random threads

In addition to the three styles of wristwarmers I posted about yesterday, I also knit mittens and gloves as Christmas gifts.  First, a pattern I have had for a long time but had not yet knit, Pop-Up Paws by Mary Dockman. This pattern has you knit a ‘hobo’ style glove with stubby open fingers and then a cover that can be flipped open for easy finger access or flipped closed to keep the fingers warm when it is chilly. I believe the pattern is now only sold as part of a kit with yarn. It was a well-written, very detailed pattern, good for new knitters.

Here’s the ones I knit in Berroco Peruvia in a nice silvery grey for my friend Kathy, Pop-Up Paws II,

and ones I knit in Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed, picked solely for the color match to my friend Dee’s jacket.  The yarn itself was not soft despite 15% angora content, but harsh and I did not enjoy knitting with it. Pop-Up Paws I: (sorry the pic is a bit dark).

Then I knit my mom a Ruffly scarf and matching gloves.  Since she is wool-phobic, I used Plymouth Jeannee which is a cotton/acrylic blend in tan and accents of ruffles knit in Universal’s Tango in purple/tan/blue/beige which does match her winter coat. I did the scarf pattern similar to the Noro striped rib scarf, but added an knit-in i-cord edge at each side plus the ruffles at each end.  I used 3 balls of the  Jeannee to get a nice long length you can tie or wrap around. 

 The Ruffly gloves were knit following the Hogwarts’ House Gloves pattern by Ruth Bendig. I did find the pattern needed to have the thumb gusset adjusted to fit my thumb/my mom’s thumb–it starts early enough but should end much sooner, so I did the increases every 3rd round on the thumb instead of every 4th. 

I had the scarf finished for Mom to open on December 27th when my folks arrived here for New Years’, and had the gloves finished by the 1st of January before they left for Michigan again on January 4th.

So now, with all this Christmas knitting, you know why I was not blogging during the month of December–my needles were too busy clacking!

Yes, this Christmas, I did not gift anyone socks. Amazing.  Instead, I gifted armwarmers, fingerless gloves, fingered gloves, mittens with pop-up caps.  All fit into the ‘hand sock’ category in my mind.  I also provided silken braid catnip mice for the cats of friends and family. And I gave the Noro Striped rib scarf to my brother-in-law.

So here is the run-down. For my two nieces and my sister, we have a variety of armwarmers:

Blue Icicle Wristwarmers from the pattern by KaraMichele Designs.

Charcoal Wristwarmers from the pattern by by Jen Showalter called Spooky Cabled Wristwarmers. I did add a gusseted thumb to this pattern.

Of course, in the wristwarmer category, I did have to try Fetchings, the very popular Knitty pattern. My first one, following the directions was hopelessly too small, so I redid it with 50 stitches and more rows. My Turquoise Fetchings:

All three sets of these were done in Berroco Ultra Alpaca, with which I really liked working. Each pair only took me a couple of days to knit, perhaps three days at the most, so they did make good gift knit items.

More on additional hand-sock gifts tomorrow.

I received my order of Berroco Ultra Alpaca last week from Yarn Market and promptly cast on the Icicle Wristwarmers from KaraMichele Designs.  This color of Ultra Alpaca is called Stonewashed, and I think it shows off the cables nicely.  I made a few modifications to the pattern, extending the cuff ribbing and the finger edge ribbing slightly. And yes, wristwarmer #2 is complete, I just haven’t taken more photos since Monday.

I also changed the thumb gusset increases a bit–it uses a knit-front&back (kfb) to make increases. So I used a tip I picked up from the Debbie Bliss Magazine, since the increase is always on the second half of the stitch, I moved the second increase from the last stitch before the marker to the next-to-the-last-stitch before the marker. It balances the increases better. I also think the La-Linc and La-Rinc increases (lifted raised increases) would work well on the thumb gusset and would be a bit more invisible.  But, this time I (mostly) followed the written pattern (I do do that, occasionally!).

