Project 18: Thermal Gloves for Pants

I wanted a quick knit present for Pants, so I whipped up these thermal inspired mitts for him to wear under his snowboarding gloves.

He's not all that into them, though, the colour bothering him more than the shininess, so I don't think I'll be making him anything else any time soon.

I like them, though, and I'm going to use the remainder for a pair for myself.


Pattern: Made up, based on how I remembered Thermal, which was incorrect.

Yarn: Noro Aurora, colour 8, about half of two skeins (1 ball)

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: Pants

Ravelry Link

Project 17: Evangelines

I made these Evangelines as part of Mmmmmalabrigo March over on Ravelry.

The pattern was well written and easy to understand, but I just don't like the cable pattern. Why I couldn't figure that out before I knit them, I have no idea, but I think I'll give them to mumsie instead of keeping them for myself.

I did an extra cable repeat but otherwise knit them as instructed. If I were to do them again, I'd give the thumbs more stitches and change up the cable pattern.

Pattern: Evangeline, from Magknits

Yarn: Mmmmalabrigo Worsted in Sealing Wax, about 1/3 of a skein

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: mother, I think

Ravelry Link

Project 16: Nephling Hat

This teeny, tiny hat was made in Albury, for the nephling, who has us all completely under his spell.

Pretty simple project, made from my default hat pattern, the Spiraling Hat, to coordinate with the Kipling I made for his baby shower, it made a pretty good (if I do say so myself) Easter gift for a tiny who isn't allowed chocolate.

We're hoping it gets cold enough for him to wear them before they're outgrown. I'll try to get a modeled photo, he's very cute.

Pattern: Spiraling Hat

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Aran in Seafoam

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: our nephling

Ravelry Link

Project 14: Patriotic Socks (for [complainy] Pants)

SWTC's Karaoke, with it's renowned felting properties, is a dodgy choice for a sock yarn.

This is why I was making these footies for myself. I know they'll felt like the dickens, so I'll take care of them and only wear them around the house.

However, as I was knitting along, having just turned the heels, watching My Name is Earl, Pants started kvetching about the two single (sadly, unmatching) socks that I've knit him and bitching about the fact that I'm making these for myself while his giant (size 11!) feet go shiveringly naked.

They were turning out a bit loose for me, so when he grabbed them and forced his feet into them, they fit him, slightly stretched , but for being rather too short.

So I put the knitting away and the next day, on the train, ripped out the painstakingly crafted (ok, not really) heels, added a few inches to the foot length and reheeled them.

The following day, we set off for Newcastle to visit with friends and I finished them, but for the sewn cast-off, on the road. Hence the charmingly art directed (by pants, no less) photograph of an almost completed sock, artfully arranged upon manly foot, delicately nestled against Land Rover steering wheel (taken outside the Newcastle Ent Cent).

We had slept in the back of the truck at the beach the previous night, two fatties spooning on a single blow up mattress, nuzzled between hard steel wheel arches, so we were, shall we say, not in the greatest mood the next morning when we awoke.

I waited until I'd done something stupid (I can't remember what, but it's an unfortunate habit of mine, and one of the differences that keep our relationship strong, to have a logic that is truly my own and not necessarily reflected in the greater world's logic) before I told him to shut up, because I'd been knitting away on a PAIR!!! of socks for him all weekend.

It was a good ploy, and one that I must remember for when he has his cranky pants on in the future. I believe this is sometimes called bribery.




Pattern: toe up, two at once with a reverse heel flap

Yarn: South West Trading Company Karaoke in Gator, 2 skeins

Needles: 3.75mm circ

Made for: Pants

Ravelry Link

Why patriotic? Imagine (as I choose to) that the blue isn't there, which isn't too difficult when they're covered by giant (did I mention size 11!?!) cons, and you've got a green and gold sock that i knit 'Oi' into each ankle of. As in, Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi! Oi! Oi!

Project 13: Tiny socks for Milly

A quick knitting interlude in the turbulent weeks just past, a pair of tiny socks for a tiny arrival in the family, my cousin's brand new babe.

Very simply constructed, wedge toes, heel flap, stockinette foot, ribbed legs. Nice, brainless knitting.

Pattern: made up

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Miami in Miami Red

Needles: 2mm circ

Made for: Milly

Ravelry Link

Project 12: Scarfly

I recently bought a rigid heddle loom. I know, rigid heddle! I got a good deal and I wanted to try it out, so...

I made a little scraf for a small friend.

Today is the last day of Feb, so I thought I'd have a look at my goals for the year and see how I'm going with them.

1 & 2 (off roading and more driving) aren't going so well, I've probably driven less than 5 hours this year, but I'm off to visit my godbaby next weekend (see #3) which means about 12 hours of driving for me.

