Wooly Mice

A friend asked me to make a knitted cat toy--she said just a tube of some sort--that she could fill with catnip to give to her kitties to play with. I quickly found this pattern for knitted mice and it's been hard to stop making them ever since. I read that the cats prefer the toys made out of all wool or other natural fibers; that is no problem for me since I almost always only use natural fibers. And I have lots of leftover yarn...watch out, cat owners. You may be getting a shipment of these soon.

Hat Giveaway!

Here's a fun slouch hat I knit recently. The yarn is 100% wool, very soft with variegated color (Malabrigo Merino Worsted--a really nice yarn). It's kind of a pinky purple color, which brings me to the problem and the reason I am giving it away--it's just not my color. I love wearing the hat because it's comfortable and doesn't mess up my hair, but it really doesn't look that great on me color-wise. If someone who can wear cool colors would like to have it, just let me know, and I'll be happy to send it to you. Write to juliemwinter6@gmail.com. 

Here's a picture of the designer Natalie Larson showing how the hat is worn. 

So why did I knit a hat for myself that isn't my color? Well, the yarn was on sale with the pattern, and they didn't have any other colors, and I loved it so much and wanted to make the hat. I will look for a better color for me and make another one now that I have the pattern. Can't wait to hear from you!

Catching Up with a Few Projects

It's been a while since I posted about knitting, but I haven't stopped knitting ha ha. Here are a few recent and older projects.

The picture above is of a scarf/cowl/neckwarmer I made for Akiko a long time ago--her daughter Alicia (in the picture) borrows it from her all the time. I decided that Alicia needed her own version; here it is in blue below. Both are made of worsted weight wool, and the information about the pattern is in my previous post here.

The lacy shawl below is "Phoenix," and the yarn is a DK weight camel and silk blend called "Tundra" from Pagewood Farms. I made it for my ballet teacher, Tamara, and she wears it with a lot of flair!

The sweater pattern on the left below is called "Brynna" and is made from a light worsted weight cotton "Cascade Ultra Pima." On the right is "Summer Flies" knit with the beautiful sport weight wool by Malabrigo "Arroyo." Both are real hits and I wear them a lot. I wear the little shawl as a scarf wrapped around my neck. All the patterns can be found at ravelry.

Just Some Knitting Stuff

I recently purchased this enormous knitting bag, and it is so handy and so pretty to look at. At the risk of sounding horribly consumeristic and like a spokesperson for the "Vera Bradley" company, these bags are wonderful. They come many sizes and shapes, and if you sign up for the mailing list, you get a coupon for lots of money off. Then you are hooked, I guess. As you can see, the bag has several pockets inside and holds a ton of stuff.

Here's a top I recently finished, made of a light worsted weight wool and linen blend yarn--Berroco "Linsey." The pattern is the "Aria Shell" by Angela Hahn, in the spring issue of Interweave Knits.

And here's another finished project--yes, one more mini-shawl/scarf. You can't have too many of these! They are a blast to make and are just so pretty and practical. But actually, I do end up giving some away; I can't wear them all. (As always, let me know if you like something I've made, and I'll make one for you, in the colors you like!)

The yarn is a DK weight, plant fiber and cotton blend from Queensland Collection, "Haze." The pattern is called "Ripples," by Annelie Wallborn. (You can find it on Ravelry.)

A Little Bit Different Sort of Baby Sweater

This was a fun and quick project that had some interesting details and techniques. As you can see, it is a simple hooded baby cardigan or jacket. What is different is that it was knit in two pieces--each starting with the sleeve cuff and working towards the center. Then the two sides were grafted together using kitchener stitch (thanks to Greg for reading the directions out loud to me while I did the stitch!).

The pattern is "Babies and Bears" by Carol Anderson and Kristi Williams, and the yarn is my new favorite Juniper Farms "Sabine," a worsted weight wool and cotton blend. I used the silver buttons to give it a bit of a Nordic flair.

This is where the grafting was done on the back...can you see it?

More on the Berry Theme

Just finished this sweater: the pattern is a top-down style called "Laurel" by designer Marie Grace Smith with some of my own modifications. The yarn, a cotton wool blend by Juniper Moon Farm "Sabine," is a color called "Berry Farm." Below is a picture of the lace detail at the sleeves and hem.

Happy Fall!

Finished Project Roundup

Good friend and favorite knit-wear model Josie is back in Spokane for a bit, so we took some photos of a few of my latest projects. Some of these have appeared here before, but I can't resist showing them again so nicely modeled. The pictures were taken in our apartment--you can get a sense of the spectacular view I've been wanting to show you.

Lola Little Colonnade

Quick Sock Yarn Scarf

Quick and Cozy Cabled Cowl

Simple Ribbed Shrug

A Finished Project and a View

I've been meaning to post some project notes and pictures, and I've also wanted to post some pictures of our new apartment, especially of the view. I do still intend to do all that, but in the meantime, here's one finished project picture that shows the view too. I chose this shawl to knit because it has an easy lace pattern and because it is full-sized--many of the little shawls I've made are more like scarves, and I do love them, but I thought it might be nice to have one I could really wrap up in. The pattern is called "The Traveling Companion" by Karen Strauss (available on ravelry), and the yarn is undyed baby alpaca from Cascade Yarns ("Eco Alpaca").

