Getting ready for the Holiday Season, Weddings and Babies...

I'm starting to panic about this holiday season.  It seems that my knitting list is getting longer with each completed project rather than shorter.

So many babies are making their debut this year, my niece is getting married in November and of course, I had made a commitment to myself that all the kids would get a sweater this year.

I did manage to get Lisa's wedding shawl completed and sent to her last week for her 11/2/2013 wedding.  And it came out lovely, if I do say so myself.  I used JaggerSpun 50/50 wool/silk in lace weight and used Heirloom Knitting book for a guide.  The center diamond pattern picks up on the design in her dress and the lace edging is an Irish stitch, used to remind her of her high school days when she played Irish jigs on her viola.

My son-in-laws Christmas sweater is completed, which is knit with a washable wool.  I think it will work just fine for him as he works outside in the New England winters...  It is a top down Henley with some great stitch design!

I had a custom request from my daughter's friend for her new baby girl.  A dress, sweater, booties and hat, and what a fun knit these were!  Of course, I only have grandsons, so working on little girl items are always a JOY!

And I was actually able to get a bit of spinning done this month...

However productive this seems to be, I have a LONG list to get done before the holidays.  I know I always seem to put this pressure on my self each year and I need to learn to stop doing that.  I'm off to work on Mom's Christmas sweater now... the knitting must get done!

Handknit Hug

While daughter Sara is managing well through the ups and downs of life, recently she had several downs in a row.  It is hopeful that this little trend is just blip and things will start going up soon.  But until that happens, she just needed a hug to get her through. 

I'm in New York and she is in Vermont, so what else could a Mom do, but knit her a hug and send it in the mail?

I had some gorgeous wool, linen, silk blend DK weight yarn that is so very, very soft and smooth. I searched ravelry for a pattern for a short sleeve sweater pattern and fell in love with Tappan Zee the moment I saw it.  The construction is top down and incorporates a fun lace pattern in the yoke that is simple and yet fun to knit.  

It only took a week to knit up and it came out lovely.  I shipped it off to Vermont with a little note to Sara who responded on Facebook: "My mother is an incredible human being!. Thank you so much for the wonderful knit hug!"  

This little sweater brightened both our lives and not only brought smiles and warmth during the giving and receiving process, but will keep Sara snuggled in hugs for a long time to come. 

If you know someone going through some rough times, break out the needles and knit them up a hand knit hug to snuggle in and  you will both feel the love! 

 

Ocean Waves Silk Wrap

Yes, another shawl/wrap!  This one is one of my favorites and is sooo incredible to touch and feel.  It is handknit with 50/50 silk/wool in very cool blues and tourquoise.  The center panel has a fun design and the border has tiny sky blue beads at each scalloped point.

I loved knitting this one. Although it looks a bit complicated, the pattern was very easily memorized so no checking off each row to keep track was needed. This one one of my 'on the go' projects and spent many hours in the car while traveling here and there.

 

Lace Shawls

My Latest Shawls~~

I've been having the time of my life knitting up more shawls lately.  I think it has come to be an obsession, but I just can't resist trying new lace stitches and yarns. I've been a cable gal for many years, loving the twists and textures of cables, but my new-found love of lace has distracted me from cable work and I'm starting to feel like I have left my beloved cables on the roadside.

This orange shawl is just bursting with fall colors. 

I used a handdyed fingering yarn that shows off the autumn spectrum with falling leaf designs.  The added bead work on the leaf stems add sparkle, fun and weight.  This shawl is perfect for a quick shoulder cover, worn as a scarf, or can even be worn around the waist (if you are thin enough).  I just love the virbrant colors!

This forest green triangle shawl is knit with my own handspun yarn in a mohair/wool blend.

 

This one is heavier than my typical shawls and is intended for warmth as well as beauty. The mohair gives it a soft halo and a feel that you just want to pet.  The design is simple lace with a ripple edging at the bottom to highlight the beauty of the handspun yarn.

Both of these shawls are available in my etsy shop and are ready to ship. 

I may take a break from shawls soon and work up something using cables this week.  I'm sure it will be like seeing a long lost friend! 

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Burgandy Lace Wrap

I've spent the past two months knitting and ripping out lace shawls. Mostly ripping if truth be told. In fact,  I have another triangle shawl that I put aside because I need to rip back 8 rows and I just don't want to look at it for awhile.  But, even though these patterns are challenging me mathmatically, I really like the look of lace.

So I decided to try doing a simple rectangle wrap design with the KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) mentality. With the rectangle wraps, there are no changes in the number of stitches each row and it is easy to keep track of.  The result is this ZigZag Lacy Wrap.

What makes this simple design special is the yarn that I used to knit it ~  my own handspun alpaca, merino, silk blend in a gorgeous burgandy with subtle shade changes.  This wrap is soft, flowing and drapes beautifully. 

This photo shows the gradiant changes in shades:





The yarn is in between fingering and sport weight and I used 10.5 US needles to make the zigzags pop. 

I think it is perfect for cool summer evenings as a wrap to keep the chill off.  Or it can be worn as a scarf in the fall too ~ 

I really had fun making this easy lace and knitting with some of my handspun. Sometimes doing something simple will help build confidence for the more complex designs!

Now, off to rip and finish my triangle shawl that awaits me ~~

Keep you needles clicking!

Sunday Morning Knit Wit ~ Staggered Fern Lace Stitch

Here is it March already  and time to introduce some lacy designs ~ The lace that has rhyme and reason to it, not the crazy lace that happens due to dropped and missed stitches. 

I'll start out March with Staggered Fern Lace for two reasons ~ One, it just looks so springy and Two, it's not as difficult and it looks.  In fact, it is super easy if you just keep track of each and every row.  Check here for a fun idea in row counting.

I made this lovely spring and summer scarf simply by knitting the fern stitch.  By that I mean that I added nothing else, so you can use the stitch instructions below to make a fun little scarf.   This one in mint green is perfert for spring and summer as it is knit in a soft cotton/linen blend. 

Don't be afraid of working lacy patterns ~ I admit that they did look daunting to me at first, but once you get the rhythym they are not difficult at all.  Just always make sure you keep track of the rows.

Here is the pattern ~

Row 1: (right side): P2, K9, YF, K1, K3, Sl 1, K2Tog, PSSO, P2
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: P2, K10, YF K1, YF, K2, Sl 1, K2Tog, P2
Row 4: Purl
Row5: P2, K3Tog, K4, YF, K1, YF, K3, YF, K1, YF, K1, Sl 1, K2Tog, PSSO, P2
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: P2, K3Tog, K3, YF, K1, YF, K9, P2
Row 8: Purl
Row 9: P2, K3Tog, K2, YF, K1, K10, P2
Row 10: Purl
Row 11: P2, K3Tog, K1, YF, K1, YF, K1, YF, K1, YF, K4, Sl1, K2Tog, PSSO, P2
Row 12: Purl


Repeat these 12 rows


Have fun with this stitch!  Make little swatches to sew up in an afhgan or mix it into the front of a basic sweater pattern.  This design is a classic.

Next week is a simple pannel lace and a to-go coffee cup cozy!