Holidays are for knitting

My long weekend in Pittsburgh was a great opportunity to get some knitting done. First I worked on the Griffindor scarf until I ran out of yarn. I've still got a few more stripes to go, especially now that I've found out that Andrew wants to wear it doubled up and looped through. (Is there a name for that method of scarf wearing?) We're talking about a guy who's never even had a scarf before. But apparently law students spend a lot of time discussing things such as how scarves ought to be worn.

Then I finished up John's double-knit ski cap. My purls must be looser than my knits, as the yellow side came out significantly bigger than the gray side. I'm hoping blocking will fix it. The stripes also didn't land where I wanted them. I had envisioned the hat being long enough to fold the edge up, so I started the stripes later, made them thicker, and added some extra rows before beginning the decreases. It still ended up being just long enough to cover John's ears without folding up the edge. And the stripes are very close to the top of the hat. Oh well -- live and learn. John says he's happy with it. Still, I know he'd prefer to wear it with the gray side out, but as it is right now, the extra fabric on the yellow side gets all wadded up inside so it isn't comfortable. The good news is, the reason I haven't had a chance to block it is that John has been wearing it every day!


While in Pittsburgh I got to see Courtney wearing her Kittyville hat. It fits her perfectly, and her parents like it because it covers her ears. One potential danger is that the pom-poms are just the right size to fit in her mouth. I probably should have made them bigger. During our stay I learned that she needs a pair of mittens, so the night I got back to Brooklyn, I found a pattern and made a pair from the same yarn I used for the kitty hat (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted). The thumbs came out very long even though I made them shorter than the pattern suggested. I don't think it's something I can fix with blocking, so I'm planning to try and redo them. It's going to be tricky since I already seamed up the thumbs and weaved in the ends. Once I get a measurement from her mom, I will also make an I-cord to connect the mittens.


I also started trying to make gauge for Grandma's vest. It calls for size 8 needles, but I know my stitches tend to be tight, plus the yarn I bought (Lion's Brand Wool-Ease) is on the lighter side of worsted, so I started with US size 9. My stitches came out way too tiny. I didn't have any larger needles, so when I got home I bought some cheap 10's and 10.5's. (I was hoping to come across a Denise interchangeable set, but couldn't find it in stores so I bought it on eBay.) Last night I started a new gauge swatch, following the method outlined in Stitch 'N Bitch Nation, which I have out from the library. With US size 10's I was still way off. With 10.5's I'm getting closer, but I'm wondering if 11's might be better. At this point I'm not going to purchase any more needles, but will wait for the Denise set to arrive. (I'm so excited!)

The Christmas scarves seemed to go over well. Turns out Amy had her eye on a cashmere cable-knit scarf from L.L. Bean, so the Irish hiking scarf worked out nicely. Though now I wish I had used cashmere instead of acrylic! Derek seemed pleased with the Broncos scarf. Apparently the blue I used is their "old" blue, and one of the patches is their old logo, which seemed to be plusses.

Last night I tried to attend the local Stitch 'n Bitch group for the first time, but when I got to the designated coffee shop, I couldn't find any other knitters. I bought some tea, settled down on a couch and started knitting, waiting to see if anyone else would show up, but nobody did! I guess a lot of people are out of town the week between Christmas and New Year's.

John's double-knit ski cap
Started: Nov. 30
Finished: Dec. 26
Yarn: Tolegno Lana Gatto Luxor, 1 skein yellow, 1 skein dark gray
Needles: metal circular size 6, bamboo dpns size 6

Griffindor scarf

The Griffindor scarf for my brother is about 1/3 finished. At this rate it will be ready in time for Hanukkah, no problem, assuming I don't run out of yarn. The pattern is the Hogwarts scarf from Atypically.Knit, and I'm using the same Lana Gatto Luxor yarn that I'm using for John's double-knit ski cap (on which I've made some progress, but am having some difficulty changing colors for the stripes). It does look like I'm going to run out of yarn, and getting back to School Products may be challenging in light of the transit strike. I've been working from home since Tuesday and haven't set foot in Manhattan. Tomorrow we leave for Pittsburgh. Oh well, my brother won't mind if his gift is a little late.

The big thing on my mind right now is my grandma's health. She had her leg amputated yesterday. I really want to get started knitting that vest for her. I feel so horrible about what she's been going through, and I'm hoping a hand-knitted gift will cheer her up some.

Finishing touches

The patches arrived yesterday, and last night I managed to sew them on without injuring myself too seriously. (I'm not used to using needles that are actually sharp!) I also added the fringe, which nicely covers up the fact that one end of the scarf is narrower than the other.

