Abbie – Page 7 – Rush Hour Knitting

Thursday, 31 December, 2009

2009

2009 was a great year for knitting. I didn’t plan for it to happen, but I knit a sock a month: 12 socks, all for me.

The BSG socks (March) were also my first test-knit, an experience that helped me an awful lot as I started designing my own patterns:

And I knit beautiful beautiful things:

I think, knitwise, I had a very good year. I’m really excited to see what I can make out of yarn next year. And maybe, even, what kind of yarn I can make.

And now I’m going to go ring in a new year by casting on some socks. Happy New Year, everyone!

Wednesday, 30 December, 2009Wednesday, 30 December, 2009

There are still some cookies left, and the tree is still gamely shedding needles, but Christmas is winding down. My gifts have been distributed and I can now share them with you all, in lovely photo mosaic format:

In order:
1. Mom’s socks, knit in basic stockinette on US1s out of Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock in Black Watch. The moment I saw the colorway I knew I would use it for her Christmas present. She put them on immediately, which was very pleasing.
2. E’s Cross-Country Chullo, done in Knitpicks Palette in Golden Heather and Clematis Heather. E is my Vermont sister and needs warm things to cover her ears when she walks her dog. She also put it on immediately, so quickly that our other sister had to point the skiiers out to her.
3. Last-minute Cowls, because I always get distracted working on my immediate family. These are the Simple Fitted Cowl done in Malabrigo left over from my Holly & Ivy wrap; one for my cousin and one for my grandfather’s aide – she put it on right away and left it on for the rest of the night even though she was sitting next to a roaring fire. That is appreciation, and I appreciate her appreciation.
4. Brother Socks – Thuja pattern done in Knitpicks new sport-weight Stroll in Cobblestone Heather. The yarn was a bit splitty but I’m very happy with how it worked up. These were not tried on, because my brother shows appreciation by nodding. He nodded quite a bit, so I’m happy.
5. Blink! – My sister B presented me with Knitpick’s ornament kit for my birthday this summer, and then requested the String of Lights pattern. I was very happy to oblige. Now I have to make one for myself!
6. Coffee Cozies knit from the Quick and Easy Coffee Cozy pattern in some leftover Wool of the Andes out of the stash. These went to my sister’s boyfriends, one of whom drinks coffee and one of whom drinks…cocoa. When he’s not drinking beer. Which could also fit in a cozy.
7. Dad’s Selbuhat. I took the main motif from the Selbuvotter #10 (which I knit this spring for Dad) to make him a matching hat. It hasn’t been blocked yet, since I had to wait for him to try it on to make sure it fit. It does – picture me doing a massive sigh of relief!
8. Grandfather Socks – these are for my grandfather, whose feet get cold at night. They’ve become a tradition. Paton’s Classic in Jade, held doubled. Amazing how much faster socks go when you use fat yarn!

Then there was a wedding this past Sunday, which called for more gifts. Since I do this for every wedding I wasn’t about to change course now:

These are the Oven Mitt and Trivet patterns from Bev Galaskas’s book Felted Knits, done in Wool of the Andes held double and helped by my sister’s dog, who kept stealing the WIP out of my suitcase when I was visiting earlier this month. I have learned that Eeyore the Dog is not to be trusted with yarn. (At one point he stole it right out of my lap.)

And then I actually finished something for me, too.

My own Christmas socks! Another iteration of the Thuja pattern, this time in Socks that Rock in the Hollydays colorway, although it wasn’t labeled as such, being a mill end that I picked up at Rhinebeck. I am very pleased at the subtleness of the colorway, and also that it is warm and cozy. They were finished about an hour before we left for church on Christmas Eve, which is cutting it it a little close, I admit. But I got to wear them Christmas Day and let my toes join in the festivities. Bailey’s for me, socks for my feet — everyone’s happy.

Now I am off to spend New Year’s with friends, and consider my knitting resolutions for 2010. They involve socks. This will shock nobody, I’m sure. Enjoy your last days of 2010!

Friday, 25 December, 2009

All Is Bright

If you are celebrating, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. My knitting is done and wrapped and I am finishing a cup of tea before drifting off so that Santa can go about his work.

This is my favorite night of the year, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as I have. Peace.

Wednesday, 23 December, 2009

Memorandum

From: Abbie
To: My Faithful Readers
Re: Today’s Shameful Lack of Knitting Content

Due to other obligations, I did not knit a stitch today.

