New Year, New Resolutions

I just reviewed my 2008 FO's, and realized that out of 33 projects, only 3 were knitted for me. The knitted gifts that I gave were received gratefully, so no complaints there. But this year, although I would still like to continue to give to others, I would also like to make a goal of knitting more for myself.

And here is the beginning of my first effort in my new, more selfish direction

It is the back of the Old Penny Cardigan in the Needful Yarns London Tweed that I purchased on sale from Elann.
The pattern is a bit vague, and has at least one error so far, but I am enjoying working on it nonetheless.

Another, completely unrelated goal of mine for this year is to be better about sharing my singing with more people. This stems from colleagues making fun of me for blogging all details about my knitting, but not saying much about my singing. So here are some videos from my last performance, a concert of cabaret songs.

Surabaya Johnny


Sailor's Tango


Life's A Swindle


Sex Appeal


Take It Off, Petronella


Mack the Knife


There's Nothing Quite Like Money


Falling in Love Again

Beads, Slippers, and Hats, Oh My!

After a fun-filled but very busy 2 months, I am happy to finally be able to sit down and think back on what projects came out of the rush. Caution - this will be a LONG post!

Sometime in November, I was offered a gig for January, singing a concert of cabaret songs. I was excited about the opportunity, but realized that there was no way I would have time to learn my music and finish the larger knitted gifts that I had planned to give for the holidays. So I began to think about small items that I could quickly create.

I had been wanting to give knitting with beads a try ever since my friend Kim gave me a knitted bracelet as part of our 2007 knitted birthday gift exchange. I looked for patterns online, and came across this one from Spun Magazine, which looked like a great way to start. With instructions in hand, I went to AC Moore to see what materials I could find, and came out with some vials of semi-precious chips, a spool of silver wire and some toggle clasps.

This was my first effort, and I gave it to my MIL for Christmas.


It worked up so quickly, that I became mildly addicted, got some more chips and wire to knit these.






These next two were happily received by Abe's preschool teachers.



In my knitting with beads frenzy, I also tried two patterns by Rosemary Hill - Bauble and Bijouterie. Bauble is extremely clever, and it works up amazingly fast once the gazillion beads are on the stretch magic cord. The beading part is a bit tedious, so I found that I enjoyed it more when I did the beading little by little over a few days, rather than trying to rush through it.

This was my first try. I used clear 6mm beads, turquoise seed beeds and 3 colors of larger seed beads.

The larger seed beeds didn't really show up against all of the turquoise, so I decided to make the next Bauble less subtle in color variation. This one was for a very patriotic friend.

And this one was for a lover of pink. I used only small beads this time to better suit the recipient.

It was serendipity that the Knitty issue with Rosemary Hill's Bijouterie also happened to come out during this time. Bijouterie is such a brilliant, economical and addictive pattern - I will be making many more of these!

I made both pairs to match with the Baubles.



Another fun part of my beading experiment is that after seeing me work on these projects, Bran decided that he wanted to make some jewelry as well. I got him some alphabet beads, and he made some simple name bracelets for friends. Then we decided to do a collaboration for his kindergarten teacher. Bran picked out beads from my collection and put them on a long strand of wire, and I knit them into a necklace and earrings.

His teacher was very thankful for the set, and I did get a photo of her wearing it, but I didn't get permission to put it on my blog, so here is a picture of me wearing it.



Another type of quick project I found was slippers. I used three different patterns and had a great time working on them. The first was House Slippers from Knit 2 Together.

These were made with Patons Classic Merino in Paprika. I originally planned to decorate them with with felted flowers, but found these appliques and thought they would look cute. The recipient loves the color orange, as I do, and these were greatly appreciated.

The next pair went to my MIL who is suffering from Lewy Body Disease. My FIL told me that she is always complaining about cold feet in the house, and that a pair of slippers which covered her ankle would be great. Cathy Carron's pattern for Ribby Slipper Socks in the Interweave Knits Holiday issue was perfect. I made them out of red Wool-Ease Thick and Quick and black Caron Simply Soft Eco leftover from Abe's Kitty Hat. It was imperative that the slippers would not be slippery, so after researching the options online, I decided to add puffy paint to the bottoms, since it would be easy for my FIL to reapply it if it started to crack.


