Rosy Scalloped Hat

This little hat is ready to be gifted.  This was my first time knitting a Tot Toppers pattern.  It was well written and I had to only make a couple minor changes – reducing the length of the hat and the number of rounds to finish off the crown.  This was probably due to the fact that I didn’t check gauge before casting on (as always, my bad!)  

Also, this was my first time using this yarn and I absolutely loved knitting with it.  It’s so soft, has a lovely sheen to it and the price is unbeatable.  Added bonus — it’s machine washable!  I managed to knit this hat out of just one ball with maybe a yard to spare.

Love the little details in this pattern – the lacy brim, the sweet rosettes and the little ‘teepee’ (don’t know what else to call that pointy bit).  It’s a little too big on my 2-year-old’s noggin, but I think that it will be perfect for the recipient who is 3.

Rosy Scallops

Pattern: Rosy Scalloped Hat by Kate Oates
Yarn: Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK  in “Willow”
Needles: Size US 5/3.75 mm

Posted by & filed under Finished Knits, Hats, Kids. This post has 10 comments.

Toppers

My Tea Leaves Cardigan is done and drying on the blocking board as I speak type.  I ain’t holding my breath though  seeing that I know from previous experience that wet merino doesn’t dry quickly.  Promise that pictures and blurbs of my Tarty Cardi will be forthcoming!

In the meantime, I’ve been knitting a couple hats.  One for gifting and another that’s been requested by a friend.  I’m using a purchased pattern for the one to be gifted for which I had the perfect yarn in my stash. 

It’s a sweet little pattern and I should have been done ages ago but I have a couple sick kids at home with wheezy chests and leaky noses, so knitting time was pretty much extinct over the Easter long weekend we just had.  They’re  on the mend now, thank you yucky antibiotics!

Continuing on the sweater streak, I’ve been wanting to cast on for this or this or this or maybe even this.  I think that I’ll get the hats out of the way before I tackle another project that takes some serious commitment.

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Hats, Kids. This post has 7 comments.

Molly for Sarah

The Molly beret is done and ready for gifting to Sarah.

Molly for Sarah

Pattern: Molly by Alana Dakos
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in “Happy Forest”
Needles: Size US 2/2.75 mm and US 4/3.5 mm

I knit the hat extra slouchy to accommodate the unfortunate hair incident and got Kirtana to model it for me.  Kiki adores Sarah and will do anything for her include sitting still for pictures! 

Once again this pattern proved to be a quick, fun knit and even comes in adult sizes.

Love :: the little i-cord detail on top.

Posted by & filed under Finished Knits, Hats, Kids, Lace, Stashbusting. This post has 8 comments.

A Perfect Day For Green

Spring is almost here according to the Weatherman and the calendar.  Spring flowers have broken free a few weeks too early but no one will begrudge their overenthusiastic schedule since they make everything beautiful.

I have little something on the needles today, perfect green knitting for St. Paddy’s Day.  I’m knitting the Molly hat again for my dear friend’s daughter who turns 3 next week. 

She and her brother had a very unfortunate incident involving a pair of scissors and Dora.  No, they didn’t cut Dora-the-doll’s hair.  He decided to give his sister a “Dora haircut” and seeing that he’s only 5, he didn’t do a very good job of it.  Their frazzled Mama tried to salvage the bad hair-do at the local salon, but you can only do so much to hair that’s been chopped off in clumps.  Thankfully, hair is renewable and this one will definitely go down in their memory books!!  I’m thinking that this beret will be cute enough to hide a multitude of haircutting disasters:) 

My Tea Leaves Cardigan is coming along quite well too.  I’ve finished the body while multi-tasking.  

Prithvi loves to read and it’s no surprise since I used to be the same way when I was his age.  I remember devouring a book every chance I got, even reading under the covers with a flashlight!  So, it’s no wonder that we go to the library to check out a pile of books every week.  Last week I happened to see a knitting novel called, ‘The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club’, sitting there on the shelf and had to grab it.  I didn’t read the back cover to see if it was any good, I just grabbed it.  I’m on the last chapter now and I have been reading while I knit.  The reason…LARGE print edition!!  

Unfortunately, the book is, well….meh, but I realized that I have missed reading so much that I just plowed my way through.

PS: For those of us with little people in our lives, the latest issue of Petite Purls is out with plenty of stashbusting inspiration and cuteness!

Posted by & filed under Books, Cardigans, Gifts, Hats, Kids, Stashbusting. This post has 10 comments.

Irresistible

That’s all I have to say about this

this

and this

Fell off the yarn diet wagon.  Bad, bad, bad!

Posted by & filed under Yarn. This post has 9 comments.

Levens

Before the madness that was the Ravelympics I finished a very interesting shawl project.  This pattern called Levens written by the very talented Lily Kate France breaks up yards of plain stockinette with vertical ruched sections and a lacy edging.

My Fleece Artist yarn in “Labrador” that I was so smitten and flummoxed by at the same time turned out to be the perfect choice for this shawlette.  I’ve used Fleece Artist Merino before in a different colorway for my Monkey Socks and once again, I loved the smoothness of this yarn.

