December Project

These are Fiesta Mittens by Lucy Neatby. Unknown yarn, as it was a kit from some yarn festival that surfaced when starting to clean house. Pattern followed almost exactly, just a little change to the thumb. (Some day I will follow a pattern or recipe exactly, without any tweaking - yeah, sure, uh huh.) Since I was making the large size, I used her suggestion of a provisional cast on and then made the cuffs later, to make sure I had enough yarn.

Also this month, I ripped out the ending of last month's shawl and made the other border. When posting, I discovered that it was 100% merino and realized that neither mother (91 or 86) would want to care for a handwash shawl, so it could be larger. That took almost another ball of yarn.

The double-knit dragon hat was also modified. The top was frogged and reknit to a smoother curve. It could still be better, but not without modifying the dragon. As it came down to my mouth, it then got semifelted. (I know, it's really fulling, but that sure sounds weird.) Warning: KnitPicks BlueJay yarn bleeds. Also, there has to be a better way to do it than sitting in the bathtub and using my head for a mold, with a bucket of cold water beside the tub. When first wet, it came down to my chin - yikes! It now comes to my eyebrows and is quite warm. Works well, as it it is 20 degrees (F) in Milwaukee today.

All this energy (frogging, cleaning, plus cooking and some home repairs) is because I was off work since before Thanksgiving. I'm back to work for three days now, and then off again (burning accumulated vacation time) until I retire officially in January. It's good to be back to work to get a rest - we have a boomerang son at home now and cooking has been a full time job, not to mention the guys are expecting real meals on a regular basis now. Since husband normally works evenings and I worked day shift, we were out of the habit of cooking during the week. I've been doing at least 10 dozen cookies and three dozen muffins at least once a week, plus regular meals. Husband has gained at least 15 pounds, as he and boy seem to be in an eating contest, and boy has taken over the dog walks (three dogs, walked individually, at least an hour each). Sigh. They are upset because I am not cooking this week while working. LOL.

Hope everyone is having a good holiday season, and staying healthy and warm. Regards to all, aj

September Project

Assortment of dish/washclothes in various patterns. Used up the cone of P&C, plus threw one more in for good measure. Used the same chopsticks for all, so I don't know why the one in the upper left corner is so curly. I'll try blocking it after laundry, but it can be folded in half and still make almost a full circle. Sigh. Guess I shouldn't frog it - it's just a dishcloth - but I will dig up the pattern again and see if there is some way I went wrong.

August Project - Socks again

Okay, I know I said it would not be socks again this month, but . . .

Karma has occurred - four previous times I was called to jury duty and four times I was picked for a jury. Figured this time would be the same. Instead, I was only there for four hours, then dismissed totally. Wow! I had just pulled out the dishcloths, after a lady sitting next to me had pulled out a scarf, on real knitting needles - she was a lot more daring than I was. So it was back to knitting during transportation.

Then one of my son's friends requested some socks for hunting season here in Wisconsin. He is also going to do some minor plumbing repairs for us, so - priorities changed. Here are his socks. Again, size 0 needles, using Froehlich Wolle, Blauband MaxiRinge, color 7703, toe up. Hopefully he will like them. Color is closer to the in-progress scan than the photo. Son is home, so finished shot is from the camera. Think we may need to have a discussion about artistic presentation (they are plopped on the bed here). Probably still better than the jammed-on-a-scanner shots I usually post. I had suggested that he put them on his feet - you would have thought I had suggested cannibalism. Sigh.

Still need to build up the dishcloth stash. Maybe next month. Regards to all.

July Project

Knitpicks Dancing, size 0 needles, 68 stitches. Farbe 23587, Partie 61880. Used up 504 yards. Would have had another yard, but the cat ate the yarn again - not because he liked this type (he's never chewed cotton before) but because I moved him off the book I was using. Pattern mainly Cat Bordhi's Upstream socks.

I know, I said I was not doing socks this time. And I am not responsible for the color - if you remember, I wrote that husband did not want more socks. I was boxing some yarn to send to a new home, and husband grabbed these balls out. He said, "These don't feel like wool. Why are you getting rid of them?" Answer: because they are cotton and you picked them, and I won't wear them. Response: Gee, these would be nice socks. Me: Do you want another pair. Well, you can guess the answer, and he wanted them as long as possible. So here they are.