The last pair was for my FIL, in purple, his second favorite color. Yellow is his favorite, but I thought they would get too dirty, plus I already had the purple in stash. The pattern is Felted Moccasins from Felted Knits. I had a ton of fun watching these come together. Beverly Galeskas is a felting genius! I wanted to make sure that they fit my FIL before I added a non-slip coating to the bottoms, and it is good that I waited, since they ended up being a little big. I still need to felt them to a smaller size and add plastidip or caulk to the bottoms so he can wear them outside, but at least he really seemed to like them. G also wants a pair now.

I also made two hats for the holiday gift rush - Meret for a friend and Koolhaas for G.

For the Meret, I once again used Patons Classic Merino. I misread the pattern and worked rows 1-10, 4-10, 1,2, 4-10, 1,2, but it turned out cute nonetheless and my friend loved it. I’ll definitely be making more of these!

G's Koolhaas was knit from Laines du Nord Cashsilk which I bought at Tuesday Morning. It is lovely stuff, and so far has not pilled at all. The black yarn made it a little challenging to see my stitches when I got started, but once the pattern was established all went smoothly. G appreciates having a soft hat to keep his head warm. I want to make one of these for myself in a lighter color.

So all in all, it was a successful season of gifting, even though the gifts were smaller than the sweaters and vests I had originally intended to make. I can definitely see why some knitters stick to small projects - to have the satisfaction of a finished product without hours of work is beautiful thing. This I need to remember.

Can't Help It

When it comes to yarn, sometimes I can't help myself. I was all set to destash, and had promised my overflowing closets and my bank account that I wouldn't buy any more yarn until I used more of what I already had. But then Elann had to go and have a great sale on the yarn suggested for this cardigan that I have been wanting to make ever since I saw the Fall Vogue Preview back in the summer. And in just the type of neutral with a little kick of color that I was hoping to find for it.

I figured since it was a full bag sale (10 skeins) and I would need 13 for the cardigan, that I should go ahead and get an additional 10 skeins so I would have enough yarn for two sweaters instead of being left with 7 orphaned skeins. Makes sense, right? And $20.50 for 10 skeins of this yarn is a great price. So I made the purchase and told myself again that I was done. Silly me.


Bran wanted to make a necklace for his teacher, so I was picking up some beads at Michaels this week, and I made my usual sweep of the yarn section. A number of yarns were on sale, but nothing outrageous, or so I thought. Then I spied the sign in front of the Patons SWS - 2 for $3! I did a double-take to make sure I was seeing it correctly, and then proceeded to look through the color options and place 12 skeins of black and 12 of natural plum into my cart.

I considered SWS for the Tilted Duster when the pattern first came out, but didn't want to shell out the $60 that it would have cost at the time. Now I have more than enough yarn for the sweater (I'll use the black), and it only cost $18! I also used SWS for a felted bowl last year, and it felted beautifully, so I can imagine making a few felted purses or bowls for gifts out of the natural plum if it doesn't end up in sweater form as well.

I am learning a program of cabaret songs right now, including "Falling in Love Again." When G makes fun of my weakness for yarn sales, I just smile and sing "I can't help it."

Letting Go

I often find myself holding on to the yarn in my stash until I have searched far and wide for the best project I can find for it. I'm not just talking about large quantities of yarn for big projects, but also random single skeins that I want to put to a good use, and end up obsessing over it.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this practice, and it allows me to find many beautiful and interesting patterns, especially now that Ravelry makes it so easy. But, I'm sure I'd get a lot more knitting done if I would make a decision and cast on before I had a chance to waffle. So, in the interest of trying to be more decisive, getting more knitting done and using up my stash, I have decided to do an experiment.

I bought a few baskets in various sizes and then chose patterns and corresponding yarns and needles to go with them. Before the materials were placed in the basket, I cast on and knit a few rows. I am hoping that if the yarn is already being used, it will make it much less likely for me to change my mind.

Here are the projects I have started so far. The ones that are gifts will be getting the most attention.

Cobblestone Pullover for G in Cascade 220 Heathers

Wedgewood Blouse for my MIL in Lion Brand Cotton-Ease

Lace Ribbon Scarf in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi.

Koolhaas in Laines du Nord Cashsilk

I have organized but not cast on yet for these projects.

Fast Favorite Vest in Patons Merino for my FIL

Backyard Leaves in Blue Face Leicester Aran

Noro Striped Scarf in Kureyon


Bobbled Tam in Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK

Montego Bay Scarf in SWTC Bamboo

Cozy V-Neck Pullover in Brown Sheep Prairie Silks
I have also furthered my effort by adding stash yarns to projects in my Ravelry queue, but I know it will be harder to stick to them if I have not physically put yarn and pattern together.

