Dashing and Learning New Things!

I had my first finished object of 2008 just a few days into the year: a pair of Dashing made of Cascade Venezia. Venezia is 70% Merino Wool and 30% Silk, and I loved working with it. The Dashing pattern was fun to work too and I think it took me 4 or 5 days to complete the mitts. I have to confess that using the Venezia was not my idea - Tina had used it for her mitts, and when I tried them on, they felt heavenly! (Click to embiggen pictures.) I need to learn to crop my photos before coming to my blog. So sorry. Also, as a rightie with a gimpy left hand, the gloved hand photo was a challenge with this morning. Talk about camera shake! ; )

A few weeks ago when I had been in the LYS I had seen a sample of this adorable baby sweater from the Mission Falls Wee Knits Too pattern book displayed in the store. The store was offering a class on the sweater, and I know the instructor for the class is fabulous. I pondered on this little knit for a week or two, as I don't really have a baby in mind to warrant the kind of investment I'd be making, but I sure wanted to make that sweater and take the class. I've never knit anything with full garment construction. I've only done top down, and although I've dabbled a bit with fair isle in a hat, I've not done intarsia. Anyway, you know the rest of the story. First class was Tuesday night, and we were to knit up to where the heart begins in the middle of the sweater back. The instructor said it was OK to knit ahead in other areas, so I made one sleeve and will probably get the other one done before our next class this coming Tuesday. I do like the instructor very much and can see that the investment in class will be well worth my money. The little tips and tricks you learn from an experienced knitter are invaluable. I am using Mission Falls 1824 Superwash Merino Wool. It will be a nice little sweater. I may have to buy myself a doll to dress up periodically. ; )

Knitting Gifts!

I have been blessed with a cousin who has also become a best friend over the past several years, as we shared an obsession with rubber stamping at first, and now with knitting. She lives just a block or so from me, and we get together frequently over coffee to discuss our hobby and families, jobs and life. She is a great friend, and one of the highlights of my holiday is always our gift exchange, because I know that she will gift me with things that my family doesn't - when I was stamping it was stamping goodies, and now that we are both knitting, we exchange knitting gifts. This year was no different! Look at the fabulous stitch markers she made! She says she made these from things in her stamping stash. She is just about the most creative person I
know! Aren't they adorable?














I also received this wonderful Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in the Indian Summer colorway. (Click the photos to enlarge it . The color is amazing.) She and her husband had gone to Duluth on an anniversary trip and she told me that he actually picked this out for me and it is his contribution to my gift this year. Isn't that sweet? Her husband is such a thoughtful man, I continue to be astounded. Can you believe he will go to her place of work and move her car up by her building in the evening so she doesn't have to clear all the snow and walk in the cold? This was his own idea, and he just started doing it one day unannounced. Unbelievable! Anyway, the color is wonderful, and I'll be anxious to knit it up.














She also put together (in the white box) an Angel Kit for me. The angel is an ornament made of mohair and roving and oddments. She made the head (multi-talented) out of polymer clay and included everything I need, including the pattern, to make myself an ornament. Our local fiber guild had made these ornaments and although I had wanted to participate, I didn't make it, and so it was such a fun thing to find this in my gift from her this year. In this picture you also see the sock blockers from Fiber Trends. I don't have sock blockers yet, and really had been wanting a pair in the worst way, so this was also a delight to find in my gift assortment.














And there was more! Some mohair in black, the Fiber Trends Hedgehog pattern, a knitting journal to keep track of my projects with photos and yarn labels, and details. And if all of this was not enough, it was all in a beautiful sage green collapsible knitting tote that has a plum lining and wooden handles. The tote is the perfect colors for my living room, and I love it. I will use and enjoy everything, and was so excited to receive it.

Mourning my Knitting

It has been over a month since I posted here, but knitting has been slow at best since my hand surgery in early November. Christmas has come and gone, and we are on the Eve of a New Year. I thought my hand would be so much better by now, but unfortunately I've had some complications with swelling and pain, and haven't made a whole lot of progress in the activity department. That being the case, I am mourning my knitting, as it has become my therapy I think. It's amazing how much "think time" knitting allows, and what do you do in front of the TV if not knit? I didn't even watch TV until I took up knitting! I mean they went hand in hand for me, so I have been rather lost. I had a brief addiction to my daughter's Nintendo DS Brain Age game last week, but think holding it was aggravating my hand, so had to relinquish that as well. hehehe I gave her the game and the charger yesterday and told her to take it to her room. She had taken it one day last week to use it herself, and I was so desperate I had gone down to her room and searched for it, but now that I've realized it may be bothering my hand, I will leave it alone and see if things improve again. What a sorry story that is huh?? (grin)

I was able to finish a fun fur scarf for a new black coat I bought this year. I think these scarves are fun and add a touch of color around the face, and my thinking is I will eventually have a whole scarf wardrobe. It isn't finished in the photo, but it is done now and I just haven't taken another photo. It is funny, we did Secret Santas at work and I had noted purple as my favorite color and I got gloves that are a perfect match for the purple in this scarf. As a side note, I can't wear the lovely coat because the elastic in the sleeve is too tight to go over the brace on my hand. Grrrr.














I also started a Feather and Fan scarf out of Patons Soy Wool Silk I got for Christmas last year. This yarn is beautiful color-wise, but I'm not sure how it will feel against the neck. We'll see when it is finished and washed. It is knitting up OK, but is probably not something I would purchase again myself, unless the drape and feel of it changes when washed. This pattern is taken from Scarf Style although it is just a basic Feather & Fan pattern which can be found on the internet.













Finally, I am working on another pair of felted clogs using the Fiber Trends pattern. These are a bit trickier to work on because of the manuevering required with needles. I did make a little more progress on them last night, up to putting the color on the cuff. I'm a bit afraid of trying the next step, getting two needles involved and meshing all that together - I just don't have the dexterity and it hurts, so these may have to wait for a bit for more healing to take place.













So, some knitting is better than none, and I'm sure the next few weeks will bring much improvement. I'll post again soon. I got some fun knitting goodies for Christmas and want to tell all about it!

1-12-08 ETA: The Feather & Fan Scarf has been frogged