I've Been Knitting

I know it's been over 2 months since I have posted on my blog. I have no valid excuse. All I have to say is one word, Ravelry. It is a knitter website that is so addictive that I get little else done on the computer. I do check my mail and after that I can spend hours on the Ravelry site. I do manage to go to work, occasionally do housework, do the shopping and knit.

Since it has been so long I have lots of knitting to post. Let me start with the Adult Marley Hat that I knit for Shanda. Shanda is a nurse that I work with and she really wanted a hat like the Baby Marley that I knit for Amanda's baby shower. I finally (months later) made one for her. I love it too. I would like to have one for myself, maybe months from now I will knit another one.

As you can see I made this the first of December. We drew Secret Santa at work and I drew Diana's name. She recieved this scarf.

I continued with the gift theme and knit felted clogs for Mom and Dad's Christmas presents. They were a very fun knit and even more fun to felt. Before felting they were HUGE!
This is Dad's clog on my right foot, a normal slipper on my left. Can you say clown shoe?

This is the same clog after felting. Sorry there is no comparison picture but they are normal size. As you can see the picture was taken Christmas Eve. They were freshly felted and I don't think they dried for a couple of weeks past Christmas. I hope he's using them.

Dad's were in a nice denim blue shade. Mom's were a little brighter.

Turquoise uppers, pink tops, and purple soles.

In January, I knit Claire a fair isle tam.

I love knitting fair isle projects. Lindsey had visited Sophie's Fine Yarn and purchased Noro Silk Garden for me. I wish you could see the hat in person. It is adorable. When I gave it to Claire she immediately put it on and said it was very "French". Pretty smart for a 5 year old. She asked me to knit her some slippers, so she got these.

In her favorite colors, pink and purple. They will go with her purple robe and her pink and purple bedroom. She is a girly girl.

I have tried and tried to knit something for the boys that they would actually wear. They have declined everything so far, except Jason who wore the first scarf that I ever knit (until Lindsey gifted him with the Harry Potter scarf for Christmas, Yeah Lindsey!). Anyway, I knit a Fake Isle hat and Cory liked it. He liked it so much that he wore it on the annual guy's ski trip.

They went to Snowshoe this year. They had a good time at Snowshoe year before last but decided to step it up a bit last year. They drove for 18+ hours to Killington Vermont. Killington experienced record high temp's last year and no natural snow in December. They were sooooooo disappointed but did get to ski on man made snow. This year they opted for Snowshoe again and had plenty of natural snow, and were able to ski in and out of their condo. They even let a couple of girls go this year!

My neighbor, Sharon stopped in the weekend before Christmas. She asked, in a half joking manner, if I could knit her daughter, Samantha, some fingerless mittens for Christmas. I said sure but not before Christmas. She got these for New Year.

The good ol Fetching pattern from knitty.com. I have knit these before, they are quick and cute. I think everyone makes these, at least those in my knitting group.

Speaking of the knitting group, there is a group of knitters who met at the knitting retreat back in November. We enjoyed each others company so much that we decided to meet once a month to keep up the camaraderie. We have named ourselves the 127 Knitters, since we meet in Frankfort most of the time and have to travel on Hwy 127 to get there. Origional huh? If you are on Ravelry you can find our group aptly named 127 Knitters. Everyone has been bringing projects to share with the group. I made this from the yarn intended for the purse pattern from the retreat. I don't think anyone finished the purse and used the wonderful Mission Falls yarn for another project. Mine is a Tudora neck wrap from knitty.com

It is a cute pattern with cables and it folds over under the chin. Very victorian looking. Lindsey gave me the button. It has a crown on it (for the queen)!

Mom and Dad flew south for February, (not literally, they drove). Mom's birthday is in February and I gave her this scarf before they left.

It is the Huckleberry pattern from Interweave's Holiday issue. I knit it in a yarn with tiny sequins on it, held double with some kidsilk haze. It is so soft against the skin and with sparkle too! I hope she uses it. I think she is afraid to "hurt" the stuff that I give her. She usually just displays it. I want you to use it. I promise to make you more if something happens to the stuff I have given to you already! If anyone reads this blog that has been gifted something handknit use it. That's what it's for.

Finally something I knit for me. It is the Ice Queen from knitty.com.Do you see a repeating pattern here. Lots of knitty pattern use. I like that web mag alot. Anyway, I think that this is the most beautiful project that I have ever knit. I used Rowan Kidsilk Night, so soft and sparkly! I also used Swarovski crystals. It does indeed look like tiny flecks of ice on the cowl.

You can see a few sparkles in the picture. Oh and it is modeled on the infamous head in a box. I had mentioned to Jason and Lindsey that I would like to have a head manequin to use for photographing my hats. For Christmas they gave me this one. When I opened it we all laughed that I had recieved a head in a box. It will forever thus be named.

I have to show you what Roger made Lindsey for Christmas.

In case you don't know what it is, it is a lovely, beautiful, smooth working, creative, wonderfully made yarn swift. Lindsey had to wait until she came to our house to wind her yarn. Now she has a better swift than I do. I know I'll get one of these too, won't I Roger?

Until next time, whenever that will be.

Happy Knitting and God Bless