BEST OF 2004 (lots of photos)



I finished 80 small projects in 2004. Socks were the most popular at 36 pair followed by hats (14), scarves (9), four pairs of mittens and four pairs of gloves. I finished 4 spinning projects and did some miscellaneous knitting - hearts, stars, flowers and one knitted bird. I finished one Aran baby sweater and did a little work on my Starmore sweater in progress. I knit one washcloth (the flower IK washcloth) and a small blanket to be felted for Jack the cat. I also knit some felted boots.



My favorite hat - self-designed













Favorite Mittens - Helgi's Mittens from Folk Knitting in Estonia













My favorite socks are these Turkish socks.











My favorite gloves are the Liidia's gloves from Folk Knitting in Estonia









Another favorite pair of socks - the New England Socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road







And another favorite hat - self-designed







HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Well I managed to screw up my post from today and it disappeared. Anyway, HERE is a list of 40 charities taking money for the relief work as a result of the earthquake/tsunami. I chose Oxfam America so I could donate quickly online.

Oops - I forgot to remind everyone that Stranded Color Knitting will remain on sale for $8.99 only through the end of the month. Then the price returns to $9.99 a booklet. Thank you to all of you who've purchased it and helped rabbit rescue.



I was originally thinking I would take off the rest of this week and next week from blogging but I want to do a Best and Worst of 2004 blog entry so that will happen some time next week. Also, I may lug a camera along to Santa Fe now that we have snow to try take some holiday photos to show here.



Peaches is quite impatient for Santa to arrive with her holiday bananas. She wishes everyone a very Merry Christmas!

I whipped up another quick scarf in black Cascade 220 and the remnants of several skeins of Mosaic FX railroad yarn. This one is for myself to wear on Christmas eve in Santa Fe. I think it is quite festive - you can't really see but I did a K2TOG, YO design.

I showed this photo last year but it bears repeating. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. I will return after the New Year.

Thanks for all the emails and comments here. I'll respond to them this week as I'm catching up a bit.









Here is a quick scarf I knit last night for Joelle while watching a movie. I don't have a pattern and actually just knit from either end randomly but it ended up as a sort of a welt stitch. I used bright turqoise Cascade 220 (my scanner can't handle turqoise for some reason) and some railroad yarn. It is certainly nice to finish a gift so quickly. Next I have to get to work on some hats for Lisa's homeless veteran project.

COMFORT KNITTING









I always knit socks when I'm sick or stressed or down. There is something about having a new pair of soft wool socks to look forward to that makes me feel better. These are the 2 Socks, 2 Ways from Socks, Socks, Socks in Peruvian Highland wool.



I am terribly behind in pretty much everything as a result of sleeping all week. I'll update the blog when I have a new FO to show but I'm not sure it will be next week. I do know that I have to feel better so I can go to River of Lights this Sunday at the Botanic Garden and the Santa Fe farolito week on Christmas eve. Have a wonderful holiday!

Hi all! I'm still dragging with the flu but I hope to have a finished FO to show you later this week. First though I have to attempt to clean the house and consider at least starting my Christmas cards. I am terribly behind on everything this month. I am off for another nap but check back at the end of this week for some photos.

I bought myself some more Bernat Aero needles. I only know of two sources, both in Canada, - Beehive Wool and Yarn Forward. I now have 2 sets of dpns in size 0-8 (US) and next I'll start collecting more circulars as I'm worried I won't be able to find them at all soon. The dpns come in packs of 4 but they're only $2.50 US.









If you are planning to knit some stars, do check yesterday's comments as Bea had a good idea for a different double decrease. Susan knit a 5 point and 6 point star which you can see on her blog. I think they'd be nifty with some beads added.



I have the flu which is bad timing since DH's big birthday party is this weekend. I'm off to make some garlic and cayenne soup which should be able to cure anything.