Next month, something different for sure - I'm stuck with jury duty and they do not allow knitting needles (or crochet hooks, or needles). So, since the previous washcloth stash went to a fund raiser for animals, I'll take in dishcloth cotton and chopsticks. I'll also take in some pencils, so if they confiscate the chopsticks, I'll use the pencils. If they take the pencils, they better take every pencil from everyone, or I'm raising a fuss. So if you don't hear from me next month, see if a 60+ woman in Milwaukee has gone to jail for disturbing the jury duty peace.

June Project

Socks again.

Tofusie - not thrilled with the yarn. Third time with the Andersson heel - this time I tried something else to get rid of the wrinkle I've been getting in the front at the ankle bend. I switched to continuing short rows for an additional eight rows after the heel decreases were done, using Cat Bordhi's wrap method. Think this is going to work, but it was a lot of knitting backwards (48 stitches at the max). We'll see how they feel and fit after washing.

May Start and Finish

Second try for a May project. First was for a MMario knit, which has now been frogged. Did not mean to do socks two months in a row, but I can use them. Since surgery, my socks do not fit one foot, so I've been wearing one of my socks and one of husband's. Didn't matter so much till warm weather, but it sure is obvious when one is wearing sandals. So far, when people comment, I just look down, smile, and say, "You know, I have another pair just like this at home." But it will be nice to have the choice of matching socks if desired.

Anyway, these were on size 0 needles with Hot Socks Sockenwolle, color 232. Oddly enough, the color repeat is almost exactly the same as the Kroy from last month. Meanwhile, the MMario project is back on needles with a different yarn and a better understanding of the pattern. Maybe for next month . . .

April Finish

Finally finished - so much for using a new technique. I goofed on size and had to rip out toes and add another inch to the sock lengths. Sigh. Now if it will just get warm here I can quit wearing the dragon hat and reknit the top shaping. Maybe by July?

Regards to all, aj

April Start

Another toe-up sock. Trying the Judy Becker cast on and the Andersson heel on this pair. Patons Kroy color 54565 - stash diving is fun! Next sock, I'll probably go back to my usual cast on - no advantages with this one and a lot longer tail than usual.

Regards to all, aj

March Finish

Double knit hat - blue is public side and orange is private side, at least until I change my mood.

Finished for now, at least. It's in use - there was snow here last weekend. I'll probably rip it down and rework the top this summer, as it did not taper as smoothly as I had hoped.

The dragon is an adaptation of MMario's Lung Wang Dragon, and the rune on the back is (hopefully) a Norse rune for household prosperity.

Once again, a learning experience - this was not a good bus riding project. It is made a bit large on purpose, as I was not sure of the size (gauge, hah, I don't need no stinking gauge) so it can be fulled at a later time. It is definitely warm. And only two ends to weave in - definitely a plus.

March Start

This is the start of a hat, in double knit. It is on a 2.75 mm circular needle, about 16 inches. The yarn is KnitPicks Palette, in Rose Hip and Jay. Not quite the colors that I had in mind, but what was available - because when I ordered replacement needles, there was a clock tam kit on sale which would mean free shipping and . . . Well, you can guess the rest. This yarn got pulled from the kit. 144 stitches of each color, in K2, P2 ribbing.

Cast on is something I'd wanted to try. I tied the two strands together and did a long tail cast on, switching colors every stitch. At first, I physically switched the yarn. Then I figured out how to do the stitch from both sides without physically moving the yarn placement. It gives a nice border and seems stretchy enough.

Learned several things already. Leave a longer tail next time, as it is going to be difficult to weave in the ends. The opposite of a knit stitch on the face is not a purl stitch for the second color. DUH. No, it is not being frogged for this. At least it is good practice for the body of the hat, where there is going to be a pattern.

