Hot Hat

My son requested one of these--about a year ago.  Imagine that; I finally got around to it but it will be a Christmas gift, so don't tell!

Yarn:  Cascade 220, in black, orange and red. (worsted weight)

Pattern:  One for All Cap by Tuulia Salmela.

Needles:  #7 (4.5mm) dpns.  I knit the chart using a circular needle.

Comments:  The pattern shows it knit in a DK weight with #3 (3.25mm) needles, but I used a worsted weight and larger needles, which I calculated casually and did some hoping that it would fit.  I also did only 3 sequences of the pattern, rather than 4.  I cast on 87 stitches on a circular needle and added a stitch when I started the solid black row so that I would have an even number of stitches for the decreasing on double points--88 stitches divided by 4 needles (22 stitches on each needle).  When I began the decreases, I switched to double point needles and decreased down to a total of 8 stitches, then closed the hat.

I think it's a lovely, interesting pattern.  Two things to note:  

• You have to either carry the unused color a long way or (a better way) catch it in halfway through a maximum of 9 stitches.
• The narrow garter stitch edge wants to curl, and if I made it again I might use a rib stitch there, although with a short band there's no guarantee that even that would not roll somewhat.

Sunday Mary Jane Socks

Yarn:  Regia Plus Cotton, 3% wool, 37% cotton, 25% Poly.
Pattern:  Mine, again, except for using Joan's Favorite Toe.
Needles:  Size 0, (2mm) dpns

Comments:  Mary Jane shoes with ruffled socks--I love them. When I was a girl, my little white anklets were made of such slippery material that they slid hopelessly into the heels of my shoes faster than I could skip down the block.  Finally I have socks of such sturdy material that they should stay put--and keep my feet warm.  I probably won't wear them to Sunday School with a frilly dress, though.

Here's a closeup of Joan's Favorite Toe for socks:

 It's a nicely rounded toe that feels pretty good on the foot, too.

Speaking of Mary Jane Shoes...I like these Doc Martens.

Santa?  Santa, Baby?

The Forty-Two Year Old Christmas Wreath

I am not a crocheter.  I may sometimes be a bit crotchety, which has nothing to do with crocheting.  Well, that depends whether crocheting makes you irritable, in which case you might be called crotchety, but there's always knitting.

I had a younger brother whose teacher taught his class to crochet little woolen wreaths to give to their mothers to wear as Christmas pins.  He presented it, slightly lopsided but lovingly flawed, to Mom and she wore it faithfully for years until it became an indistinguishable green lump with bits of faded red ribbon.  I always wanted one and when my oldest son was in first grade, I made one for his teacher and one for myself.  I didn't have a pattern--just a memory--and took my rudimentary skills from a book like this little "Dell Purse Book."

Twenty five cents worth of pure knowledge and inspiration served me well.  Here's the result, still intact.

Not sure how my son's teacher liked hers, but I have worn mine every Christmas for over forty years, and here's my favorite way to wear it:

Honestly, though, I am just to crotchety to be a crocheter.

Blue Twilight

There's just something about the blue at twilight that moves me.

It's a fleeting moment--we are often too busy to notice.

And a light in the window is more than warm.

Have a Warm and Happy Thanksgiving!

Makes me Smile

Here's how some Lutherans hit the bottle:

Hope it makes you smile, too!

Crayon Etching Socks

Remember Crayon Etching?  You color a whole page with many different colors.  Then you color the sheet completely with black crayon.  Finally you etch a design on the blackened page with a wooden stick or similar tool, exposing a colorful image.  Yes, it's messy and uses a lot of crayon...but so striking is the finished product and so much fun to do for children and adults.

These socks remind me of that craft.

Yarn:  Froehlich Wolle Special Blauband, 80% wool, 20% nylon.

Pattern:  My own.

Needles:  #1 (2.25mm) dpns

Comments:  This yarn came with some special reinforcement yarn for the toes and heels, which I truly intended to use.  But when it came time for the heel, I forgot the reinforcement and promised myself I would use it on the toes.

Of course, you guessed it.  I sailed right past the toe part--after inserting those colorful little "etchings" at the beginning of the toe--completely forgetting to add the reinforcement yarn. I should have done these toe-up.  Maybe that wouldn't have helped. 

Snow!

I looked out the window this morning. Wait--wasn't I going shopping with friends today?

I looked out the back window...

 And on the deck...

I think it's a good day to stay home...

Knotty

 

Pattern:  Knotty Gloves by Julia Mueller (Ravelry link) Yay, Julia, for a lovely pattern!

Yarn:  Naturally Waikiwi (55% Merino/20% Nylon?15% Alpaca/10% Possum (yes, the label says possum, although I noticed that on Ravelry it says "Other.") Colorway 405 (it's a beige/gray--I call it greige)

Needles:  #1 (2.25mm) dpns.

Comments:  I liked this pattern a lot.  The knotty part was fun.  But these are the first gloves I have made and I found, generically speaking, that gloves are tedious, with all the fingers to add, making sure that there weren't glaring holes between them, and numerous ends to weave in when finishing.  Honestly, if I hadn't done both gloves at the same time, one might have fallen victim to SGS, which you may recognize as a cousin to SSS (second sock syndrome).

These photos show them unblocked, and if the uneven knitting improves with blocking, I will add another photo or two to this post later.  If not, I will happily wear them anyway.

How Many Scarves?

How many scarves can one person make/use/give away?

Pattern:  Jo Sharp's Long Ridged Scarf from her Knit, Issue 1.  I believe the book is out of print.
Yarn:  Lost the label--Drat!  I think it could possibly be Cascade alpaca, but wouldn't swear to it.
Needles:  #3 (3.25mm) Addi Turbo circulars.

Comments:  I love this simple, simply elegant pattern.  Thanks, Jo!  It is perfect for men or women and if you make it, you just might find it warming another family member while you are searching for it to cozy your own neck.

 

 

 How many gray scarves have I made?  Can we just say, "quite a few?"