7s

And then Auden told me she wanted a hat, so I made one for her and Rose:

It's a lovely pattern, easy to whip off in a night.  I downsized for Rose by using fingering weight yarn.

Auden's hat

Pattern: Halley's Comet Hat

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted, Bachelors Button, less than one skein (I ran out before the edge but I had less than a skein to start with.  I think one skein would be enough.) Edged with Dalegarn Stork held double

Size: small

Needles: US6

Rose's hat

Pattern: Halley's Comet Hat 

Yarn: Dalegarn Stork, blue and green.  Not very much.

Size: large, but I think the small would have fit better.

Needles US2

Speaking of Auden, she has her own Ravelry account now, which I hope I don't regret at some point in the future.  She only has one project (see below) but she would be most pleased if you visited and gave her some hearts or comments. Her Ravelry name is: Fairyflower  (Why? Because she's six.)

She has a short attention span; after asking me each day if her invitation had come, she lost interest almost as soon as I'd logged her on. Much like the sweater she's knitting for Rose, which has stalled after one row. But never mind. Maybe Ravelry will motivate her to knit more. (Or maybe to spend more time on line ... hmmm.)

Back to the salt mines cables. Stay warm, everyone ... spring will come someday!

* I just learned from Wikipedia that the mysterious Naomi of "Love of Chair" was Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal's mother!  Now if that isn't excellent useless trivia, I don't know what is.  I also learned how to spell Gyllenhaal.  What about all those a's?

A Bouquet of Handwarmers

So, I am neglecting this blog shamefully, but I couldn't not show off my attempt to be like tiennie, who is always whipping up four or five (always gorgeous) versions of something practically overnight. Mine definitely weren't overnight and they aren't really the same -- even the two Fetchings are different because I messed up the first time and put the cables one row too close together.  (On BOTH pairs I forgot to reverse the cables on the second glove.)

I'm pretty happy with all of them anyway.  These are for my daughter's 1st grade teacher:

and these are for my son's cello teacher:

These:



and this (modeled by my daughter): 

are for my 12-year-old niece

and THIS:






is for her 7-year-old sister.

I have become the crazy aunt who gives knitted gifts.  I hope this is not a great disappointment for my nieces.  I have given them knitted gifts before, but not as their main Hannukah or birthday presents.  I'm not at all sure how thrilled I would be about this if I were them! But too late now.

The specs:

Fetching in Noro Silk Garden, colors 201 and 205. These took about one skein each, but I used half of two skeins for each pair to get the colors to match. Otherwise they would have almost unrecognizable as a pair, the color changes so much. Needles: US6.  I added an additional cable repeat (possibly two?) to the fingers, and possibly one to the wrists.

Maine Morning Mitts in Noro Silk Garden, color 39. These are all from one skein. Needles: US7. These are long! I stopped before I even got to the length suggested in the pattern, and they're still very long.

Quickie Noro Silk Garden Hat in Silk Garden, color 205 (different dye lot). Less than one skein. Needles: US6. I didn't like the way the decreases in the pattern looked, so I did the ones from the Vogue Ribbed Cap pattern, which I got as a freebie in the mail once. I added the tail thingie from the Vogue pattern too.  This seems small for an adult; I hope it fits my niece.

Charmed Shrug, from Knitty, in Rowan RYC Cashsoft 4 Ply (doubled), color 421 (Rose Lake.) I thought I got gauge, but I made the size 4 and it fit my very tall 6-year-old just fine, and she usually wears size 6x-7. I used the same yarn single for the crochet edging.  Needles: US7.