We had a beautiful frosty morning yesterday.
I dashed out after the sun came up to get some photos of the frost on the chicken barn fence. It was very cold but I bundled up.
Knit All The Things
Last week, when the temperatures dropped, our boiler could not keep up and the indoor temperature dropped too. My hands got quite cold as I was knitting M's mittens.As soon as I finished M's project I cast on a pair of fingerless mitts for myself. I am hoping that I'll be able to wear them while working in the sewing room this winter.
These were a really fast knit with only 36 stitches per round. I used two strands of Misty Alpaca sport on size 6 needles.
I like the way the thumb gusset increases branch from a single line on the side of the thumb.
The pattern is, Karin, a free download on Ravelry. This is actually my second pair of mitts from this pattern, the first can be seen here.I mentioned yesterday that I'm challenging myself to use my stash this year. I started a flickr album for my 100 projects so it will be easy for me to see my progress. Already there are 8 finished projects!Next up, basic crew socks for B, stash busting project 9.If you want to join in on Instagram we are using the hashtag #stash100.
Super Soft Alpaca
I have really been enjoying knitting the last couple of weeks. First I was in a frantic flurry knitting Christmas gifts for the kids. Then there was the after Christmas knitting added to that. Then came the envy knitting for the family members who wanted something like I had made for other members in the family.This week was mostly spent working on finishing the lined, felted mittens for M.
The outer mittens were knit with one strand of Misti Alpaca lace weight and one strand of an alpaca yarn for which I no longer had the label. I had the yarn in two colorways, a brown and a grey and had used it for sweaters for the boys more than 10 years ago. Miss P is almost big enough to wear the smaller of the sweaters.
But, oh my, this yarn is SO soft. When I first gave the boys their sweaters, Mr M wore his EVERY DAY of winter break that year.
If these mittens were mine, they'd double as mittens and scarf because I don't think I'd be able to keep them away from my face.
They are THAT soft.
The linings are knit from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino on size 4 needles. Since they will be inside the felted mittens I was able to use up some odd leftovers of this yarn. The cuffs are both knit with black but after the cuffs I used up whatever small bits of baby cashmerino were left from other projects.It always feels good to use up leftover bits of yarn.Actually, I've been having a conversation on Instagram with a few others about a yarn/fabric stash busting project. It's been ages since I've actually bought any yarn but mostly that's because I have been too focused on quilting projects. This week, in trying to find the outgrown alpaca sweaters, which I actually had stored in the deep freezer in the basement, I dug out most of my yarn stash and now it's in a big pile in the living room. Some of it has been out of sight for so long it's as if it's new to me again. I've taken a quick inventory and will challenge myself to make 100 projects without purchasing any more yarn/fabric. I will allow myself to purchase items needed to complete a project but want to work mainly from my stash. I'm going to count my recent knits in December which makes this pair of mittens Stash Project 7.And here is a start on Stash Project 8, alpaca fingerless mitts for myself.
A Few of My Favorite Things - Warm Woolen Mittens
Just in Time for Single Digits
This earflap cap for Miss P came off the needles just in time for the current single digit temperatures.
The pattern is the Danish Earflap Cap from Hats On by Charlene Schurch. The yarn is Artyarns Supermerino. The hem is knit on size 4 needles and the outer hat is knit on size 6.
I checked Ravelry and saw that her favorite hat that she still wears was finished FOUR years ago. It barely covers any of her forehead now. I made sure to allow for some growing room in this hat.
She loves the braided ties on this one and that it is SUPER warm with the double layer of the hem.In decreasing the top, I added alternate knit rounds between the decrease rounds to keep the top more smooth as I did when making D's new hat.
Here's hoping we have lots of snow to play in this year!! **links to amazon are affiliate links
Heart Warming
D requested a new warm hat for this winter. He looked through my patterns and chose the Danish Earflap Cap in Hats On by Charlene Schurch. I like that it is knit all in one piece with the earflaps knit as you make the rest. The hem is joined to the outer layer as you are making it. The original design in the book was a colorwork design but D wanted it knit out of the pretty Eidos from The Sanguine Gryphon that was in my stash. I adjusted the pattern to have plain knit rows between the rows of the first section of decreases. This kept the top of the hat from being puckery.
Miss P likes his hat so much that she has requested one of her own. She chose some orange Supermerino by Artyarns that was in my collection.
