FO Parade

Are you ready?  This is going to be a long one.  Mostly filled with pictures and little explanation.  Today is the day for the FO Parade!

I mentioned earlier this month that I just couldn't stand to think about blogging for each project I've completed since the last time I'd written.  I'd forever be behind.  Instead I'm just giving you the highlights - a picture or two, the pattern name, yarn and needle size.  I'll let you know where the knit now lives and perhaps a comment about the piece, but that's about it.  So don't fret about needing to read a lot.  And if you make it to the end, thanks!! :)

Dungeness Shawl by Samantha Kirby - Test Knit
US 4/3.5mm; Knit Picks Stroll Tonal, Pearlescent & Knit Picks Stroll Solids, Heathers and Twists, Merlot Heather

This is probably my most "neutral" shawl since it's brown and cream.  I adore this shawl! :) (There's also a matching hat if your'e interested.)  And if it's not obvious, it stayed with me!

Quaker Ridge Shawlette by Susan B. Anderson
US 7/4.5mm; Knit Picks Stroll Sport, hand-dyed by me in a teal gradient; complete with ruffle and red & gold beaded edge

This shawl is super warm in sport weight yarn.  I like wearing this shawl with a pin instead of just wrapped around like a scarf.  This also remained at my house.

Christmas Bell by Debbie McGrath
US 4/3.5mm; Lion Brand Vanna's Glamour, Ruby Red & Diamond

This was for the December Ornament Swap on the Itty Bitty Forums and went to live with Patty (pattytrish on Rav).  Super simple and extremely quick.

Stripey Stocking Cap by Susan B. Anderson
US 9/5.5mm; Cascade 220 Superwash, Shire & Christmas Red Heather

Knit for Janie's (Ratch on Rav) grandson as part of the Advent Swap on the Itty Bitty Forums.

Simple Wristlets by Haley Waxberg
US 11/8.0mm; YoSpun Handspun (thick & thin) that my sister gifted me for my birthday

This was a wristlet pattern that I modified into mittens.  The yarn at it's biggest is a bulky weight and I probably should have gone up a needle size as they are a little tight.  But they are extremely warm and I love intentional mismatching that happens. :) (And they're special since it's yarn from my sister.) They're mine.

Waiting for Winter Mittens by Susan B. Anderson - Test Knit
US 8/5.0mm; Brooklyn Tweed Shelter, Thistle; size medium

Test knit for Susan, these are my go-to mittens for the season.  Shelter is extremely light and floofy, but surprisingly warm.  I like to layer them over fingerless mitts for extra warmth. Mine as well (do you see a pattern here?)

Yarn Cloth by Theresa L. Jones
US 5/3.75mm; Knit Picks Dishie Solids, Clementine

Knit for Janie (Ratch) for the 2012 Advent Swap.

Barn Cat by Susan B. Anderson from Spud & Chloe at the Farm
US 3/3.25mm; Lion Brand Vanna's Glamour, Diamond, Platinum & Ruby Red

Knit for Janie (Ratch) for the 2012 Advent Swap.

Felted Wreath Ornament by Joan Ferguson
US 7/4.5mm; Cascade 220 Superwash

Knit for Janie (Ratch) for the 2012 Advent Swap.  The pattern says to felt the wreath after knitting is complete, but you can also leave it as is, which is what I decided to do since I only had superwash yarn on hand.  Extremely fast with cute results.  I don't mind that it's not felted.

Homewood by Thayer Preece
US 6/4.0mm; Knit Picks Stroll, Navy

I knit this for my friend Tonya who designed a logo for the Itty Bitty Rhinebeck meetup in New York this year (that's a whole story in itself!).  She's great and let's me knit her things for the work she does for me occasionally!  You can check out some of her work HERE.   And below are the logos she designed for some buttons and other things.

(By the way, if you haven't noticed, you'll see that I've used a lot of Knit Picks Stroll...it's a great yarn and I highly recommend it!)

Modern Rib Hat by Susan B. Anderson
US 7/4.5mm; Cascade 220 Superwash, Charcoal & Christmas Red Heather

A replacement hat for my brother.  He requested a new one when his original hat was lost.  I cannot turn down a custom request from him - it makes me really happy when my family truly appreciates and use my handknits.

