Thursday, December 18, 2008

Favorite Hat

I wear this hat just about every day. It's one of my favorite things I've ever made: it's warm, it's pretty, I love the color! The pattern is a free one from knit picks, Georgian Lace Cap. The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold Angora in turquoise (60% angora, 20% wool, 20% polymide). I made two for gifts.



Don't it make my hazel eyes green?

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Mom'a Sontag

My mom's big hobby is Civil War reenacting. She regularly puts on a big ole skirt (that she hand sewed herself). For a while she's wanted me to knit her a sontag. It's a little like a cross between a shawl and a vest. It covers your back and has pieces that cross over your front and tie around your waist.
I was resistant to taking this project on because there is not an exact pattern: like many historical patterns it's more of a sketch of how it's done than something that takes you by the hand, telling you finished measurements and how many stitches you have at all times. Sigh. I have just had to let go and go with things.

I helped mom choose a beautiful merino Knit Picks DK yarn in hollyberry, with fedora (brown) for the crocheted border. Next, I chose a stitch pattern from Barbara Walker's A Treasury of Knitting called "diagonal weave." This is a slip-stitch pattern that looks a lot more difficult than it is. I expect it will be very warm!

Lace Ribbon Scarf

I'm blocking my Lace Ribbon Scarf. I knit it very leisurely from April until November on size 3 (size 3!!) needles. It's for me. I can't wait to try it out. It's so long I'm blocking it in two pieces. Here is the first half:

Doggie and Bunny


These are fast little projects from the book Sock and Glove. They are made from pairs of knit gloves ($1.50 for two pairs at Target), safety eyes, poly stuffing, buttons, and thread.
I think they are a cute size for little kids, though you'd need to make them more child-safe than these. Fun!