Down below the trees in the picture is the Spokane River!

And here's one more shawl picture with just a bit of a view:

Ballet Shrug

Akiko and I have been thinking about and planning this ballet shrug for a long time--here she is modeling the finished sweater. The yarn is a  wool and cotton blend that is extremely soft but knits up firmly, Spud and Chloe's "Sweater." The pattern is a modified version of Stefanie Japel's "Two-tone ribbed shrug," found in her book fitted knits.

We call this a ballet shrug, but of course it can also be worn over tank tops or sun dresses in the summer. It knits up quickly, so I am already planning another one or two, in light colors.

Alicia, Akiko's daughter, likes to wear the shrug as well. They both make my knitting look good!

Now I'm on to Neckwarmers

I found a pattern for a cabled neckwarmer ("Chic Cabled Cowl" by Elizabeth Eisenstein on ravelry) that knits up quickly and is fun and easy to make. The finished cowl is very comfortable, warm, and even rather cute. I've gotten lots of compliments on this one! The first version is made of Lion Brand Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend. 

And this one is made of Vickie Howell Sheep(ish) by Caron, also a wool blend.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

One More Pair, But Maybe Not the Last

This is the best pair of mitts I've knitted to date. They are very soft and warm and fit snugly but are not too tight. The yarn is a worsted weight wool and possum (!) blend called "Supreme Possum Merino" that I bought in New Zealand. The pattern "Malabrigo Hand Thingies" is from Ravelry and was written by Anne Sahakian.



Mitts



Click on the photo to enlarge

I've been on a mitt craze lately. The cooler weather has inspired me, and these are fun and quick to knit. I wear them on evening walks with the dogs or in the house when my hands are cold but I still need to use my fingers and can't wear gloves. They also keep your wrists warm and flexible. I have to make a few more pairs to get the fit right--the ones on the right are a little loose. The ones on the left are for a friend with little hands, so they were made intentionally small. I've discovered that they need to be knit on the snug side as they stretch quite a bit.

Here are the yarn and pattten specifics: The eggplant-colored mitts on the left are made of "zealana" a worsted weight New Zealand wool, and the pattern, available on ravelry, is "Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets" by Rachel Calado. The middle ones, "Maine Morning Mitts," designed by Clara Parkes and also on ravelry, are made of Noro "Taiyo," a cotton, silk, wool and nylon blend (a heavy worsted weight). These are my favorites. The mitts on the right are made of Cascade Yarns "128 Superwash" (a bulky weight), and the pattern, "Cabled Fingerless Mittens," is by Fran Jepperson. I got it for free when I bought the yarn at the yarn store in Anacortes when we were there on the Labor Day weekend.

Catching Up with Projects

It's been a while since I've posted any finished projects, so tonight I thought I would try to remedy that just a bit. In addition to the things shown here, I've finished three pairs of socks, a dishcloth or two, and maybe even yet another scarf or shawlette. The picture of me is a little scary, I know.

This is the "Featherlishous Neck Warmer," designed by Victoria Myers and knitted with Araucania "Aysen," an absolutely gorgeous worsted weight yarn made of merino wool, alpaca and silk. I remember I just had to have this yarn, and then it took some time until I found a good way to use it (typical for yarn addicts!). I enjoy wearing this a lot because it is very warm and fits nicely around my neck without having to worry about wrapping and securing the ends (it is one circular piece).

Scarves, shawls, and shawlettes are very popular to knit and to wear right now--I make them often and really do enjoy wearing them. Here is Stephen West's "Little Colonnade" knitted in "Lola," a hand-painted, super soft worsted weight yarn. Because the yarn is so soft and drapes so nicely, I can scrunch this up and put it in my purse or bag and then put it over my shoulders in over-air-conditioned restaurants or stores. In the winter I will wear it with the bottom of the triangle in front and the ends wrapped around my neck.

Some time ago Akiko mentioned that she liked a crocheted tank top I had made, so I made one for her too. The pattern is "Sweet Tea" by Doris Chan, and the yarn is a silk and wool sport-weight blend by Mirasol Yarn Nuna.

And here's "Edwin's Sweater II" for the son of friends in Munich. The pattern is called "Children's Neck Down Cardigan,"  by Diane Soucy and the yarn is Paton's "Decor," a wool and acrylic blend that is self-striping. I used my favorite method of sweater knitting for this--it is made all in one piece with no seams.

