I finished up the year knitting

Since my last post I've been very busy with work but have managed to keep knitting in my little spare time.  I just haven't had the time to post here and just barely get pics taken of my finished works :-/  So I'm here to recap the last quarter of my knitting year...

I learned how to spin with a drop spindle!  I really enjoyed it and can't wait to try it again... this time I'll be less ambitious (I tried a 2-ply with black embroidery floss)

 I made a fairly simple hat for the DH using two yarns held together... it's really warm but the soft yarn just didn't take away all the itchiness of the wool.

 I made myself a hat using my homespun wool!  I didn't have enough for a whole hat so I had to supplement with some other yarn.  It can get itchy as wool does, but I grin and bear it because it's so colorful!

 Don't mind that woman in a mustache and beard, it's just a creative knit hat!  This was a special order and sure to look better on the recipient than me, but I needed to have a shot for my records :-)

 I did some gift knitting this year... These are fingerless knits for the MIL.  I made her a second pair in a lovely gray recycled yarn that had a beautiful cable on top, but don't seem to have a pic of those.  I like the pattern so much I have them on my mental list for myself.

 I also made some slipper socks for the FIL as a Christmas gift.  They took about 1 1/2 skeins so I used the left overs to make a quick hat.  I seem to have not taken pics of that either, but it's still around the house so maybe someday :-)

 I made another Dandy Neckerchief from Ravelry with a very pretty yarn I found at Tuesday Morning.  I believe I used 1 1/2 skeins and made a matching hat by modifying the stitch pattern.  Of course, I don't have a pic of that hat either...

 Probably the item I'm most happy with would be this lovely blanket I made for my mom for her birthday.  It's in colors to coordinate with her living room.  I really loved the stitch pattern and after repeating it 10 or 20 times I memorized it!  I can tell it's going to be warm because I stayed toasty as I knit.

I made a couple other gift knits that I don't have pics of (yet?  I'm hoping the recipients send me some!).  My sister received a loop scarf/cowl that I made with three color yarns held two together at varying intervals.  The blue, green and purple really do mimic a peacocks coloring if I do say so myself.  Each one of my children received a set of fingerless mitts and a simple winter hat in colors to match their winter coats.

I made another baby blanket (did I post about the first one here???) for a cousin who recently had a baby.  I found a really fitting but a bit complex pattern that included color work of farm characters.  It was my first real color work and I did not like how the back left hanging yarn that could get caught on little fingers or toes.  I ended up deciding to sew on a backing of blue gingham print cotton material.  I did takes pics of that but have not edited them yet so maybe next time...

Just before year's end I started a scarf that may or may not be for DH (depends on what he thinks of the final look) which I've still got on the needles as my standby, easy to travel with knit.  I also got to work on a little something for myself... a sweater!  I had some LBY Homespun from year(s?!?) ago that I made something with that I was not all that happy with anymore so I frogged it and got started.  I didn't really find an existing pattern that I really liked and thought would work.  I used the idea from several top down raglan style sweaters to get my stitch numbers and figure out where to increase.  From there it was all my own mind's idea.  I hope to write up a more official pattern and put it on Ravelry for free.

I was knitting my sweater as the countdown to 2012 began and finished it up first thing 1/1/12.  I've already soaked it and am blocking it now, hoping to wear it to the last holiday celebration tomorrow!

Even though I haven't had much time to keep up everywhere, I have been trying to make an effort to keep my Raverly project page up to date.  There are even some pics there (taken via camera phone) that I'm not posting here.  So go check it out sometime :-)

Still busy knitting...

Wow, surprised to see it's been about a month since my last post.  I have been knitting and posting quick updates to my Facebook fan page, but haven't taken that extra time to write a longer update.

My recent knitting has consisted mostly of family and personal knitting.  I used some mystery yarn found at a thrift shop to create myself a hat.  It's a little lacy and a little baggy, but not the snood I thought it would be.  Turns out, I really like it just the way it is!

I finally finished the strap on a bag I'd started I don't remember how long ago and gave it to my daughter.  It's the perfect size to hold books, but the downside to that is it stretches the strap out bit.  Fortunately, since it's a knit strap, we can just put a knot in it and keep going while still looking fashionable!

My sis really liked my white hat and wanted something similar.  The yarn we settled on wasn't the same thickness of my white yarn, and I changed to a different lace pattern.  This resulted in a hat that was not baggy enough, so my daughter got another knitted item!

