Possessed to Knit

Handspun Fair Isle Hat Completed

I have been having a lot of fun spindle spinning my Cormo/Possum roving.  I even plied it on my All-Day Lollipop spindle.  I used about two ounces of it with some handspun alpaca two-ply yarn to make this Fair Isle hat.  I casted on 84 sts and worked k1, p1 ribbing on size 7 Addi Turbo needles.  I changed needles to size 8 and worked two rounds plain before starting the Fair Isle pattern which I found in 1000 Great Knitting Motifs by Luise Roberts.  I minimized the jog which goes through the middle motif diagonally.  I worked two plain rounds after the motif and then decreased six 14 stitch sections every other round until the last few rows where I decreased every round.  This hat is about 19" around and it was a joy to knit with my spindle spun yarn. 

Four Corner Hat Completed

I have completed this Four Corner Hat which I have wanted to knit it for a long time.  Our local library has Hats:  A Knitter's Dozen and that version of the pattern only has one size.  I used Knit Picks Telemark yarn in Columbine and Drift and my size 5 Addi Lace Clicks, going down a needle size as my yarn was thicker than what the pattern called for.  The hat is knit in four different sections and each section is joined to the previous section as it is knitted.  There are two inches of plain knitting followed by the Fair Isle band.  The original has three colors, but I just went with two colors.  It took nearly two skeins of the Columbine (purple) and just one skein of the Drift.  It was nice to use my 20" needles in my set of Addi Lace Clicks for the Fair Isle band, a bit roomier than 16" needles would have been.  I did my best to eliminated the jog (which starts between the middle diamonds).  Sewing the Fair Isle band neatly to the hat was a challenge, and overall it was a fun project to knit.

Spiderman Mittens Completed

My nephew, Joshua, turned 6 years old yesterday.  Last Saturday, I decided to knit him a pair of mittens to match his Spiderman hat.  These are the "We Call Him Spidey" mittens, a free pattern on Ravelry.  The original pattern has an afterthought thumb.  I prefer a "sore" thumb, so I added a gusset and redesigned the thumb.  I used my purpleheart Darn Pretty Dpns and they are slightly smaller than 2.75 mm in diameter.  The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Sport in Winter's Night, Hollyberry, and Black.  The stitch gauge is about 7.5 sts to the inch.  Now Joshua has a matching hat and mittens to wear for the rest of the winter.

Norwegian Rose Socks Completed

Here are the Norwegian Rose Socks that I knitted for my sister, Teresa.  The yarns are Knit Picks Stroll in black and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Tahoe colorway.  The pattern is very same pattern I knit for Wendy's Toe-Up Socks for Every Body book.  I used size 2.00 mm Addi Turbo needles for the toes (and heels) and started with an 8 stitch Turkish cast on.  I worked increases every round till I reached 36 sts and then every other round to 68 sts.  I decreased to 66 sts then switched over to my 2.5 mm Addi Turbo needles. 

My knitting thimble usually works well for me, however, my first sock was small and these socks are a bit bigger, all with the same needle size.  They ended up being about a week late for her birthday and they are a little big in the leg for her.  The first sock would have fit her foot, but probably would have been too small in the leg.  At any rate, they are completed, and she has them to keep her feet warm during this cold winter.   

 

Snowdrop Hat Completed

I have completed the second hat from Alice Starmore's Hat Trick kit, this one is Snowdrop.  I eliminated the jog in as it showed up quite prominently in the photo on the pattern instructions.  I used size 3.00 mm needles for the ribbing and 3.50 mm needles for the rest of the hat.  I inadvertently confused Bog Bean and Kittiwake in the ribbing and even added an extra round, not that anyone would really notice.  I switched to a 40" size 3.50 mm circular needle as I approached the crown and worked the Magic Loop.  Here, the hat is not blocked as the Rubbermaid container I need to block it is in the freezer.  I marked the center where I started the jogless join with a size 0 needle and the jog is not really visible which makes it worth all the extra effort.

