Infinity Scarf for Never-Ending Winter

Winter just doesn't seem to want to end this year ...
So last week, when I was out wool shopping for just the right skein of pink baby yarn to make one of these for a friend's new family addition, I also stumbled across this pattern and it called my name. Really, it should be too late in the year to be making scarves...and too late for having to wear them to keep warm! After all, it's the end of March...the robins are returning...the geese are flying north...

But it snowed this morning ... and I'm sure I was one of the few southern Ontarians who wasn't completely unhappy about that ... because  I had reason to wear my brand new Urban Lace Infinity Scarf!

Pattern: Urban Lace Infinity Scarf
Designer: Tannis Gray
Wool: Cascade Casablanca in "Peacock"
Amount: 1 skein (right to the last metre)

Needles: 5 mm

Still knitting

Just checking in again...alive and well, and yes...still knitting...
...more coming soon...

My First Test-Knit: Lazy Bosnian Slippers

Lazy Bosnian Slippers
by: Elena Fedotova
Yarn: Patons Shetland Chunky
1 Ball
Needles: 5 mm
Size: Regular Size - 5 pattern repeats for top, 49 stitch sole

Using the Patons Shetland Chunky, these came out a little too big for my smallish feet. The yarn is lovely and squishy, but also very soft and I am afraid won't wear that well for slippers. I have started a second pair out of Phentex (ouch-my hands!), using 4.5 mm needles and using less stitches (45) for the sole for slightly narrower width. Will also add two plain rows after the 5th repeat to provide a bit more depth and prevent my big toe from peeking out.

This is a great pattern and Lena's pair in red and white stripes shows off her pattern very nicely. Have a look!

This was my first "test knit" and it was cool having the pattern sent over all the way from Montenegro.

More Mittens...

I keep getting ready for winter but (I know I'm going to regret saying this) "what winter?" Other than a brief cold snap lasting less than 48 hours, things have been almost balmy around here. Neverless, our household will be prepared...behold:

Newfie Mittens

These wonderfully warm and squishy mittens look a lot more complicated to make than they really are. There are several free patterns available on Ravelry, and here's one in particular I liked: Creative Whimsy's Newfoundland Mittens

I am burning through my stash of Patons Classic Wool Merino, choosing grey and white for this pair, knit on 3.75 mm dpn's.
Thank you Newfoundland.

Just in Time for -10 degree Celsius

Looks like winter has finally hit southern Ontario. This morning I woke to -10 degrees Celsius....brrrr. Oh well, just another excuse to show off one "Turn a Square" hat and a matching pair of "No Swatch, No Gauge" mittens. Both are free patterns also offered through Ravelry. I used up some Patons Classic Wool Merino I had in my stash to make these and even tried my hand at creating "jogless" stripes.

Timeless...don't mess with a good thing

In the fall of 1968 Elizabeth Zimmerman published her genius pattern known as The Baby Surprise Jacket. Amazingly, by following her written instructions you knit up something which looks like this:

and with just a few folds, it turns into...

...surprise...this! A lovely, cuddly, baby-taylored jacket.

My copy of this pattern is taken from Elizabeth Zimmerman's: The Opinionated Knitter.
Wool: Classic Elite Yarns - Liberty Wool
Colourway "Painted Desert" #7804
Purchased at Soper Creek Yarn in Bowmanville, ON
Just under 3 skiens (50 grams each)

Here are the true colours of this gorgeous wool ~

I found Lorilee Beltman's "Knitting Nuggets" videos on Youtube very helpful for this project. She clearly demonstrates some tips and techniques such as how to easily identify where to make increases without having to count every stitch and every row, how to sew up the shoulder seem (photo above), and how to finish off the project with a 3-stitch I-cord border along the edges.

I can't wait to find the right buttons and give this over to a very-much anticipated baby!

Today we stepped back in time...

Happy Thanksgiving

An overnight surprise...

After a full day of steady rain, snow melting...seemingly washing away winter, I woke up this March 6th morning to Winter's surprise....

...a blast of cold north air and a fresh dusting of snow...have to admit, it's kind of pretty...
Coincidentally, I happened to finish this lovely snowflake of wool just in time...
...a winter's beret for Lydia

Pattern (free): Meret by "Wooly Wormhead"
Wool: Patons Classic Wool (approx 3/4 of a ball)
Needles: 4.5 round and double-pointed

Extreme Cold Weather Alert

Just in time for yet another extreme cold weather alert...and hot off the needles is the "Gap-tastic Cowl". It's big, bulky, and best of all very warm.

The pattern is free on ravelry.

I used 3 balls of Lion Brand Thick and Quick in colour Oatmeal. Cast on the 131 sts on 9 mm round needles as suggested and just kept going around and around...

