May 21, 2007

  • A few FOs...

    ...before I disappear for the summer.  Note: if you are Heather R. or a member of the Waggoner family and you have not yet received your packages, don't scroll down!!!  They're in the mail, but I'm about to lose regular internet access, so I wanted to share the pics...but don't want to ruin your presents. :)

    First, two hats I made for myself.  They were supposed to be finished to wear when it was cold.  Notice I am modeling them in a tank top.  However, it should be pretty chilly in NM and so they should get some good use then.

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    Pattern: The cabled band is from the cover pattern of BHG's Knitting Fun for Everyone (a nice booklet, with some cute patterns, and some hideous ones...I think the cute ones make it worth it...), but instead of the intarsia top, I just did plain stockinette with a great yarn.
    Yarns: The cabled band is Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride, one of the closest things to perfect yarn that exists.  It's unfussy, and comes in zillions of colors.  The top yarn is...is...crap!  I don't remember, and the ball band is at home (I'm on the road). :(  I bought it at the Yarn Barn in San Antonio a few years ago with the lovely Leslie O. and I love it and wish I could recommend it by name.  It's a heavy worsted, 100% wool, in fab colors, I think from Peru.
    Notes: The band is knit first, flat, and then stitches are picked up along one edge and the rest of the hat is knitted flat, then seamed up the back.  The pattern instructs you to pick up 95 sts, but there was no way I could get that many from the band, so I picked up as many as a could (78), went up a needle size (from US7 to US8), and knit in the round to avoid losing any stitches to a seam.  It fits perfectly and I love it!

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    Pattern: Another Odessa, by Grumperina.  I knit a blue one for Charlotte R. a while ago, and shortly we will be in the same town and hopefully I'll get a twin hat picture up here soon. :)  I raved about the pattern then, and I still love it.  I did the beads this time and liked it.
    Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Sport, from the Yarn Barn in Kansas.  (Seeing a pattern here?)  Another great yarn, really smooth and soft, and super warm.  A little too fuzzy to really show off the hat pattern, but oh well.  If/when I make this again, it will be with a smoother yarn to really show off the swirls.

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    And now the gifts!

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    Finally, the mystery blanket is done!  It's for Baby Jack, who got the tiny hat and booties, and is a very special baby.  Jack was born with CHARGE Syndrome and doesn't have full use of all his senses.  But, he can touch and feel things normally, and that is a sense I can work with!  Thus, Jack got the sweetest blanket ever, made with zillions of different yarns...I'm not going to list them, and I couldn't if I wanted to. ;)  But I tried really hard to find all different textures - I bought some new yarns and did some stash diving for some faves.

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    That's Miss Sherry, Jack's grandma, holding it up for display after I showed her.  She was pretty excited - the best Thank You for a knitter!

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    Pattern: Bowl and coaster set for Heather R.  I was inspired by One Skein (go to your LYS right now and buy that book if you don't already own it - it is fabulous!), but it's really pretty easy.  Basically, you just make a semi-oversized hat and then felt it.  The coaster is just a big square, also felted.  (If you're machine felting, don't forget to put your items in a pillowcase or the fuzz will clog the pipes!)
    Yarns: Peace Fleece in Father's Gray (Dan's hat was made with the leftovers from this bowl...it didn't take very much) and Universal's Deluxe Worsted (although the camo colorway doesn't seem to appear on that site...weird...), both of which felted nicely, and similarly.  In the bowl, the slightly different felting didn't make much difference, but in the coaster you could see it pretty easily, so I trimmed the edges to make them look nice.  (And let's not even talk about how scary it is to cut your knitting...even if it is felted...I don't think I'll ever be able to steek!)

    Allright folks, that's it for now.  I'm headed to the Ranch for the summer and internet access is sporadic at best.  As always, I'll try to post when I can, so check back occasionally.  I heart y'all! :)