HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Selbu mittens are still not finished. The totals for this year are:

Socks : 16 pairs
Gloves: 2
Mittens: 8
Rabbit Finger Puppets: 7
Washcloth: 1
Hats: 5
Tea Cozy: 1

That makes a total of 40 small FOs plus 10 skeins of rabbit fur spun for the rabbit shelter to sell and one knitting pattern booklet. This is about half as many items as I knitted last year but out of the 40 FOs, 22 of the projects were my designs. I guess that is because it takes me a lot longer to design my own items.

I forgot about another fun pattern I did this year - the Tipsy Knitter socks from Socks, Socks, Socks.



Unfortunately I'm finding that the yoga socks pattern I posted last week have become too loose after a few wearings - perhaps the ribbing pattern is not the right one to use. Anyway, I'm removing the pattern until I can figure out a better way to do them.

My favorite book of 2005 was Marcia Lewandowski's Andean Folk Knits because it was the only book for several years that focused on stranded color knitting. My favorite retailer was Knitpicks because I'm not sure I could continue knitting if I had to pay some of the high yarn prices I've seen.

I forgot to add some projects I want to knit for 2006. I want to make the Debbie New sideways garter stitch socks from IK a few years back. I also want to make the Del Mar lacy wristwarmers from the winter issue of Spindlicity out of some hand-dyed merino singles and the Fair Isle hat pattern HERE. Tomorrow I'll have the last FO of 2005 and a list of what I've knit.

Here are my two favorite projects of 2005 - the Aran Island mittens from Folk Mittens and the Floral Fair Isle Gloves from Interweave Knits.

I hoped to have the Selbu mittens to show today but yesterday was just too busy. First my 10+ year old monitor decided to go bonkers so I bought a nice new big 17" monster. What a difference on the eyes! Then we had to go to Santa Fe to meet some old friends. We went to India Palace and a wonderful new spot off Guadalupe Street, Gelato Benissimo. I had some hazelnut chocolate gelato that tasted a lot like cold Nutella. I'll definitely be back.

Today I'm busy cooking up a storm. I'm making some white beans with sage and garlic in the pressure cooker, whole wheat bread in the bread machine, stuffed mushrooms and zucchini, and a chipotle-red pepper risotto recipe from one of the Biker Billy's vegetarian cookbooks.

Lulu pays quarterly and the first check won't arrive until February but through Cafepress for 2005 Stranded Color Knitting made $500 for rabbit rescue which was sent to the Colorado House Rabbit Society. I expect to make more this year with the extra pattern booklet.

I want to do 2 more pattern booklets this year: one on wacky hats for kids and one with Christmas knitting patterns. Some of my other 2006 goals include the black and white mittens from the cover of the Latvian mittens book, the Alice Starmore Celtic Keynot Pillow, the Blackberry Ridge Step Dance socks (F on the chart), and some lovely cabled Log Cabin socks Jessica just made from Handknit Holidays. I'm waiting on the book but otherwise I have everything to get started on these projects.

Peaches is currently taking her 3 hour afternoon nap in the sun. She usually sleeps with her eyes open while flopped over on her side.

This pair of socks is from several years ago and is based on one in the Socks, Socks, Socks book. I hope to have the Selbu mittens finished to show you Monday but we'll see how that goes. I also want to do a year-end round up of best and worst and possibly post a simple sock pattern. Happy Holidays to all!

I ripped out the Alice Starmore Malin sweater. Although I had finished both sleeves and about 6 inches of front and back (I was working them simultaneously), I realized the sweater wouldn't look good on me. That means the only other knitting project in progress I have are the socks shown above. They are the Dancing Violets socks from Blackberry Ridge knit in lace weight yarn and size 0 dpns. It may be an effort but I want to finish the socks and the Selbu mittens by the end of the year.

I have two stalled spinning projects. I was making some cabled wristwarmers made from a combo of Kool-Aid dyed merino wool and fur from my Himalayan cat Bosco. His fur is quite slippery so it needs to be blended with something else. I used the Tracy Eichheim production spindle he sent me last year - I have the one with the hearts.




