I started these before Christmas (as a potential gift), but then the Great Mystery Illness of 2007 happened, and I never picked them back up again until after the Alphabet Blanket was finished.
Maybe an hour later, they were finished!
Details:
Started: December, 2007, Finished: February 28, 2008
Pattern: Fetching, by Cheryl Niamath, from Knitty Summer 2006
Yarn: Cascade 220, color 9442 (Light Salmon). Maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of a skein?
Needles: US6 Brittany Birch DPNs
These were hard-won mittens.
I started them on last Thursday night, using Ann Budd’s Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns. But my gauge wasn’t what was given in the book (I was getting about 3 sts to the inch, the book went no lower than 4 sts/inch), so they were coming out way way way too big.
So I ripped. And went to bed.
I started over Friday night using Knitting Queen’s Pattern for Big Wool Mittens as a guide. She starts with only 20 sts, on size 11 needles. I don’t have size 11s in DPNs, so I used 10.5s. I knew 20 sts wasn’t going to be enough, so I cast on 26 (32 from the Ann Budd pattern was too many, so I split the difference). I also used K1P1 ribbing instead of K2p2.
The cuff was perfect. So I went on to follow her pattern exactly as written from that point on.
After the increases, it was clear that this mitten was going to be too big too. I like my mittens to be more on the tight side, rather than loose.
So I ripped, but only back to the cuff. And went to bed.
Saturday, I decided to modify her pattern again, and not do the increases at all. I figured this would give me the right sized mitten.
And it worked. Hooray!
I finished mitten #1 Saturday night, and knit the cuff. Sunday I finished Mitten #2.
Emily helped me wash them (“Like Manta’s socks?” “Yes, like Samantha’s socks.”), and they took 3 days!! to dry.
Finally, I have a matching scarf and mittens set! Just in time for the 70-degree weather we had last weekend. :)
Stats:
Started: 3/9/2006, Finished: 3/12/2006
Pattern: My own modification of Knitting Queen’s Pattern.
Yarn: Rowan Big Wool
Needles: Size US10.5 Brittany DPNs.
On display
In-action shot
Details:
French Market Bag, from knitty.com
Yarn: Peruvian Collection Highland Wool, from elann.com, 4 skeins
Needles: Size 7 Denise Interchangeables
Notes: I went with the bottom knitted flat version, instead of doing it in the round.
Uncommon Gardening Gloves, from Interweave Knits Spring 2004
Yarn: Sock it to Me! Esprit, from elann.com, 2 balls (with quite a bit of leftovers)
Needles: Size 2 Brittany DPNs
Notes: I made the middle size. There is an error in the pattern, be sure to check the website before you start so you don’t have to start over halfway through your first glove like I did! :)
So, the gloves are done! They weren’t quite dry yet, after their bath on Tuesday, last night.
Yesterday, I found some extra knitting time at work, and finished off the second ball of Highland Wool on the French Market bag.
This bag really eats yarn, and time. I swear I keep knitting & knitting & knitting, but I’m not getting anywhere! I’m slightly over 5 inches up the sides now. I may knit the sides a little longer than the 8″ the pattern calls for, but I will have to see how much yarn I have left when I get there. Sara said the Highland Wool shrunk a little more vertically than she expected on the last bag she made.
But all of the French Market knitting I did yesterday got to be a bit much. I was burnt out on it last night. With the gloves finished, I wasn’t sure what to work on instead. Kevin’s sock? Nah, I need to adjust the pattern a bit and I’m not in the mood for taking notes and doing math. My second practice sock? Nah, I’d have to take the needles out of Kevin’s sock. Lichen or Fletcher? Nah, I won’t be wearing them for a long time, so why worry about them now? That left one thing.
The rug.
Yes, I dug out the rug. Can you believe that? I started on the 8th square. It was actually kind of fun! Maybe I will finish it this summer after all!
Stash update: -.5 ball of Esprit, -1 ball of Highland Wool; 239 in stash
I just finished the thumb gusset of the left gardening glove (that’s the second glove).
The whole time I’m doing the gusset increases, I can’t get one thing out of my mind.
See, I fairly recently became a fan of the BBC show, Coupling. I have been watching the old episodes as they come on the BBC America On Demand channel. I have watched a few of the newer episodes on the regular BBC America channel, but I am trying to watch them in order to keep up with everything.
Well, whenever Jeff isn’t supposed to be talking about sex, he starts uttering words (usually body parts) uncontrollably. One of those words always ends up being “gusset.”
So, anyone from jolly old England reading this who can tell me what “gusset” is referring to in British slang? I’m sure I could Google and find it somewhere, but this is more fun. ;)
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In other Mother’s Day Gift news, I asked Mom this weekend if she’s been reading my blog. She said she used to, but since Dad has been home, and taking over the computer all the time, she hasn’t in quite awhile. So I told her not to until after Mother’s Day. :)
I finished the bottom of her French Market Bag, and started the sides. This is one of those projects that sometimes seems to be moving along very quickly, then later on, it seems to be taking FOREVER. But even if it’s going to play the fast/slow game with me, I should have plenty of time to finish it, since we aren’t doing “Mother’s Day” with Mom until the 14th. I got a bonus week of knitting time! I think I’ll have it finished long before then though.
Stash Update: -1/2 ball of Peruvian Highland Wool; 240.5 in stash.