Prickly by Melissa J. Goodale
US 2/2.75mm & US 2.5/3.0mm; Knit Picks Stroll - Handpainted, Punky & Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label Fingering Weight, Seabreeze

Knit for Janie (Ratch) for the 2012 Advent Swap.  Picture courtesy of Janie.

Lined Beanie by Heather Kinne
US 5/3.75mm; Knit Picks Comfy Worsted, Fedora & Pomegranite; Men's size

Another hat for my brother, this one as a Christmas present.  I'd already planned this hat when he asked for the other hat.  So he got 2 this year!  LOVE this pattern.

Clockwork by Stephen West
US 5/3.75mm; Knit Picks Gloss Fingering, Kenai & Valley Yarns Charlemont, Indian Turquoise

Knit for Tara (taralyn1104 on Rav) as a Christmas gift.  I didn't have enough of the Kenai to make it the main color so I reversed them.  Definitely a different outcome but I still like it.

If you're here, you've made it to the end....I told you it was a long one!!  I've got a list of WIPs that I'd like to share, but I'll save that for another day.  The list is somewhat extensive, but enjoyable nonetheless.  I've linked each FO to my project page, design and designer.  You can find more details on my project pages, or leave a comment about what you'd like to know more about and I'll be sure to get back to you.  If you leave your Rav name, I'd be happy to message you on Ravelry.

A Little Quiet

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted.  That seems to be a theme - when I finally think I'm catching up, something else catches me by surprise.

So for those of you who are kind enough to keep stopping by to see what is new, I appreciate it!  I would say I promise to be better, but I think we're past that point now, don't you?  I just promise to post as often as possible and I'll try to be better. :)

So what's next to share with you?  Since my last post, a lot has happened.  I've knit a bit, I've traveled a bit, and I've celebrated Lovebug's first birthday.  All these things keep me going, busy and happy.  Shall we get in to the knitting?

In October Mr. Man and I took a wonderful trip out to New York to meet and spend time with some of my friends from Ravelry.  With 21 knitters, 2 husbands and a daughter, we had a blast!  (More on that trip another time...)  Part of our meet-up included a Mitt Swap.  Everyone made a pair of gloves/mittens/mitts to swap.  We wrapped them up all pretty-like and placed them in a pile.  Then, using the same idea as a White Elephant Christmas, we each picked a pair of mitts.  Some people did some trading and re-picking, and in the end, I believe everyone was very happy with what they went home with.

Here are the mitts I completed.  I opted for fingerless mitts (big surprise, right?).  The pattern is October Leaves Fingerless Mitts by Abbie Tilden.

The really neat thing about this mitts isn't visible right away.  There's a simple cable that runs up each side of the mitt (which I did without a cable needle, love this method) and on the inside of the mitt, when it hits the thumb gusset, turns in to a very pretty lacey leaf pattern.  The cables and lace are simple but stunning.

If I remember correctly, I didn't make any modifications to the pattern because they were for the swap.  If I were to knit them again for myself, I'd add 2-3 stitches on the thumb as I have big thumbs and large palms.  When I knit mitts, I end up feeling as though the thumbs are always too tight and constrict my thumbs a bit too much.

I used Knit Picks Gloss Fingering in Kenai, which is the same yarn I used for the Be.Leaf shawl.  It's very soft and pleasant after blocking, although a bit splitty when knitting with it.

I really enjoyed these mitts and I'm glad that Denise loves them as much as I enjoyed knitting them!  Hopefully they'll keep her toasty warm! :)

Ivy, the Christmas Hooligan

Last week I told you about the Single Ornament Swap on the Itty Bitty forums.  While what I shared wasn't a fail, it certainly did not conform to my standards for the swap.

So I chose a different pattern.  Still a toy pattern, perhaps a little larger than the usual Christmas ornaments, but perfect for what I was looking for.

I chose to knit Ivy, the Christmas Hooligan.  Now, Ivy is not an only child.  She actually has a sister, Holly, and a brother, Steve.  They're mischievous monsters according to Rebecca (Rebecca Danger, that is...more about her in a minute.).  I've been wanting to knit one of these happy hooligans for quite some time and this gave me the perfect excuse.