Main thing I learned is not to show it to husband and tell him it is going to be a hat. He then promptly tried to put it on his head, saying it did not look big enough. Well, a sixteen inch needle does not stretch around a head. When he handed it back to me, he said "It looks like some stitches fell off. Sorry." Boy, was he ever sorry! The final thing I learned is not to try and pick up stitches in a dim Italian restaurant. The next day, at least I got good at tinking double knitting - yes, there is a knack to that also. Hopefully it will never have to be used again. No, I could not live with a flash of orange on the blue side. Again, anyone want a slightly used husband, cheap? This time he could come without the yarn eating cats. Anyone . . .?

February Finish

Here is a scan of the finished Panda Soy socks. The way the color blocks fall in the cuff was really pleasing. Sock count for the month is five and a fraction. There is this pair. There is the sock and a third that was done before the needles broke (now a UFO, sigh). And there is the pair that was started last year, with the second sock knit this month and the one from last year frogged to before the heel (toe up) and reknit. This pair uses a Cat Bordi heel, while the other three were flap construction. Since time was tight, these were finished with the EZ sewn bindoff, while the other three were done with Jen's Surprisingly Stretchy Bindoff. That will probably be my new standard ending - it is nice (found in Knitty).

When I feel like fighting with the camera again, I'll replace the scan with a picture of all five socks. Think that is enough socks for a while - next month something different. Let's see, my headband was lost - maybe a hat?

February Restart

Well, here is another start for a February project. The first project is now in the UFO pile till I can order from Knitpicks, as I managed to break three of the five needles. After I get new needles, I'll start picking splinters out of the yarn. Sigh.

Stash diving is fun, however. I didn't even remember that I had this yarn. This is Panda Soy in Fudge Brownie, on Signature 2.25mm needles. It is a bamboo, soy, nylon mix. At least these needles won't break, although they may not have been the best choice with this yarn, which is somewhat splitty. Hopefully they will be finished in time - if the weather does not get colder and the bus is not too crowded, maybe by the weekend. If not, there go my lunch hours.

Happy knitting, everyone. Regards, aj

February Project start

Here is the start of February's project, and a picture of a UFO that is being finished. Last time I said there would be some nice colors this time. These socks are from Gypsy Girl Creations yarn, here in the Midwest. The large sock is Cosmic Storm and the small one is Winter Solstice. Both are 64 stitches on size 0 needles - only reason for the size difference that I can figure is the needles. Cosmic Storm is on Clover Bamboo and Winter Solstice is on KnitPicks Harmony. If you look closely, you can see little plastic end caps on the Harmony needles. These are from needles that are used to draw blood, the little butterfly needles for people with difficult veins. (The nurses save them for me.) They are quite handy.

The large sock was started in September and put on hold for surgery - I found I could not do socks for a while. Sigh. Anyway, one sock was finished and I had husband try it on. He wanted it a half inch longer. Okay. Knit the second one with modifications and had him try it - success. Ripped out the first sock back to before the heel, about where the small sock is here, and redid it. It's now 5 rows from bindoff. Last night, he told me he's decided he does not like wool socks after all, that they are too hot. Anyone want a slightly used husband, cheap? Comes complete with wool chewing cats.

Hope everyone else is doing well. aj in frozen Milwaukee.

January Project

Well, here is a picture of all six washclothes and Katie's nose. At least that gives an idea of scale - Katie is an Irish Wolfhound. The clothes were where their food bowls usually reside, so of course she thought these were something to eat also. Wolfhounds are very sweet, but not right bright.
Note: it took longer to figure out how to use the camera and upload pictures than it did to knit these. It would have gone faster if I had checked to see that there were actually pictures in the camera before trying to troubleshoot. Sigh. Good thing our son is patient about explaining things via e-mail.

Dishcloth or washcloth. This is one of the first, done with some Peaches and Creme cotton from my stash. The cats have eaten all the labels, so I have no idea what the color code is. Excuse the blue thread; it is part of the provisional cast on. No needle gauge - the cats hid all the needles also, so I grabbed chopsticks. Anyone want some cats, cheap?

So far, there are five of them (cloths, not cats) and I am casting on for the sixth. That will about do it - now all I have to do is find someone with a kitchen or bath in green or yellow and gift them with these. Sigh. Got to quit buying grab bags - I use up all my favorite colors and end up with a lot of less favorite colors. That's okay, February will be socks in a gorgeous color.

Regards to all, aj in Milwaukee