Spread The Warmth

I've never been a huge mitten fan, but Eunny has converted me this winter! My Anemoi mittens are so lovely that I was actually psyched to see snow last Thursday morning. I am really proud of myself for finishing these while its still cold outside, but also because this was really my first attempt at Fair Isle.




The only thing I really changed on these was the thumb. On the first one, I had accidentally started carrying the border lines up the inside of the thumb. Then, I realized that I actually liked how that looked so I left it. As I knitted more and more, I gained a better understanding of why its important to hold the contrast color in the same position the whole time. The second mitten was knit with this in mind and, let me tell you, I can see the difference in the two mittens. I had switched back and forth a few times with the first mitten and the changes are noticeable to me. Not a biggy, but I see what you are all talking about finally!

And since there is snow, let there be a pretty one hand in mitten picture...



Pattern: Anemoi Mittens by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Matchmaker 4 ply in 661 and 754
Measurements: Medium
Started: January 3, 2007
Finished: February 19, 2007
Other Details: I absolutely loved knitting these! I learned how to properly knit Fair Isle and how to do a tubular cast on.

See My Vest

I finally managed to finish the Jo Sharp Vest.... yes, it took me 6 months. This was one of those projects that you get excited about and start knitting before you really think about the project overall. It was boring, very boring since it was a slow go on a US3. Now, don't get me wrong, I prefer to knit on smaller needles, but I lost interest very quickly with all that rib! I knit this in the round up to the armpit, then divided and knit seperately. I am happy it's done and that it fits well. I really couldn't have done much better size-wise. So, you ask, will I be wearing it tons?! Probably not. I was unsure about how this would look on me, since things that have ribbing around the waist/hip area actually make me look bigger. Scott keeps on telling me I'm crazy, but I think most importantly, I don't feel super comfortable in it. I wore it to work yesterday at the yarn store and I just kept on checking, pulling, looking... not a good way to live. So, we'll see.. I'll be optimistic :)



Pattern: V-Neck Vest from Jo Sharp Knit 1
Yarn: 6 balls Alpaca Silk Georgette in Kelp
Measurements: I started off with the smallest size for the rib, and then increased up to the 36" chest size
Started: August 26, 2006
Finished: February 18, 2007
Other Details: I changed a few things about this pattern. First off, I started out with the smallest size and increased up to the medium size. I added about 1.5" in length to the body after the rib ends. I also did a three needle bind off for the shoulders and picked up less stitches around the neck (I ended up with about 180 instead of 210). Questions?! Just email me :)

Whats next you ask?! Well, since my big order of yarn never came this week, I've had some more knitting time on my hands. I also finished my mittens, which will debut soon as well :) Sweet.

Wedding Knitting

So, here I am... less than 6 months to go before I am a Mrs. and all I can think about is how to incorporate knitting or yarn into my wedding! Now, I am not talking about knitting a dress, or food, or doves (if you are confused, see this)! I was thinking about knitting small bags for favors or maybe some coasters, but I want to see if anyone had a great idea since I am not totally in love with either idea). Ideally, I would like it to be something small that is found on each person's plate (perhaps a felted or crocheted flower?), or something that could be used as a table assignment or part of the guest book. Any takers?!

Here are some bags I've been toying with:



I've also decided that I will be knitting myself a wedding shawl. You'll have to wait a few weeks to see the start of that. I'm also going to be knitting something from the new Rowan magazine to maybe wear around at night if it isn't too warm. Pretty huh?! I just need to ditch the extra white ruffle hanging off the end.

Frozen Valentine

Boston is getting its first real bout of bad winter weather today.



It doesn't look that bad from the picture, but man there is sleet, wind, rain, snow. Yuck! Luckily, I don't have a ton to do today since I got all the packaging done late last night. I just got back from a trip to the post office and am ready to cozy on up with my coffee, knitting and a few good movies. Scott is even working at home today, so its nice to have him around knowing we are all safe and sound, warm and inside...

Let there be knitting!

Triple Take

I haven't managed to get much knitting done this past week after our quick trip to Colorado. I finished the first Anemoi mitten and am now on the second. That's it. I didn't even manage to get a huge batch of yarn done for the store since I decided to play with a new dyeing technique instead...

Its sort of a combination of techniques; a little bit of handpainting while immersion dyeing. I'm calling the colorways that fall under this category, "Triple Dyes". In most cases I started with a light color, then added two more shades of something that would complement the original color. These additional colors were poured, squirted, splotched and handpainted on. Don't you love my terminology?! In some cases they came out looking like a toned down variegated colorway, while others looked more like a "Not So Solid" (NSS) shade.

Some favorites:




I have 10 different colors to post tomorrow in the store. Some, hopefully finished knits will be coming soon!