I chose Ivy because I liked her hat.  Between the hat and the scarf, I didn't feel the need to add a mouth.  I intentionally didn't make a mouth because I felt that it gave her an air of secrecy and magic.  With her hat pulled low and her scarf slung high, she's looking out for dear Old Santa Clause - she doesn't want to get caught being naughty! :)

Ivy was a treat to knit.  She is small and straight-forward.  I had her knit up in no time (which was good because it was getting down to the wire - I had already attempted one ornament, picking another took me awhile!).  She's knit with Cascade Fixation in green and red.  Fixation is a combination of 98% cotton and 2% other.  I believe the "other" is an elastic of some kind.  The yarn has a bit of sproing to it.  It's not my favorite to knit with because of it.  The strand is a bit too coiled for my taste.  But, for toys, I really appreciate the density of the fabric.  When knit on small needles, it pulls in nicely, leaving no chance for holes.

This was my first time trying "safety eyes."  I've seen them used before in toys but never purchased any myself.  I've always just embroidered the eyes.  But I felt the need to stay true to the pattern this time.  I found these in a JoAnn's in the doll section.  I'm sure Hobby Lobby or Michaels sells them as well.  I've also heard mention of purchasing them on Etsy or look them up on Amazon - the internet can be a wonderful resource for these types of things.  I know that at one time Rebecca Danger had them in her store, I'm not sure if she still does.  They're a useful notion, although I can see times where I wouldn't want to use them.  Using safety eyes requires placing the eyes before you're finished creating your toy.  Because you need to push the backing onto the eye, behind/inside the knitted fabric, this cannot be done once the toy is sewn up.  Personally, I like to see the toy finished and faceless before I decide on a personality for him or her.  And if I have to place the eyes ahead of time, if I mess up on placing arms or legs, my poor toy may be a little cockeyed.  But it's always good to add a new tool to your belt, so I tried them and will use them in the future, just not exclusively. (I think Ivy looks pretty smashing with her little belly-button and little black eyes.)

And finally, I just have to mention how much I love Danger Craft patterns.  Rebecca puts out such beautiful patterns and all her monsters have such unique personalities.  I've favorited nearly all her patterns and even purchased her book - the Big Book of Knitted Monsters,  and yet this was my first pattern to knit.  She's got a wide range of toys - animals and dinosaurs, monsters and friends - they're all so cute!  She has a new book, Knit a Monster Nursery that I really would like to own.  Her patterns are quite popular.  After knitting Ivy, I'm sure to knit more.

And once I got Ivy outside and strung from the tree, I realized how perfect she would be on a Christmas tree.  She looked quite at home in my backyard, although perhaps a little lonely without her friends.  Inside, where it's cozy and warm is certainly the best place for her to be!

Tiny Snowy Owl

On the Itty Bitty forums, a new swap idea has taken hold.  The group is growing, faster than I can keep up with.  I'm trying to remember the new members but I have so little time on Ravelry any more to peruse the forums, I'm having trouble with that.  A lot of people are coming out of the woodwork because of this new swap trend.

The big swaps that Mel organizes each month are awesome.  People put a lot of thought and care into their swap package and really try to personalize it to the person who is receiving.  But for some, especially newer members of the group, these swaps are a bit intimidating (they are a very friendly, welcoming place, but I can see their point of view).

One member of the group has taken it upon herself to organize mini-swaps.  These are called the "Single Ornament Swaps."  The idea is that you get your partner's name (it's kept a secret), and you're allowed to create one ornament for your partner and ship it off to him or her.  You're allowed some leniency if you choose to add an additional small item, but it's not supposed to be a really big package.  It's meant for the swaps to be approachable, especially to those who are new or don't have the time or money to dedicate to the larger swaps.

That's where this knit came about.  I was trying to find a pattern that I could knit as an ornament.  At the time, I wasn't feeling any of the holiday ornaments that were on Ravelry.  There are some great patterns but you know when you get in that mood or funk that unless it's exactly what you're looking for, you really just can't knit something else?

Enter the Big Snowy Owl.  This is a free pattern from The Purl Bee.  The original patterns calls for bulky weight yarn and is intended to be something like a pillow-sized owl.  I've loved the owl on their site for a long, long time and thought it would be perfect as an ornament.  And I was especially drawn to the colors they chose for their owl.  I looked through other project pages and nothing called to me quite like the soft gray owl with giant blue eyes.  :)

I searched my stash (no need to buy new when it takes so little yarn!) and came up with sport weight yarn in the appropriate colors.  Knit on US 2s, I had hoped this would be a sweet little owl that would hang happily on a tree.  Well...the thought was good, but my execution was a little off.

