More projects

While I have not been very good about blogging lately, I have been pretty good about knitting. Since Ravelympics, I have finished two pairs of socks, a pair of mittens, and a pair of fingerless gloves.

For some reason I got on a mitten kick. I have downloaded a number of patterns, and so far I have made one pair of mittens. I made the Rubya'it Mittens (available on Ravelry) by Heather Desserud using Black Louet Gems (fingering) and Wisdom Yarns Poems Sock Yarn in the Vista colorway. Because the first mitten only ended up using green and blue from the ball of Poems Sock Yarn, I used the another portion of the same colors for the other one. I have not gotten around to blocking them yet, so one is a bit bigger than the other.

After finishing the mittens, I felt the urge to make another pair of socks. I opted to use Brown Sheep Company's Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in the Blue Grass colorway. It is the same basic sock pattern I do for most of my socks, but I think they turned out very well.

After finishing that pair of socks, I felt like making another pair of socks. This time I opted to use Regia's Kaffe Fasset's Design Line in the Landscape Jungle colorway. It is the same basic sock pattern, but I used a sturdy heel instead of a short-row heel. When the yarn tends to stripe, I find I do not always care for how it pools on the short row heel.

I also started on a pair of cabled fingerless mitts, but they are currently on time out. Needing another project I opted for another pair of fingerless gloves using the pattern and Laines du Nord Guinco.

Proscastination

I don't know what it is, but lately I just have not felt like knitting much. I even procrastinated on this blog post--I started thinking about a few weeks ago. I mentioned this to my friend Brian, and told him that I could envision my dad bursting into song and him (Brian) coming up with some pun. He told me I was an amateur crastinator until I got paid for it.

I started working on the Celtic Knot Stole by Sarah Kendra Hughes on February 13, 2009. I am not an accomplished lace knitter, so it has been slow to progress. If I am lucky I can get 3 or 4 rows done in an hour.


It is also not a good project to work on at the pub. Yes, I have knit complicated stuff at the pub before, and I have worked on this there before. I did finish up a couple pairs of socks during this time, but one those it was just a matter of weaving in the ends. I also managed to make another pair of Maine Morning Mitts for my friend Sharon.

Socks in Regia with peasant heel:


Socks in Lane Cervinia with sturdy heel:


Sharon's second pair of fingerless mitts:

More Project Pics

My friend Christina modeling the mitts I made for Marcia Stevenson.


The mitts I made for my friend Sharon.


Pete wearing his Jayne Cobb hat.

Mitts

A while ago, I made a fingerless mitt out of camo colored yarn for the hand at the pub. The hand was sort of a gag gift given to Rich Stevenson after his accident in 2007 (his hand is okay).



Well, while I was working on the fingerless mitt, my friend Tim complained that the hand got better stuff than he did, so I told him I would make him a pair of fingerless mitts. Tim did not believe me, but he was very touched when I actually did.



Being an artist, Tim had me take a few posed pictures for the blog. We of course had to get a picture with a glass of Guinness and the songbook.



And of close-up of the song:



Lyrics to The Black Velvet Band

Well, Tim really loves the mitts, and he made a remark about wanting another pair. So here he is, wearing his second pair.



About the time I finished this pair, a coworker asked if I knew where she could buy a pair. I told her I would make her a pair. I started another pair out of the left-over gray yarn. However, it was really, really cold last Saturday, and I finished that pair up at the pub. I figured Rich could use a pair, and frankly I figured the dark gray would be a good color for him, so I gave him the mitts.



Since I can get two pairs of mitts out of one skein of Lion Brand Wool-Ease, I used the left over in the natural/undyed Wool-Ease to make a pair for my coworker. I finished those last night, but I have not taken a picture yet.

I have now started on a pair for Rich's wife. Thursday I got an email from him saying he loves the gloves, that his wife was jealous and wanted them. So I wrote back and said I would make her a pair. Later I asked what color and found out she wanted either gray or black. Well, yesterday morning I went through my stash to see if I had any yarn that would work. All the other pairs have been made from Lion Brand Wool-Ease, but I did not have any in black. I did have some Elsebeth Lavold Silky Cashmere and Laines Du Nord Cashsilk. However, I am not sure what circumstances she will be wearing them in, and I figured she might want something that is machine washable. Besides, the Wool-Ease has worked really well, so I went out yesterday during my lunch hour and bought a skein of black.

All the mitts pictured are Clara Park's Maine Morning Mitts. I can generally do a pair in two or three days, and with the exception of the first pair I did for Tim and the one for the hand, all have been done two at a time, magic loop method. Once I finish Marcia's mitts, I will probably cast on a pair for myself. I have some Crystal Palace Yarns Fjord Print in 9573 Ultramarine that I purchased at Wildflower Yarns and Knitwear in Manhattan a few weeks ago.




Kennita also had some Jamieson's Shetland Heathers in a variegated blue-green colorway that I resisted purchasing. However, I may have to go back and get it for another pair. I picked up a couple of skeins of Reynolds Whiskey in teal at the Yarn Barn in Lawrence last Saturday that I may use for a pair of fingerless mitts as well.