FO: Squirrely Swedish Mittens...

My WIP pile is now down to two.



Pattern: Squirrely Swedish Mittens by Elli Stubenrauch (Elliphantom Knits)
Yarn: Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima Socka in green and pink (1 skein each)
Needles: US1.5/2.5mm Addi Turbos
Time: 3 weeks, on and off
Mods: Knitted hem, added braids, fewer snowflake repeats

Notes: I started using this long tail CO method for knitting a hem on Venezia. I like it so much that I used it for the mittens. Provisional cast ons tend to take me a few tries to before I have something workable, which gets tiring, so I'm glad that it's possible to pick up and knit together stitches from a long tail cast on edge. I also added braids to the cuff using this tutorial. It was slow to work on the first mitten but by the second I breezed through those rounds.

My gauge was a little off, probably because the needles are a tad larger than called for. The colors are nice, but they're not very "me". I'm going to find a friend I can gift these to.

FOs: Boteh and Monkey

Trying to make up for lost time...



Pattern: Boteh Scarf by Kathy Merrick from Interweave Crochet Spring 2007
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Red Rover (2 hanks)
Hook: F/5/4mm Boye aluminum
Time: 1 week
Mods: Gauge was tighter than specified so I crocheted 4 extra triangles for a total of 20 to reach the desired length.



Notes: My first real crochet project! I figured it out sometime last year, mainly because I really liked the Boteh Scarf. The yarn was originally knit into a mini Sarcelle that just turned out too short. It makes a nice Boteh, though. This was an easy pattern to crochet (note: there is errata for this) and made for nice instant gratification.

And I finally got the Monkey off my back...



Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A. from Knitty.com
Yarn: Southwest Trading Co. TOFUtsies color #722 (1 skein)
Needles: US1.5/2.5mm DPNs]
Time: 5 months
Mods: Altered pattern to be knit toe-up, short row heels, knee-length (because the yarn would not end), increases for calf shaping

Notes: These are *finally* done. I pretty much got tired of their unfinished state and the slow progress due to making them exclusive travel knitting, so I devoted some time after the Boteh Scarf specifically to finishing these socks. I wanted to use up as much of the yarn as possible, which is why they're toe-up and knee length. One skein of TOFUtsies goes a long way (I wear a US 7 shoe in case anyone was wondering just how far). I still have a bit left over but that probably would have taken me closer to the knee than I'd like.

For the calf increases, I basically added a couple stitches per lace repeat over four rounds, which enlarged the overall lace pattern (i.e. each repeat has 4 rounds of eyelets originally, this went up to five after increasing). I also knit the ribbed cuff about half an inch longer than called for.

For some reason the color pattern on the second sock flashed instead of striped until I started the calf shaping. This one feels looser than its mate so maybe my gauge changed slightly for the first half and then tightened up. I did knit half of this second sock while on a couple hours of sleep and jet lagged. The latter half I did at home. Oh well. I'm just glad these are finally done.

FO: Fireside Stocking...

I haven't posted since September? Seriously? Oops.



Pattern: Fireside Stocking by Kate Gilbert from Interweave Knits Holiday 2007
Yarn: Dale of Norway Svale in white (2), dark purple (1), light grey (1); Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Cotton in purple (1), navy (1), blue (1)
Needles: US5/3.75mm Denise Interchangeables
Time: 1 month
Mods: Lined the inside, knit niece's name in top, used fabric scraps for hanger

Notes: I started this mid-November and finished it mid-December. Early enough to mail out to my new niece. I wasn't too picky about the yarn selection. Just went with something that was a similar weight and in the colors I wanted, which is why I used two different brands of cotton. The pattern was hard to get into at first, but once I got the hang of it the knitting was a breeze.

For stability, I lined the stocking with a striped cotton fabric in similar colors.



My best hand-sewing job. Ever. Still wish I had a machine, though.

PROJECT UPDATE!!!

After knitting all the pieces for the hooded jacket, I realized that I wasn't in love with it anymore. I was pretty sure I wouldn't wear it, either, so I frogged everything. The yarn will be turned into Wren.

I am nearly done with the Monkey socks! I have one sock done, and I'm halfway through the second sock. They're taking a while because I've been knitting them while traveling only. And they go up to my knees.

I have two sleeves and a bit of the body done for Venezia. I'm liking my decision to do it in three colors:



For instant gratification and because I was inspired by a week of sub-freezing temperatures, I knit a Squirrelly Swedish Mitten. Note the singular tense. I'm a little color-worked out at the moment. I plan to get to the second mitten after finishing my next instant gratification project:

The Boteh Scarf. I figured out how to crochet at some point last year. Now I'm putting it to good use. I frogged my Sarcellette after I came to terms with the fact that it's too short. The yarn makes a nice Boteh Scarf, though.

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and I'll try to update this more.