January is off with a bANg!

So January is almost over, and in spite of the craziness, I got so much knitting done. Wicked is complete...pictures and details coming. Arisaig in in works...and somewhere in the middle I completed the baby blanket for my future nephew. Good thing, cause the shower is tomorrow.

But honestly, knitting has been my sanity this month. With Annie, the puppy, being sick...knitting has let me get some stress out on my stix. I hate animal illnesses and children illnesses....illnesses in general. It's hard to see her struggle but through it all she is still my happy girl!

Casting on...In January!

I am so excited with my progress on the Wicked pattern from Zepher Style. I cast on January 9th, and I am just flying through the pattern and am considering doing a second. I chose Rowan Kid Classic in a beautiful heather gray. It's soft and cool to the touch and as well as beautiful drape.

I have also casted on for Arisaig from Knitty Fall 2005. It's an adorable wrap cardigan. Martin bought me the merino yarn for it as a Christmas present. I am using Jaeger Matchmaker 4ply in Heather - a soft grape color with the contrast band in Indigo - dark and inky blue. It's progressing slowly, the size 3 needles might have something to do with that.

I have also started a baby blanket for my future nephew who is due in March. My bet is on the middle of February. I chose Sidar Snuggly for this project. Its a super soft acrylic/nylon DK. The main factor in choosing this yarn is that it is machine washable and dryable. My sister n law is not going to hand wash anything, and who has time with a newborn anyway. I am creating the pattern myself. The color is stone, which looks like an antique white, I plan to run a satin blue ribbon in the border.

Getting Organized

Over the weekend while nursing our sick puppy Annie back to health, I took the time to organize my stash and knit items. I have a beautiful cedar wardrobe that was handed down to me from my grandparents.

I remember as a child, sitting and hiding in it from my brothers. My grandparents house was the perfect setting for a good game of hide and seek. This weekend, while reminiscing, I wrapped different knit pieces in tissue paper and put the in their cedar home. I came across this shawl that I completed in October and thought I should share it.

My brother, Benjamin, was married this past October to Laura who is precious in every sense of the word. They had a beautiful and elegant black and white wedding. The bridesmaid's dresses were black satin. My dress was a halter style, all of the dresses had an open back. I wanted a beautiful wrap to wear with the dress for the reception. Especially since the wedding was in October, so I scoured patterns until I came across the Vogue Knitting Accessorize Summer shawl pattern. The original pattern calls for a DK cotton.

Given the occasion, I chose Rowan Kidsilk Haze in night. The results are spectacular and the pictures in no way do the shawl justice. Every little move or turn you make, you shimmer! It's light as air and something I will enjoy for years to come.

The entire night, people commented on the beauty of the shawl, asked to see it and try it on. Of course I obliged them.

Endpaper Mitts!

Just before the weekend and in hopes of needing a pair of hand warmers. Actually these are merely one more example of my addiction to fingerless gloves. ME LOVES THEM SO! Fingerless gloves are what made me pick the needles up again. Trying to type at 3AM in my tiny dispatch office shivering and fingers numb. I actually have no idea when this building was built...but I would dare say that our office would be located in the "historical district." Fingerless gloves brought me back full circle to the art my grandmother had first introduced me to. And this particular pattern is stellar!

Bask in or warm your digits to the Endpaper Mitts. Knit in Little Plymouth Baby Alpaca DK. Yes I substituted. I had some sock weight yarn....but it was too low on the fuzz factor. I wanted dreamy! I kept the pattern the same except at the end, I only repeated half of Chart A or 5 rows. This was the second time I worked with 2 colors at once. The first was a hat from Knitty. The wave pattern on that one turned out perfect...but I dunno I think my technique was off. The hat was way too tight for hubbie which I have never had happen before; so the hat went to my nephew (yeah was really that tight while using the counts for extra large). My resolution was adding an extra wave repeat and it worked out fine. But these, well I had no problems at all.

Def..def...definitely a good time.

Christmas Knits

Christmas knits were a hit on both accounts. Both mums seemed to really love their gifts. Martin's mom had been hinting for some time that she wanted something knitted for herself. She was always seeing my mom receive hand knitted gifts. But I was skeptical at first because many times when she asks for something, she doesn't really want it.



I chose the lacy Elizabeth I pattern from Knitpicks for Maureen. It turned out so gorgeous. I used Crystal Palace Kid Mohair blend in red and a red multi, alternating the two colors every two rows. The effect is beautiful. The first picture is before blocking, followed by pictures of the final results.



For my mom, Maggie, I knit a scarf from Vogue Accessorize. I promised no knit sweaters for anyone this year, last year i was still piecing a sweater together Christmas day. Her scarf is in a perfect pale petal pink, also Crystal Palace Kid Mohair blend, purchased from Yarn Market.