Knitting...

I am knitting from my stash. This is because I moved every last skein, ball and scrap of yarn I had into our small apartment. And this year is about using up stuff we have. Anything we have and use up is something next Summer we will not be moving. I made these cute half mitts-- a pair for me and a longer pair for my friend Justine. I like the organic ness of them as well as the fact that they don't match.

Later today I walk about a mile cutting through the Capitol to Bethany Lutheran Church where I help teach young kids to knit. They are very cute and remind me of when I learned to knit and how hard it was. It is an after school program and the kids are bussed in from somewhere in the city.

I believe that knitting is something that while it can be learned from a book should be taught to you. Everyone seems to remember how they learned to knit. My Grandma taught me to knit and I had to be in 3rd grade. Oh how I waited to get into 3rd grade. I also think men should knit. I love to see a man knitting.

Wednesday night I have my monthly Knitting Group. My friend Jane, her neighbor Gwen and her friend Maria. We meet at a lovely knitting store and coffee shop called Lakeside Fiber. I am so pleased to already belong to a group. I think women need this. Actually men too but I don't think they know it.

Mitered Hanging Towel or Dishcloth

I am not inclined to do math if I don't have to. Knitting is all about math. But I just look at the pictures and read the pattern and go back to the picture and knit it. I do as little math as possible. And apparently I read as little as possible. I knit the above dishcloth. When I started it I noticed that it was a LOT of stitches for a dishcloth so I subtracted some. (I do do enough math to subtract stitches in a way that still makes the pattern work.) When I got it done it still looked a bit big too me.

I then went back and read the heading and it was a Mitered Hanging TOWEL not dishcloth which would be why there were so many stitches. I have made some dishcloths as gifts and found that people like to use them as facecloths as the cotton yarn is nicely soft and very durable. I think I may knit myself a set as washcloths. The pattern said to cast on 90 stitches. I made the one above using 80, I think I'll use 70 on the next ones.
And this is the book the pattern came out of. It is a fun book with unusual things to knit like a cute Swifty cover. While I don't think I'll knit it I do like to see whimsy and creativity in knitting books. And since a sweater is too great a commitment I like lots of small projects.

Knitted Mohair Tweed Half Mitts

I like wearing little half mitts.

I dug in my stash and made these out of a white mohair and a black tweed. I am pleased with the results and sort of made up the pattern as I went. If anyone wants the pattern let me know and I can send you a pdf of it.

I like knitting small things on small needles. These were made on a size one needle. And I am a one skein wonder. Nothing is too great a commitment. I don't get bored.

Swiss Cheese Scarf

This is my new favorite no-brainer car knitting project. The only skills needed for this scarf is the ability to knit, cast on, cast off and in my case count while listening to a book-on-tape. You can knit this out of any kind and weight of yarn and needle. I used 2 skeins of sock yarn and a size 5 circular needle.

Both skeins of sock yarn are variegated and I knit 2 rows with one color and then 2 with the next. I enjoyed this so much I am knitting a wider, longer one in reds and grays. It will probably be more shawl-like.

For the pattern go here...

Felting Symposium

This past week and weekend was the Felting Symposium here in Madison. I managed Sunday morning to take a break in unpacking to go.

They had a nice exhibit and a few booths in addition to classes. I got this great felted hat from a lovely felter and hat maker. She taught me how to 'don' a hat rather than put a had on. I've always liked hats but haven't really worn hats recently, I did years ago.

This hat reminded me of the vast amount to truly great hats my Mom had when I was young. Women always wore a hat to church. It was always a big deal to get ready for Easter Sunday and that always meant seeing if coats and patent leather shoes fit... and of course shopping for a Easter hat.

Knitting... neck warmers

I don't like to knit sweaters because I don't wear sweaters. And frankly knitting a sweater is just too great a committment, although I did knit several in high school. So while I love knitting as a process I don't like most knitted items.

But last year neck warmers became a hot new item to knit. I am kind of a one (or two) skein wonder. So these are perfect for me. And here are two that I made as gifts.

The above neckwarmer is from the Knitty free pattern called Tudora, you can find it on their website. The yarn is one skein of 127 Print. It is a lovely yarn. Button is vintage. This is a very attractive neckwarmer on.

I just finished this one and I think it will be a great utilitarian neckwarmer. My neck seems to always be cold in Winter. This is the Cabled Neck Warmer by HomeMadeOriginals. I think I got this through an Etsy shop and paid $5 for it. The yarn is one and a half skeins of Eskimo by Garnstudio. Also a very nice yarn to knit with. And the colors are prettier than the picture. I finished it off with 2 vintage buttons. I like vintage buttons on knitted items and use them when I can.

Everything I knit always starts out to be for me. As I knit I start to think about someone I know and how the yarn always seems to be them. So both of these are gifts and I hope to knit one of each for me.

Knitting... needle holder

Any craft you do generates stuff. I hate stuff. I even hate it that I have a stash (of yarn).

But knitting stuff needs organization or you don't know what you have and just buy more of the same stuff. And I really hate that.

I made this fabric circular needle holder shown on page 154 of Stitch 'n Bitch, The Knitter's Handbook. And I just made it of some scrap fabric I had. It is a nice little organizational tool.

Knitting... stitch holders

I haven't blogged about knitting in a while so it is time. When in Cedar Rapids recently my friend Laurie gave me these darling stitch holders. I assume she got them somewhere on the internet and they came directly from China.

I am sure these are hand painted. I like the Chinese graphic look of the faces. They have such detail... the bunny has an egg painted on one side and a flower on the other.

I am a purist in all the tools I use and only use white stitch markers and now these because they are just so darn cute.