Spiderman Hat Completed

Here is the Spiderman Hat I knitted for Joshua to go with his Spiderman costume for Halloween.  I think he has changed his mind and will now dress up as a hockey player, at least he will have a warm hat to wear.  The pattern is on Ravelry and there are matching mittens.  The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll Sport in Hollyberry, Winter's Night, and Black.  I used 3.25 mm Addi Turbo 16" needles, Crystal Palace 3.25 mm dpns, and my knitting thimble with a gauge of 6 sts and 9 rows to the inch.  For the bottom edge facing, I used 2.5 mm Addi Turbo 16" needles and bound off loosely before I sewed the facing down.  There is a little bit of a jog, but the pattern is set up nicely and it does not show up very prominently.  I will likely be knitting up the matching mittens one of these days before it gets too cold.

Norwegian Rose Socks

On Tuesday, Wendy's latest book, "Toe-Up Socks for Every Body", will be released.  I was very flattered when she commissioned me to knit these lovely Norwegian Rose socks for her book.  She generously gave me permission to include them in my blog.  She selected Shibui Knits sock yarn in the Bark and Kiwi colorways which worked together beautifully.  There is no issue of ending up with half a rose as they are knit from the toe up.  I used 2.5 mm Darn Pretty dpns and my knitting thimble.  I do not use the Magic Loop when I knit Fair Isle socks as the sides of the socks become too tight.  The sock stays in a circular shape on 4 dpns (with the 5th for knitting) and this prevents me from pulling in the sides too tightly.  Wendy cleverly designed a short-row heel with a little flap of ribbing above it.  She has pictures of all the socks from this book on Ravelry. 

Congratulations to Wendy on yet another wonderful book!

Winter Olympics Hat

Here is my version of the US Winter Olympics hat.  A clever knitter on Ravelry created this pattern after studying the hats the US Winter Olympics team members were wearing.  I am using Berroco Pure Merino worsted weight yarn and size 7 Addi Turbo 16" needles and size 6 Addi Turbo 16" needles for the inside edge.  I carried the Fair Isle edging across the bottom and eliminated the jog.  I added a row of purl sts after the 11 round inside band to help with folding the edge down.  I took some rows of white out of the original pattern.  The hat is about 20" around and 9" tall.  I duplicate stitched the reindeer and the tree and need to do another set for the back of the hat.  The duplicate stitch is taking forever!  I started off with circular intarsia knitting and didn't like how uneven the edge stitches turned out.  The yarn is very soft and machine washable and helped me to create this cute little project. 

Justin's Mittens Completed

Here are the Fair Isle mittens I knitted for Justin.   I followed the 6 to 7 stitch per inch pattern in Ann Budd's Book of Handy Patterns in the 6 to 8 year-old size range.  I cast on 40 sts and worked 20 rounds of k2, p2 rib on size 3.50 mm Darn Pretty dpns.  I increased three sts and changed to size 3.75 mm Darn Pretty dpns after the cuff.  I thought about staggering the little circles, but by leaving them this way, I did not have to eliminate the jog.  I can see it, but it is on the side of the glove and not as pronounced, sort of like Charlene Schurch's patterns in her Mostly Mittens book.  I hope these mittens reach Justin soon as he could be using them to play in the snow. 

I would like to extend a special "Thank you" to fellow Raveler Sandy in Long Island who kindly sent me her extra Knit Picks Worsted Swish in the Deep Ocean colorway (in my dye lot) which I needed to complete Justin's mittens.

Joshua's Mittens Completed

I made these mittens for my nephew, Joshua.  I wanted to make him a Fair Isle pair of mittens that would be warmer than the Snowman mittens I made him last year.  This checkered pattern results in two strands of yarn insulating the mittens so they should be very warm.  I used Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns for the general structure of the mittens with several adjustments.  I started on size 4 (3.50 mm) Darn Pretty dpns and 36 sts and worked a k2, p2 cuff rib for 18 rounds.  I changed needles to size 5 (3.75 mm) Darn Pretty dpns and started the checkered pattern with Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Deep Ocean and Snow White.   Eliminating the jog was a bit of a challenge, but well worth the effort.  I like sore thumb mittens the best and I hope Joshua enjoys wearing them.

Here are Caitlin & Colin exploring the 24" of snow we received over the weekend as Al continues to shovel.  We live on a pipestem and the state does not plow our cul de sac.  We might be getting more snow on Tuesday.  At least I have some yarn and fiber to keep me busy when we are not shoveling.