Candleflame Scarf

This is a knitpicks test knitter job just completed. It's based on their shawl, but knit with a heavier weight yarn and narrower in dimensions.

Last Years Socks Completed

Most folks know how fast I knit socks. For some reason, the stitches kept slipping off the needles when I was commuting to work last year, so these never got finished. Until the other morning when I completed the toe on the second sock and put them right now and wore them to work! Yah! 

First Snow Day of the Year

I've just woken up to this snow. It wasn't the normal din of traffic outside my window that woke me but the utter silence. No shovels scraping, no sliding cars (as yet). Just a few inches of snow and this place called Portland (not Maine) just stops.

I'm happy for the quiet and the white and the fact that it makes me take this pictures and write before I even have my first cup of tea.

Happy Winter. 

Scarf, Cetlic Lace

This is the from a Susan Oldham pattern in the Best of Knitters book, Scarves and Shawls. The first half of this really long scarf if done and now I'm working on the second half. Frogging has been done. The edging is unusual to me and is supposed to keep it from curling, but not so successully. The ends of the scarf have big tassles and the hat is a cute toque with a tassle as well. Although there are mittens, I don't think I'll make those.

I'm knitting this in Cascade 220 in one of the heathered shades that I just love! 

New Knit Year

I have knitted less in the last week or two that I have all year. Not burnout exactly, but forces beyond my control are taking away some of my brain cells. Using them for other purposes are just trashing them altogether. Not quite sure yet. Very little ability to focus, so the things I am working on are getting frogged with great frequency. Hmmmm. WhatEVER! So, then. My knitting resolutions are just important as my life resolutions (I think there's a difference): 1.Frog or tink early in the game. 2. Don't wait and see if you can work it out in the next row. This has not worked. 3. Buy yarn in colors that you really love and don't attempt to change your color personality this year. 4. Try to not grab the needles out of E.M's hands when she's making a mistake and asks for help. 5. Re-consider my desire to teach the world to knit. 6.And, as always, use up more of my existing stash.

Crocheted Doll

I haven't crocheted in years, but I made this doll for Nana. The pattern ended up being just a jumping off point (as usual) but I really had fun with it. 

Cat Pillow

This is the top of the pillow that I gave to Elizabeth for Christmas today. I had working on something in intarsia (not may fave technique). Now that the gifts are give, I can put them up my my blog! 

Red Yarn

I couldn't leave my top post to be in black and white, so here is some fabulous red. Close, futher, futher, leaving now...

This again is from a shawl I was knitting in several earthy colors and then just decided to frog it for the realization that it was too boring to knit and I'd never wear it. This baby is now free! A new life ahead of it, so to speak.

www.handpaintedyarn.com 

Okay, Now the Story

I knitted these socks with yarn from KnitPicks as my first project as a test knitter for them. I would have never have knit these socks without that pressure because they have all the elements of what I never wanted to knit! Toe up on circs, two lace patterns....etc.

So, I am happy (thrilled really) to say that KnitPicks is very pleased with the socks and I await my next project. I have to tell you that it probably took me over 70 hours to complete these socks. It was truly shocking. I'm the kinda gal who can knock them out in more like 20 hours at the top end.

I'm also teaching a sock class on my own these days (more of as a tutor really) and that's been great. I can finally call myself a professional knitter (even though at the time, these socks were called the "socks from hell." 

Hat From My Yarn

I am so happy to report that Nana made this lovely hat from the yarn I spun and gave to her for her birthday! The pattern is from the Winter Interweave Knits and it looks adorable. She lent it to me to take these pictures, but maybe I'll catch a shot of her in it. This past summer she knit her first cabled fingerless gloves out of some wool/silk that I spun. I'm glad SOMEONE is knitting with my yarn.

The roving was from Woodland Woolworks in Merino Top, coloway Cassis. 

Simple 1X1 Rib Scarf

Here I'm using a handpainted silk and wool brown yarn and an alpaca heathered yarn create a blue brown colorway my friend Riis requested. (He's already see it, so I can post it now.) Now I just have to finish it! 

Basic Rib Socks

I've been using these socks as "demos" while teaching and just decided to finish them. I had this great merino lying around and realized it was superwash! 

Midwest Moonlight Scarf

 

Japanese Yarn Shawl

 

To Knit Gifts or to Just Knit

I find myself tired of having to work on any one particular project after those last socks. Right now I just want to play with the yarn that strikes my fancy. Those socks were TAN! Ughhhhh. Tan. I like earthtones, but not tan. Today I'm making a shawl from the Japanese yarn and just loving the little metalic glitter going on. It's not about counting or numbers or anything that resembles the rest of my life. Yahhhhhhhh!

Thought for the Day:

You are free to do whatever you like.
You need only face the consequences.

Tweed Hat

This is from Knitters Fall 2006. I used a strand each of Rowen Tweed and a silk cashmere fingering weight to get to the right gauge. It came out rather smaller than I expected, but not smaller than they said. I just don't have a clear idea of head sizes I guess! It was fun to knit, but hard on the hands. Bulky yarn doing tight and scrunchy things. That's the only way I can describe it. 

Labels are Fine

And finally, I actually use one of my labels...

Silk/Alpaca Cap

With my usual model of a lamp here, I give you a greatly altered cap. I mean, altered from the orginal pattern. It was supposed to be all these traveling cables but I just couldn't get it to work past the first rows. So, I went and redesigned this into something I COULD knit. The yarn was just lovely and perfect for this. I used KnitPicks Elegance. As I am now want to do with all my knitted hats, I used elastic thread on the inside bottom rows for better grip on the head. 

The Adventure Ends

My first foray into being a sample knitter. More of an explanation to come...