FO: Tychus

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


Keep your fingers crossed that this will fit an eleven year-old boy. It may be a little small on me, but I have a big head.


This is Tychus, the first FO of 2009. I just finished it a little while ago. Before I seamed it up, it looked like this:


I had a big debate whether to do 4 sections or five, since I'm making it for a small head. I decided to go with 5, since the gauge is smaller than suggested. My gauge is approximately 32 rows and 18 stitches per 4 inches. The pattern suggests 15 stitches and 28 rows per 4 inches.


You can also see that the seam is a little wonky. I had to fudge a couple of stitches. Even if the seam is perfect, I don't think there is a way to avoid a obvious seam.


It's also pointier than I prefer. Maybe the recipient can stretch it out.


To recap, I used a little more than half a skein each of Cascade Greenland in colors 3510 (blue) and 3523 (green.) This was some of the yarn I bought at Wildfiber. I used only one strand, not two as suggested by the pattern. I also used US Size 6 needles from my Boye Needlemaster.

FO: Wrist Pillow for Dad

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


A couple of years ago I made several of the "Earthy Computer Mouse Pad Wrist Pillows created by Jennifer Tallapaneni, and I gave them as gifts. But I didn't give one to my Dad. (At least, I don't *think* I did. If I did, oops.)

I know Mom was asking a while back if I could make one for the computer she shares with Dad. I figured Dad would like that as a gift. He spends the most time there.


Even if I have given one to him before, this one is nicer. I used some of the leftover Malabrigo Worsted in "Red Java" that I used for the Malabrigo Mini Mitts. I probably used less than a quarter of a skein. I still have plenty leftover for another project.

I also used my US Size 5 Brittany Needles.

I think I didn't cut the cardboard perfectly, so the bottom is a little wonky. But it does the job.

When I visit my parents, I'll have to see if this is getting used.

FO: Reversible Cable Scarf

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


This is another FO that's been a long time coming.

It's the Reversible Cable Scarf from Lion Brand. I started it in fall of 2007. (Yes, you read that correctly, 2007.)


This was the scarf that made me fall in love with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Yarn. It feels so good on the wooden needles, and it has very crisp stitch definition.

I used US Size 5 Brittany Needles. (BTW - I broke one of these needles, and they did send me a new one, as promised by the company.)


It's been so long since I started that I'm unsure of what went wrong on the wonky end. I think I bound off with US Size 3 needles, but cast on with the US Size 5. That still left the beginning of the scarf all ruffly.

I didn't count this as an FO until Christmas Eve, when I tucked in the loose ends. I meant to try to block the ruffly end, but I ran out of time.

I think (but I'm not positive) that this color is discontinued. It's 6276 Woodland Mix. I was trying to go outside my "comfort zone" and try some earth tones.

I highly recommend Berroco Ultra Alpaca. It's great stuff. Especially the heathered "Mix" colors like this one.

FO: Foliage: Purple, Version One

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


It's revenge of the chunky Foliage hats!

Remember last year I made three of these? One in red, one in Emerald and one in lime alpaca.

This one was made with Malabrigo Chunky, like two of the other three, This color is "Purple Mystery." Like the other hats, I used US size 10.5 dpns for the main hat, and US size 9 dpns for the ribbing. I'm pretty sure I used bamboo needles.

I actually made this one in one sitting for last year, but it never made it to the recipient until this Christmas. It's been on my coffee table ever since.

This one turned out like the rest. I'm pretty happy with it.

FO: Malabrigo Mini Mitts - Man Size

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


I managed to finish my Malabrigo Mini Mitts (Ravelry Link) on time. The last time we saw them, I was frantically trying to finish them before a get together the next day.

To recap, these were knit with US Size US and about half a ball of Malabrigo Worsted in "Red Java."


They seem to fit the recipient pretty well. Here is what I did to "man size" the mitts from the original size (to the best of my recollection.)

I cast on 40 stitches, not 32.

I think I may have worked a little farther than 2 and a half inches before making the the gusset, 20 rounds.

Then I added an two additional increase rounds for the gusset.

I cast three stitches across the gap for thumb, not two.

Then I knit for 20 sounds before binding off. The whole mitt was 8 inches in length, not 6 inches

I did 7 rounds for the thumb

The thumb was where I messed up the most. The ribbing was screwed up, and one thumb had less stitches than the other. But for the most part, I think my conversion was successful.

FO: Chevron Scarf

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


I may have done a crummy job blocking, but I finished the Chevron Scarf and gave it to the recipient without too many problems.

To review, this is the Chevron Scarf from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I used two skeins of Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino, one in P136 (the lighter color) and one in P527 (the darker color.) I got the yarn at Wildfiber. I used US Size 2 bamboo straight needles.

I think the colors suit her well.

FO: Stash Genius Scarf

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.



The project I was working on before I went to hospital is on hold at the moment. It's secret, so I can't show it here. I've been working on this instead.

I missed the fiber festival this year. I meant to give a shout out on here before the event, but I never got around to it. I'm so disappointed about everything I had to miss. I missed the company Christmas party and several church events.

But at least I can knit a festive scarf.


This scarf is for a seven year-old girl on my Christmas list. I looked through my stash for some good ideas, and this is what I came up with. I used one skein of Yarn Bee Mosaic Twist in "Grotto" for the main part of the scarf, and a small amount of Yarn Bee Gilt Eyelash in "Aqualights" for the sparkly stripes. (Yarn Bee is the Hobby Lobby house brand.) I felt like a genius when I came up with this combination. It reminds me of snowflakes for some reason, even though snowflakes aren't blue.


