What's a finger got to do to get some love?

I need to get a new schtick, because this shit is getting old.  Not that I don't like what I'm making, but I'm starting to feel like a freak with a one track mind: fingerless mitts.  And yet I can't. Tear. Myself. Away.

This first pair here I designed myself using some sock weight yarn someone had donated to me and a DK weight wool/cashmere blend left over from a sweater I knit this fall (photos to come when buttons have been sewn on).  I guess that's one of the advantages to making lots of the same thing: you learn enough about construction to be able to work with different needles and yarns, improvise and make something that fits.

Details:

Pattern: Latte Mitts, by me

Yarn: Brunswick Pomfret (tan); Zealana Eco Cashmere Merino Blend (dark brown)

Needles: 3.25mm

Started: September 20

Finished: September 23



When I decided to make these, I knew that I wanted to do something simple, but with a little design element, something that would be easy for me to knit on the subway and that wouldn't require a ton of concentration.  A little bit of texture by way of garter stitch on a stockinette background seemed like a good way to go, and the brown on tan just felt right for the fall. I mean, camel is all the rage this season, n'est ce pas?  And all in all, I'm really happy with the way they turned out.  Functional and subtly stylish.

Originally these were going to be a gift for a friend in Minnesota, but I've changed my mind.  The Latte Mitts will go to a friend in Oregon, and the mitts below will go to Minnesota, for what seem to me to be obvious reasons.

Chunky and cozy, these are better suited to fall and late winters in Minnesota than the Latte Mitts.  When it gets a bit colder, but before it turns bitter cold, they can be worn over an inexpensive pair of stretchy gloves, the kind you can get at Target for $2.  Again, pretty on-trend as far as color goes, and also with little bit of texture.  Me like.

Details:

Pattern: Rippled Cable Gloves by Linda Lunn

Yarn:Lion Brand Fisherman Wool

Needles: 4.0mn & 5.0mm

Start: September 29

Finish: October 8

You want to talk satisfying knits?  These totally fit the bill.  Easy pattern, not too fussy, a larger gauge (for a change)  smooth yarn with a touch of lanolin and a subtle texture that screams "I'm really cozy!!!". What makes these cables so lovely to my eyes is that they are so soft, and they are soft because they're not set off by twisted or purled stitches.  It's just cabling on a stockinette background, and the result is something distinctly feminine but not sissified or fussy (there's that word, again). In these one could ice skate or walk the dog or grab a pail or pick a couple of squash for dinner or help pitch a tent.  And hopefully one will.

p.s. True color is closest to the last photo, fyi.  Blast that direct sunlight!

Look around, Leaves are brown

And the sky is a hazy shade of winter. 

Only its 75 degrees outside.  And raining.  What's the deal, nature?  I'm not one of those wussies who complains about the weather, because really, what's more boring?  Aside from listening to someone talk about his workout; that's infinitely more boring than the weather.    No, my issue is a more practical one:  I don't know what to wear. My trusty waterproof jacket and wellies are great at keeping moisture out, and in, as in when I stand on the still hot from the summer subway platform in all that rubber and Tyvek and Gore-Tex(TM) my body temp rises until I'm sweating like a pig at a BBQ.  Waterproof doesn't breathe!  It's too sweaty for sweaters, yet folks still rocking their light and bright summer gear look foolish, as the days have grown short and the light is now more flattering on greys, browns and russets than bright pinks, yellows and greens.  It's put me in a quandary Jack Donaghy! A quandary!

One thing I've not done is slow up on my knitting.  It's still prohibitively warm for me, or anyone else, to wear the things that I've made, but I've kept at it.  My tenacity has had more to do with my wanting to work through some of my stash as anything else.  As of late, it has become more burdensome than inspiring, and so I am lightening my load.  In addition to these various projects, I also took three shopping bags of yarn to the Goodwill and, man, was there a spring in my step when I'd finished that errand.

So what have I made?

