On My Needles

I am experiencing a baby boom.

I thought it would be a good idea

 to make a baby blanket.

It's pretty...

but I'm sort of hating it.

I think it's tedious.

And heavy.

I'm committed though.

Here's the pattern:

Cast on 110 stitches.

K1P1 (seed stitch) for 6 rows.

K1, P1 for first 6 stitches of row 7, 

then knit until the last 6 stitches, ending with 6 seed stitches.

Next row: seed stitch 6 stitches, 

purl to the last 6 stitches, seed stitch.

A lovely seed stitch border

surrounds stripes of stockinette stitches.

Lovely.

But I am already tired of it.

 I also have this on waiting...

which I am EAGER to knit.

But as it is a holiday gift,

it must wait.

Babies come first.

Mr. needs a homemade baby gift

for a friend.

I bought this lovely yellow yarn,

originally for another blanket.

But I am wondering 

if it will be a 

baby sweater instead.

I'll keep you posted.

More socks

So, based on the Frankenstein-like look of the last socks,

I decided a REAL gift was in order.

I right away got going knitting with GOOD sock yarn.

I bought it for 29% off

at my yarn store's Leap Day Sale.

I wish I could move into my yarn store.

Not bad, right?

Can you tell I am getting better?

I loved the way the yarn looked when it was wound in a ball.

The stripes...

a little weird.

But, who wouldn't think that getting TWO pairs

 of homemade socks for Christmas

was a great thing?

Even if one is more than a bit wonky.

Socks

I have wanted to knit socks

for about 10 years.

I even bought sock yarn.

Good thing it isn't wool, 

or the moths would have had a feast!

I finally decided to knit up that yarn 

(now that I am an Amy's Sock Class Grad).

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough to make a second!

I knitted anyway,

and patched the rest of the sock together 

with lovely scraps from other projects.

The pair...

with an OBVIOUS right and left sock.

When you wear them with shoes,

the patchy sock will not be obvious.

They're a Christmas gift,

for the only person I know

who would appreciate them.  

Luckily, though she might be my biggest fan,

she never reads the blog!

Leftovers

One thing I learned about knitting socks:

it takes about 100 grams for one pair.

No matter the weight of the yarn.

So, if you are traveling,

and you are weird enough

to visit a yarn store while on vacation 

(like I am)

you can buy souvenir yarn,

even if you don't have a project in mind.

After all, 

you could end up with a pair of souvenir socks!

And look what I made with the leftovers:

A coffee cozy!

Mr.'s sister invests in Starbucks.

Every day.

One tall chai latte, please!

I thought she could use one of these.

I just LOVE the way this yarn knitted up.

I had enough to send another to my pen pal.

Pattern is from 

More Last Minute Knitted Gifts

and took me about 40 minutes to make.

It was so easy, 

I might make a bunch...

just to use up my leftover yarn.

Socks

This is a cake of yarn.

Pretty.

After 3 classes,

each 2 weeks apart 

(so we have time to complete the homework)

and 5 newly learned techniques,

I made this:

My first pair of socks!

I'm pretty proud.

They look like socks,

they feel like socks,

and they fit like socks.

I sent them to Granny for her birthday.

Did I mention that I'm pretty proud?

Chickens

Some years ago,

Aunt Nancy gave me this

adorable little chicken

to cover a plastic Easter egg.

She thought I could make some of my own.

I have decided to clean up my house,

 including my yarn stash,

and I had some purple leftovers.

I made this little gal:

She still needs a beak and a comb,

but I think it looks pretty good.

Here's how I did it:

Using sport weight yarn and size 6 needles,

Cast on 30 stitches.

I used 2 circular needles as I just learned this technique

 in my sock knitting class,

 but you can use double-pointed needles as well.

Work in K1 P1 for 6 rows.

(1 inch)

Then, switch to stockinette stitch for 9 rows.

(1 1/2 inch)

You can see in the original chicken

was garter stitch,

but my chicken ins a city chicken and 

she wanted a more sophisticated stitch.

(HA!  My chicken is full of herself.)

You can bind off 18 and stitch them together, 

or...

