Much needed knitting pictures

I have been putting off pics for too long. Here are some to catch up from what I have been telling you about.


Gynormus Fuzzy Feet slipper to be felted. A little story for those of you who know me and my fetish for pens, as I worked on the first Fuzzy Feet I grabbed one of several pens I have in my knitting notions bag and low and behold it is the same green and bright blue that I'm knitting with! No joke. Pantone could not have made a better match. Since number two of the pair is nearly finished, I'll take a photo of that one with it's sidekick, The Pen and you can decide for yourself. (By the way, the second Fuzzy Feet has been on hold to finish the kids’ mittens that were of higher priority. (We finally got some real Michigan winter weather.) Try this pattern. The only error I found (and it may be correct since mine I printed a long time ago) is when you divide for the heel it says to knit 10 when, in fact, you will knit 20.


The two pairs of mittens for the boys: red for Boy A and black for Boy B. The red have been worn daily for the past week, the black were taken to school today, but the wind chill proved too cold for outside recess. The red pair are from Paton's Classic Merino wool and the black from Cascade 220. As I mentioned in a previous post, it was nice to knit with real wool on "regular-sized" needles as I have done so much felting with real wool, therefore, using the kindergarten pencil-sized needles, size 11 and up. I knitted these using an old mitten pattern a friend gave me that I have used for every pair of the boys' mittens over the years. It is a nice pattern that has sizes ranging from 2-year-old to men's. It can either be worked in the round or as I did, flat. I knit both mittens at the same time to ensure the same size and it makes me feel like I finish faster. I will tell you the author/maker of the pattern another time. It is late; I'm chilled and ready to dive under the covers.

The wool mittens

The boys turned 5 on the 21st and we had a family get-together on Saturday. On Sunday morning (they're actual birthday) Boy B walked to the living room after sleeping in a bit and questioned whether today was his actual birthday. I answered, yes. He then said, as serious as a heart attack, that he didn't feel any different. I decided that this too, should be applied to being 40, until morning arrives and my knees crack and back aches just stepping out of bed. Hmmmm is it possible that I feel different? Yeah, thought so.

As for some knitting content! I finished Boy A's 100% wool mittens. He has been gleefully wearing them all week. They're the favorite color, red. Boy B's are slated to be finished this weekend. His are black but only because I did not have royal blue in the stash and black was the alternative to match his coat. Boy A's are made from good ole' Patons Classic Merino wool. Boy B's are from Cascade 220. So far they are both nice yarns to work with. I have not made many things with wool without felting it, therefore, using huge needles and sometimes double strands. It is terribly nice to just knit with wool and think how this would have been what my grandmother used (only her's was scratchier).

Speaking of my grandmother. I was not blessed to ever know her. She passed away terribly young. My older sister was only about a month old (and sis is 47) and grandma was only 41. (This is my mom's mother.) She (grandma) was the second eldest of 13 children and I knew my great grandmother very well. But, grandma had damaged her heart from having Scarlet Fever when she was young and ultimately died from pneumonia.

I am getting to my point, which is that a few weeks ago, mom brought me several totes of yarn that she wanted me to go through and take what I wanted. I was digging through the piles of acrylic picking this and that when I came to the bottom and found a pair of finished red and gray mittens. They are rather small, but would probably make a nice fit for a lady with lady hands (I am not one of those ladies). The mittens would definitely fit a child about middle school I'd say.

I held them up to mom, who was sitting in my living room, and asked where these came from and if she knew they were in all this yarn. She told me they were mittens her mother made on three needles and are the only knitted items she has of her mom's. She thought I might like to have them. Incidentally, my mom never learned to knit on three needles until I taught her last year.

The mittens have no "ladders" to act as a give-away of three-needle knitting. The wool is scratchy and the red and gray colors are not the least bit vibrant, but rather dull. There is one stitch that has popped out that needs repair. But these mittens are perfect in every way. They were made by my grandmother who probably made them well over 50 years ago and I now know I came from a line of knitting women. How lucky am I?

Here's my idea: to get one of those box frame jobbies and display them proudly near my knitting chair. DH will think that's weird, but grandma might just have to out rank him.

Illusion knitting

I have tried my hand at this little technique and is it ever interesting. I may have a pic to upload in the next day or so. I swatched a scarf (meaning, I knitting one repeat of the illusion and if I continue it could easily turn into a scarf).

Fuzzy Feet have held my interest these last several days. I have been recuperating from minor (do self breast exams!) surgery and the day I had surgery, I didn't have to be in until 1 p.m., so I sat around the house with no food or water and finished off the first and since I didn't really feel like knitting the day after surgery, I started the second of the pair today and have it way past the heel and gusset. Yeah! Pics of those soon also.

Have a great Saturday night and better yet, a blessed Sunday!

Baby sweater woes

Ever consider that the higher power is a dirty player of tricks? Yeah, me either, until I tried to finish a simple baby sweater.

Sure, I had a tight deadline, sure I had to work full time and be a mom who still does dishes by hand, sure I have had doctor appointments and events after work hours to attend; but come on! it's a BABY sweater.

To those who knew about this little project and my deadline of this evening will be sniggering (okay, screaming with laughter) at the fact that it must NOT be finished. It was a perfectly reasonable deadline.

The first pattern that I began knitting on New Year Eve went with me to Knitting Night on Tuesday. I knew things were bad then, but I kept plugging away and after going through the pattern several times and "walking" through the knitted piece I still cannot find my error(s). Mind you, this is a pattern that I have made before without problems. Twice in fact.

So, on Wednesday evening, after repeating the "walking" through the knitted piece several more times, I decided to chuck it aside and begin anew. I frantically tore through magazines and patterns to find a simple stitch, worsted weight, easily assembled baby sweater. Found it! Okay, here we go again. Started knitting away, zoomed through the back, finally finished the front last night and stayed up until after 10 p.m. finishing the sleeves. (Cute thing, really, seed stitch instead of the normal ribbing).

Not cute enough.

I knitted the d*mn thing to specs (I swear) and low and behold it is like a sweater dress with short sleeves! And not a sweater dress with any shape to it.

Enough said? I thought so.

Now get off the floor and move on. I have.

Serious case of indecision

Happy 2007 everyone!

I am starting off the year right. I have at least three knitting projects on needles and seem to be incapable of deciding which should be finished first. Well, that isn't completely true. I have a baby sweater in the works. The Circle I joined at our new parish is having a baby shower for a local women's charity. The shower is Monday evening; I started the baby sweater yesterday.

Think I can finish it? If if I stay online longer, I won't! Here is a picture of my progress since yesterday late morning:


I know, it looks funny, but it will piece together correctly when the other front is finished (I hope).

There is an old saying that whatever you are doing on the first day of the new year you will be doing all year long. If that is true, we will be going to the movies (we saw, "Pursuit of Happyness") a lot (good, I love doing that), and I will be knitting (no brainer, I'd say).

Tonight is Knitting Night at K's. Whooohooo. Must go, must knit.