4, to knit a project from each knitting book I own, is not doing too badly, I've done two, but I've also doubled my library, so I'm calling it a fail.

5, making 52 projects, or 1 each week for the year, well, I'm up to 12, in 8 1/2 weeks and I have another half dozen or more in various stages of completion, so I'm pretty happy with that.






Pattern: none, just a plain weave

Yarn: Louet Gems Sapphire in black, 1/2 skein & Emotive Classic in pink, 1 skein

Needles: rigid heddle loom

Made for: Surprise

Ravelry Link

Project 11: Ralph

Pants' sister is currently at the hospital, having our nephling cut out of her. As you can imagine, we're all kind of beside ourselves and twitching, waiting for news. Pants and I are going to be a little bit sheepish (no pun intended, but what the heck) if he ends up being a neiceling and we have to return all of the tiny blue things we bought.

I made this little sheepy, Ralph, to give to the tiny upon his entrance (visiting hours start in 1 hour, 50 minutes, so hurry up little one!).

More details and a pattern to download by the weekend.

Pattern: A Tale of Two Sheepies, by Spiraling

Yarn: SWTC Bamboo Feather and Louet Gems Sport weight

Needles: 3.25mm circ

Made for: the nephling!

Ravelry Link

I must go now and resume pacing and glancing at the telephone. Send good thoughts!

Project 9: Foliage

I haven't mentione it before, because it kind of makes me seem like a spoiled little princess, but my best friend is taking me around the world in September.

We're going to Prague first, then we're separating in Scotland, me to Glasgow for a pants family wedding and her to a friend who lives in Edinburgh, then we're off to Boston, NY, Chicago, Seattle and Vancouver, and wherever else takes our fancy along the way, but she's paying for my flights.

This is completely outrageous and kind of something that it's impossible to adequately say thank you for.

So, I knit her a hat. Yeah, lame. It's sort of for Christmas, but I'll probably give it to her for her Birthday so she can take it away with us. Last time she was in Prague, she got me a green flap hat, so it seemed kind of appropriate.

Anyway, this completely inadequate gift is Foliage from Knitty. Made in some Malabrigo Chunky that I happened to have laying around, this is possibly one of my favourite things ever.

The colour, Lettuce, is just perfect and the pattern is easy without being boring and I finished it in an evening watching dvds on my computer.

It's a pretty big hat, which was a complaint I saw on Ravelry quite a bit, but K has fairly big hair, so I think it will be alright. It came down over my eyebrows, which was a teeny bit annoying, but if I made one for myself (and I probably will), I'd just pull it down further at the back.

Modelled by my adorable mumsie, I'm pretty sure she wants one now!

Pattern: Foliage by Emilee Mooney, from Knitty

Yarn: Malabrigo in Lettuce

Needles: 6.5mm circ

Made for: K

Ravelry Link

Project 6: Nephling

I pretty much suck. this little jumper was supposed to be finished for Christmas as a gift to Pants' sister and brother-in-law, but meh.

I ended up finishing it about half an hour before the nephling's baby shower the weekend before last. haha. Pants wasn't very happy with me. None the less, it turned out very well, far better than this ill-lit (taken under the pergola in a rain storm) would suggest. I'll try to get a modeled photo once the little monster gets here (13 days!).

I made a few changed, knitting the body in the round to avoid seaming and catching the cast on edge as a hem while I knit. No idea what that's really called, but it made sense (and a nice little hem) at the time. I also decided to rib the wrists, because I really didn't understand the instructions for any of the hems.

This is a really ho-hum knit until you add the funky collar. It was a big hit at the baby shower, with all manner of requests. As an aside, who knew that a baby shower would involve a bunch of breeding women talking about breast pads and playing stupid games? Not me.

Next big baby item will be a cardigan with a collar like this one.


Pattern: Kipling by Kim K. of Yarn Abuse

Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Aran in Seafoam

Needles: 4.5mm circ

Made for: The nephling

Ravelry Link

Project 3: CBG hat

This is project 3 for the year and I'm ashamed to say that I made it one day two weeks ago and it's taken me this long to post it.

This is a spiraling hat out of my handspun corriedale. See the little yarn tail near my nose? That's exactly how much yarn I had left over.

This is a gift for a friend's Birthday, which will be late by the time it gets overseas. I like it, it has some personal jokes made out of shrinkie dinks spun in, which is fun.

Pattern: Spiraling Hat

Yarn: Spiraling handdyed hanspun, 100% corriedale in cbg

Needles: 10mm dpns, made by pants

Made for: Comic Book Guy

Ravelry Details