Details:

Pattern: Ottilia Mittens, by Mari Muinonen

Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman Wool

Needles: 4.0mm

Started: August 21

Finished:  August 27

I've been a fan of Mari Muinonen's patterns for a couple of years now but this is only the second one I've ever knit.  The mittens were fun and interesting, completed while I was dogsitting at a home with cable television, so there was a lot of The First 48 going on in the background.  The yarn (I used maybe 1/4 of a skein) is more from our spring time yarn swap.  I've really been feeling the brown lately, and cables, too.  Actually, what I've been feeling texture, in general, to wit:

Details:

Pattern: Martha Cowl Scarf, by Che (Little Thingies Ravelry Shop)

Yarn: Unknown cotton or cotton/wool blend

Hook: 5.5mm

Started: September 23

Finished: September 24

This was, I believe, my third attempt at making a chunky cowl, and the first one that was successful.  In order to be functional, a cowl needs to keep you warm, but most of cowls knit or crocheted with heavier yarns, and some worked at finer gauges, sit away from the neck leaving it exposed.  This is nonsense! If it's cold enough for me to wear something thick and heavy around my neck, then my neck needs protection.  it's not rocket science.  And yet I continue to see a proliferation of patterns that offer no protection from the elements whatsoever.  It's ridonkulous.

Well, that's certainly not a problem here. 

Crocheted with heavier yarn, the simple and airy stitch pattern prevents this cowl from being too stiff to scrunch , so I can double wrap it 'round my neck and keep cozy and warm.  Yes, please!

This next project was something that had been sitting in my queue for over year, but I never had quite the right yarn for it.  Until I frogged a 3/4 finished and poorly conceived sweater this past summer and found myself with just the right shade of alpaca.

Details:

Pattern: Some Cloudy Day, by Tiny Owl Knits

Yarn: Sajima Alpaca

Needles: 3.25mm/3.5mm

Started: August 25

Finished: September 4

I had originally planned on making these for me, but about 1/2 way through the first legwarmer, I decided they were for Beth.  I'd sent hats to her husband and twins in Sweden last summer, but nothing for her (she's had my handknits before, so it's not as bad as it sounds), and so it seemed clear that she was next in line for a present.  Also, like me, she wears skirts all winter long (clogs, too!) so I knew she would appreciate the extra layer of warmth.  

These are pretty great, and by that I mean the pattern is pretty great.  Like Mari Muinonen, Tiny Owl Knits has designed several patterns that I really like, but this was the first one I'd made.  The lace pattern is easy, but effective and I enjoyed these so much that I promptly turned around and bought one of her hat patterns.  Let's see if I can get that finished before New Year's.

How do you beat the heat?

Me? I like to knock back a cool one. Or two.

If you doubt that it's hot, just check out the sweat on my brow.  September 1st and 95 degrees.  What?  Did I break my wrist?  No, that's not a cast. Those are just some fingerless mitts I crocheted for myself a while back.

Details:

Pattern: Marry Me Mary, by Janette Millbom

Yarn: unknown (recycled from a sweater)

Hook: F/3.75mm

Started: August 17

Finished:  August 18

I have a lot of dark winter accessories and have been wanting to add some lighter and brighter items, so this yarn fit the bill.  It was 3/4's of a Phildar sweater before I realized I was making the wrong size and didn't have enough yarn to finish the sweater anyway,  so I ripped out and started a couple of projects, this being the first completed.  It's more marled white and tan than it appears in these pictures and I'm not sure about the yarn content, but my guess is a cotton/poly blend.  I'd call it a worsted weight, so I worked the pattern it with a small needle so that the fabric would be dense and stiff.

The pattern is a modified Catherine's Wheel, and I had a really rough time picking it up.  I read the pattern, I read other versions of the stitch, I watched videos.  After about three hours I finally got it down.  It was one of the most frustrating crochet experiences I've ever had, but I felt really good once I finally got it down.  The mitts are crocheted back and forth rather than in the round, so they had to be seamed.  I decided that I wanted a visible seam, and so crocheted them together rather than sewing.

A mi me gustan!

