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Archive for the ‘gifts’ Category

Snowy Woods Socks

May 16, 2011

This project was the perfect marriage between yarn and pattern. This pattern is Robin Gallimore’s Snowy Woods Socks and once I started knitting them, it was hard to stop. The pattern was so fun to watch emerge and the Berocco Alpaca made for a really soft warm sock. These are for one of my sisters-in-law for next Christmas – I hope she likes them because they are hard to let go!

There was plenty of tinking back on this project, but it was worth it. You really have to pay attention to the chart. I love the pine trees on the back of the socks:

I used my beloved Magic Loop method on these socks. Made them easy to try on as I knitted.

Pattern: Snowy Woods Socks
Needles: US# 1.5 circular
Yarn: Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light in Potting Soil and Steel Cut Oats
Ravelry Page

Posted in finished objects, gifts, knitting, magic loop, socks/footwear | 1 Comment »

Easter Bunny Cosy

April 19, 2011

One of my favorite knitting blogs is Little Cotton Rabbits, written by Julie, a wonderful lady who blogs from the U.K. She knits the cutest animals and this is one of her patterns for a little bunny cosy. I thought it would be a nice gift for a friend of mine who has invited us to her house for Easter.

There a lot of M1s and decreases, of course, in this pattern. When I switched from bamboo needles over to my Addi Lace needles, it got a lot easier to do those. This is knitted flat. If I make another one, I might at least do the body in the round – I so hate purling.

Aren’t these the cutest little ears?

My friend loves purple, so a purple sweater it is for the bunny.

Pattern: Bunny Egg Cosy
Yarn: Dale of Norway, Baby Ull
Needle: US # 2, Addi Lace circular
Ravelry Page

Posted in finished objects, gifts, holiday stuff, knitting | 8 Comments »

Brooklyn Tweed’s Men’s Striped Hat

April 14, 2011

It’s a little busy around here today. I’ve got workmen in my house, going in and out constantly, because we’re remodeling a couple of bathrooms. I’m also setting up for a cooking lesson I’m giving tonight, where I’m going to teach how to make fresh pasta with a roasted pepper sauce.

But I have to get in a little knitting, somewhere, right? I’m continuing work on this little project, which I’ll write about later:

But I do have an FO to show you. Continuing on with my Christmas knitting, I’ve just finished this men’s hat from Brooklyn Tweed – a Jared Flood design. It’s a very simple hat and a quick knit. You use two yarns, a solid and a self striping yarn and alternate them. The hat can look so different, depending on the striping yarn you use.

I think the four decreases at the top are interesting.

I knit this using the Magic Loop method. The Shibui striping yarn was pooling as I was knitting it and I didn’t want every stripe to look the same. So every couple of rows, I would cut it and the next stripe I would begin striping it from the other end of the yarn ball.

Pattern: Turn a Square from Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn: Shibui Merino Worsted in Sand #51304 and
Cascade 220 Superwash in Walnut
Needle: US #6 and #7, Circular
Ravelry Page

Posted in finished objects, gifts, guy stuff, knitting, magic loop | 2 Comments »

Andalus Mittens

April 11, 2011

Spring has sprung but I am busy at work on my Big Project – knitting something for everyone in my family by next Christmas (that’s about 15 people). I love two stranded colorwork and when I saw these Andalus Mittens, I knew I would be knitting them. I am knitting these for my mother-in-law because she really likes mittens.

These are knitted up in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine, one of my favorite yarns. I selected the colors that I know my MIL likes to wear – copper and black. The copper color is called “Tiger’s Eye” and it has some interesting flecks in it.

I wanted to add some green to the mittens, but instead of knitting in little stitches, I used Duplicate Stitch to add the green after the mittens were knitted. I blogged about that technique here.

I knitted the lining for these mittens in Rowan Kidsilk Haze, color “Fern”. You can see how the lining is knit by picking up the stitches along the inside of the cuff :

Pattern: Andalus Mittens
Needle: US #2
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine (Black, Tiger’s Eye, Pea Soup)
Lining: Rowan Kidsilk Haze (Fern)
Ravelry Page

I’ve seen so many beautiful new fun knits on the web lately and I wanted to share a couple with you. Have you seen Jared Flood’s new shawl, Rock Island? Knitters are all talking about it because it is so exquisite. He teamed up with Lorna’s Laces and they made a new colorway, Grand Street Ink, according to his specifications for this shawl. Check out the KAL over at Ravelry that’s been started for it. I wish I could do it, but I’ve got all these Christmas gifts I want to knock out.

Look at these beautiful mittens for spring, designed by Kirsten of “Through the Loops”. I fell in love with them the minute I saw them and immediately put them in my favorites on Ravelry.