I'm getting the goodies ready for the contest prize...only 2 more posts...can you believe it? I'm wondering what gauge yarn people use most...sock, worsted, bulky? Bonus points if you tell me your favorite. Perhaps I'll give you a teaser photo of some prizes next time...hmmm.
So Tuesday night I started Stefanie Japel's new pattern, Therapi, as a last minute Christmas gift. Nana, the recipient, does not like wool. She believes that all wool is scratchy. She believes ALL blends of wool with silk, nylon, cashmere, etc., are scratchy. Nana does not know what she's missing. Nana gets acrylic instead (mainly because she didn't like the yellow cotton's that were offered to her). So I'm knitting Therapi in Lion Brand's "Pound of Love" in a light yellow. It's ok so far. It's a standard top down Stefanie design, it's a free Knitty pattern, and it's easy to knit from memory - which is why I love it. The only problem, so far, is that I tried to follow the chart and it's not exactly right - parts of it are right, and you can follow the main gist of things, but it's not 100% and that frustrates me. And while I love me some Knitty, the "printer friendly" version did not print the charts in their entirity...so you're left reading the opposite "front/back" chart for increases, etc. They listed it as Tangy (isn't that their version of a step-up from Easy?) but I would list it as more of a challenge because you need to wrap your head around it a little more (unless they rewrite the charts and then it will be Tangy).
Here are 3 progress shots...
After a few hours...
After 1 full day...
After 2 full days...
Here's a quickie of the Santa pillow I mentioned in the last post - since I'm not happy with the way the stitches pulled when I stuffed it, I'm not sure if I will gift it or just use it as a lesson...
Lastly, here are photos of the scarf and hat set that I gifted...I'm still in love with the hat...so maybe I'll whip up another one for myself :o)
Lastly, it's FINALLY snowing here in the Big Apple...yippie?? It seriously looks like a snow globe outside - the snow is swirling all around - glad to be inside for the time being. The town schools are closed at home - waiting to see about daycare - I think hubby is "working from home" (lucky duck).
And, just because you guys are all so awesome - more points (2 in one post!!!)...for letting me know one of your happiest holiday memories (everyone remembers childhood best...so an extra point will be awarded for ADULT memories!).
Stay warm and knit!
12 comments:
I love your hat! The stitch design and colour combined is perfect! Would you consider making the pattern available on ravelry?
My favourite weight to work with is aran, because it knits up quickly while not being bulky, and I'm not very dexterous with smaller needles.
As for christmas memories, my favourite is the christmas when I was 16, just about to turn 17, and I started dating Luke, who is now my husband. Family christmasses weren't that special as a teenager, but the dates we had on christmas eve and on my birthday were magical.
What is wrong with Nana? I mean not loving wool, even with silk. Well, don't let her know what she's missing.
My favorite weight yarn is probably worsted, but I love all weights provided they are natural fibers - I'm not the acrylic type at all. I would generally rather have a ball or two of something beautiful and special than a sweater's worth of something mediocre.
My favorite adult holiday memory is the last year my father was alive. We were all together and he was relatively healthy and very happy. I have some wonderful memories of that year.
OK - we're getting down to the wire. I'm determined.
My favorite yarn guage depends, on what I am making. I love all the hand-dyed sock yarns but I also love aran weight for sweaters, and bulky weight for hats.
Now for the extra extra points, my favorite holiday memory was from a few years ago. My daughter plays the flute and we bought her a book of holiday songs and she played a lovely medley for her grandparents and us. I love looking at those photos.
I think we're just down to the handful of stalwarts and those of us without lives :-)
I think I enjoy knitting most with a worsted weight, sort of something you knit with a size 8, but I'm flexible.
I love all the FO in this post. I also love that we have 2 chances to get extra points.
So my favorite holiday memory is from last year. My husband, daughter and I went to the Poconos and had a very quiet holiday overlooking a lake, enjoying a hottub and not worrying about anything but relaxing.
It sounds so good to me now, I'm feeling much better already!
