Year End Holiday Knits

My year has been full. It has been full of love, friends, family, knits, change and all kinds of good stuff. I embarked on new projects this year, tried new things, grew a bit as I feel like I do with each new year. My kids are obviously growing too, I’ll be doing some shopping for Simon in the new year he barely fits in any of his clothes these days. It warms my heart to see both of my boys still loving their knit hats I made them back when this whole new passion became a part of my life. The hats were one of my very first projects.

Christmas Tree Hunting

This year I’ve been crankin’ hats out. I can make one in no time flat anymore, all I need is one evening and a good movie and of course some chunky wool and my 10.5 circular needles. It doesn’t hurt to have my husband snuggled beside me on the couch either, never does really (knitting or not). I still have a couple of projects in the works. My sweater for example. Sheesh when will I ever finish that bad boy. But I’ve made two baby blankets over the course of the past few months and several hats.

Here is a quick snip of one of those blankets.

Evelyn's Blanket

This one was for Baby Evelyn whom you met a few months ago.

Then I got to spend nearly a week with one of my favorites – knitting a few nights when we weren’t cleaning, rearranging, and organizing at my store.

Jan Knitting

Here she is…knitting by our sweet little Christmas tree.

Jan Knits

She brought me a surprise…a huge one…my sister and her baby whom I hadn’t gotten the chance to meet yet. Baby William Jeffery.

BIll Bill's Hat

The nights when we got to sit down and knit were, and always are, my favorite. The aforementioned hats I worked on for Christmas gifts were for my husband (whom I’ve never made a thing for – on purpose anyway) and his brother who happens to heart the Chicago Bears.

Shane's Hat Shane's Ribbed Hat Shane's Hat Done

In order to complete these projects before Christmas morning I used some fairly chunky yarn and some size 10.5 circular needles. The yarn is malabrigo chunky in the hat pictured above. This hat I knit right in front of Shane (because I didn’t really have a choice) but since he didn’t inquire the gift ended up a surprise. This yarn is Kettle Dyed pure merino wool the variation in the skeins was so pretty. I decided to stripe it a bit – I’m a total sucker for vertical stripes.

The hat below was the Chicago Bears inspired hat that I decided to attempt a tiny bit of fair isle on. I don’t really know what I’m doing but it sort of worked. I didn’t know if my brother in law would like it though so I quickly knit up another ribbed hat for him too. Two hats on Christmas morning – that’s a fine gift…right?

Fair Isle Attempt Outside Fair Isle Fair Isle Angle

I finally found some Brown Sheep Yarn Co. yarn to use for the Bear’s hat, but it was no easy task finding yarn, in one day, that came close to being the proper colors. Plus I needed wool…and it wasn’t the softest wool – hopefully Bryan doesn’t have an itchy head. I ribbed the bottom of the hat in the pictures above and then just knit knit knit (on circulars) and knit in those little fair isle stitches for a couple of rounds. I didn’t use a pattern just decided to wing it.

Ribbed Bear's Hat

And now I’m feeling a bit more caught up. I realize it is actually February and I’m still reminiscing the end of the year. I guess I’m just in a much better space today than I was a month or so ago. Things are calming down and I’m filing through photographs. And, I’m getting excited to have the time to start some more new knitting projects. Happy 2012!

Baby Bill

 

 

Fall in the Air

Decrease

So I’m a knitting MACHINE right now. I love it, I’m not doing anything super exciting. Still working on my sweater! My husband asked me last night as I grabbed a new skein of yarn to ‘cake up’ “What about my pretty sweater?” He was partially being a punk and probably partially wondering when I would be finishing that beast up, it’ll be awhile.

Sweater Progress

It still looks like a tiny knit curtain. But it is a really really pretty tiny knit curtain.

I finished up the wedding beanies. I shall send the Wisconsin Badger inspired ribbed hat to Mitchell and the light green and turquoise one to Megan in a little newlywed care package in the morning.

Wisconsin Hat Newlyweds

It is birthday season around here! I sent a hat to my sweet Aunt Karen who just turned 60, which you’d never guess, and she sent me this. Her sweet thank you totally made the hat knit with love worth it! I definitely sent it to the right person.

Thank you

I love this wool yarn rainbow – who doesn’t love yarn? and rainbows? Of course since I love that ribbed pattern it is what I do, it is good to do what you love, plus when I’m attempting to knock out a ton of projects I glue myself to simplicity.