Thorpe'd again

It seems everyone wants a Thorped hat so....here we go again....

I chose to go a size smaller for this one - using the medium size which has 72 stitches on the needle once you have made all the increases. Again I used double-stranded Patons Classic Wool - colours Jade Heather and Aran (both from my stash). Again I used 5.5 mm dpn's for the body of the hat, but switched to 4.5 mm circular (16") for the garter stitch band as it seemed a bit loose on my first Thorpe project (ravelry link). The trim is in single crochet due to the thickness of the wool.The top tassle...just for fun...

More snow = more mittens...

It's snowing again...

I love my red mittens.

Pattern: 3 Stitch Waffle Mittens

Wool: Nashua Superwash Wool

Thorpe Hat Just in Time...

It may be a little late for Christmas but Owen's Thorpe hat and matching mittens are finished, just in time for the new snow that fell overnight. What a great pattern. I made it a bit large but, double stranded, it is definitely warm.

Hat Pattern: Thorpe by Kirten Kapur

(free pattern!)

Mittens: My own generic mitten pattern

Wool: Patons Classic Wool in "Forest" (one strand) and a solid brown wool from my stash (second strand)

Waffle mittens

Finished just in time for Christmas .... one pair of waffle mittens, made to order for Thomas

And he likes them!
What can I say? He picked out the colours : )
Mission Falls 1820 Wool
Pattern on Ravelry: 3 Stitch Waffle Mittens by Zortified (a free Ravelry download)
This pattern knits up quickly and the waffle stitch adds some nice thickness and warmth. My only modification was to do plain knit thumbs versus the knit-2 purl-1 that the pattern calls for. I found the plain knit looks better when adding the make-1 stitches for the thumb gusset.

A different beach...another sock

It's amazing how much knitting you can get done during an 18-hour drive to the sunny south...
"Algonquin Socks" started on the shores of Pog Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park, and...

...completed on the sands of beautiful Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I love this place they call "The Strand," with it's glorious sunrises -

seemingly endless beaches -

and, lo and behold...a local yarn store (and a lovely one at that!)

Needless to say, with the socks finished I had to pick up a little something for the 18 hour drive back to Ontario...

Algonquin-inspired Socks

We spent a glorious week up at Pog Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park , relaxing, canoeing, swimming, hiking, eating 'smores by the fire....and, finally I had time to knit something... ...a pair of socks made of Patons Kroy sock yarn, colourway "55201 - Turquoise Jacquard"; however, I prefer to call it "Late Summer in Algonquin."

Here's why:

Pog Lake, Algonquin Park

The Unknown Couple - but don't they look perfect together?

Mystic Pines

Who couldn't help but feel refreshed, renewed, and inspired among all this beauty?

If I was knitting...

If I was knitting...which I am not because I am either working or studying...but if I was to knit something it would be these two little friends. The pattern is called "Jacobus" by Annita Wilschut and you can find ordering info at her blog.

Plastic Chairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prUCCh_NXGY&feature=player_embedded

Wii to the Rescue

We had a wonderful, relaxing 2-week Christmas break, all the while experiencing the craziness of Ontario's winter weather. Despite days of drizzle and rain, followed by bone-numbing sub-zero temperatures that left us quite house-bound, there were no complaints of boredom.

We bought a "family gift" this year for Christmas - a Wii and added a couple of appendages, Rock Band and Wii Fit Plus. We've had lots of fun with Rock Band and it turns out that even Aunt I and Uncle A can rock!

I have to admit, I bought the Fit Plus more for myself - to help with the perpetual New Year's resolution: to get in better shape this year. But the rest of the gang seems to be enjoying it too. A good friend told me about Sheila Wray Gregoire's blog To Love, Honor, and Vacuum. Sheila has put together three mixed 30 minute work-outs using Wii Fit and she shares them on her blog here.

So off I go to do "work-out C: core body"...

Tidying up loose ends in 2009...

The Moderne Baby Blanket is almost done - just the edging to go! I have seen these blankets finished off with a neat I-cord edging. This Youtube video

shows you how to make an applied I-cord border. I tried it, but my first attempt was unsuccessful. I followed the suggestion to go up to a bigger needle size,but because of the non-stretchiness of the Cotton Ease I am using, performing the SSK was very difficult. I'll try this again because I love how it looks but will go back to my original needle size.

What to Knit Next...

With only the buttons left to sew on my Little Coffee Bean cardigan...and the weather turning colder outside, I am considering knitting up a few hats. Will it be...

...a Charlie Brown cap or a Linus toque?

Hey! Only one month till Christmas...knitting all the way!