We'll see how it goes....

Before I forget, here are two FOs from October.

Kitty Hat, as part of Abe's cat costume, modeled here by Abe sitting with his brother the vampire.
I knit this in just a few hours using Caron Simply Soft Eco, which is partially made of recycled plastic bottles. According to the label, 10 skeins=6 plastic bottles saved from landfills. I'll need to see how the hat wears before making a larger project, but the alleged environmentally-friendliness of this yarn may just make me less of an acrylic snob.

Here is a better shot of the ears and the mischievous expression.


and Cable Beret from Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine

I made this from Elsebeth Lavold Angora which I was surprised to find for a great price at Tuesday Morning. It is extremely soft, but I am glad I did a hat instead of a scarf. I think the fuzziness would be annoying near the mouth, whereas it feels cozy and warm on the head.
This was a quick, enjoyable project, and I can see making more of them.

Next time I'll probably use a smoother yarn, and maybe do fewer repeats so there's not quite such a paunch in the back.

And now, back to my baskets and stash!

Birthday Scarf

My good friend and colleague Carl just celebrated his 60th birthday (though looking at him you would think he was 50 or younger!). I found this beautiful muted teal color of Mission Falls Wool, and broke out my Cables Untangled for the reversible cable scarf pattern. The yarn is a pleasure to knit with, and the cables breezed by without a cable needle to get in the way.

Here is the recipient modeling his new scarf. He told me that he has never worn a scarf before, but that he loves it!



Notice the artwork in the background. The photo was taken by Carl's wife, Marilyn, who happens to be a wonderful artist. Marilyn did some encaustic paintings of me and G, and she has graciously agreed to barter with me - paintings for a knitted item. More on that when I have figured out what I am making for her!

For those of you who live in the DC Area, Carl and I will be performing at the Embassy of the Czech Republic on November 20. More information can be found at dcmusicaviva.org. Here is the flyer for the concert.



Now I am off to check on the election. Go Obama!

Fall Cables

Just in time for fall, here is my new cabled jacket! I finished it last week, but G (my DH) was away in Montreal so I couldn't get pics until now. I am very happy with the way this turned out!

The pattern was great, although the cable chart was difficult to read so I used the one from Café Bastille Cables by Leigh Radford. I made the medium size, but kept the body an inch shorter and the sleeves an inch and a half shorter than in the pattern. I used the smaller needle (size 6) for the ribbing, but did both the cabled and the garter stitch portions of the body with the bigger needle (size 7).

Cabling without a needle made everything faster and it was particularly useful not to deal with another needle when I was working with dpns on the sleeves.

I knew I wanted a collar instead of a hood, and I wanted to incorporate the 4x4 rib so it wasn't lost at the bottom of the sweater. So I started casting off at the neck, and kept going until it looked good.

Here's what I did :

Put 8 stitches (each side) garter stitch button band on holders. Cast off 2 sts at the neck edge every row 6 times (24 sts). Continue pattern decreases until 58 sts remain on front and back. With smaller needle, knit 8 from holder, pick up and knit 19 from cast off front edge, knit 58 from front and back, pick up and knit 19, knit 8 from holder (112 sts). Continue in garter stitch on button band (add buttonholes if desired) and 4x4 rib on front and back sts for about 7 inches.

I added the extra buttonholes at the top of the collar so it would have the versatility of becoming a neck warmer on especially cold days.

I went to JoAnn for buttons, and after trying at least 15 different ones, I found these, and thought they were perfect! I like the way the curvy-edge diamond inlay mimics the center of the cable design.
An added bonus with this jacket is that it only cost a little over $20 to make! Patons Merino may not be the softest yarn ever, but it is very affordable for larger projects, it shows cables well, and it is durable. My cabled hoodie, which I made from it 2 years ago, still looks great. It has pilled a bit, but takes very well to being scraped with a sweater stone. That said, I would love to make a jacket like this in luxurious Malabrigo!

Speaking of luxurious, sweet G did bring me back some goodies from his trip to Montreal. He stopped by Mouliné Fine Yarns

and got these


and this.


G said the store had so much beautiful yarn that he didn't know if I would be happy that he got me some stuff or jealous that I didn't get to go. I think it is a mix :). But I am excited and thankful for my gifts!

Happy Fall!