I put them on a stitch saver 

and later closed ALL my stitches with the kitchener stitch

because I learned it in my sock class.

It's up to you!

Continue knitting 12 stitches 

for the neck and head for 5 rows.

(1 inch)

Again, now you either bind off

or now you can kitchener stitch everything,

if you are a show off 

and want to impress your friends

with your mad kitchener skills.

Find some scrap yarn

 to mix with your actual yarn,

and jazz your gal up 

with some BIG CITY tail,

find a plastic Easter egg,

(preferably one filled with chocolate)

and add the beak, comb, and eyes 

and Cluck Cluck! 

You got yourself a swell Easter treat.

I gotta go...my chicken is asking for a beak, eyes, and comb.

She's the bossiest of chickens,

I can already tell.

Pay It Forward 2012...gifts!

Erin started Pay It Forward 2012

I wanted one of her handmade gifts 

(who doesn't?)

so I posted it.

I'm not an artist 

but I noticed LOTS of the participants are.

I hope they aren't disappointed.

I decided to KNIT.

Because I love it.

I knitted bracelets for my gifts.

Unfortunately, I was so eager to send out the gifts,

I forgot to photograph the first one!

Done in fingering weight,

seed stitch.

The sisters campaigned HARD for them.

To no avail, they were mailed promptly

to the participants.

Cincinnati Football

Our friends came to Cincinnati

to see a University of Cincinnati football game.

Folks here called it the University of Pittsburgh game.

Pitt for short.

First, we tailgated.

We suck at tailgating.

These people put on a spread.

With linens.

And flowers.

I liked their style.

Some Pitt Alumni were playing the fight song

with their fancy Pitt band horns and flags.

They played for beers1

There were about a million high school bands there too.

They got to play at half-time.

They were so proud.

Our new city is awesome!

I love the giant ketchups on the Heinz scoreboard.

Here's our crew...

The band lines up:

And they can spell.

As the evening got colder, we layered up.

Here's Mr. wearing his handsome hat.

Knitted by ME!

It's the Irish Hiking Hat.

Not usually my thing, 

but it was TONS of fun!

A Knitter's Home Companion

I have been learning life lessons.

Through knitting.

I have learned that the time invested to knit something lovely

should not be wasted with poor quality yarn.

No one wants to wear it.

I have also learned to 

 knit in a new way.

I knit 

'prayerfully'.

As I stitch, I say a prayer for the receiver of the knitting.

My hope is that my knitted gifts will feel like a hug,

a reminder of my love for that person,

a tangible blessing.

Knitting connects us to others

and to ourselves.

This book enhances those lessons.

I got it from my library, 

the only building in Pittsburgh not afraid of windows

and light.

The New York Times is delivered there.

Every. Single. Day.

I should buy this book.

You should buy this book.

It is full of recipes, sketches, patterns, book recommendations, and essays.

It is easy to pick this book up

and hard to put down.

You'll want to go back to it again and again.

I love this quote:

"I have knit in the company of those whose names I'll never forget,

those who are knit and purled forever into my heart."

and this one from Elizabeth Zimmerman:

"Knitting is formed by a series of loops pulled through loops

to the end of time

or to 'desired length'."

The author Michelle Edwards discusses how knitting 

connects her to her family, 

especially to those generations who have gone before her.

My grandmother died when I was 10,

with no lessons,

and no desire to knit,

her needles were given to me.

It took 15 years for me to find the grace

to accept the gift

and the challenge to carry on the tradition.

 I love knitting with her needles today.

My hands rest and work

where hers once did.

I think of her as I knit.

It is the best way to celebrate her life.

Knitting

We've had a few snow days.

A few too many.

In fact, we have to make some up.

(BOO!)

I've been knitting.

I made this beret (for me),

and the scarf (which is barely visible).

 And because I am a little crazy,

and because I learned how to make cables last summer,

I made a pillow cover

for a throw pillow.

It might be too big for the pillow

but it is so soft and lovely.

So I will leave it as it is.

I made these two hats.  

One for Farmer Sue,

and one for her to give as a gift.

I am THAT kind of friend.