Rainbow Hat

The birthday train is still in full force. My mom’s birthday present is under construction right now. I’ve decided to pull out my giant size 15 needles and do a simple garter stitch (co 15) and whip up a quick scarf with some extra chunky wool blend I had stashed away in the yarn cubby.

Garter Scarf Mom's scarf

And finally I recently sent my best friend Nicole a hat that I knit using some yarn I got from Purl Soho, another one I wanted to keep, but of course I have yet to own one of my own hats. This particular hat I cast on 68 stitches and k2 p2 the entire way to the decrease at the top. I used size 10.5 circular needles. Another snug delicious head warmer.

Knit Decrease

Nicola

There is that pretty face I miss so much.

Happy Fall Knitting!

Birthday Hat with Pom Pom

Knitting Progress

Birthday Hat takes on two meanings for me today. I made this hat for a friend for her birthday because as I mentioned before – why mess with success, when you are good at something you might as well make that useful thing for everyone that needs it right? Plus they are fun to make, so I made yes another ribbed hat. The second meaning is that I finished this hat while I was fortunate enough to be a doula at a sweet birth…so it is extra special to me. This was while the Mama was laboring for a bit in another room, I snapped my progress on my lap in the rocking chair in the dark room, in the wee hours of the morn.

Birth Knitting

It doesn’t take me long to whip out a ribbed hat these days. One night and I can get one done from start to finish. This particular hat I cast on 68 stitches and k2 p2 the entire way to the decrease at the top. I used size 10.5 circular needles and I really just like the way these fit, they are snug and warm, so I’ll keep making them. In fact I’m thinking about starting to sell them on Etsy just because I like to make them so much. That’s when I ask myself, “Self, do I have time for an Etsy shop?” And the answer is as long as no one likes your hats you do!

Close Rib Peek Hat Green/Yellow Hat

I used Sheep Number Two yarn from the Sheep Shop Yarn Company. I love knitting with this yarn it is so soft and colorful! I used color number G026. I got it in hanks and just used my new tools (they’ll be featured in one of the next blog entries) to turn it into a big yarn cake. Both times I’ve made hats with this I didn’t even use a whole hank. The last hat was Lexie’s birthday hat. It is made in Uruguay and 100% pure wool!

Now for the Pom Pom! I haven’t ever made one before but I’m not sure why, it is incredibly easy!

Cardboard Wind Yarn Finger

So the first three steps pictured above: 1.Find a piece of flexible cardboard. 2. Wrap yarn around the cardboard (approx 50 times). 3. Remove the wound yarn from the cardboard. I just slid my finger in place of the cardboard – but you want to keep that wound yarn nice and neat for the next step.

Yarn Through Bundle Tied Bundle

Next step is just to tie a about a 12 inch piece of yarn twice around your bundle (through the middle).

Cutting

Finally you just cut the bundle (opposite side of where you tied it together). Then you’ve got yourself a pom pom. I just attached it after I cut it.

TaDa!

Finished Hat

What do you guys think? Etsy shop or no?

Side Project

Yarn Ball

This yarn, from Purl, arrived in hanks – as it usually does – but Mama doesn’t have a ball winder…or does she…My Ball Winder

Hank

I used my husbands arms and my hands to wind my own ball. Problem solved!

So after I had a ball I started knitting a little gifty for my Sister-in-Law for her birthday. Of course I decided I ought to stick to what I’m good at so I knitted another ribbed hat. Since this yarn is pretty chunky I used size 10.5 circular needles made from bamboo. My collection of needles is growing by the project. I knitted two, purled two the whole way around. I started by casting on 68 stitches (I think). I should always write down exactly what I cast on right when I do it because it immediately exits my brain and since I already gifted the hat I can’t count how many I cast on.

lexhat2

Trying it on for size. It isn’t quite done yet but I love the colors of this variegated wool. It is called Sheep Number 2, made in Uruguay. It has to be dry cleaned or hand washed in cold water. It is 100% pure wool and it comes in 100g hanks. I got it from Purl when they had their moving sale and I’m happy that I got two hanks of it, even though this project didn’t even require one whole ball of yarn. I have a little ball left over and one whole hank for Shane to hold while I wind for another project. I’ve become a yarn hoarder, I need to do some serious knitting to start diminishing my stash.

The Finished Product

Happy Knitting! Happy Birthday Lex!