I gotta say, it was a good day

From sun up to sundown, this was a really superior day. The key may have been the 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep I gpt last night.  Or maybe it was the butteed toast I made with the most delicious bread from the farmers' market. It could have been the lack of crowds at my laundromat that allowed me to sail through that hassle of a task, but it could also have been that I remembered to bring some fabric remnants and stained garments to the textile recycling booth at the farmer's market.  One would not be crazy to think that my day was brightened by my brand new and freshly laundered bedding, which looks amazing on my bed and is a good step towards transforming my boudoir into a sleep haven.  Also making me happy was the aroma of chicken stock simmering on my stove for five hours.  Another good guess would be that I was grossly overdressed when I set out on a six mile run wearing tights, a long sleeved tee and windbreaker, beause it was 54 degrees, sunny and gorgeous!  Any of these would have been enough to put a check in the Nice Day column, but all of these combined make me feel really happy and blessed. 

Speaking of happy, I've a friend who's having a birthday on Monday.  We've known each other since college, and have so many little, quirky things in common (including a love of Sweden and things Swedish), it's really pretty neat.  When he travels (he's a travelwriter, so he travels a lot) he often brings me home a little something, which I love.  I don't care if it's a magnet from the airport, I love little gifts from afar; they really say "Hey, I thought of you during my travels."  I thiught it would be appropriate, then, for me to let him know that "Hey, I appreciate your friendship."  So I made these for him:

Pattern:

(L) Improvised from #603 in The Encyclopedia of Kitting and Crochet Stitch Patterns

R:  Clock Hotpad, by Carol Schoenfelder

Yarn: Adrafil India Cotton & Austerman Algarve Grande

Hook: 3.25mm

Alex really likes crafty things and old-fashioned things, so I think he will really appreciate these.  They're doublesided, for extra protection, and 100% cotton, for easy care.  It was an easy decision, making these.  I've been on a bit of a potholder kick recently.  It started with a swap that I joined through Ravelry.  We're to make 5 potholders in the same pattern, send them to the organizers, and we'll receive 5 other potholders in return.  I finished mine last week.

All variations on the Clockpad pattern, all 100% cotton.  The yarns are various odds and ends I had in my stash, plus some given to me by pal Oiyi.  These really are such fun to make, and dare I say practical?  I know some people might not thing so, but I grew up using crochet potholders and emroidered floursack tea towels, sleeping on pillows with tatted lace edges.  Make pretty things and use pretty things and your life will be the richer for it!
I've one more little project to share before heading off, totally superfluous, totally selfish and totally satisfying:

Pattern: Toast, by Leslie Friend

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed

Needles: 3.5mm & 3.75mm

I have several pair of fingerless mittens, now.  Striped, multicolored and acid pink.  But my wardrobe was lacking a simple, grey pair, a pair that would go with almost everything.  Aside fron using a lighter weight yarn that originally called for, I made little slits for my thumb.  I didn't want to make full on thumbs, as those can impede my stereotactic abilities when fishing for keys in my bag, but I was wary of going totally thumbless.  The slits were a happy compromise and have proven themselves useful.

The yarn was left over from a shawl, Spring Bandit, that I made for my cousin Paula last summer.  It's a lovely and light cotton, silk and wool blend, so good for spring, shich is upon us.  In fact, it was too hot today to even wear these.  No matter, as I know it will chill up again, and when it does, I'll be ready.

Now, because everyone should have a good day of their own, I'll leave you with this little ditty.  A classic from the early 1990s by O'Shea James, although perhaps you know him by his industry name, Ice Cube. Enjoy. 

Mittens: They're not just for hands anymore

These have changed my life.  I'm not joking not one little bit.

Originally intended as a gift, I freaked out at the last minute and decided they weren't right for the intended recipient. But they were right for me.

