Convertible Fingerless Gloves

What wonderful Christmas gifts I received! The blue bulb in the picture was painted by one of the women in my Culver's Knitwit group. The yarn was handspun by another woman in my group who has just learned to spin. It was a hard decision as to what to make from it as I wanted something I would use and I don't often wear hats or scarves, so Glittens seemed to fit a need for me.It was a hard decision what to make from the yarn as I don't often wear hats or scarves. What I did need was a mitten or glove without fingers as whenever I got in or out of my car, I had to take off my gloves to manage the controls on my i-pod. Glittens fit the bill.


Pattern: KnitPicks Men's Convertible Fingerless Gloves.

Needles: Size 6 and 8-a size smaller than suggested as I wanted a little smaller glove.

Two new techniques I used in these are:

Two tail tubular cast on. For a video on the method, see: http://ysolda.com/wordpress/2007/11/12/long-tail-tubular-cast-on-video . I really liked this cast on for K1, P1, ribbing. It differs a little from the method Debbie Stoller uses in her new book but I like this one better.

Kitchener Stitch with a knitting needle. See: http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/05/easier-way-to-kitchener-stitch-also.html. How often have you needed to graft and didn't have a needle? This works!

Saturday Sky December 29, 2007

Had a dusting of snow all morning-now just gray, dreary skies. High temperature of about 25.

Mister Ben

What fun he is! But I didn't expect him to be so big. I used the needle size recommended in the pattern thinking it would be all right as I'm usually a tight knitter, but wish I'd gone a size or even 2 smaller as the stitches were quite big when I stuffed him. After I put on the first ear, I had done it much too low, so while taking it off, I accidentally cut a yarn on the monkey which I then had to repair (just by using duplicate stitch over several stitches on each side of the cut.) When I told my husband I'd had a disaster with my monkey, his comment was, "the whole monkey is a disaster."
Pattern: Mister Ben by Two Old Bags
Yarn: Cascade 220
Needles: Size 4-double point and 15 inch circular

Saturday Sky December 22, 2007

The day started cloudy and snowing, but started clearing about noon and ended up with this sunset which I discovered as I was frosting the last of the Christmas cookies. Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday.

Luxury Yarn

When Yarn Garden in Anoka- www.yarngardenstudio.com - first opened I saw this yarn and have been trying to think of the right project for it. I have disciplined myself to buy yarn only if I have a definite project in mind-most of the time. This is destined to be the Eris cardigan by the girl from auntie. The yarn is 100% alpaca from MN animals, this yarn from an alpaca named Libby. With a helpful hint my husband gave me a gift certificate for my birthday, so the amount I had to spend on the yarn didn't hurt as much.

Holiday Knit Stamps

Stamps with a knit theme! I haven't educated my husband very well in the appearance of knitted fabric. He went to the post office several weeks ago to buy our holiday stamps before the rush, but came home with regular stamps saying they didn't have any nice stamps. Imagine the vocabulary he heard when I discovered these stamps were available!

Saturday Sky December 7, 2007

That's all the blue sky we had today and even that little disappeared. Cold! Temperature only reached 7.

Spiral Tube Socks

Two Christmas presents done! These socks are very popular with my family. I knit the first ones when my oldest grandchildren were little and they named them "slippery socks" because they were able to slide around on the hardwood floors. Each grandchild has gotten at least one pair and these are the second pair for my grand niece and nephew. Last Christmas my 17 year old grand daughter requested a pair for Christmas. Her mother told her she could probably make them now that she has learned to knit, but was told they were Grandma's socks. (Sorry, this story is probably a repeat from last year.)

Pattern: Projects for the Community by Cottage Creations

Yarn: Ella Rae Amity (I like the softness of this yarn.)

Needles: Size 6 DPNs

CiD's Critters

Every time I knit one of CiD's critters I marvel at the ingenuity of CiD's talent in developing these critters. The shaping is easily done, the patterns are well written, and on most of them, there is little finishing. The Big Belly Bear is an exception to little finishing. To see all her patterns and locations to purchase them check out her new blog, http://CiDdesigns.blogspot.com.

Hansel's Hat

When my daughter in law's cat was in intensive care and had to have most of his hair shaved for IV's and procedures, my son asked if I would make a sweater for him. Getting some crude measurements, I cast on what I thought would be enough stitches and started knitting a knit 2, purl 2 ribbing. About the time I got to the point of figuring out leg holes, Hansel died. The sweater sat unfinished for some time, but today I figured I should make it into a hat, as all it needed was the top decreases. Hopefully it will fit my daughter in law, if not, I will donate it to some charity.
Needles: Size 9, 15 inch circular and double point.
Yarn: Homespun

Saturday Sky December 1, 2007

We're getting our first "significant" snowfall today. It started snowing about 9 AM and is still snowing at 7 PM. Temperature has been in the 20's all day so is a pleasant day as long as a person is not driving in this.