Having done that, I decided to see if fringe would also cover up the fanned-out end of the Irish hiking scarf. I'd say that was successful as well. I used yarn from the very inside of a skein so it's all curly, which I think goes nicely with the cables.


Diagonal Denver scarf
Started: Dec. 12
Finished: Dec. 19
Yarn: Bernat Super Value, 1 skein Carrot, 1 skein Royal Blue
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Irish hiking scarf
Started: Dec. 8
Finished: Dec. 12 (added fringe Dec. 19)
Yarn: Bernat Satin in sapphire, 2 skeins plus a little extra for the fringe
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Holiday crunch time

The gifts are almost ready! I just have to add some fringe to the Denver scarf. And maybe sew on patches if they arrive. And perhaps try to redo the bind-off on the Irish hiking scarf. And possibly block both scarves. And finish John's hat. And, oh, knit a Griffindor scarf for my brother. And a vest for my grandma! Fortunately Hanukkah's late this year -- we're celebrating on Jan. 1 -- and at least I'm in pretty good shape with the Christmas gifts! I'll have lots of knitting time when we drive to Pittsburgh on Friday.

Over the weekend Mom took me clothes shopping at the Danbury Mall. I kept getting distracted by all the knitwear. Instead of looking for things to buy, I kept thinking, "I bet that wouldn't be hard to make!"

I also stopped at JoAnn Fabrics and bought some alpine fleece to sew inside my Gimli hat for extra warmth and softness. That will of course have to wait till after the holidays. I'll also try and fix the tassels which are coming apart strand by strand.

Diagonal progress

Almost halfway there. I'd be much farther along, but I keep making dumb mistakes and having to go back. This is definitely the most frogging I've done on any project so far. Last night I tried to knit on the subway but somehow ended up making negative progress! When I got home I made actual positive progress though.

Yesterday I purchased a couple little Broncos patches on eBay. I'm thinking it might look cute to sew one on either end of the scarf, but I'll have to see how it looks. If the patches even arrive in time.

It's kind of weird to knit something I'd never wear myself. John assures me the recipient will like it, and that's all that really matters!

Diagonal Denver scarf

This is going to be a Christmas gift for a Denver Broncos fan. I started it last night, using the Diagon Alley scarf pattern from ohmystars. The yarn is Bernat Super Value, which happens to come in the right colors (Carrot and Royal Blue, I believe) and is quite affordable. Can't say I really enjoy working with this yarn -- it's so rubbery it almost squeaks. Too bad I got spoiled on luxurious yarns so early in my knitting career!

Started: Dec. 12
Finished: not yet!
Yarn: Bernat Super Value, 1 skein Carrot, 1 skein Royal Blue
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

Irish hiking scarf

Last night I finished the Irish hiking scarf which will be a Christmas gift. This was my first go at cables. I love the way they thicken the scarf.

Looks like I will have to block this one. I'm not sure I bound off quite right -- it seems to have flattened out at the end, but maybe that's normal? I also made a couple mistakes along the edge, but I don't think they're terribly noticeable. I know how to turn knits into purls and purls into knits (thank you Stitch 'n Bitch handbook!) but when the mistake happens along the edge, I get all confused when I try and fix it.

The scarf is 52 inches long. It would have been longer, but Norton the dog got a hold of the third skein, and in the process unravelled and drooled all over the yarn. That was a fun scene to come home to -- at first I thought he had unravelled my work. I was relieved to discover that it was just unused yarn. 52 inches should be long enough for this scarf, as its intended recipient, like me, is a hair under 5 feet tall.

Started: Dec. 8
Finished: Dec. 12
Yarn: Bernat Satin in sapphire, 2 skeins
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights

John's double-knit ski cap

A couple weeks ago I started this hat for John, but it's on hold while I churn out some X-mas presents. It's the double-knit ski cap from the blue blog. I wanted to make John a hat to match his scarf, but he said the Manos would be a bit too scratchy on his ears. Also, I've been spending way too much money on fancy yarns. So I went to School Products and found this 100% acrylic yarn called Luxor by Tolegno Lana Gatto in a very similar yellow and a lovely dark gray.

I did a real gauge swatch for this one, and it came out perfect for the pattern. So far the hat seems to be exactly the right size. Maybe my stitches aren't as ridiculously tight anymore.

Double knitting sure is time-consuming! I can't wait to get to the stripes.

