Sweater Progress

by Kelly

Freezing cold weather makes it hard to photograph the sunrise. Using a camera with gloves on is difficult, but not wearing the gloves means fingers that aren't able to push tiny buttons. On the other hand, I've finally realized why I've been able to get so many good pictures this year - no clouds. Usually winter means grey and cloudy skies most of the time, but obviously not during a drought.

In other news, the sweater project continues:

 

This is the front panel of the sweater, and it's about halfway done. Once I finish this panel, I just need to knit the sleeves, seam the thing together and knit the neck. Okay, so there is quite a bit still to do. A little reality check there. It seems like I should be further along, since I've put so much time in on this.

It's not difficult, just time consuming. It takes over five minutes just to knit one row from start to finish. But I'm not discouraged. Besides, I need to empty this plastic zipper bag all the sweater stuff came in so I can use it for storage:)

Pirate Bookmark

by Kelly

Between working on other projects, I've been doing some cleaning around here. While I was dusting bookshelves (something I rarely do, since usually they're too full of books to be really dusty), I stumbled across something I made ages ago.

Mind you, I found this when I was taking books off the shelf. It fell on the floor and I have no idea what book it was in or what page it was marking. Oops.

WIP for Cold Weather

by Kelly

Icy cold weather is finally here, which means it's time to knit and crochet warm wooly things. Truth be told, though, that goes on here all year round, even when the temperature is over 100 F.

Anyway, two projects are in the works right now: a sweater for me and leg warmers for my aunt-in-law.

Leg warmers are good practice for sweater sleeves. I wonder if that's how they were created in the first place...someone had a sweater fail, and thought they would salvage something from the ruins. Hmmmm....

Sweater Project

by Kelly

Another morning in the Midwest. Weather forecast for today is temperatures in the 60's and rain. This is January, right? Or have I missed something??

Meanwhile, work on the sweater project continues:

 

This is the back panel of this sweater:

via Bernat.com

Well, almost. I still have a little work to do, something like 10 more rows.

The pattern is free, found at the link below the picture above. So far everything seems to be going fine.

The only thing I've done differently than the pattern instructions is at the beginning and end of the rows. I slip the first stitch and knit through the back loop of the last. I'm hoping this will give me a nice clean edge, and will make seaming easier.

Most likely this will cause some problems at the armhole joining, but I'm hoping not. Fingers crossed.

Twisted Germans and Snow Falling Softly

by Kelly


"Snow, it won't be long before we'll all be there with snow
Snow, I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow"
                                                                           - White Christmas

Well, maybe not that last part. I do love snow, but let's not get carried away, here.

Especially the fluffy white kind of snow that looks like spun sugar. When each tiny, delicate flake is visible, it rewards a closer look. Don't slip!

In other news, I'm working on a special project for my aunt-in-law : leg warmers.

I know what you're thinking. Leg warmers, really? Well if bell-bottoms can come back, why not leg warmers?  And anyway, my aunt-in-law only wants them for a practical purpose - her legs get cold, and she wants to keep them warm. I can only hope that she doesn't set a fashion trend.

Of course, if you're going to leg warmers (or socks or mittens, I suppose) you should really master a flexible or stretchy cast on. The one I've run across most seems to be The Twisted German or Old Norwegian cast on, and neither of those names made me think that this was going to be a simple matter, to learn this new trick. And oh, how right I was.

Have I mentioned that I mostly learn new knitting and crochet techniques by watching YouTube videos? Well, this time, even YouTube failed me. Oh, there were plenty of video tutorials - too many, in fact. And most of them were unclear for various reasons - odd camera angles, too close or too far from the action, or maybe they took for granted that you would know instinctively how much yarn to use for the long tail, or how to wind a cat's cradle of yarn around the thumb and fingers of your left hand.

But then I found How to Knit the Twisted German Cast On by newstitchaday, and I finally saw what I was doing wrong - I wasn't tightening the stitch after getting it onto the needle. Success at last:

And yes, I know that's supposed to be on double pointed needles. I find it really fiddly to cast onto DPN's, so I just cast on with a long regular needle and then transfer the stitches.

So for now, onward with the leg warmer project. Let's hope that we don't have to crack out the dangly earrings next. I'm afraid I've gotten rid of all of mine. Although big hair will not be a problem - I can get that look easily enough with just a little humidity.

Crafty Christmas Swag

by Kelly

I received much crafty swag for Christmas this year:

My early experiments with tatting have shown me that while tatting is simple to do, it's difficult to do beautifully without practice:

And although we didn't have a white Christmas here, beautiful fluffy white flakes are now falling.

New Year's Eve is fast approaching. Resolution time. I resolve to be happier with the things I have, and less driven to change the things I can do nothing about. In fact, that may be my permanent resolution.

Mitten Tree Contributions!

by Kelly

Merry Christmas Eve! Best wishes for a happy holiday. Best wishes even for those who are gathered on a beach in sunnier climes, watching a parade of decorated boats. Actually, no - pooh on you.

In other news, the Mitten Tree contributions have been delivered! Just in time for cold and snowy weather.

The heap seems to be about the same size as last year...

 

Yay for warm hands and heads! And surprisingly, our contributions were supposed to be distributed just before Christmas break, so the kids will have something to wear when they're outside playing in the snow. If there is more than a dusting of snow, that is. And do kids even play outside anymore, or do they spend most of their time snuggled up near a warm Internet connection?

Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?

And speaking of thoughts, best wishes to all for a happy holiday. May the next year be merry and bright. Fingers crossed.