When I'm not in a sock-knitting mood

I finished my second attempt at my Marilyn's No-So-Shrunken Cardigan. 'Cept this time it is shrunken, but in a Regency/Jane-Austenish way. I hope. That's what I get for not re-swatching after re-starting this project after 3 years of frogging the first attempt, but it fits comfortably.


yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed in color #007 (brown)
needles: size 4 & 6 KP circs
pattern size: 1 size down from my actual measurements

Mods:
Just the buttonband only - my row gauge is smaller than the pattern, so went with the typical rule of thumb of picking up 3 stitches for every 4 rows. I could've lengthened the cardigan since I had plenty of yarn, especially since it's supposedly discontinued by the US distributor. However, what drew me to the pattern was the fact that it was indeed a cropped cardigan, so I stuck with it.


I should've started one of my sock KAL's next, but I was in a hat-knitting mood and cast on.

Pattern: Vine & Leaf Beret from Vogue Knitting Fall 2009
yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in Pea Green (discontinued colorway)
needle: size 3 KP circs
pattern size: medium
mod: tubular rib cast on in the round

The medium's still slightly on the small side, but I haven't blocked it yet. I'll probably gift it, but tapmouse thinks I should keep it for myself. We'll see. I'm still in a hat-knitting mood, but got sidetracked by some fandom-ish stuff.


I saw some discussions on Ravelry regarding a pair of fingerless mitts worn by Alice in a New Moon (Twilight) movie still and I had to join in. My sister was amused at my geeky lemmingness, but she ended up with the pair anyway. I was going to make a scarf with my remaining yarn, but it looks like I'll have to knit myself my own mitts pair & then knit a cowl with the remainder.


Pattern: New Moon Inspired Alice Cullen Fingerless Mittens (I chose Nancy's free Ravelry pattern 'cause I wanted thumb gussets.)
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns worsted in New Moon Alice
needles: size 8 KP circs

Mods:
- CO 35 sts
- Didn't switch to the smaller needles 'til halfway through the top ribbing.


And not to be left out of the fingerless mitts bandwagon, Monkey1 requested a new purple-y pair. She even knit a row or two and these mitts were on dpns. I found it interesting that she was more concerned about getting the purls done correctly more than dealing with the multiple "sticks" on her mitts-in-progress. She only had a few errant yo's when she moved the yarn from the back to the front between the knit & purls and I still need to work that extra yarn around the other rows to even them out.

pattern: 200 Fingerless Mitts
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash colorway #844
needles: size 5 Clover dpns
mod: 2" longer on the arm length per Monkey1's request

A few FO's

While my friends here and there were getting ready for Stitches West, I finished a few things.


Noro striped Scarf
Silk Garden in #244 & 268
size 8 KP nickel-plated circs
Tubular cast on and bind off w/kitchener stitch - these methods rock!


Maine Morning Mitts
Silk Garden in #244 & 268 left over from the striped scarf
KP size 8 nickel-plated circs

The second mitt came out a little shorter due to the thick/thin nature of the yarn, so if they don't even out after a wash & will re-knit an extra row onto the second mitt.


Fetchings
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Wine leftover from my Twist cardigan
size 6 KP nickel-plated circs
mods:
Added 6 more rnds to hand before thumbhole
Added 4 more rnds after thumbhole
Added 3 more rnds to thumb
No picot bind off, just a normal one


February Lady Sweater - medium
Miss Babs Worsted in Pookie - 2 yowza-sized skeins
mods:
kfb instead of M1's for the raglan increases just for fun
slipped the edge stitches wyib for the garter bump
Nancie Wiseman's modified one row buttonhole from her The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques

Modelled pic later after I finish showing the sweater to Woolgirl Jen & Ms Babs at Stitches West later today.

Someone needs to put a fork in me anyway.

I really want to be done, but I'm afraid I'm not. There's something about holiday knitting that suddenly makes product/production knitters question their entire being. I'm sure the Yarn Harlot's written about it so I won't go further other than to say that it certainly does a number to one's psyche.


Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets
Crystal Palace Merino 5 Solid
size 7 dpns
for Monkey2's youngest teacher

The last of gift mitts for this season are done. Though the other ones I made were redirected from my co-workers (they just got the shaft this year) to the Monkeys' teachers.

I forgot to mention I finished this pair of fingerless mitts while on T-day vacation.


pattern: Cafe Au Lait mitts (sorry, Rav link)
yarn: Lana Grossa Numero Uno
needle size: 4 KP circs 'cause I couldn't find my old Clover dpns (note - must try KP Harmony dpns)
for: Monkey2's teachers along w/Evangeline & Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets

I really like how it fits. The lace pattern is stretchy and it gets bonus points for a nicely calculated thumb gusset. Of all the fingerless mitts I've knit this season, this and the Maine Morning Mitts are the only pairs that I can wear comfortably w/o any mods if and when I knit a pair for myself. Evangeline will need a gusset along with the extra cable repeat(s) and the Symmetrical Braided Gauntlets will need a re-porportioning and increase in needle size.

The reason I had chosen this pair of mitts was the lace pattern was the same (if not similar) to the one used for the Cowl of Kindness and the Zig Zag Cowl (both Rav links) which in turn is a stitch pattern used in one of Charlene Schurch's sock books. I just told tapmouse2 that if I had known she would use the stitch pattern for her gift cowl, I could've saved her the math and pointed her to the 2 cowl patterns.

Nottingham hat deux
Knit Picks Swish in Delft Heather
size 9 KP circs
for Squid because Monkey1 snagged Nottingham hat une

And just when I thought I was done with the gift hats for the season, Monkey1 redirected Le Slouch from her cousin to her after school teacher. Apparently her after school teacher has a small noggin. Then again, Le Slouch is stretchy enough I got it to fit my average sized head comfortably enough after a wash & block.

I knew that I was tempting fate when I cast on for Felicity (loads of Rav links today) in good old basic Patons Classic Wool black for myself the other night. This hat may end up with our cousin to replace Le Slouch that she didn't know she lost out on. Then again, I could cast on for another Le Slouch, but in St st this time as seed stitch has the same mind-numbing effect as a 1x1 rib...well, anything.


And all the while I'm knitting all these gifts, DH keeps asking me "Is that my sock you're working on?" Hah. But I have been working on it in between everything and got most of the foot knit up at Purlescence Yarns last night at Late Night Knits to the accompaniment of a lots of soprano & alto knitters singing Christmas carols.

I got smart this time around and knit this pair of DH's socks on Mountain Colors Bearfoot on size 2 needles. Larger gauge on larger needles = less tedious sock spousal sock knitting.


I also finished hint 5 of my Mystery Stole 4 (Serendipity) during T-day vacation. Unfortunately, I haven't touched it since. With hint 5, I was a least able to work 1 row every few days. Not now and not anytime soon either 'cause I just signed up for Yarnissima's Digitessa KAL on Ravelry. I told Irishgirlieknits that I am crazy. And I am. Especially since Mom's flying in tonight (ugh, e3 hours late!) and so I probably won't get any knitting at all done while she's here.

Gifts received and to be given

I know I have a lot of gift knitting to catch up on. It would've been smarter if I took a pic of them all at once, but my brain's not at a smart place right now, especially when I actually starting thinking about who I should really knit for instead of thinking, "Oh, this would be a cute gift to knit...somebody." Eeek!


Le Slouch (still in need of a wash & block though)
Knit Picks Swish in Indigo Heather - I really like the heathered colors I've bought so far
size 9 & 10 KP circs
For: my cousin's daughter


Darkside Cowl (sorry, Ravelry link) - this one's been washed & blocked, but the pic is pre-blocked
Malabrigo Silky Merino in Arlene's Purples - yum!
size 8 KP circs
For N for whom I made my first knitted chemo cap a couple years ago. Still free of bone marrow cancer & going strong.