I plan to make at least two more sets of wristwarmers/fingerless mitts from more colors of Ultra Alpaca, but I may try out some other patterns. To me, the cable pattern was a bit unbalanced in this design.

Other than the wristwarmers, I have been knitting on socks (of course) and my Vertical Bettna Jacket. Tomorrow, Saturday, I’m off to the annual Seagrove Potteries sale. Today, I had to have the plumber out since I had no hot water.  Turns out my water heater was rusting, so now I have a new water heater. At least I got my running toilet fixed for no additional charge!  My parents are coming for a quick Thanksgiving visit, and we’ll be having the big meal at my friends’ home, so that will save on the cooking I need to do.  Just nutbread, ramen noodle salad (my specialty) and pumpkin pie to take to the dinner.

The weather has turned chillier here in North Carolina (28° F. overnight), so my thoughts have turned to what I will be knitting for Christmas gifts.  I have anywhere from 2 to 8 people for whom I might knit gifts for Christmas, mostly depending on how much I can accomplish.  I usually make at least one or two pairs of socks. I started on one of the pairs yesterday in Regia Stretch, which I have not used before.  It seems much like regular Regia when knitting, but the feel of the yarn and the resulting knit fabric is bit more stretchier than usual.  Fiber content is  70% wool, 23% nylon and 7% polyester.  I am using the color 85, which is blue, milk chocolate brown, grey and sage green.  Sorta a camouflage effect, yes? The sock design is toe-up, as usual, and I am planning some sort of 5 stitch cable on the leg. Just a 5×1 rib on the instep.  I’ll decide exactly what kind of cable once I get through the heel.

Second pair of socks will be knit from Regia Cotton Surf Color, in Mom-requested bright colors (”I have so much blue already” she said). Color is Strato 5414, orange, fuschia and navy in varying width stripes.  Sock pattern tbd.

Next I am thinking perhaps fingerless gloves or ribbed scarfs for the other people on my list. I had in mind using Berroco Ultra Alpaca for the fingerless gloves, and after some Ravelry-pattern-searching, I think I’ll try the Icicle Wristwarmers by KaraMichele Designs. If you aren’t on Ravelry, you can also see the pattern on her blog, StarMonkeybrass, here. I do think I’ll knit them a bit longer tho’ so they go a couple of inches more up the arm.  With the Ultra Alpaca having 215 yards per 100gm skein, longer should be no problem. I know Fetching (Knitty link here) is the most favorite fingerless-glove pattern around, but I’m looking for something with more cables, and I’m not one to follow the biggest trends on the net.  (I still have not knit any Jaywalkers or Pomotomi (Knitty link here) or whatever that Cookie A sock pattern is.)

The Noro Ribbed Scarf, you will recall, was one of my completed Ravolympics projects, knit in Noro Silk Garden. I have more Silk Garden stockpiled to make more scarfs, so that may happen, time permitting as well.

No, I’m not MIA. I’ve been busy the past three weeks with my Christmas knitting and my parents in town (and a bit too much Ravelry surfing). However, now I can share the Christmas knitting with you.

First, I finished the second Chevron scarf for my niece (my other niece received Chevron Scarf #1 which was finished back in August, see photos here). As you may recall, the pattern is from Joelle Hoverson’s book, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. As young women in their twenties, living in the Northeast, I hope they enjoy them. I had a good time knitting them. The second scarf was knit in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in mediumweight, colors Backstabber (maroon) and Chapman Springs (multi-color: teal, maroon, lemon).

Next, I made the So-Called Scarf from Sheep in the City for my sister (their mother) using Manos in color 113, Wildflower. I used a third skein of Manos to knit My Herringbone Hat for my So-Called Scarf by Moonfrog. My sister says the hat fits her on-the-large-side head perfectly! She’d already worn them the day after Christmas, so I think she liked it.

More updates on FO’s and my new major project next post.