I cast on 12 stitches, and the stripes on the ends of the scarf are four rows wide. The stripes add sparkle without being itchy.

I knit the scarf with US Size 8 wooden needles, although I cast on and bound off with US Size 9 needles to keep the ends from being too tight. Also, I held two strands of the Gilt Eyelash together for the stripes.

It's not very long, but I think the length is about right for a child. And it's sparkly.

FO: Le Slouch (Code Name: Pink)

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


This is the first of a long parade of holiday FOs. We're starting with the Le Slouch (Ravelry link) that I made for my sister.


Her boyfriend tried it on too.


Here's the hat in it's infancy. My sister asked for a shawl, but I was running out of time for this Christmas. (And this was before I was sick.) I recommended a "jaunty beret."


I originally called it "Code Name: Pink" because I was originally planning to use some pink yarn in my stash. I ended up using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Amy's Vintage Office, the precious yarn I got on the Hill Country Yarn Crawl. I was hoping to save it for myself, but the color was too perfect for my sister.


Here is the hat from the bottom. I used US Size 6 needles for the ribbing and US Size 7 for the rest of the hat. This was unusual for me because US Size 7 is recommended on the yarn label. Normally I go way under what is recommended. However, the recommended gauge for the hat is smaller than the one on the yarn label.


I think seed stitch is a really good choice for this yarn. It adds some depth to the variegated colors.


Mom and I debated whether the ribbing was too small. It was a little tight on my head. But I knew if would get stretched out, and my head is bigger than most. Also, we debated exactly how it how it should sit on your head.

It fit Pancho Pig ok.


The good news is that there's half a ball of Amy's Vintage Office left so I can make something for myself.

"For the Love of Granny" Baby Blanket

For more details on the project, click here.

Baby Jasmine's New Clothes

Made from stash! Yay! For more details about this project, please see my blog (www.yarnydays.com).

Thanks!
Rima

Back to work

October sort of went by in a haze of work and presidential election involvement.
I did manage to finish one holiday gift - a small shawl for my mother.


Now, however, holiday season looms and so I am back to work:
Goals for November are:
1. Scarf for my FIL
2. Scarf for my MIL
3. Two chemo caps for the Knitters for Obama charity project (for the 4th quarter challenge)
4. To FINALLY start the sweater for my DH

Looking forward to knitting with you all again

Finally...

Finally finished the Baby Poonam sweater for my cousin's baby...



Made with Cashsoft... one of my favorites!


Now on to the rest of my list...

FO: 1-Up

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.


I should have taken a better close up, but this is as good as it gets. This is cropped out of the following photo:


When Jules and I visited Wildfiber during the last trip, Jules asked me to make him a stuffed Panda. The trip I took last weekend was partly a birthday celebration for Jules, and I was going to knit him the panda as a gift. But I ran out of time and I had trouble finding a good panda pattern.

At one point I remember he had asked if I could make a mushroom pillow. I didn't have time for a pillow, but I did find the Super Mario Mushroom Knitted Toy pattern from Skyline Chilly.

The night before I left, I grabbed some Cascade 220 in Palm and White and threw it in my knitting bag along with a Ziploc bag of stuffing and some US Size 4 bamboo needles. Acrylic would have probably been a more practical, but I couldn't quite find the right colors in the right weights. I bought the Cascade on hand for another project, but it only took a little bit of each color, so I have plenty left.


The original pattern calls for KnitPicks Palette, a finger weight yarn. I ended up with a bigger mushroom because I used worsted weight. (The pattern says you can adapt it to pretty much any weight of yarn.) It still fits in the palm of your hand.

The colors are also different from the ones called for. I only used two. I think his might be closer to the original 1-Up mushroom from Super Mario Brothers, although I'm not sure. (Video game geeks, feel free to correct me.)


Going through security didn't take nearly as long as I had expected, so I had time to work on it while I waited for the plane to take off.


This is how far I had gotten after about 45 minutes of waiting. I napped on the first leg of the trip and finished this up on the second leg. The whole thing probably took less than two hours. I "wrapped" it in a barf bag from the plane and gave it to Jules along with a wallet and a yo-yo I bought him. He loved it.

The pattern itself is quick, but a little bit challenging. Mostly it's the colorwork for the spots that's difficult. There's a pretty big gap between colors, so you have to be careful with tension.



I should have taken a better close up.

baby afghan

finished this for a newborn baby boy

FO: Wickerware Socks

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.

These socks have been a long time coming.

I've had to rip back several times. I screwed up the stitch pattern more than once, messed up one of heels and somehow did the Kitchener Stitch backwards. And those are just the mistakes I remember. The pattern isn't hard as far as sock patterns go, but these socks lost their "mojo" at times.

To recap, this is the Wickerware Socks pattern. The pattern calls for two sizes of needles, a smaller size for the ribbing and a larger size for the rest of the sock. I used US Size 0 and US Size 00 dpns from my Susan Bates Sock Needle Set

The yarn is Austermann Step in colorway 04. This yarn is infused with jojoba and aloe vera to make it extra soft. The jojoba and aloe vera are supposed to last for 40 washings. The recipient is diabetic, and I thought the aloe vera would be good for his feet. These socks are "man socks" so they took almost all of the ball, although I probably have enough left for a pair of baby socks.

This is a Christmas gift for a male relative. It feels good to get these done.