SUPER STARS



I like knitting stars but wanted to improve the pattern used for yesterday's hat topper to use stockinette stitch instead of garter stitch and to pair the double decreases. I think these are a bit nicer - the small one was done in Regia and size 0 (US) needles and the other two are sport weight yarn and size 4 (US) needles.

Here are my pithy instructions. These are a fun holiday ornament or gift adornment that can be knit up in minutes. Stars are also terrific as a pom pom substitute for a child's cap.

((NOTE: Pattern has been updated to reflect some errors
Susan found. Sorry about that!))

Materials: Small amount of yarn and straight needles in a matching needle size

Right Side Double Decrease (RSD): Slip one knitwise, K2TOG, PSSO

Wrong Side Double Decrease (WSD): P2TOG, return decreased stitch to left needle, pass second stitch on left needle over the decreased stitch, return stitch to right needle

CO 55 stitches.

Row 1 (Wrong Side): P4, *WSD, P8, repeat from * to last 7 stitches, WSD, P4. (45 stitches remain)
Row 2 (Right Side): K3, *RSD, K6, repeat from * to last 6 stitches, RSD, K3. (35 stitches remain)
Row 3: P2, *WSD, P4, repeat from *, end WSD, P2. (25 stitches remain)
Row 4: K1, *RSD, K2, repeat from *, end RSD, K1. (15 stitches remain)
Row 5: WSD, repeat across row. (5 stitches remain)

Cut yarn and leaving a 10" tail, draw through remaining 5 stitches and pull tight. Sew side seam.


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 a Christmas baby hat done in Nature Spun sport weight and 4.0 mm dpns. The pattern is from the baby pattern link I gave yesterday and the star is from an old Knitting Digest pattern. There are a few small errors in the pattern (P2TOG decreases instead of K2TOG ).



Now I'm off to tackle mountains of laundry.

I've been knitting for so long that I thought I'd discovered every possible way I can screw up but this is a new one for me.









I checked Last-Minute Knitted Gifts out from the library and decided to do the Airy Scarf. (I'm doing the lace pattern every 4 rows.) I had some handspun laceweight mohair I bought at Taos Wool Festival but imagine my surprise when I noticed how biased the knitted fabric is. It is coming directly off the needles that way. I only thought you could get a bias from a single ply yarn and this is a two-ply. Hmmm. Anyway, we'll call it a "design feature."



Here are some miscellaneous links of interest.



Scroll down HERE for some of the best free baby knitting patterns on the web. I simply have to make the adorable Christmas tree hat!



HERE's an article on sending baked goods to loved ones in the military from the Albuquerque Journal.



DH is one of those delayed gratification people and I need my rewards instantly. Here's an interesting article in Psychology Today about how people like me can break bad habits.



HERE's a reference on shopping and helping your favorite charities at the same time (scroll down on the page). The ones listed are all new to me but I have used Gear that Gives, the store connected to the Animal Rescue/Breast Cancer/Child Hunger Site.



I use tofu for everything these days. I put it in cookies, puddings, pies, spreads, etc., but HERE's a fascinating article that say they're even using it to help mend broken bones.



I've saved the best link for last. I love making gingerbread houses and this web site is serious about their gingerbread. Grab a cup of tea and check out all the wonderful houses (and castles and schools and villages) in the photo gallery.

Theresa asked for a pattern in the comments for the thick roll-top socks I showed last week. Theresa, I used two strands worsted weight yarn and size 7 dpns and cast on 36 stitches. From there you can use either THIS pattern or THIS one (they both use 36 stitches) and simply omit the top ribbing. Just knit stockinette stitch the whole way and you'll naturally get a roll top sock.



Did I manage to finish the holiday knitting project to show you? No. Did I manage to start not one but two new knitting projects? Yes. Am I planning to use at least one of these new projects for holiday gifts even though I vowed to myself NOT to do any holiday knitting this year? You betcha.



Today's photos show two less than successful projects. This boring blah yarn started out as a beautiful brown merino top with blue and gold accents. Unfortunately it turned out to be nothing special after spinning it up. Still it is quite soft and I have enough to knit a quick hat for the mission.