Evangeline fingerless mitts (in need of a wash & block)
Knit Picks Swish worsted in Lava Heather
size 7 KP dpns
wrist length
mod: extra cable repeat before thumbhole
for: either a co-worker or one of Monkey2' teachers


Ruffled Roses Scarf (you guessed it, also in need of blocking)
Univeral Yarns Tango
Misti Alpaca worsted & handpainted worsted
Alpaca with a Twist Baby Twist
size 7 KP Harmony circs
For...me?


Sanguine Gryphon Bugga cashmere blend (edited to correct the name)
from: tapmouse
love!


My Christmas llama to go with my birthday skein of undyed alpaca from Old Oaks Ranch (you can read my friend's article on them in the link)
from: Home on Derange - who's started knitting, though the credit goes to Penguin's friend's delightfully cute elephant, and totally not me.

I'm sure I've missed a few gift FO's I haven't posted on yet, so I'll be catching up still. But before I forget, December is also Wollmeise sock club kit time! Woot!

Still with the gift knitting

Lucky 7 hat
Mission Falls 1824 Wool in Raven 1.4 skeins
size 8 KP circs

This is not going to b-day brother 'cause it's a tad too snug to be a small adult hat. I thought I compensated by going up a needle size, but I probably should've gone up 2 more. He opted for my first pair of Noro Maine Morning Mitts instead. Darn that instant gratification!

And since b-day brother gets the first pair of mitts, I cast on for a second pair hoping that I would keep them for me but they're at bit too 80's pink (& black) for me.


Maine Morning Mitts
Noro Silk Garden
size 8 dpns
no mods

The weather's been super nice this weekend (a Nov heat wave!), so I've got my finished gift knits washed and drying out in the shade.

At this point, I should've cast on for a cowl or more fingerless mitts, but I just wasn't feeling inspired at all, even with lots of Ravelry surfing. I only managed a row here & there with my MS4 stole and my Anemone sock since I just wasn't feeling those at all either. So I ended up casting on for Monkey2's mini-monkey. I forgot how quick the body takes. It's the endless i-cording of the tail, arms and legs that took up the bulk of our sock camp monkey knitting, iirc. The body's started with Typhoon Tina and the kit came with Harlotty as the "other" colorway.


I also decided to try my luck with the Ruffled Roses Scarf since tapmouse had been urging me to cast on for a scarf awhile back, before we started on our gift knitting, I think.

Since I'm using the narrower Universal Yarns Tango instead of the OnLine ribbon yarn, it's been a little tough going. Maybe once I start with the lace, then ribbed panels, it won't seem so bad.


There's something ironic about using a designer's free pattern distributed to help lys businesses and the majority of the yarn I'm using came from lys that have closed.

I don't think I'll get too much further on this scarf for awhile since I really should be knitting a cowl here and there. And a few fingerless mitts too.

She wanted the half-fingers too

But first, the usual specs:
pattern: hand warmers in Debbie Bliss' Junior Knits book
size: "5-10"
needles: size 4 bamboo dpns
yarn: Cascade Cherub Collection DK in a pale pink & fuchsia - much less than 1 skein each
modifications from the pattern:
- Didn't use the recommended 6 different shades of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
- Knit it in the round instead of flat (so deducted 2 sts) while carrying the 2 yarns up. Seriously, who would want to seam it while matching the stripes and then have to weave all the ends in after?


I told her I'd make her a pair w/half fingers after I make her Cabo Hoodie. I also have to find a free pattern somewhere 'cause I'm too lazy to do the math.

But she does like her hand warmers enough to ask for 10 pairs in green & white for her soccer team by the last game (mid-Nov). Hah! (Even funnier was her request to also make them for her coach & 2 assistant coaches.) I did however contemplate how quickly I could do them (the ones for the girls) if they were all solid green. I also contemplated how quickly I'll want to poke my eyes out w/the dpns if I did 10 pairs in a month.

So on to a little YPF. Here's my Wollmeise Rhabarber opened up:

Here it is all wound up:


I'm going to swatch to see what kind of gauge I'll get on size 0 (2.00 mm) and size 1 (2.25 mm) needles. This may be my replacement yarn for my Firestarters.

Or second yarn since I'm going to re-try my STR mill end on size "2.5" (3.00 mm) needles with 54 sts to see if I can avoid the "fat" striping.