M liked his dad's new lined felted mittens so much that he wants a pair too. I had to switch from making the orange hat to knitting the mittens so that I could make progress before he heads back to school. I was hoping to get the first lining made to fit and then I could do the rest without him actually being here.
I like knowing that my family is warmed by my lovingly stitched winterwear. It warms my heart to know that my family appreciates the knits that I enjoy making for them. It makes it even MORE fun to knit.I'd better get back to work on the winterwear. It's COLD out there. **links to amazon are affiliate links
Felted Knits for Christmas
I did a lot of quick knitting before Christmas. Both P and B had requested lined felted mittens and Miss P also asked for a new pair of elf slippers. They chose the yarns from my stash and I didn't worry about knitting after hours or in secret.The mittens were knit using Ann Budds Basic Mitten pattern in The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I used a superwash baby cashmerino for the lining and handspun for the outer mittens.
I used Pamela Wynne's free Elf Slipper pattern for the slippers. You can see other slippers I've made with this pattern here and here.
The outer of B's mittens is knit with one strand of handspun and one strand of laceweight alpaca.
We had a little felting party in the bathroom Christmas afternoon.
I think the mittens turned out great.
I knit Miss P's slippers with two strands of homespun to make them a little thicker. They shrank but not as much as I was hoping. They ended up a little too big for her but too big is better than too small. At least they have some growing room!
I'm still working on a new hat for D. He got a "kit" for Christmas. He chose the yarn and pattern and I wrapped the needles, pattern, and yarn up for him to open. It's how we roll.I kinda hope we have a cold winter so that we can use our new warm woolen winterwear.
Solstice
We went for a short solstice walk this afternoon.
I've been wanting to get back to using my DSLR every day like I did a couple of years ago.
I think it helps my state of mind to find something beautiful or interesting to document or remember each day. It provides a visual journal but also encourages me to get out and look at the world around me when I may be feeling more like a slug.
The solstice seemed like a good day to start back with daily photography.
I'll be posting my daily photos on flickr but some of them may end up here on the blog.
Crafturday
Winter break has officially started! Miss P had her holiday party at school yesterday. And today we had a NO ALARM CLOCK day - two whole weeks with no alarm clock. I'm in heaven!I hope to get lots of sewing and knitting time. Today I'm working on a pair of lined mittens that B has requested for Christmas. I knit the linings last week and I just finished the outer layer of the first mitten. I'm ready to start the second outer mitten. The linings are knit with baby cashmerino and will not felt. The outers are a blend of homespun and a laceweight alpaca.Miss P has planned a Solstice sleepover with lots of activities for tomorrow night. She and her friend will be sleeping by the Christmas tree! The boys are arriving home on Monday. I kind of hope we get snowed in for for a few days!Happy Crafturday!!
Aurifil Design Team 2015
Did you see that Aurifil announced the 2015 design team? I am thrilled to be a member of the team next year.I love using Aurifil thread and am eager to work more with all of the different threads they offer. I plan to share a small project featuring one of the Aurifil thread weights each month when I link to the designer of that month.
There are so many great quilters in the line up and I am really looking forward to getting to know all of them better!
Let me introduce you to the groupBack row
Front row
Lower row
Trimming the Tree
The first weekend in December is always busy in our town. It is the festival of lights weekend with a tree lighting, luminarias, and a parade, the ballet has several performances of The Nutcracker, there is an arts and crafts show, the gingerbread house making workshop and display, and the Holiday community concert with the Chelsea Chamber Players and the high school orchestra and Choir. So many activities that there is no way to do them all.We were busy this weekend trying to do all that we could. We even squeezed in cutting and decorating our Christmas tree.
Actually, we harvested three of our trees this year. D and M both wanted trees for their apartments this year.D cut the top out of the largest of our homegrown Christmas trees.
M chose a smaller tree for his first.
Miss P and her friend watched the proceedings.
We started planting Christmas trees when the boys were young and cut the first of our trees in 2010. It makes me very happy that we can take a short walk past the barn and choose the perfect tree or three.
Knitting
I love knitting in December. I like that it is portable and I am more able to be social while working. I can sit in the living room and be with family and still feel productive. I can't sit and NOT be working on something. I know, my family sometimes just doesn't get it.I recently finished my sock for Adele's pair of Corbusier Socks.
