Knitting

Hey Kids — we’re in the home stretch — how’s it going out there???

It’s all good here in ThimbleannaLand.  I’m done with work for the year WOOHOO!!!  I should be cleaning and wrapping as we speak, but instead, I’m procrastinating here on the computer.  I guess you have to sneak in a little downtime don’t you?

One of my little Christmas gifts has been gifted, so I can show it to you.  I have a friend at work who will be a new, first-time Grandma in 2014 and she’s beside herself with excitement.  I thought it would be fun to make her a little pair of baby booties for Christmas.  I found this free pattern on the Bernat website (most likely via Pinterest, but I can’t remember).  My friend won’t know the baby’s gender for a few more weeks, so I chose a multi-color Koigu yarn — totally not what the pattern called for, but it seemed like a versatile pattern that should work for lots of different yarns.

After my middle of the night knitting marathon (why do I always think these little projects will be quicker than they really are?) I put the little booties in a clear cupcake box and tied them up with a tinsel bow.  Perfect for a quick gift!  (Ooooh, and I just noticed in these pictures, the striping pattern worked out the same for both booties — that was totally an accident — I couldn’t have done that if I tried!  I LOVE it what that happens!)

This pattern called for the booties to be knit flat and then seam them along the bottom and up the back.  If you know me though, you know I loathe sewing on knits (which is odd since I love to sew so much.)  When the knitting is done, I want the project to be done.  So, I spent a little extra time (and ripping out which is why this ended up being a middle-of-the-night project) adapting the pattern for knitting in the round.  Normally garter stitch is knit, knit, knit, but when knit in the round you have to alternate between knit and purl rows.

There were a few other changes too, so, in case you’re like me and would like to try these booties in the round, here’s the adapted Bernat pattern:

Circular Knit Bernat Baby Booties

Note: Please refer to the original Bernat pattern for gauge and sizing information for these booties. Number of stitches are for small (medium, large) booties, according to the original pattern. I knit the largest size using size 4 needles with my koigu yarn, which probably resulted in small to medium sized booties.

Using whichever circular knitting method you prefer (dpns or magic loop method), cast on 14(18,22) stitches. Turn work and knit 13(17,21) stitches into the bottoms of the just cast on stitches. You should now be back at the beginning of the cast on row of stitches — at the beginning tail of yarn. Your first stitch of row 1 will be knit into your first cast on stitch.

1st, 3rd and 5th rows: Knit.
2nd row: P1. ybwd. P12 (16,20). ybwd. P1. ybwd. P12(16,20). ybwd. P1. 31 (39,47) sts.
4th row: P1. ybwd. P14 (18,22). ybwd. P1. ybwd. P14(18,22). ybwd. P1. 35 (43,51) sts.
6th row: P1. ybwd. P16 (20,24). ybwd. P1. ybwd. P16(20,24). ybwd. P1. 39 (47,55) sts.
Rows 7,9,11,13,15,and 17: Knit.
Rows 8,10,12,14,16 and 18: Purl.

Shape toe:
Note: Depending on the circular knitting method you are using, stitches may have to be shifted around on the needles to knit the toe section.
1st row: K15 (19,23). K2tog. K5. Sl1. K1. psso. Sl1. yf. Turn.
2nd row: K2tog. K5. Sl1. K1. psso. yf. Sl1P. Turn.
3rd row: K2tog. K5. Sl1. K1. psso. Sl1. yf. Turn.
4th row: As 2nd row.
5th row: K2tog. K5. Sl1. K1. psso. Sl1. Turn.
6th row: P2togtbl. P5. P2tog. Sl1P. Turn.
7th and 8th rows: As 5th and 6th rows once more.
9th row: K2tog. K5. Sl1. K1. psso. Knit to end of row. 21 (29,37) sts.
10th row: Purl. Continue in garter st (alternating Knit and Purl rows) for 2 (2½, 2½) ins [5 (6, 6) cm], ending
with a Purl row. Cast off and weave in beginning and ending tails.

Enjoy those cute little booties!!!

Have a GREAT weekend — I hope you’re doing something fun and festive!!!
XOXO,
Anna

Gee Whiz.  It’s been almost another week since I posted.  I could have put in an appearance earlier in the week, but it was just too embarrassing to make you come back here at Christmas time with those creepy skeletons still in the header, and it’s been hard to find the time to get rid of them.  It’s finally done though — a not terribly exciting new Christmas header.  It’s getting harder and harder to figure out what to do with those thimbles!

I’ve been locked in the dungeon with Christmas sewing all weekend, so there’s no shareable quilting or sewing excitement going on here.  I did manage to make some little knitted stockings though, and I think they’re pretty cute.