Unfortunately I ran out of the orange KA dyed merino and am too lazy to dye more just to finish some wristwarmers that will only be used when I'm trying to keep my hands warm while knitting. So I've scrapped that project.

My second project was initially designed to highlight Peaches' fur along with some beautiful angora blend fiber Anne sent me from her wonderful rabbit Hank. I was using my fancy Tracy Eichheim rabbit spindle . I have many fine spindles - Hatchtown, Bosworth, Kokovoko, etc. but I love Tracy's spindles the best.

Honestly I didn't really like the part with Peaches fur on it as it would always be shedding. I think I'd prefer a project that just uses the beautiful fiber Anne sent so I'm going to design some mittens or wristwarmers with fancier cables.

I've been meaning to post this recipe. DH & I made several batches of these to accompany the Christmas knitted gifts. I've seen instructions to cut the muffin tin liners down so the peanut butter cups fit perfectly but it really isn't necessary.

EASY PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Makes 12

12 oz package chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips are the best for this I think)
1 cup natural peanut butter (I use the stuff freshly ground at my health food store)
2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
pinch of salt

Melt chocolate chips in a bowl in microwave on MEDIUM heat for 1-2 minutes. With half of the melted chocolate, coat 12 paper muffin tin liners (swirl them around in your hand or use a spoon or pastry brush) about halfway to the top. Mix peanut butter with sugar and salt and roll into 12 discs. Add to muffin tin liners. Then add the rest of the melted chocolate to the tops of the peanut butter cups, completely covering all the peanut butter. Put in refrigerator to set.

Think you've seen it all in the world of fiber? Have I got a link for you!

FRESH FELTED DONUTS

The donuts were not wacky enough for you?

KNITTED DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

RABBIT FINGER PUPPETS

I’ve used this pattern to make puppets for the Colorado House Rabbit Society shelter to sell in their gift shop.

MATERIALS:
Small amounts of fingering weight yarn in main color plus some orange and green for carrots, red for a heart, and a contrast color for eyes, nose, whiskers, and tail.
Size 0 (US) dpns
Tapestry needle

Gauge: 18 sts = 2” (5 cm)To save time, take time to check gauge.

Cast on 24 stitches and divide over 3 dpns. Join, being careful not to twist. P 2 rows. K across until finger puppet is the length you desire. For an adult, make the finger puppet about 3 inches long total.
Top decreases: K2TOG across row (12 stitches remain). K2TOG across row again (6 stitches remain). Cut yarn, leaving a 10-inch tail. Thread tapestry needle and draw through remaining stitches. Weave in ends.

Bunny ears: Make 2 in either main color or pink. With size 0 needles , CO 10 sts. Bind off. Attach to top of rabbit puppet and shape how you like.
Carrots: Do 4 stitch I-cord for 5 rows, decrease by doing K2TOG twice across row to 2 stitch I-cord for 2 rows. Cut yarn and attach to rabbit puppet. Add some green stitching for the carrot tops. (Note: If you find I-cord at this gauge too difficult, make the carrots the same way you made the ears.)
Heart: Thread a tapestry needle with red yarn. Follow chart and duplicate stitch on rabbit puppet near the center.

Tails: On opposite side of puppet attach either a French knot done with double thickness of yarn or a miniature pom pom.

Finishing: Use French knots for eyes and nose and with a tapestry needle, split the plies of the yarn and fray for the whiskers.


ABBREVIATIONS

K - knit
P - purl
St - stitch
Sl - slip
DPN - double-pointed needle
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
K2TOG - knit two stitches together
SSK - slip 1, slip 1, knit two together
PSSO - slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over
REP - repeat

Here's the mitten in progress. You can see on the cuff that the pattern I chose didn't perfectly match up with the number of stitches I was using but I just had to use it. I'm obsessed with knitting "little people" and now have to choose a little people chart for the thumb.

After these mittens are finished I plan to spend the rest of 2005 finishing projects. I have 2 spinning projects and 3 knitting projects (single socks and mittens) I'd like to complete. Then I'll only have Alice Starmore's Malin on the needles when the New Year arrives.




