Snowed in = lots of Knitting

Mushu Kitty likes the snow too!

I have been holed up in the snow here and that means knitting and lots of it!

I finished both the girlfriend swing coats

and I started my Birch! I love, love, love this project! The yarn is to die for, the pattern is perfect and I am enjoying the lace. Did I mention I can't wait to wear this shawl!??

I also started a hat for my brother using the Zeebee pattern. This is a fun knit. He picked the colors to go with his winter jacket. I think they look like cantaloupe and honeydew so I am calling this the melon hat.

I am teaching my sister to knit. She is making a simple hat. I think a hat is a great first project because it is small, simple, everyone likes them and not boring to knit. She is doing very well and learning fast! We might have a new knitter on our hands!

When I am not knitting I'm in the kitchen getting ready for Christmas!

These are my favorite Gingerbread cookies, we have made them every year since I was little.

Not Much Knitting, But I do have a FO!

What do you block a hat on??? A red cabbage!

I finished the hat to go with my sister's wedding shawl. I am very happy with it, I had to come up with my own pattern so I just kind of winged it. I used three strands of lace weight Zephyr held together and I used size #0 US needles.

I have made a little progress on the shawl using the same yarn. My goal is to use up the yarn and make it as big as possible before the wedding!
And a close up, I am practicing with my new camera. It seems pretty close color wise.

Ahead of schedule!?

Shedir

Free pattern on Knitty

1 Ball Rowen calmer

#4 Bamboo needles

As you may have guessed by it not being green, this is a gift. A gift that is finished 2 months early!

I enjoyed this quick project. It did, as the pattern said, take only one ball of Calmer, and the cableing definitely kept me on my toes!
If I where making it for a man's head I would add an extra repeat of the first cable section for which you would most likely need another ball of yarn. It would fit almost anyone width wise and it looks best when stretched. This is one pattern where I think it is best to use the yarn called for, It is very soft and stretchy. I recommend Shedir to anyone who needs a hat and doesn't want the knitter or the recipient to be bored. I plan to make more of these.

A Button and a Hat

And now..... the button!

My sweater is finally finished.

I have been insanely busy at work but I have managed to cast on Shedir (Rowan Calmer in Garnet). I unfortunately only have bamboo needles in the right size for this pattern and I think I would enjoy it more if I knit it on my knit picks. Oh, well. I am enjoying the crazy cables in this pattern, I have been cableing without a cable needle! Between this and my Smoke ring socks I have been getting a fair amount of practice in "freedom" cabeling. I certainly find that a sharp point comes in handy more than ever using this technique. More knit picks are definitely on my wish list!

My First Hat in it's Natural Habitat

This is the first hat I ever knit. I made it shortly after I struggled through my first pair of socks. The pattern is the Tricolored Stocking cap from Hip to Knit and the yarn is from Muscle in your Arm Farm and was purchased at the Norwich farmer's market in Vermont. I changed the color pattern a little and added more stripes. The hat is well loved and can be spotted on snowy days in the Green Mountains.

Old Hat

Well, if a baby hat can be old! I made this hat for my friend's little girl. I used a generic hat pattern and added rabbit fur! I did it like a thrummed mitten except I did it in a slight spiral pattern. It reminded me of ferns unfurling in spring!

I used sport weight Gems Opal pure merino and German angora rabbit fur (so very soft!) with a soft rolled brim and simple decreases this hat was easy and fun to make!

I can be a bit of a neat nick at times and today was one of those times! I went through my yarn stash and found all my remainders from old projects and separated them by weight. I put them all in zip-lock bags. Then when I was reading the Yarn Harlet's blog I saw this picture. I love this blanket! So I decided that I will make one using the left over yarn from all the socks I make. I have small feet so I don't quite use all the yarn in most balls for my socks and my boyfriend's feet are so big that I need two balls but don't use all of them for his socks either so this is perfect! I am so excited to have found a way to use up all my loose ends!

Knitting history

I first learned to knit when I was nine or so. I made so many mistakes that I gave up in disgust. Three years ago I got the crazy idea to make socks for my sister as a Christmas present. I picked up needles and a book and made socks, it took me a year and many froggings, but I made them. (no picture too scary) I was hooked. I started making hats. This is the first one I made using my own design. I cast on with the white (Jo Sharp Silkroad) and knit into the front with an eyelash and into the back with the Jo Sharp. I used different needles and different gauges. When I had enough "fur" I knit the eyelash and the Jo Sharp together and continued with the hat. It came out well because the whole hat had the softness and shape of the Silkroad and the bottom edge was nice and firm.
Sorry about the bad picture. It was taken with my old camera. I am saving for a digital camera. So hopefully I'll be able to post some nice new pictures soon!