HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Well, it has been - lemmesee - too long since my last confession - er, post.

I have decided that on top of my list of resolutions is to knit a sock. I say "a sock" because I knit my first one approximately, um, over a year ago and since then it has been sitting in my sock drawer, alone, praying that Almighty God would take a row of its ribbing and make it a mate.

This is a lovely sock. It is made from fine yarn which is infused with aloe and jojoba. Delish. I threw a street party when I turned my first heel, but then I fell off the sock wagon as it were and started other projects, vowing to return and make the other sock. Didn't happen. I have to be good this year though, SO...

I visited my favourite knitting bookseller (Hi, Marsha!) and ordered a new book that will teach me (it says) to knit two socks at once on one circular needle???!!! Said book is by Melissa Morgan Oakes, called "2-At-A-Time-Socks". I remain reticent. I'll let you know how it works for me!

Happy Sock Knitting!

GRANNIE'S IN THE SLAMMER FOR TRAFFICKING GRASS

You saw it here first, Folks. That grass is handknit from finest Turkish eyelash yarn. I have gone to whole new heights in my fibre arts obsession, but gee whiz, won't I just make the BEST grandma ever?

Picture this: Show and Tell 2015 "I brought my grannie. She sells grass!"

Now I can say I've done grass. My mother would be so proud!

PRETTY IN PINK

Here's an attempt at mixing a right twist stitch with a lace pattern. I like it much better than "Felted Faux Pas" down there...

This hat is made with Cascade Sierra which is a lovely - and I mean really lovely blend of 80% cotton and 20% wool. I will NOT be felting this hat. It is incredibly soft. I will be contributing this hat to the Downtown Knit Collective's "Knitting for a Cure" in September when it starts up again.

It is nice and big and roomy and comfy. I like it so much, I think I'll have to make another. I know my daughter has her eye on this one...

Okay, some of the joy's coming back.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW TO FELT BUT REALLY, YOU KNOW SQUAT...

See that nice little pink titfer down there that has all little ridges and holes? (See post from July 7). Well, being made of 100% wool, smarty-pants here decides to try her hand at felting. So anyway, I throws it in the wash - on HOT just for good measure and wash the cr*p out of it. Then I throws it in the dryer, again on HOT and okay, I know it's going to shrink - nay, I fully expect it to shrink. What I don't expect is for it not to resemble the pretty lacy-ridgy titfer you see below.

So, if anyone has any constructive criticism or helpful tips on what to do next time I decide I feel like felting, please submit them with my blessing.

Seriously dischuffed and not feeling very "joy-in-knittingish" this evening...

FEATHER AND FAN HAT
This hat was meant to match yonder wristwarmers (look down). While similar in appearance it is in fact slightly different. I have to admit I enjoy doing picot edging. I plan to write up the pattern for this and publish it shortly. In the meantime, I hope you like the pic!

Joy in knitting.

Lacy Wrist Warmers

You are looking at a total experiment. I'm still working on this and have not perfected it yet. The idea came to me because I was working on a perfectly lovely pair of wrist warmers designed by Marsha White (thanks, Marsha!) and I wanted to knit a pair as a gift for a wedding in November (in white of course). I wanted something lacy and am partial to feather-and-fan style lace so I adapted one of my favourite dishcloth patterns to make the one photographed here. When I have completed a pair of these, I will get my dainty-wristed daughter to model them and print up the pattern!

Joy in knitting!

Continental knitting demo

This is a wonderful tutorial on continental-style knitting for those of you who are interested. I'm still trying to master it!

Knitting with Q-Tip

The cat in this video is called "Max" but omigod he could be my Q-tip's twin brother!

THANK YOU FROM THE DKC AND THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY

Well, folks, you really came through! The DKC raised over $4,000 for cancer research AND managed to have a good time despite the outrageous cold - 9 degrees celsius - that's 48.2 fahrenheit for our friends south of the border!

Meet Wannietta (above). The girl's fingers fly! See more from Wannietta at http://www.whatswanniettaknittingtoday.blogspot.com/

This is Julie (above). Julie brought her spinning wheel and was actively spinning fleece well into the night. She was generous enough to share her art and describe it for any who chose to stop by our tent for a visit. Thanks, Julie!

Denise (above) brought her spinning wheel as well. Denise is our resident "Dr. Knit". We take all of our knitting problems and woes to Denise. Denise is actually quite cool with this. Denise is my hero.

Wannietta and Joan

Thanks to Cristina for this picture (above).

Getting late and cold but we knit on!

... and on ...

... and on ...

Luminary for Sissy - somehow my message didn't get put on but that's okay.
Sissy saw it, I'm sure.
I love you and miss you, Sissy!