A Texas Gardener's Cap and Some Books

While we were visiting my family in Texas, Dad requested that I make him a new knitted cap to wear while he's working in the garden. He had been wearing this crazy red and black acrylic thing that I crocheted eons ago. The yarn had hardened over the years; I couldn't believe I had ever made anything out of  pure acrylic because I dislike it so much. Here's a picture of Dad wearing the new green knitted cap. OK, the worsted-weight yarn does have some acrylic in it, but it also contains wool, which will make the cap warm, yet breathable.

Book News:

Run by Anne Patchett (2007). This is an interesting tale about a white Catholic family in Boston that adopts several black children. The surprise twist is that the birth mother has secretly followed the lives of her children as they've grown up with their family (I won't give any more away!). Patchett explores questions of where people belong and what they feel compelled to do with their lives, and she does it in that poignant yet realistic way that made her Bel Canto so lovely to read.

JPEG by Doug Coupland (2006). Coupland is a prolific novelist who wrote the famous Generation X, but this book doesn't appear to be available stateside. It is quite a hilarious read about young, brilliant computer nerds and is a good change of pace from the typical novel.

Dinge bei Licht by Tobias Hülswitt (2008). Martha and Alexander have been a couple for a long time when Martha has an accident and falls into a coma. Alexander, who has been having an affair, realizes what he is about to lose, and tells the story of Martha's life and their relationship. Although I found parts of this somewhat tedious, the writing was also very compelling.

Halbschatten by Uwe Timm (2008). Timm tells the story of Marga von Etzdorf, a female German aviator who actually lived and died young of suicide. He uses an odd device of telling Marga's story, and other events in Germany's stormy past, through the voices of several famous people who are buried in the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin, where the aviator is also buried. This technique can be rather distracting at times, but Timm is such an amazing story teller, that I couldn't put the book down.

Captain James Cook: A Biography by Richard Hough (1994). Greg loved this book, and I liked it too, but not as much as he did. I enjoy a good biography, but I found this one a little lacking in imagination at times. Still, it is very worthwhile to read it if you want to learn more about Captain Cook, who explored so much of the world, including New Zealand and our own Pacific Northwest.

"Anne Shoulder Scarf"

This is the "Anne Shoulder Scarf" (designed by Chris Carroll) made with the Schaefer sock yarn "Anne," a wool, mohair and nylon blend. It was very easy to knit, and made a great project for working on while watching the six episodes of Middlemarch recently (not all in one sitting). The scarf has a very pleasing circular drape; I like it so much that upon finishing it I went to my stash and found another sock yarn I had and have already started on a second scarf.

Ellie's Sweater and Booties

Here's Ellie, our housekeeper Aimee's new daughter, wearing the sweater and booties I just finished for her. I didn't note the yarn information--just know that both are wool or wool blends, worsted weight. The sweater pattern is called "Quickie Baby Sweater"; I can't remember where I found the bootie pattern, but I hope I remember because I'd like to make them again.

Stockings and Other Projects

Sigrid sent me this picture (left) of the stockings I made for her hanging on their fireplace for Christmas--I really love the colors she chose and how they are so well-coordinated. It inspired me to re-make ours in coordinating colors. I've done the two pictured here (above, in red and cream) so far. The two on the outside hanging by the fireplace pictured below are from our original set. I need a break from knitting stockings, so I'll wait until next year to re-do those. The wool is Lamb's Pride, worsted weight.

In other knitting news, I completed the pullover below; the yarn is "Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy," a 100% wool worsted weight, and the pattern is by Helen Rush, "Running Circles." It's knitted in one piece, from the top down.

And a while back I finished my first-ever lace socks! The yarn is a wool blend fingering weight sock yarn that I purchased while still in Munich (didn't remember to note the name).

Finally, here are a couple of pictures of a quilt I finished some time ago. I did the cutting, piecing and sewing, but it was quilted professionally by a machine quilter. The photo on the right shows the elaborate, beautiful quilting that really made the quilt.

Various Ways of Crafting

The anthology in the picture has just come out, and it contains three poems I translated into German. I have been the English native speaker consultant in a poetry translating workshop here in Munich, and I got so caught up in the project that I had to try my hand at translating into German, a very difficult endeavor for a non-native speaker. I couldn't have done it without the help of my German friend Ulrike. Thank you, Ulrike!

The poems we translated were written by contemporary British poets who write and publish a great deal of award-winning poetry. You can read more about them and read some of their poems here. Eleven of them came to Munich for a Literatur Festival that we organized and hosted for them. It was a super-intense 3 day exchange of creativity and poetry, and all involved enjoyed the experience a lot.

In knitting news, I have a crochet scarf to show off, made of self-striping sock yarn. I made something similar before, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the result. This new one is made of Schoppel Wolle Zauberball, a fingering weight, mostly wool blend. The pattern from ravelry, is called "Cascading Stylish Shawl" (I did the scarf version).

Toe-up Socks Are Finished!

These may look like ordinary knitted socks, but I think they are really special! As I wrote in my earlier post about these, they are knitted from toe to cuff, instead of the other way around. They fit perfectly. I really like this method of knitting socks, and I am so proud of them!