Happy holidays to you. I hope it is terrific. And I'd love to see a teaser photo.
yum, yum, yum, points. gimme some points. extra points (that's the point monster - like the cookie monster but without the calories)
Favorite yarn to knit with - YES. OK maybe that doesn't earn points so I'll go with sock yarn, but if the prize is worsted or bulky, I'll love that too. Really.
Favorite holiday memory - opening presents with my daughter when she was a little girl (maybe the age of your little princess) and my parents who were elderly. Seeing the excitement in all of their eyes - priceless.
I love the Santa pillow. Looks terrific, and also the other photos.
Have a wonderful holiday. Only 2 more posts. Hurray and hooray!
love your knitting pics, wonderful projects. If received as a gift i would still love the santa pillow!
As far as yarn i use all of it and love it all, especially hand dyeds or indies but malabrigo, noro, blue sky are some of my fav's. Prob more than any other is worsted, but then fingering for socks and lace of course for shawls, scarves, etc.
we are getting slamed with snow!
fav memory?Not one moment but my mom is a mail carrier. Her route was 150 miles through 5 towns all rural route. I would many times go with her to help, especially when it snowed around the hoilday. I loved it at xmas, we would listen to carols and folks would leave her gifts, baked goods, choc.... we would nibble, chat, sing and just really wnjoy ourselves!
I most knit with worsted or fingering weight yarns. I've been on a serious bulky run for a while though with hats and all.
I will always remember opening the baby Jesus from our nativity scene as the first present on Christmas morning (we wrapped it up when we took down the ornaments) and setting Him in the manger. Those kind of memories make the season even better every year.
Hi Karen. It's often so with printing the charts of Knitty that the darn things don't fit the paper. The pattern is lovely, including the name.., and you're a quick knitter.
But my heart goes to the blue hat. It's adorable. I've got the same colour yarn, still thinking about what it could be.
For the bonus points: Lace weight is my thing. My patience is growing with it, as well as my skills.
And for my X-mas / holidays memories? As my husband is always on the road, kids at school and me at work, I'm always happiest when everyone is save at home. Any day of the year really.
It isn't Xmas yet, but I will always remember my little girl lighting all the candles in the house this afternoon. Then she went to grandma's and did the same.. When you saw the twinkle in her eye, she was so happy.
I melted like the candle wax..
Have a very merry christmas with your loved ones, Karen. And be save.
This is fun! For the first - I'm guessin worsted is the most favorite, mine is sock/fingering
For the second, my most favorite holiday memory was my first real date with my husband. We're an internet couple, known each other for years before we "got serious" - I had no where to go Christmas 1997, had broken up with bf, family all had plans either out of country, or where I would be a fifth wheel. DH said "come to Ohio, we'd love to share our holiday with you". It was at his mom's home, and I was immediately made a part of the family - something that I will always treasure! Can you see why I am so madly in love with the dude?
What a great hat/scarf set! Is the hat your pattern? If so, I hope you'll make it available to the rest of us. I could use another cute hat!
Best holiday memory? Well, I'm not sure if I can nail down just one, but I look forward to Christmas every year (which is quite funny, because I'm Jewish) because we spend it with some very good family friends. They lived across the street from me growing up; their middle daughter has been my best friend since birth. They moved away, and moved again several times, since then, but for the last 10 years or so we've been spending Christmas at their house. We always do lots of eating and play games, and in general it's just nice to spend time with them. Sometimes it's the only time we see them all year.
Ooh, I forgot my favorite yarn. I'm a fingering-weight gal. All socks all the time. I even spin that weight by default! Next year I'm going to make an effort to branch out and knit something in heavier yarn!
I most often knit with fingering-weight yarn, because I make a lot of socks and fingering-weight is widely available in so many different colours and fibre blends, but my favourite yarn is actually sport weight because I like my socks to be just a bit thicker.
You didn't say the holiday had to be Christmas, so I hope New Year's counts - a few years ago my family (immediate family and my uncle) spent the whole afternoon having a fondue. It was a great way to have a small gathering and a good conversation, and so nice at the end of the busy holiday season.
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