Awww, look, a puppy!  Did I tell you I’m a new Grandma???  TheFirstChild and SweetiePie picked up a new little puppy yesterday and he looks sort of like this one.  He’s really cute — I’m sure there will be pictures to come — you know how us grandmas are LOL!

Anyway, back to the stockings.  They were a fun, easy knit.  The pattern is in the book “Handknit Holidays” by Melanie Falick.  I made the pattern as is, except that I changed the cuff — it had a little narrow cuff and I like them a bit wider.   I love cables, even if this one looks a little wonky due to it’s stuffing.

These stockings are the only speck of decorating around here.  It’s very sad.  I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t decorate until I had this particular batch of sewing done and a deal’s a deal.   I should have thought that through — the sewing is taking WAY longer than I’d planned.  It could be next weekend.  Ouch!

I hope you’re more organized (or more realistic) than I am!

XOXO,
Anna

Ha. Did that post title get your attention?

Not just any Harlot. The Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. She was in town this weekend and the quilty knitty peeps and I went to hear her speak.

Her visit was arranged by our fabulous local sock yarn shop, Simply Socks Yarn Shop and it was only announced two weeks ago. There was a nice sized little crowd (considering the short notice and the holiday weekend), with lots of visitors from out-of-town. Here’s a picture of roughly half the crowd,

and here’s a picture of the other half. We were all invited to bring our knitting along. There was even one cute little girl sitting in between her mother and grandmother knitting away.

Stephanie was very funny and we laughed all the way through her talk. I think the biggest laugh came when she told us how she gets stage fright when she speaks to a group and that her biggest fear is fainting. She said she knew that we would take care of her and call EMS, but she did worry that while she was passed out everyone would put their socks on her and take a picture. And there was lots more funny stuff! She got serious for a bit when she talked about knitting and how we often denigrate our skills.  There was so much truth in what she said.  How often, upon receiving a knitting compliment, do you say “Oh thanks, it was nothing” or “Oh thanks, but look at this, where I screwed it up”, etc.  There was encouragement to acknowledge our skills, graciously accept the compliment and just say “Thank You”.

After the serious bit, there were lots more laughs.  Here’s another shot of Stephanie, this time with the knitting crowd.

Here’s what I was working on. A hot-tub for Barbie. Just kidding — it’s a pair of wrist-warmers and I’ll show them to you when they’re finished.

Anyway, it was a fun evening and, as always, it was great to have time with the peeps (one of whom, naughty little peep, escaped the whole evening without even a mention of her upcoming Tuesday Birthday!)

Okey Doke.  Must get going — I’m sure I don’t have to tell you — It’s December.  Eeeep!  Lots to do.  Good Luck!

XOXO,
Anna

Brace Yourselves.

The Ten-Year Sweater is DONE.
DONE … DONE … DONE!!! YIPEE!!!

You may have guessed, it’s not really called the Ten-Year Sweater. It’s the Celtic Cardigan by Oat Couture. I don’t have a clue why it took me so long to get it finished. I started and stopped knitting it at least 3 times over the last 10 years or so. Pitiful.

It’s so nice not to have this UFO hanging over my head anymore.   The yarn is Cascade 220 and for some reason it looks really purple in these pictures.  When I bought the yarn, I thought I was buying navy blue.  It’s definitely redder than navy blue, but it’s not as purple as these pictures make it look.

When I was almost to the point of binding off the back, near the neck, I found a humility stitch (you know, like the humility blocks on Amish quilts).  It’s a purl stitch right in the middle of a column of knit stitches.  And it’s smack dab in the middle of my back.  Grrrr.  If only I’d discovered it before I started that complicated yoke, rather than when I was almost finished with it.

Normally, I would have just dropped stitches all the way down the column and fixed the stitch, but the yoke is all woven and  there was no way I could even figure out which column needed to be dropped.  And there was REALLY no way I was going to rip that whole yoke out.  Luckily, with a dark yarn, the mistake is well hidden.  Here, I’ll point it out for you.

It’s pretty obvious there, but not so much in the middle of my back.  If I run into you with my sweater on, just pretend that you don’t see it.  ‘Cause we’re friends, right?

Oh, and hey, did you notice my cute little sheepie button on the front?  I had to throw that in with the other buttons.

Anyway, I’m feeling reeeeallly lucky. My Lopapeysa sweater was a good fit, and now, this cardigan is just right too. It’s loose and roomy, just like I like my cardigans. I wore it all day today and it’s really comfortable.  I should probably start another sweater while I’m on a fitting streak.  But first, there’s that little holiday looming.

Are you making any fun gifts???

XOXO,
Anna