My version is much smaller than the original.  This sweet fowl is about as tall as my hand is long, and perfect for little hands.  But, in my opinion, much too large for a tree.  So we kept him at home, Lovebug is quite attached. (I think it's the eyes...)  I am in love with how he turned out, just bummed he wasn't small enough.  I am planning to attempt this again, but with either fingering or lace weight yarn. And tinier needles.  Eventually I'll get it right.

So what else is good about this pattern might you ask?  It's incredibly fast.  Even if you knit the larger size, you're using bulky yarn and big needles.  This was two days tops and only because I had to tend to the kids. :)  The stitch pattern adds visual interest, but plain stockinette would be just as cute.  If you made the larger version you'd need a lot of fiberfill.  Even this little guy took a lot because I wanted him to be firm - too squishy and he wouldn't hold up to being played with or squooshed.

There are actually three patterns in this series.  A pig, a bunny and this owl.  I want to knit all 3.  I'd like to knit them in bulky weight, but I may just see what's in my stash and find the appropriate needles.  I think that Lovebug and Squishy need the full set. :)

As an aside, the eyes are crochet.  It's very simple crochet, but I know a lot of knitters are intimidated by the crochet hook.  So if you like the pattern but don't want the crocheted eyes, you should be able to find a pattern that tells you how to knit circles.  Honestly, it's the eyes that really make this pattern.  (The beak construction is pretty neat too.)

This is an idea I encourage all knitters to explore.  Is there a toy pattern you really like but it's too big or too small?  Consider adjusting your yarn and needle sizes accordingly and you have a whole new outlook on a project.  I'd really like to try this idea on some of Susan Anderson's patterns - specifically the Giraffe.  I'd love to make it in lace weight and see what size he comes out.  I may even have something perfect in my stash....

Ravellenics 2012

I suppose it's about time I launched into the Ravellenics knitting that happened this summer.  Ravellenics (previously known as Ravelympics) coincides with the Olympics, so every two years knitters and crocheters and fiber artists gather their fiber and tools and get to work.  There are events and badges, goals and accomplishments, and it is really neat to see what we as a community can do in a short amount of time.

I participated in a few events which included the Frogging Trampoline and the Hand-Dyed High Dive. I also entered items into the charity knitting event, one skein wonders, the mitten event and the hat event.  That sounds like a lot, but it's not really.

For the frogging event (Frogging Trampoline), the requirements were that the item to be frogged (unraveled) must be at least 25% complete, and that you take a before and after shot.  I frogged two items.

First up, the Bathrobe.  I've talked about this knit a lot but never really got anywhere with it.  It'd been languishing on the needles, untouched, for too long.  Every time I went back to the pattern I spent half the time trying to figure out where I left off, and then getting frustrated because the pattern instructions were unclear to me.  Aside from that, the Bathrobe was meant to be for Squishy, who is now closer to 4 than 3 years old and the pattern size I was knitting was 24 months.  Too small!! And too big at the moment for Lovebug.

Before

 After

(I apologize for the quality of some of these photos.  

They were taken on my phone in bad lighting!)

The second item I frogged was Evie's Sweater.  I almost had her sweater reknit after frogging it once already, but I just couldn't come to terms with the density of the fabric.  I was trying to use yarn that was too heavy, even going up a couple needle sizes the sweater was thick and hard to maneuver.  It never would have been comfortable for her to wear.  I really want to knit her this pattern because it would cover the majority of her body and neck and give her tiny body warmth in the winter.  Perhaps I can get myself in gear and get this knit for the coming winter...with the proper yarn!

Before

 After

I also competed in the Hand Dyed High Dive.  This was for yarn and/or fiber that was dyed during the Ravellenics.  I dyed two skeins of fingering weight wool.  One for a prize drawing for Team Itty Bitty Knitters and one as a yarn swap with a friend.

I also knit 2 items, a pair of color work fingerless mitts and a hat during that time, but I'll save those for another day.