Pattern: Lulu Leggings, by Rachel Russ for Spud & Chloe

Yarn: Various fingering weights from my stash

Needles: US1/2.25mm and US3/3.25mm

Started: September 19

Finished: December 3

I honestly wasn't trying to be selfish when I settled in these for a Christmas gift, I was feeling inspired.  But sometimes it happens that I'll decide on a project for a friend, and then sometime later, usually right before I finish it, I realize that it's much more suited to my taste than to theirs (no worries, I made her something else and she loves it).  And so it went with these.

I fell for this pattern as soon as I saw it, even making a lunch hour run up to Purl  one day to purchase it.  I used almost all yarns from my stash, but I did buy a skein of Spud and Chloe Fine in Cricket.  One of the yarns that I used, the purple, was a total pain to work with.  It's super old and kept breaking, so I'd wet splice it back together when I could.  It was also pretty rough on the hands, which detratced from the fun of making these (side note: the offending yarn was blue at one time, but was one of the skeins that I dyed with grape Kool Aid last summer).  Each legging took me a week to complete, with a 2 month break in between.

Now, how did these change my life?  Well, I'm a skirt and dress person, all year long. Usually I get by with tights and my long down coat, but still, when it's 20F outside, the wind is whipping about and I'm running errands (remember NYC means no car for me), it can get cold.  But with these on, I don't feel a thing.  They are like mittens for my legs, only better, if you can imagine.  Trends come and go, but I am a leg warmer convert.  They just make sense!

(See the rabbit ear in the background?  That's right, no cable TV for me!)

Some of the gifts I made for friends last year actually were delivered to their intended recipients, like these:

Not soup crackers, but rather Pepparkakor, or Swedish ginger cookies.  I made them for Niclas, a Swede who married my friend Beth last summer and, since they live in Brooklyn now, spent the holidays away from home. I'd been reading a lot last year, on blogs and in magazines, about Swedish Christmas baking, and since I know what it's like to be away from one's family at the holidays, I thought he could use a little taste of home.  When I decided on these, I knew that I had a cookie cutter stashed away, and was pretty sure that it was of the Christmas variety.  Wrong.  My best guess as to how I ended up with a duck is that I made sugar cookies one Easter, but honestly, I have no recollection of doing so. 

These are a bit time consuming, as each batch must be returned to the refrigerator for a few minutes after rolling and cutting but baking, but they're worth it.  Simple and delicious on their own or with tea, they're also very nice with ice cream (but really, what isn't).

Here's the recipe (adapted from Saveur magazine):

Pepparkakor

3 ¾ C flour

3 t ground cloves

3 ½ t ground cinnamon

2 ½ t ground ginger

1 ¼ t baking soda

11 T unsalted butter, softened


1 C packed dark brown sugar


½ C golden syrup or dark corn syrup

½ C heavy cream

2 C confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 t fresh lemon juice

1 egg white, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and baking soda; set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and golden/corn syrup using a handheld mixer set to medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Add the reserved spice mixture and the heavy cream in 3 alternating batches, beginning and ending with the spice mixture, until the dough just combines. Transfer dough to a work surface, divide in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.

 Heat oven to 350°. Unwrap 1 disk of dough and place on a floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a 1⁄8" thickness. Cut out cookies using the cookie cutters of your choice and place cookies 2" apart on parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling scraps. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until browned and set, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

To make an icing, if you like, whisk confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and egg white in a medium bowl until smooth. Transfer icing to a resealable plastic bag (or a pastry bag). Snip off a bottom corner of the bag and pipe icing onto cookies in a decorative pattern.

MAKES ABOUT 48 COOKIES

Note: I was able to make approx. 72 cookies from this batch, and the dough freezes very well so you needn;t use it all at once. Also, I didn’t have parchment, and had no problems removing the cookies from the trays, so I think you can safely skip it. Lastly, when a recipe calls for ground clove, buy ground clove.  Trying to grind whole cloves into powder fine enough for cookie dough may well drive you to drink (in which case, you should invite me over).

You know that expression

"It's a marathon, not a sprint"? Not this season, my friends, not for me, nor, I imagine, for many other people who make their holiday gifts. No, I'd have to say that when you look at it, the list of to dos and the number of days in which I have to do them, it's both a marathon and a sprint.