However. I did make 20 dozen cookies, give or take the ones we ate already. I hope you can all find it in your hearts to be understanding.

(If you’re wondering: chocolate chip (half semisweet and half “holiday” chips), almond jam thumbprints and raspberry ribbons in the center.)

Since half of these cookies have jam in them, they can count as breakfast, right? Right!

I love the holidays so much it’s ridiculous.

Saturday, 19 December, 2009

Brrrrr.

The Traveling Sock is not going out today.

This is because there is a nor’easter raging outside. When I took that picture a few hours ago it was just flurries, but now the wind is howling and the trees are creaking to and fro. The radio is using words like “blizzard warning” and “possible whiteout conditions” and urging everyone to stay home, so after a brief run down the street this afternoon for provisions (provisions meaning shampoo, wrapping paper, and a bottle of Bailey’s) I am all tucked in where it’s warm. My plans involve knitting and wrapping and after dinner that Bailey’s is going into my cocoa.

Since Traveling Sock doesn’t want to go out either, we poked around the house instead, where the Christmas decorations are all out.

This is the family nativity set. My mom used to do ceramics and she painted the figurines, and then my dad built the stable to match. As a crafter, I approve of this sort of thing, and I love this nativity to bits.

A couple of steps to the left takes you to the Santa Collection. (Also snowmen, teddy bears, and gingerbread men.) Winter holidays require fuzzy cuddly things, after all.

And of course, the tree. Well, one of the trees. We actually put up two. That is because we love Christmas that much.

And now, back to the knitting. I’m done shopping now, and just have some smaller bits of knitting to finish and I’m very glad for the excuse to curl up and surround myself with wool. Tomorrow? Shoveling. Ugh!

Wednesday, 9 December, 2009Saturday, 19 December, 2009

Traveling Sock Sees A New York Christmas

It’s been a while since my socks took a trip, hasn’t it. Well, last weekend my dear friend J. came down for the weekend to see a little Christmas, so I brought a sock along.

The Sock went to Radio City Music Hall:

I have seen the Christmas Spectacular quite a few times now (one of the benefits of growing up near the city) and I adore every last kitchy, high-kick moment. The Toy Soldiers routine is my favorite, and I have found for you all a video on YouTube so that you might understand why:

A lot of the office buildings in New York decorate for the season, so I showed J. and the Sock my favorite one:

And then we saw the tree:

I love the Rockerfeller Center Tree, but my favorite part is actually the walkway from Fifth Avenue into the plaza. Every year they put out these beautiful angels with trumpets who line the walkway leading to the tree.

The Sock stayed in my bag, as it was raining pretty hard by then (and even snowing a little!, but nothing that stuck), but Sock agreed that those glowing angels are wonderful heralds.

And before we called it quits on account of lousy weather and tourists smacking us in the heads with umbrellas, we went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral:

Perfect end to the day. We got on the train and promptly took some very well-deserved naps. I can’t speak for J. but I will admit to dreaming of sugarplums.

Tuesday, 8 December, 2009

November Wrap-up

November’s a strange month for blogging about knitting: Lots of knitting happens that has to stay secret, at least for a few more weeks. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have things to share:

First off, the HOLLY & IVY SCARF & WRAP:

which I’m so happy with. I’ve been wearing the scarf everywhere, and the wrap I have tucked away ready to wear to a wedding at the end of December. Now I just have to figure out what else I’m wearing with it! Project write-up here, and available on Rav or my Patterns page.

And the MAPLE SOCKS:

My love of Lorna’s Laces grows stronger with every pair I make. No stash is safe. Project write-up here.

And new to these pages, my ATACAMA MITTS:

Pattern: Dragon Scale Gauntlets, by Annemarie Pearson
Yarn: Araucania Atacama, colorway 503
Needles: US5/3.75 mm
Notes: These are to match a cowl I finished all the way back in July. I knit the first one, put them down, picked them back up after Thanksgiving and decided I didn’t like how long it was. So back it went, and I knit them much shorter. Modifications: I only knit two repeats, and then compressed all the decreases into the next repeat, and then went directly into the thumb. It’s a great quick pattern, easily adjusted for fit, and goes extremely well with the cowl. I am thinking about doing a headband to match and make a full set, as I still have a pretty decent chunk of yarn left.

And now we’re on to December. I’ve started my last of the year’s socks, and the Christmas presents are proceeding very well. I’m hoping to end the year on a high note!