I was able to knit up a cowl that met what my sis had in mind, so she didn't end up empty handed.  I knit up this thrift store find with a simple rib to start and end for the stretch factor and knit around in the middle.  It's a basic pattern, but that's all you need sometimes when the yarn is so interesting.

I have also been working on socks for DH.  These have been going on for quite a while (in relation to my other projects).  One sock has been successfully completed, however I now have SSS (Second Sock Syndrome).  I haven't even made it to the heel of the second sock yet and am trying to force myself to knit at least a little on them every day.

Another item I started (and finished) for myself was a shawlette.  I'd never really thought of making myself a shawl, but found some beautiful drapey feeling yarn that I bought ball of without knowing what it might be.  I later got to thinking about a shawl and a search through Ravelry found that I did have enough yardage to make a mini version.  I'm really pleased with the results and overcame a couple of knitting fears in the process; lace patterns really can be memorized & enjoyable and charts really can be read!

I actually enjoyed this pattern so much I cast on another one... however that was rather quickly frogged.  With two balls totaling approximately 240 yds, I was already cutting it close... Then I came to the part of the first ball that was cut.  I should say, this yarn was part of a grab bag, which is usually prone to some kind of issue, hence the awesome price.  After a little playing with the pattern and contemplation, I decided to pull it out and look for something else.  Still looking for that something else...

My daughter was the recipient of one more item that was another first for me.  It's called a Sleeveless Cardi and is knit like a raglan sweater.  I hadn't tried my hand at a sweater yet and never realized how simple raglan sweaters could be!  Once I got the concept of what was happening, I got really excited that I could create all kinds of things and have added that to my mental que.  This project started because in many of my recent grab bag purchases I would end up with a ball or two (or more) of the same yarn, color and lot!  I wanted to do something big with it but wasn't sure what.  A friend suggested a sweater so I started there, coming across the pattern I did was a perfect match as the weather is slowly warming up here.  I think she looks just darling in it!

With so many knit items going to my daughter, my sons (one in particular) were feeling left out.  They really wanted a shirt but there isn't much similar to the above in a less girly version.  At this point, I settled on a simple sweatband for the most left out feeling son to wear for soccer season in the school colors.  I may just get started on some raglan sweaters for them and hope I can finish by the time the weather cools down again!

Knitting away...

I was re-inspired after my thrifty yarn shopping trip and cast on a new project the next day.  Using the heavy salmon colored (what may or may not technically be) yarn I knit up a handbag.  I had to seam the sides together with a different yarn and I can see it peeking through and that gave me the idea of a shoulder strap, maybe a brown leather kind, that would run down the side of the purse.  No pics yet as it's not really finished yet, but whenever I get around to getting a strap on it, I'll post some.

After asking DH what he might like knit, I cast on a pair of socks using Universal Yarns/Wisdom Yarns San Francisco.  It's about as small a yarn/needle combo I am willing to do, but the yarn is self patterning so interestingly, I'm actually thinking of getting more to do for myself!  

I had recently read (or heard on a podcast?) that when knitting socks one should actually use either the smallest needle suggested or maybe even smaller.  This creates a denser fabric and helps stop the sole of the sock from becoming holey.  Recently a (doomed from the beginning) sock I knit for myself starting getting holes in the sole so I'm more aware of the issue and am hoping the size 3 needles are creating a tight enough weave on DHs sock.

The next cast on project was a snood.  I enjoyed the lace pattern I'd been working on the recently ordered hats so much I wanted one for myself and thought something bigger would be nice, something I could tuck my hair into and go.  Well, I'm pretty far along on this and have realized it can't be a snood.  Not exactly sure what the main factor is (yarn to thick, knitting to tight), but it's not floppy enough to work as a snood.  So, it's looking more like a baggy beanie hat.  This project seems to have mind changing effects because I'd also planned on dying it once complete (it's a cream color now) but the pattern and color look so nice together I'm having a hard time justifying the dye job.  Perhaps it will not even end up for me!  

My most recent cast on is another hat with my lace pattern dejour in a bright blue shade.  I have a recipient in mind who I am thinking of donating it to.  I don't know them too well, but she is a young breast cancer survivor going through chemo and I think it would be a nice surprise.

Well, back to my current routine of Netflix watching and knitting...