Levens

Pattern: Levens by Lilly Kate France
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Casbah Sock in “Ruby”
Needles: Size US 6/4 mm

February has turned out to be Shawl Month for me and my shawl mojo has vanished temporarily.  For now, it’s back to sweater knitting until the call of lace is too strong to resist.

Posted by & filed under Finished Knits, Shawl. This post has 6 comments.

The Shawl Challenge

Those fireworks on Sunday signalled the end of the Ravelympics.  Actually, they signified the end of the real Winter Games, but you know where my priorities lie!

My challenge: to finish two shawls during the Ravelympics and knowing how I’m so easily distracted by, “ooh shiny and mmm sparkly…”, I had to focus and get these projects knitted and bound off before the flame died out.  Things went according to plan (YAY!) even though my Milkweed shawl got off to a pretty rough start and had to be frogged 3 times before I got into the rhythm of the pattern.

My plan: To knit Traveling Woman and Milkweed, both triangular shawls for which I planned to use Handmaiden Casbah.  Let me say, this gorgeous yarn didn’t disappoint at all.  Squishy and soft, producing perfect stitch definition and excellent blocking results – that’s Casbah for you. 

I signed up to be a part of two teams – Team Amiras (can’t forget my peeps) and of course, Team Canada (no brainer).  My projects made it past the finish line and I think that I may have been able to get in another project before Feb 28.  But I chose to sit back and relax with no knitting for a change and just enjoy these winter games.  I am so glad that I did because the Men’s Hockey finals – that was a cardiac arrest waiting to happen!!  Dramatic finish in Canada’s favor though, so all is well!!

Traveling Woman

Pattern: Traveling Woman Shawl by Liz Abinante
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Casbah Sock in “Ruby”
Needles: Size US 6/4 mm

Milkweed Shawl

Pattern: Milkweed Shawl by Laura Chau
Yarn: Handmaiden Fine Yarn Casbah Sock in “Sea Spray”
Needles: Size US 6/4 mm

Being a part of the community hosting these Winter Games just made everything seem so close and real.  Something that we will never forget and I am so grateful that our kids got to experience first hand how our country came together through sport.  Vancouver2010, we thank you.

ETA: Medals Won at the Podium, woo hoo!

  

Posted by & filed under Canada, Finished Knits, Lace, Ravelympics 2010, Shawl. This post has 11 comments.

Vancouver Valentine

This Valentines Day, we scrapped the usual candlelight dinner for something different. 

I’m not talking about flowers and candy either, although, both of those made their appearance and made the day that much sweeter:)  This Valentines Day, we headed downtown to join in the festivities surrounding the Winter Olympics. 

Since driving all the way downtown would have been a nightmare especially with so many road closures, we opted to take the Skytrain instead – which is always a treat for the kids. 

We took a ton of pictures, most of which were blurry…. except those featured here.  However, if you couldn’t care less about all of this olympic mayhem and are looking for knitting content, you can skip all the way to the bottom to see my Ravelympics2010 progress.

If you live in Canada, it’s a given that hockey will show up in your life everyday.  So, it wasn’t a surprise that there was a giant hockey stick showcasing true Canadian spirit complete with maple leaf!

At the end of the opening ceremony which was held in BC Place, a huge cauldron was lit signifying the opening of these winter games.  But that wasn’t all, hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky made his way through streets of screaming crowds to light the external cauldron by the waterfront.  This is going to be a permanent fixture for all to see.  Unfortunately, it’s been fenced off during the games and in my opinion, wisely so. 

Ha look, another Gretzky fan….

The olympic rings on the Burrard Inlet, now in solid red – previously lit with the usual colors of this timeless symbol – looked really pretty sitting over on the water.

With the streets being completely pedestrian friendly during the duration of the games, it was great not having to worry about swerving cars or traffic lights.  We saw plenty of kids on their bikes waving flags… and some other kids who can’t ride bikes yet also waving flags…

What a fantastic night!

Ravelympics2010… the blobby thing below is the progress on my Traveling Woman shawl this far.

Go for the GOLD!!

Posted by & filed under Canada, Ravelympics 2010, Shawl. This post has 6 comments.

Molten Hug

My Textured Yoke Cardigan (Ravelry link)…c’est fini!

Textured Yoke Cardigan

Pattern: 113-17 Jacket with Raglan Sleeves by DROPs Design
Yarn: Madelinetosh Eyre in “Moorland”
Needles: Size US 8/5 mm

I did a few mods to the pattern :: reduced the number of stitches when I cast on and added the button bands later.  Also, I changed a bit of the yoke pattern to seed stitch and altered the sleeve length to get long sleeves. 

The Madelinetosh Eyre is just a dream to knit with like I’ve said before.  After it’s been blocked, it’s a luxurious molten hug. 

The only downside to blocking this sweater is that the garment has grown lengthwise, body sleeves and all.  I don’t usually wear my sweaters this long, but oh well.  I guess my row gauge was off by a mile!!!

This project took less than 8 skeins and I have almost 5 skeins of yarn leftover.  I think that I may just be able to get another garment out of it – a vest maybe, or a sweater for the tot.  That’s for another day.

Posted by & filed under Cardigans, Finished Knits. This post has 21 comments.