Tuesday, 1 December, 2009Tuesday, 1 December, 2009

Socks Socks Socks

MAPLE SOCKS

Pattern: Jaywalkers, by Grumperina
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepard Sock in Maple Grove
Needles: US1/2.25mm
Notes: This yarn was a souvenir from my trip to Chicago this summer. I spent a very long time in Loopy pouring over their large collection of Lorna’s Laces and picking out one pair (which has since turned into a Christmas present…you’ll read about those soon enough) and these beautiful autumn-themed socks. I cast them on for Rhinebeck, and finished the first one in short order.

And then… I started a new design, and then I realized Christmas was coming and I better get started and then… I realized that November was almost over and I hadn’t finished a pair of socks for the month yet. (Well. To quibble: I’ve actually knit other pairs of socks this month, but since I can’t talk about them yet, they don’t count.) So I spent most of the Thanksgiving holiday working on these, and I finished them with hours to spare.

But finish them I did! I really love how Lorna’s knits up in the Jaywalker pattern. I think I’ve mentioned here how I got the idea from Glenna, who has knit lots of Lorna’s Jaywalkers, and it’s thanks to her that yarn and pattern are pretty much irrevocably linked in my head.

I have successfully knit myself at least a pair of socks a month now, with just December left to go, and a pair of Christmasey Socks that Rock marinating from Rhinebeck just waiting to be cast on. I think next year I might formalize this sock-a-month business into an actual thing. Anyone with me?

Thursday, 26 November, 2009Friday, 27 November, 2009

We Gather Together

I’m thankful for a lot of things this year, like the roof over my head and the food I eat, and for my yarn (so much yarn) and the beautiful things I can make from it, and also this blog, because I have made quite a few new friends from it already, and discovered a talent I didn’t realize I had.

So like every good American…

I will express that thanks by partaking of pie.

If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving today, I hope you have lots to be thankful for, and lots of pie. If you’re not… I hope you have pie anyway.

Wednesday, 25 November, 2009Thursday, 26 November, 2009

Of all the trees that are in the wood…

So I haven’t been talking very much about what’s been on my needles lately, and there’s two reasons for that. The first is that my family is tech-savvy enough to surf here and therefore I can’t discuss what they are getting for Christmas. (Well, of course they can reasonably assume they’re getting a knitted gift: this is me we’re talking about.) But the second is this:

HOLLY & IVY SHAWL & WRAP

This is my newest pattern, and I’ve been working on for weeks. It started out as a wisp of an idea for a stole when I learned I had a wedding to attend right after Christmas, and I swatched and poked and flipped through my stitch dictionaries and said, “Hmmmm,” an awful lot. And then I found the perfect colorway of Malabrigo (Verdes, 203) and I looked at it and it looked at me and said, “the Holly and the Ivy. Duh.” So back to the dictionaries and the swatching, and this is what I ended up with:

It’s very cushy and soft and — well, it’s Malabrigo, you can just imagine what a delight it is to wrap up in. I know exactly what I’m going to wear it with to this wedding, and I will be very warm and cozy and perfectly seasonally-attired.

But I just wasn’t ready to be done yet, so I went and reworked all the numbers so the pattern would work as a scarf too:

This one I knit in some Sock Flock from Holiday Yarns, a beautiful Evergreen color that I picked up at Rhinebeck with just this scarf in mind. This is going to be the one item I wear everywhere all season — it’s festive, with the little holly berries, but it’s not obnoxious or gaudy (I try to avoid those things). It’s just a simple little carol in a nice crisp lace, and I love it.

Incidentally, my good friend Melissa kindly did photography for me again, and I cannot tell you how much I love that scarf picture. She got it just right, didn’t she? (She blogs at Sheetar.com, and you can see lots of her photography there if you’d like.) She and my friend Margarita also get my thanks for test-knitting. And then, for the first time ever, I had a tech editor, the excellent Sandi Wiseheart, who I met happily at Rhinebeck. I learned a great deal working with her, and my pattern is infinitely better for it.

Have I enticed you yet? There’s all sorts of things you could do with this — longer or shorter, or get creative with the holly berries — maybe beads instead of the French knots I used, or perhaps you’ll surprise me. Sandi even suggested a winter white version and I do believe I’m going to cast that on as soon as I finish the rest of this Christmas knitting.

You can find the pattern for the Holly & Ivy Scarf & Wrap on Ravelry, where it’s available for $5.00. Gift one, keep one for yourself…I won’t tell!

Author: Abbie