I've no one to blame but myself, really. I got this early start back in July, was feeling all prettygood about my planning and got sidetracked somehow (how? how?????). Now, in the midst of holiday season parties, I'm in full-on panic. Trying to make the most of my stash and also create lovely gifts for my loved ones, my head is spinning with options and indecision. In a fit of full-on rationalization (I have the perfect yarn, I just need the right patterns!!), I bought Whimsical Little Knits, 2, Ysolda Teague's latest collection of patterns. This turned out to be a wise move, as I was able to whip up this beauty in just four days:

That's a sneak peak. I hope to get a better shot of it with it's intended recipient, with more details to follow. The yarn is a smooth yet bumpy silk that I purchased last summer in Uppsala at Yll och Till. It's nice to work with, especially when using plastic, rather than sticky bamboo, needles. It's the same yarn that I used to make Adrienne's Ishbel (another Ysolda Teague design. Hmmm . . . I'm seeing a pattern in my pairings of yarn to designs). I like how the creamy color and the lacy design combine to create a Victorian doily effect. I have fantasies of working up a pair of her Veyla fingerless mitts before the 25th, as well. Wish me luck!

One thing that's slowed my Christmas knitting progress is December birthdays. I've always felt that December birthdays get the shaft, especially when it comes to giving "combination" gifts. Those are insulting. Better to give a card for one occasion and a proper gift for another than to give a combination birthday/Christmas gift. No one pulls that crap when your birthday is in May, like mine. So, filled with conviction about the wrongness of such deeds, I put my needles where my mouth is (mixed metaphore - sorry) and made these for my friend David:

Details:
Pattern: Dashing, by Cheryl Niamath
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Silkie Socks That Rock
Needles:US5/3.75mm
Started: December 1
Finished: December 3

These were a fun project. The Silkie Socks That Rock is a really soft and bouncy 81% merino/19% silk blend. Because I wanted a sturdy and somewhat wind-resistant mitt, I held the yarn doubled and used a small needle. This yielded a dense fabric that I think will be perfect for chill, but not frigid, days weather. If anyone doubts the utility of fingerless mitts, behold:

They're great for climbing your way out of cemeteries when you;e being chased by zombies, trolls or vampires. They're also handy when you're cold, but need to open a bottle of ketchup (or beer, as the case may be)

OK, what am I doing here? I've got things to make! Schnell! Schnell!

Pink and Blue and Cream All Over

There's been a bit of a lag since my last post, but don't for a second think this means I have not been busy. On the contrary, my fat but long fingers have been whipping up many knitted delights; the problem is that most of them are gifts, and hence to be kept on the Q.T., you dig? I'm excited about them all and look forward to a time in late December when I can share them with you. While I've been Christmas planning, I've also been feeling a bit grabby lately, like I see yarn and think "Ooh, I want that and I want it now." I don't feel guilty about this, since I seldom make things for myself, but I do have to be careful: On Monday I "accidentally" dropped $60 on three skeins of Malabrigo Sock Yarn in lettuce, an electric green. My plan is to make Laura Chau's Honeybee Cardigan, the cropped version. After the holidays, I imagine.

While there's much I can't reveal, there are some projects which I can. Like this:

Details:
Pattern:My Kind of Town Cowl, by Trish Woodson
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
Needles: US19/15.0mm

Started: September 15

Finished: September 19

This started out as Jane Richmond's Marian, but I wasn't feeling the combo of the yarn and the pattern, so I ripped it out and started over. The cowl I ended up making is chunky and dramatic, but it has the problem that plagues so many of the new and trendy cowls: it leaves a gap in the front of my neck through which the wind can whip me. Wind whipping is precisely what a cowl is supposed to stop, so this project rates only an OK from me, and therefore, is unlikely to find another home.