Peaches would like me to thank her Secret Paw, Oreo the cat, for such a wonderful box of goodies. She got some fun chew toys which she's already demolishing, some blueberry treats which DH also likes, and some grain and seed treats for rabbits which DH hasn't yet tried.

The pattern booklet is finished. There are 4 stranded color knitting patterns - the Shooting Star Hat, the End of the Rainbow Socks, the Diamonds are Forever Mittens and the Field of Flowers Wristwarmers. Charts and photos are all in color in the 10 page booklet and the hat and mittens are shown in alternate color combos. The hat pattern is available in 3 sizes - child, adult small/medium, and adult large/x-large.

All the booklet's earnings go to nonprofit pet rabbit rescue via the 501(c)3 House Rabbit Society. The price is $9.99 in print and $3.96 as an ebook/.PDF download. The info page with photos of all the projects is HERE and you can purchase it HERE.

I adore fine-gauge knitting and mittens are my favorite project. I don't knit many fine-gauge mittens because they aren't very warm. I had to make an exception in this case.



These mittens are from Sheila McGregor's Traditional Scandinavian Knitting. I had to make them because of the little ladies. The author says red and white are the traditional colors for these mittens. I'm using Nature Spun fingering weight (do they even make that any more?) and size 1 dpns. I'm changing the thumb and changing the cuff. I thought I'd add more little people. Doesn't it look like they are square dancing?

I think Stitch and Motif Maker v. 3.0 is going to change my life. Not because I can now make charts more easily - that is not so life-shattering. The software is going to change my life because I can now better imagine what the colors will look like together BEFORE I start knitting. I've already re-arranged my entire stash in the shelving units by color and I'm raring to get to work playing with colors some more. It was $70 I really didn't want to spend but I'm very glad I did. Knitpicks appears to sell it for the lowest price plus free shipping.

Here are some wrist warmers I did for the booklet that kind of remind me of a field of flowers. They actually fit more snugly than it appears but I didn't wait until the wool dried to get the photo for this blog.

You know it is going to be a long day when the first thing you have to do upon awakening is make a fire. DH loves heating with wood for the romance of it all and because he cuts all the wood we need for free. I am in the anti-wood stove camp as I hate lugging in wood and sweeping up ashes and pieces of wood and generally being a slave to a black box.

The Stitch and Motif maker software arrived and I'm terribly impressed with its ease of use. I will spend today working on charts for the knitting booklet and starting my next knitting project. I just got Sheila McGregor's Scandinavian Knitting (Dover reprint) and plan to make a pair of Selbu mittens from a chart included in the traditional red and white.

Peaches is doing everything possible to keep warm.

Here are the mittens I'm using in the booklet in a different colorway. The colors are way off so I need to spend some time playing with my scanner this week. The software hasn't arrived yet from Knitpicks - guess the holiday postal slowdown has started. Tomorrow I'll have one of the rainbow socks knit up in pastel colors.

Here's the star hat in a different colorway in the kid's size. The hats can be made in three sizes just by switching the needle size. Tomorrow I'll have a different colorway for the mittens I included in the booklet.

I'm working diligently on the knitting pattern booklet and hope to have it finished and for sale both in print and as an inexpensive ebook download (under $4) by next weekend. I have 3 of the patterns done and knit up and am waiting on the charting software. It will have 4 stranded color knitting patterns along with a bonus rabbit finger puppet pattern.




Peaches has joined up for Secret Paws. You have until December 4 to join for your pets so they'll get a small goodie by the end of the month. I'm not sure the spoiled rotten Ms. Peaches can wait that long - she has absolutely no patience. If I don't give out her treats quickly enough she growls at me!

Here are two new free Teaching Company classes you can listen to or download to listen to later. They are both taught by my favorite Teaching Company professor, Dr. Allitt. (We've already listened to his Victorian Britain and American Religious History classes.) The free classes are on Christmas in Victorian Britain (apparently the Victorians were the first ones to commercialize Christmas) and Christmas in 19th Century America (Pennsylvania Germans drank heavily for the festivities while many New Englanders wanted to avoid all forms of celebration). I can't wait to listen to them.