Luminaries
This was very moving and inspirational

Anyhow, a big thank you goes out to all my supporters and a special thanks to Linda Benne who very generously donated a big bag of pink yarn which we used to knit scarves for cancer patients. Thanks, Linda! xoxoxoxoxo

Q-TIP WANTS TO KNIT

So there I was on the weekend, sitting out on the patio doing - what else? - knitting, and I look up to see my 6-year-old kitty, Q-tip, gazing longlingly at my circs. This explains why I knit outside because if I knit inside, Q-tip wants to help. He loves my circs more than kippers and I have to diligently hide them when I go in, lest the cables end up kitty-sucked. Is that even a word?

Nothing is worse than sliding a nice expensive cotton along your favourite circs and having it SNAG on a kitty-perfed (I'm reasonably sure that's not a word either) cable.

Anyone else have this problem?

But I digress. Q-tip (so-called because he's long, white and always rooting into things he shouldn't...) is gazing out the window and I just KNOW what he's thinking. He's thinking that I'll come in for a coffee and put the needles down and then when I'm least expecting it, he'll pounce on my knitting, wrestle the needles bare and tear off through the house with his treasure, followed frantically by "mom" screeching and wailing about her ruined lace ...

News flash, Q - not gonna happen. So you can go back to sleep and dream of chasing circular needles because you're not getting your pointy little teeth on mine!

That's Dad with Q-tip. Dad doesn't LIKE cats, so he sez. Ya, right!

Joy in knitting!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAEVE!

This little sweet pea is Maeve and she just celebrated her 1st birthday. Check out the bikini! It is just too cute.

Maeve is also modelling a brand new watermelon chapeau courtesy of moi. Is she not the most darling little creature you've ever seen? Tres Chic!

Maeve has been voted "Most Likely to Break Hearts" in her Baby Yearbook. When asked to comment on this opinion, Maeve coyly replied,

"Aww shucks!"

CAKE??? Where the heck did THAT come from?

Enough modelling - time for dessert! - My adoring public will have to wait!

The trick is to see if I can eat this without getting any on my new hat!

TOPPERS!

WATERMELON HAT!
Greetings. TGIF! Here is my latest creation. It's a watermelon hat in case it's not blatently obvious. Don't you just love the butterfly accent? Butterflies love fruit, don't you know?

This little treasure is made with 100% mercerized cotton.

PUMPKIN HAT!
Here is my crowning achievement at making a pumpkin hat. This pattern is from Fiber Trends and the pattern is called "Patrick's Pumpkin". It's a joy to make, again, in mercerized cotton.

Happy knitting!

I'M A KNITTER - THERE ARE ALWAYS STRINGS ATTACHED
Cultured Purls - (Judith S.)

I was walking around the office t'other day and one of my co-workers says to me, "You have knitting needles around your neck!" I said, "Yes, That's my new jewellery. I prefer it to cultured purls" .

So, yes, I walk around daily with my favourite circs around my neck just in case I spy a piece of yarn or string that's calling out for help. It ensures that unsavory types stay away from me on the commute in and back. I'm thinking of starting my own line of jewellery.

On the needles currently, I have the wretched baby blanket (not on the needles around my neck). Yes, this is the same blanket which I professed last week or the week before to liking the way it was working up. Now, however, I cannot stand the sight of it. Well, that is not exactly true. It's just that I get bored working on a straight piece of knitting. Give me texture and shape anytime. I need a challenge.

Enter: "The Vest".

I spent my Sunday Googling "Top-Down-In-The-Round-Buttonless-Zippered-Easy-Quick-Masculine-Child-Vest" for a project I've been asked to make. Oh, and he likes Spongebob Squarepants - could I perhaps work that in somehow - oh, and could you make it masculine? And does it come with fries and a shake?

Who said knitting wasn't an adventure? Anyone have a pattern for algae?

WINTER WARMERS

Here is a lovely little Keep-Me-Toasty idea. I designed this neck warmer because a co-worker wanted a scarf that would not blow off for her young daughter. This piece could be worn over the head and shoulders like a poncho, but just cover the neck and shoulders like a turtleneck sweater, inside a winter coat. Needless to say, it was very well received.

Here's the pattern for anyone who wants to make one of these little treasures:

Materials
Chunky weight yarn
Circular needle (size 5.5 or 6.0 depending on how chunky the yarn is) but it should be only 16” long.
Coloured stitch markers.

