Month: January 2011

Decisions, Decisions

My oldest daughter has been waiting very patiently for a sweater knit by me.  The problem is that every time I find a pattern I like, I am plagued with indecision.  What color?  What yarn?  Do I really like this pattern?  I finally settled on 800 yds of Malabrigo Rio (plied superwash wool) in a dark blue.  My thoughts were that she could wear this sweater to school as part of her uniform.  When I’ve asked Addie what kind of sweater she wants, I get everything from a plain one button cardi like I made for her sister to something much fancier, and pink.  Clearly, the indecision runs in the family. 

So I’m offering it up to readers of this blog to help me decide.  Which sweater should I knit?

A.)  Tuckernuck from the latest Interweave Knits.  I have just enough yardage to knit this sweater in the largest size, a 5/6.  I’ve swatched this and determined that it will have to be knit on a size 5 needle to get gauge.  The swatch is beautiful, I’m just not feeling an urge to do more than swatch. 

B.) Little Girls Shrug from Knitting Pure and Simple.  This is a extremely easy knit.  I have enough yardage to make the sleeves full length and have it be waist length instead of a shrug. 

C.) Not a cardigan, but Comfort Zone is a very cute sweater. 

D.)  Something with a bit of lace edging like Victoria Cardigan. 

E.)  Or something else that you suggest?

edited to add:  This is my 100th post on the Area Voices site.  I think that calls for cake.  Or a prize…. hmmm… leave me a vote here and I’ll come up with some sort of a prize for a lucky commenter!

edited to also add:  I also found the Emma Lace Cardigan, but knitting it out of lace weight may just make me want to jump off a bridge.  But wow, knitting with cashmere lace might make it all worthwhile.  Would anyone care to lend me the money to buy that much cashmere?

Messing with the Knitting Mojo

You know what really messes with my knitting mojo?

Having a sick hubby on the weekend that you first get your new dog. 

Having 2 kids sick with a cold

Getting sick yourself a few days later. 

And…

This…

Autumn

Oh yeah, she looks all cute and innocent.  It’s an act.  I’m convinced that she is really a super smart, devious little thing who happens to have a bladder the size of a pea.  Don’t let the uber cuddliness or the thought of all the puppy kisses I might be getting sway you.  This little snuggle bug knows whenever I sit down with my knitting and chooses that exact minute to wet on the floor.  If you turn your back, a knitted mitten or hat is proudly being strutted across the room.  She seems to know that the knitting is my domain and that it’s a fast way to get my attention.  I forgot how much having a new puppy is like having a new baby in the house.  They are very demanding, yet give unconditional love in return. 

The up side to this story?  Everyone is feeling better today.  We seem to have fallen into a nice routine with Autumn; we’re figuring out her signals as she figures out ours.  Not only did I get to go to the yarn store for some knitting with my friend Diane, I also picked out some new yarn and a sweater pattern.  I might just have rediscovered my mojo.

Toasty Toes

As someone who has perpetually cold feet, I can appreciate the value of a good pair of slippers.  I made 3 pairs of slippers over the month of December.  The first pair were for my husband who blew out the bottom of the slippers his grandma had knit for him years ago.  He’s always talked about how much he liked the “Grandma Slippers.”  Everyone in his family got a pair of these when they were growing up.  His Grandma actually gave me the pattern several years back.  However, I couldn’t find the book that I had tucked the pattern into.  I did a Google Search for Slippers on Two Needles and found one from The Irish Ewe (the actual site seems to be down now).  There are a ton of these patterns out there and all seem very easy.  As I was knitting these, I dubbed them The Ugliest Slippers Ever.  They certainly aren’t the prettiest slipper ever, but they are warm.  I used a single strand of Peace Fleece since my husbands feet tend towards the warm hot perpetually overheated side.  If I were doing them for someone else, I would probably hold two strands together.

Malabrigo Loafers
Malabrigo Loafers

The next 2 pairs I knit were made from a Coco Knits pattern.  Malabrigo Loafers is everything a loafer slipper should be.  I’m even wondering if I could get away with these around the office if I put a sole on them.

OK, that might be pushing it too far, but they are really cute.  The loafers are made with a double strand of Malabrigo.  You knit the sole, then pick up stitches around the outside for the rest of the foot.  Knit some short rows and wham, bam, you have a slipper.  The pattern comes with several different ways to embellish the slipper.  My favorite is the Penny Loafer slot on the front. 

Knitting the 2nd Pair of Slippers

We have other excitement in the house that is helping to keep my feet warm (especially since all of the slippers I knit were given away).  Autumn came to live with us this week.  She’s a German Shepard puppy.  Autumn is doing very well at our house.  She loves the girls and is finding her way into our hearts.  Her favorite spot in the kitchen seems to be on top of my toes.  It’s a good thing my kitchen is fairly small so I don’t have to move around too much.  She has shown a slight interest in learning to knit, but I think we’re going to hold off on that.  The lack of opposable thumbs might be a detriment.  Well, that and the fact that everything tends to end up in her mouth.  I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of her on the blog. 

Autumn, January 2010

Holiday Wrap Up

The Holidays have finally wrapped up and I am taking a moment to catch my breath before taking down all the decorations.  Or maybe I’m just trying to catch my breath from the cold and warm up.  The temperature is hovering in the -10 degrees F range with a wind chill of up to -25 degrees.  Suffice it to say, we’re not going outside unless we have to.  Good thing I made all these great knitted wool things for Christmas. 
Little Girl's Shrug
The first thing I made was a little sweater for Lily.  It’s the Little Girls Shrug from Knitting Pure & Simple.  (Ravelry Link)  I knit it in Plymouth Yarn Company’s Superwash Merino in Pumpkin.  Lily’s favorite color is orange, so I knew this would be a hit.  True to the Pure & Simple label, this is not a complicated sweater to knit.  Lily is small for her age, so I ended up knitting to her chest measurement and just adding length at the bottom in order for it to be more of a sweater than a shrug.    It took just over one skein of yarn.  The button is a wood grain one that I had on hand. 
The day before Christmas Lily started telling me that all the girls in her class have little sweaters with one button at the top.  She described the sweater and compared it to the shrug I had made the girls last year for a wedding.  Lily was very specific that a sweater must have 1 button at the top to keep it closed. 
Little Lily
It was so much fun to see the look on her face when she opened up the sweater.  She did mention that perhaps I could finish the sleeves for her.  You’ve got to love a 4 year old and their sense of style! 
Do you need a little reminder that it does actually get warm in this neck of the woods?  In fact, sometimes it’s warm enough to swim in the Big Lake. 

Lake Superior June 2010