Now for the really unsuccessful project. You may need to protect your eyes somehow. Here is the attempt at the Fair Isle mittens from Folk Mittens. I once read that Kaffe Fassett said that if you have a color scheme that isn't working, you should add more colors. I think this is proof that this isn't always the case. This would be a better color scheme with fewer colors.









I read in a Nancy Shroyer book on choosing Fair Isle colors to choose three color schemes. First you have your background colors, then the first group of contrast colors, then the second group of contrast colors. I actually did this but still I have this abomination.



I do promise to show you better color knitting projects the rest of this week. There should be some serious knitting time tonight with a 2 hour tv show about Rameses the Great (we just happen to be studying him in our Teaching Company Egyptian Pharoah's class) and another 2 hour show on Ben Franklin. (Yes, I did break down and turn back on the tv satellite service. I just couldn't survive any longer without the Food Network.)

Before today's main event I have two quick updates. First, there are still 30 angora rabbits patiently waiting for adoption (indoor or outdoor homes) in Colorado from the great 187 rabbit confiscation of October by the state. If you are interested in adopting one or more, contact Cindy Hardy, 719-836-4380, of Park County Animal Control. (Park County is in the center of the state.) There's also going to be a related angora-spinning demo at a weaving and spinning shop in Hot Sulfur Springs to help find homes for the rest of the rabbits.



There are two new reviews of Stranded Color Knitting online - a short one at knitting.about.com HERE and a really nice one on Katherine's wonderful blog. Merci Katherine!



You've seen Wanda's beautiful knitting here before. She sent me these photos of children's Dale of Norway sweaters she's recently knit.



This is the wrecker sweater knit for her nephew. What little boy wouldn't love this sweater? Aren't the colors gorgeous?









And here's the Dale St. Moritz sweater she made for her daughter. I really really wish I had one of these for myself. Isn't it breathtaking?

Here is the Tasseled Ski Cap from the first VK Caps & Hats book done in Peruvian Highland Wool. You can see the ladder in the center from where I went from one dpn to the next but that should block out. I hope. I really have to stop using my Pony Pearl dpns because I notice more tension problems with them than with my favorite metal Bernat Aero dpns.

These colors look great in full sunlight and hideous in artificial lighting. Go figure. Anyway, it is a nice warm hat to send to the mission.

Judy emailed me about working in the ends on her Dale sweater. First I determine which side of the end of the row the yarn tails are coming from and separate the ends accordingly.

Next I thread each end on a tapestry needle and work each yarn tail

in reverse duplicate stitch ACROSS the end of the row to the other

side. This helps strengthen the end of the row and can eliminate

the pattern jog you usually see at the end of the row. (It also helps if you do not carry the unused yarns up too many rows.) I generally do 3-4 reverse duplicate stitches then cut the yarn.



It would be impossible to see on the above hat so here is a photo of reverse duplicate stitch from Stranded Color Knitting.









I'm aware of only 3 sources that discuss doing reverse duplicate stitch on the yarn ends. You can check out Janet Szabo's excellent The "I Hate To Finish Sweaters" Guide to Finishing Sweaters, Stranded Color Knitting (ordering info to your right), or the Spring 2003 issue of Cast On, "On Your Way to the Masters: Those Pesky Yarn Tails" by Arenda Holladay. I put a tutorial on working in yarn ends with photos up on my blog on March 15, 2004.



Tomorrow I'll have photos of two lovely Dale of Norway children's sweaters knit by the talented Wanda and by Sunday I should have a fun Christmas knitting project to display here.



I'm not sure what is next but both Michelle and Stephanie are doing projects that I'm considering. Michelle is finished up a beautiful pair of Sanquhar gloves and I have some wonderful patterns Lisa sent me so I certainly could do another pair. Stephanie just knit a wonderful pair of Maimu's Mittens from Folk Knitting in Estonia and I'm working my way through all the designs in that book so that is also a possibility.