Directions
Cast on 82 stitches and join, being careful not to twist the stitches. Place marker.
Work about 4” in K1P1 rib
Eyelet Row: This is so that you can flip the collar over easily and if you want, thread a cord through the eyelets.
K1, *Yarn forward, K2 tog, K1. Repeat from * to end of round.
Work another 4” in K1P1 rib

Begin st st for the bodice:
Row 1: Knit 21, pm, K20, pm, K20, pm K21, pm
**Next row: K1, increase one stitch in next stitch, knit to 2 stitches before first marker, increase one stitch in next stitch, K1; move marker, K1, increase one stitch in next stitch. Continue around, increasing one stitch before and after each marker until you complete the round. I used a different colour marker to mark the beginning of the round.
Knit the next round even.**
Repeat between ** until desired length of shoulder is completed and cast off knitwise.
I crocheted an edge around the bottom in double crochet.

The cord: Cast on 150 stitches and cast them off. Do not knit them; just cast them off. If you cast on with your thumb and one needle, this will make a nice flat cord to thread through the eyelets.

Copyright 2006 by Judith Somersett. Pattern is for personal use and not for resale.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Okay, so here's the thing. The blanket's kind of big and cumbersome for taking on the train to work. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. So yesterday, when I was not going to work, but practicing to see if my "new project" was small enough to actually GO to work (Be Prepared - I used to be a Guide), I cast on a hat. Turns out the hat WAS small enough after all; however, I finished it yesterday.

Anyway, a bit of fancy footwork and fingerwork, and before you know it, I had cast on a bootee. Now this is okay because it's something I've not done before so it counts as an Educational Project. AND a bootee would certainly be small enough to take on the train, right? However, I finished it last night, so this morning I was in a bit of a quandary. Here I was ready to go out the door with my compact little purse and nothing to cram into it but a whopping great blanket. Um, no I don't THINK so.

Anyway, I went scrambling around for another small ball of yarn and my small circs and in the car on the WAY to the train, I cast on another bootee - in a different colour than the first one. Who said knitting had to make sense???

So for those of us who are keeping count (Sissy!) I currently have a lighthouse sweater, a baby blanket, and a bootee. The first bootee does not count as a wip because I might decide to mismatch them when the new bootee's done.

Joy in knitting, folks...

SPEECHLESS, ME?

Well, okay, so I'm new at this and to my horror, I find that I am trying to think of things to say. Me. Speechless. There's a switch.

On the knitting front, I now have two projects on the go. Never one to finish one project before picking up another - that makes way too much sense - I have put my lighthouse sweater down because I don't like the way the wool feels and am contemplating doing it with another, less itchy yarn.

Actually, that's an excuse. The yarn's not that itchy. I just wanted to work with baby weight for awhile so I started a blanket for a little bundle of joy that's due in January. Not MY little bundle I am quick to add. Been there. Done that. Got the stretch marks to prove it. One of the ladies at work is expecting and this blanket has actually been commissioned by one of her friends. Yippee - a paid project. Almost the best kind, second only to pro bono for someone in need.

I have to say, I love the way this blanket is working up. I'm doing Ann Norling's "Infant Set II". All of it. Sweater, hat, bootees (might need help with those - never done them before) and the blanket - in white with flecks of light blue and yellow - very pretty. I actually have most of the sweater done. Oops, just admitted to haveing 3 projects on needles...

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Howdy! I can't believe I'm blogging! I have started a website called KnitFixation.com and I'm hoping it takes off!

I invite anyone who is interested in knitting (the craft, the supplies - anything to do with it) to join in and submit comments.

Here's a little poem which I wrote for your viewing pleasure - (Copyright 2004 - All rights reserved)

KNITTING BEA
When Beatrice Jones first learned how to knit,
She was only seven years old … and a bit
Her grandma said, "Bea, you can wear handmade clothes,
from the top of your head to the tip of your toes!"
So Bea took up needles and crafted a toque
which she presented with pride to her big brother, Luke
And this was the start of a wonderful thing
There was no stopping Bea as her needles took wing
She made cotton hotpads and dishcloths and cosies
and even some headbands with tulips and posies
She made the most wonderful, fabulous togs
For all of her friends … and all of their dogs!
She knit cables and fair isle and eyelets galore
Nothing hand-knitted was too great a chore
No one was surprised if Bea was seen sitting
In front of the TV or in the bath – knitting!
And as she would sit there and weave in her ends,
She dreamed of new projects to knit for her friends
The town folk were well dressed it was plain to see
For their clothes were all crafted by Knitting Bea
And each night before Bea climbed into bed,
it was always the following prayer that she said:
"If I begin knitting while I am asleep,
I pray that the Lord, my stitches will keep
and I in return for these generous things,
Will knit all His angels some new fair isle wings."

Copyright ©2004 Judith B. Somersett