New Year, New FO

I thought I'd start the year with some knitting content.

I'll pause while you all stand back up from the floor...

OK, here it is:

This was a Christmas gift for Todd and I am inordinately pleased with it. The pattern is VERY loosely based on an Irish Hiking Hat (Ravelry link). Loosely as in, "I cast on the 96 stitches the pattern called for and did a cable and rib patterned hat." Everything else I changed: order of the ribs and cables, width of the cables, height of the cables, the decreases... you get the idea.

The yarn is Malabrigo Worsted in Pearl Ten and I knit the hat on a size 8 Addi Turbo 16" circular and dpns.

I like the hat a lot but mostly I am pleased as punch with the way I worked out the decreases:

They make a fun, swirly pattern!

Should anyone be interested in the alterations I made, let me know- I actually took copious notes (shocking) so I know what I did.

A Little Math

So looking over things I discovered some disturbing math. I've only posted here 11 time in 2008. That's 1.1 posts per month but that isn't what disturbed me (although maybe it should).


You might think that no posts on a knitting blog might mean no knitting:

0 p = 0 FO

But that isn't the case. In fact, the opposite is true. Since the beginning of the year I've completed 23 knitted items.

11 p = 23 FO

Even if I had managed to put a finished object in each of my paltry posts (I didn't) I still would be 12 FO's behind when it comes to sharing. In reality, I think I have 18 or so FO's to share.


That's a lot. Daunting almost.

But I shall not be defeated.


As I have nothing clever or profound to add I'll just get straight to it. I was going to do this chronologically but I am missing some pictures so it'll have to be haphazard.


Last week I decided the kiddos needed Pumpkin Hats and so, voila!




Pumpkin hats. This is the Little Pumpkin hat (Ravelry link) from Itty-Bitty Hats.
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I used Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Glazed Carrot, Sapphire Green, and Marron Oscuro and knit them on my trusty size 7 Addi Turbos and dpns. The pattern goes up to a 1-2 year size but my little ones have not so little heads so I opted to use a worsted weight yarn instead of the called for DK weight. The hats are a little big but they'll fit for several years- better big than too small :) This is a quick knit, each hat took me less than two days to knit so I'm sure some of you speedier knitters out there could crank these out in no time. Overall, I am very happy with the results and hope that the weather this fall is cool enough that they get lots of use.


And while we're on the subject of hats, a while back (April!!?) I did a test knit for a friend of mine from Ravelry.



This is the Warwick Hat by Nina Machlin Dayton.


I made the child's small size but Matt has since outgrown it so I guess I need to make another one (in a solid color this time). The yarn is Malabrigo worsted again, the main color is Lime-Blue and the contrast color is Lettuce. And once again I used my Addi Turbos (size 8) and dpns. The hat is knot from the top down and has this cool contrast braid detail at the top and down at the brim. I'm bummed it's too small now...


So that's it for today. I don't want to over-do it. See you soon with more FOs and if I ever get caught up with those maybe I'll show you what I'm working on now... what a concept.

Still more crazy weather!

We went out to brunch this morning and as we sat there big fat flakes started pouring from the sky... Insane. Did Mother Nature lose her calendar?

The kids were sick all week:noses running like faucets, huge hacking coughs, ear infections, and yes, throwing up. Good times. I'm a little worn out from all the associated tasks and the increased crankiness so I'll apologize for my incoherent post ahead of time.

Since the little ones were sick, I was stuck in the house most of the week so I am suffering from cabin fever and I am really looking forward to getting out to see the Yarn Harlot tomorrow night at Third Place Books. I haven't picked up her new book yet but I plan on getting it tomorrow as well. I'm excited to reading the book since her books always make me laugh out loud. Unfortunately, I realized tonight that I do not have any socks on the needles... Going to see the Harlot without a sock to work on. Yikes. Possible heresy. I may have to rectify the situation before tomorrow night. Hmmmm.... what to do? What to do?

When last we talked knitting I was stalled on the cardigan I was knitting for Gwen. I'm still stalled. I guess I have Second Sleeve Syndrome. My goal is to get the sleeve cast on this week. We'll see how that goes, I'm not holding out any great hope...

I think I had also just cast on for my Foliage. I am happy to say that that particular piece of knitting is no longer a WIP but a lovely Finished Object! Hooray!

Foliage from Knitty knit in Malabrigo Chunky on Size 9 & 10 Addi Turbo circulars and a set of size 10 dpns.Finally, a hat for me. ::happy dance::

A Knitting Update

I have been plugging along on a project for Gwen but I have yet to share it with you so allow me to rectify the situation.

This is the Lace Edge Cardigan from Debbie Bliss Simply Baby. I am using Baby Cashmerino in Chocolate and I had to go down a needle size (#2) to get gauge. I know the picture doesn't really show you anything but right now the cardigan is pretty much a brown blob of garter stitch so trust me, a picture of it all laid out is even less interesting.

So far I have finished the body (fronts & back are knit as one piece) and the above sleeve is now finished.

I need to cast on for the second sleeve but I am a bit bored with all the brown garter stitch so I did this instead:

Yes, I have finally jumped on the Foliage hat bandwagon. Goodness knows I have enough Malabrigo in my stash, I need to start using some of it. (I uploaded all my Malabrigo to Ravelry last night so now I know exactly how much of the yummy stuff I have been, ahem, collecting.) I am using Malabrigo Chunky in Lettuce and so far I am very happy with the project (I'm a little further along than in than in the photo). The pattern is easy but interesting. I found the beginning of the hat a little fiddly with the dpn's but I have switched to a circular now so that is behind me and really, it wasn't annoying enough to prevent me from making another hat in this pattern. I think part of the problem is also that I have been using small needles so much (see brown garter stitch blob above for example) that I find that the 10.5's feel like tree trunks!

Hopefully I'll get some pictures taken in the next couple days so I can show you everything I have on the needles. I have a shocking number of WIPs right now... Which is not good because I feel I case of cast-on-itis coming on, the downfall of documenting my delicious Malabrigo stash and reminding myself of what I could be making instead of what I am making... because you know, the grass is always greener when it is Lettuce Malabrigo.