Now, this next project made me much, much happier:

Details:
Pattern: Fetching, by Cheryl Niamath (highly modified)

Yarn: Noro Retro

Needles: US7/4.5mm

Started: October 26

Finished: October 28

I love these! Love, love them. I wear so much grey and black during the winter and have been looking for ways to bring some color to my wardrobe, so when I saw this beautiful ball of yarn at Seaport Yarn downtown, I couldn't walk away from it. I tried, because I was just there to buy some crochet hooks. But it was so pretty: chunky, bold and rustic yet feminine. And the blend of wool, silk and angora just felt so good. Later I learned that it's a new yarn from Noro, which somehow made me feel better about the impulse buy.

I used Fetching as the jumping off point for these, but I modified heavily. I omitted the cables, adjusted the number of stitches cast on to accommodate my gauge, knit the wrists longer and wear them inside-out. I like the look of the reverse stockinette; it has a more open and textural feel than regular stockinette. I call them my Pink Shockers, in part because they're shocking pink in color, but also in honor of some Minneapolis friends. They know why, oh yes, they do.

And now, so do you.

Earlier this fall, I was seduced by a Webs sale. It seems that Sheep Shop Yarn Company is going out of business, because their yarns are on sale all over the place. This was the first time I've purchased anything of theirs, because I found the yarns to be rather spendy. Hmm . . .perhaps this is why they're going out of business.

Details:

Pattern: A Little Ruffle, by Jennifer Lang

Yarn: Sheep Shop Yarn Company Sheep 3 Yarn

Needles: US7/4.5mm

Started: October 1

Finished: October 25

This yarn gets a mixed review from me. It is incredibly soft and was a great choice for this project. However, and this is a big however, the skeins were drastically different. One was a bit of a semi-solid pale blue, while the other was variegated blue and cream, heavy on the cream. The result is that the wrap appears to be almost striped in one section. It's super annoying, and I've never had such a problem when ordering yarn on line.

On a more positive note, the pattern was well written and I think the project came out really well (ignoring aforementioned color issues). This did involve yards and yards of stockinette, which came to be incredibly boring, which is the only negative thing I have to say about the pattern, and that's not even a criticism, just a comment.* So beware: If you're not up for a few days of straight up stockinette, work a different wrap. But if you think you can stomach it, this project is well worth the monotony.

*That was a bad run-on sentence up there. Sorry for that.

Knitting Fall for Summer

Like the movie Day for Night, about a French film crew filming nighttime scenes in daylight, I have been knitting fall gear for use this summer. First a hat, and now these fingerless mitts:


One of the inspirations for working these up in such short order was this weekend's trip to Cape Cod. I'll be tending to Megan and David's children while they attend his sister Katie's wedding. It's supposed to be chilly and rain all weekend, so I'll need some protection from the elements. However, the mitts made their debut a bit earlier than expected, on the 17th of June. That's right, it was cold enough here in NYC to wear both a heavy cashmere sweater and fingerless mittens in the middle of June, which kind of freaks me out. The nip in the air did not, however, stop the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill Knitting & Crochet Group, now one year old, from meeting up at Habana Outpost for the third week in a row. The idea was to have some snacks and bevvies and sit in the sun, working on our projects and people watch. Well, for two weeks we've been relegated to sitting inside (because of the rain) eating snacks, drinking bevvies and people watching. And then this week, we had a glorious respite during which it was finally dry enough for us to perch at an outdoor table. Let me tell you, the place was hopping! I think folks were happy to have a dry night on which they could get out and mingle, circulate and feel a little foxy.

Several members of the group deemed it "too cold to knit" once the sun went down. I persevered, ordered another beer and pulled on my mitts. It was a bit awkward going, as the mitts interfered somewhat with my ability to feel the hook (I was crocheting, a secret project which will be revealed in a couple of weeks), but it was not impossible to press on, so press on I did.

Details:
Somewhat Ribbed Fingerless Mitts (heavily modified) by Anne Campbell
2.75mm needles
Koigu KPPM, D1050471
Started: June 12
Finished: June 16

Oh, and if you're ever in the area, I highly recommend Habana Outpost's grilled corn. Sarah thinks it's delicious!