Started: Nov. 30
Finished: not yet!
Yarn: Tolegno Lana Gatto Luxor, 1 skein yellow, 1 skein dark gray
Needles: metal circular size 6

Gimli hat

I made this hat for myself using some Fantasy Alpaka yarn ("100% Alpaka") I found at A.C. Moore. I believe it's real alpaca, but the spelling and the low price do make me wonder. At any rate, it was fun to knit. I didn't follow a pattern -- pretty much made it up as I went along. I quadrupled the yarn so I could use US size 15 needles. I think it sort of looks like chain mail. Emily says I look like Gimli from Lord of the Rings when I wear it.


Started: Nov. 23
Finished: Nov. 28 (added tassels Dec. 3)
Yarn: Fantasy Alpaka (2 skeins dark gray, 2 skeins light gray but there's lots left over)
Needles: metal circular size 15, bamboo dpns size 15

Courtney's kitty hat

This is a modified Kittyville hat from Stitch 'n Bitch I made for John's niece's first birthday. I checked the gauge first, but somehow it still came out extra tiny. Courtney is small for her age, but maybe not that small. At any rate, everyone seems to agree that it's very cute! Maybe it will fit one of her dolls or something.

I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Blackberry. It's a superwash, and so soft! I probably only used half a skein.

It only took me a few days to complete due to my obsessiveness and insomnia, but I came upon lots of challenges with this project. I had trouble with the invisible cast-on (which I later realized wasn't even necessary). I tried a cable cast-on, but finally gave up on that in favor of a crochet chain cast-on. The trouble is, I'd never crocheted, so that was a real struggle. Also, I think I knitted a whole round before I joined, so there's a weird uneven spot in the back. Later I got confused when it came to decreasing in the seed stitch, so it came out a little funky but apparently no one else can tell.

I chose not to sew up the outer edges of the ears, because I thought it looked neat open like that.

Started: Nov. 16
Finished: Nov. 20
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Blackberry (1 skein)
Needles: metal circular size 8, bamboo dpns size 8

Grandma's baby cable hat

This Baby Cable Ribbed Cap was done in 4 days. It goes with the ribbed scarf I knitted for Grandma the week before. She's been in and out of the hospital for the past few months, and she's always cold, so I wanted to make her things that would both cheer and warm her up. And make me feel useful. It was something to do while I awaited news from her doctors.


Started: Nov. 8
Finished: Nov. 12
Yarn: Rowan CashSoft Aran, Oat (2 skeins), and Mole (leftover from scarf)
Needles: metal circular size 8, bamboo dpns size 8

The beginning (my first scarf)

A few months ago, on a train headed upstate, Emily gave me a lesson on knitting. It felt funny to me, coming as I do from a line of women in which each generation is successively less gifted in the "domestic arts," to be holding knitting needles. Nevertheless, I managed to grasp the basics and completed several rows of garter stitch on that train ride. After the first few rows my stitches started to tighten drastically, resulting in a very irregularly shaped swatch.

A few days later, I went out to Purl in SoHo and bought some yellow Manos del Uruguay yarn which John picked out, and started my first scarf. Just plain and simple garter stitch, as I had not yet learned to purl. I started with 40 stitches and soon counted 42, but fortunately my mistakes were not too obvious. During my first few knitting sessions I would concentrate so hard that I'd forget to breathe, and I'd get all queasy and headachey. But as I plodded on, my fingers started to memorize the movements, and my breathing fell into step with the rhythm of the stitches. John likes his scarves extra long and wide, so I didn't finish that scarf for another three months.

Since then, knitting, like most things in which I get involved, seems to have become an obsession. I bought myself Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook and started to get a little more ambitious. I am now halfway through my fourth hat and close to finishing my third scarf. With each new project I have tried to learn something new. I made a scarf for Grandma and learned how to purl, rib, and make stripes. Then I made her a matching hat and learned to follow a pattern, knit in the round with a circular needle and double-pointeds, make baby cables, and decrease. The Kittyville hat I made for John's one-year-old niece taught me to pick up stitches, seed stitch, and make I-cords and pom-poms. And so on and so forth (hopefully more details and pictures to come).

I find myself spending much of the time that I'm not knitting looking at other knitters' web sites. It occurred to me that I really ought to start my own knitting blog, if only to keep track of my projects.

I will try to get pictures of my already completed projects so I can post the backlog, plus there will be lots more in the near future as I am in the process of cramming for the holidays.


John's scarf
Started: July 17, 2005
Finished: Oct. 25, 2005
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Handspun Semi Solid Goldenrod, 3 skeins
Needles: US 9 bamboo straights