The pattern is Corbusier Socks by Sarah Jordan. The pattern is in 2014 Knitscene Accessories. I would tell you what the yarn is but I seem to have lost the ball band that Adele sent with the pattern and yarn. Ooops.
It was a fun knit and wouldn't have taken long to finish if I would have been focused on just the one project.Since finishing the socks I've been knitting new winter mittens for Miss P. She's still wearing the pair I knit her FIVE years ago when she was in preschool. I am using the same technique for this pair. The lining is Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino. The outer layer is a handspun.
They should be finished soon!B wants a pair like this too. My knit list is growing!
Socks!
Just in time for the colder weather, I finish a cozy pair of socks for myself!
These were a quick knit 2x2 rib from Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga. I originally bought the yarn for colorwork in a Paper Dolls sweater. Someday I still hope to knit myself one of those sweaters but I'll have to buy some new yarn.I've also been working on my next sock for Adele in our Two Make a Pair project.
Camp Stitchalot with Carolyn Friedlander and Sherri Lynn Wood
Projects galore! I spent a few days over the weekend at Camp Stitchalot. It was such a wonderful experience. There were local friends attending as well as a few friends I have known from the internet that I finally had the pleasure to meet in person at camp.Friday night Carolyn Friedlander taught her method of hand applique. Many campers started working on her arial grove pattern. I started an alturas block.
Saturday was an all day workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood and her Get Your Curves On class. I was a bit out of my comfort zone with this one but was much happier when I was able to let go a bit and not try to control the final outcome. With this technique you have to follow the process and not try to force the design to end up a particular way. It was a stretching experience for me.
It was a great birthday weekend getaway for me.
Fall Harvest - the gathering husks edition
We're finishing up with our fall garden harvest this weekend and plan to shuck the Indian corn today. Miss P is studying a book of Corn Husk Crafts to try with the husks. I'll let you know if we end up making any dolls or other craft items.
Every Last Piece
I have been waiting on pins and needles for the day that I could share this news with you!
Here it is, all of that frantic and late night sewing last year was for this. A BOOK! I can hardly believe this is really almost a reality. My love of using scraps led me to write a whole book on scrap quilting!A huge thank you to all of you who encourage me to do what I love and try to use Every Last Piece of fabric in my scrap pile. There are scrap quilt designs in the book that you can use no matter how big your scrap pile is. The first quilts in the book are full on all scrap quilts. As you work your way through the book, the designs use fewer scraps the idea being that if you make all of the quilts in the book you can actually use up your scraps.The book, Every Last Piece: 12 Beautiful Design Inspirations Using Scraps, Strings, and Applique
Secret Stalker Swap
Last night at the Ann Arbor Modern Quilt Guild we revealed our Secret Stalker Swap quilts. It was hilarious fun. I loved hearing about the stalkees and trying to guess who they were before the name was revealed. Some of the stories of online research and stalking social media sites were so funny. A few guild members really went over the top with their designs and made such amazing and personalized quilts for their recipients.
The person I was stalking has tastes very similar to mine. She loves solid fabrics and improv piecing.
I posted a couple of process shots on facebook and instagram while I was working on this and was THRILLED when my quilt recipient, who never usually comments on things that I post, commented that she loved the quilt. She didn't know that it was for the swap and of course did not know that it would be for her.
The secret stalker swap is a great way for members of the guild to get to know each other a little better. I know I'll be participating again next time around.
String Pieced
Here you see 120 string pieced melon blocks. I worked on these on and off for months- at a quilt retreat, on the back porch with using the hand crank machine, sitting at my desk while watching Netflix, even Miss Petunia sewed some strings together. After I finished the last of these I did a little celebration, as one does after such an accomplishment, and then carfully sorted, tidied, and folded the remainder of the light scraps. It felt so good to have them neatly stacked and the scrap bin back in ship shape. I thought I had finished enough of these melons for 89" by 101'' quilt, but alas, after double checking my calculations and counting the finished melons I found that I need to make seven more. Still, this lovely pile of string piecing makes me giddy thinking about the next step (after making seven more blocks).
Soaking it Up
We're trying to soak up all of the warmth and sunshine that we can this weekend.
The last of the flowers are fading fast and the trees are getting bare.
Winter will be here soon.
I hope you are also enjoying a beautiful weekend.
Scissor Sunday
I've been participating in the Soak &Flatter Quilter's photo a day challenge on Instagram this month. Come join the fun.
