End Notes

 Since Iowa has been ending the year with serial dreary gray (and sometimes precipitation filled) days, I don’t have much in the way of pictures to share.  I assure you there has been a knitting challenge and I’m almost at the conclusion.  I guess you’ll have to wait for the first sunny day of 2011 to find out the details and see the results.  In the meantime, I can show you how Saucey plans on celebrating.  The exact same way she celebrated this Christmas…by taking a little post-nip nap.  

"hoppy halidays...hic"

ZZZZZZ

I hope you have many good things come your way in 2011.

Happy New Year and Much Knitting Next Year!

Nana

Little Things

I try not to set too many knitting goals for December.  The season is already stress-filled (even if you opt out of most of the consumerism like I try to do) and I find no joy in knitting against a deadline.  I know my limits for knitting Christmas gifts during November and December so most of my gift knitting has been fun little things.  Since it’s already been mailed/ received and modeled, I can show you the hat I knit for my Granddaughter.  I call it the Li’l Penny.  It’s a scaled down version of my Santa Bang-y hat (pattern now in PDF assuming the linky works).  (To your right =>).  Here’s what it looks like next to the original:

 

and here is my sweet Sylvia modeling it.

A hat from Nana!

 she's already experimenting with her sense of style

Pattern: Santa Bang-y

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino 100 White / 700 Red

Size 4 needles

And I knit her a Teddy Bear complete with removable skirt:

This is a pattern that I have used for years, I used to knit these for fun years and years ago and the pattern has evolved as my knitting skills have improved. I only use the written pattern as a guide these days. It's great for using up leftover odds and ends.

Then, I used some of the leftover white and some blue (Marine) Trendsetter Merino VI to whip up these for my nephews.

 Pattern: Improvised

 Size 3 dpn

I also whipped up a hat and fingerless mitts for my Niece

Pattern: Zig Zag Beanie by Dawn Leeseman / Mitts improvised

Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic / Lavender

Size 8 needles

I also knit a couple of fun ornaments that doubled as gift tags: 

Pattern: Tee-Tiny Raglan 

Yarn: Assorted scraps of fingering

Needles:  Size 2.5 mm (I think)

Then I finished another pair of socks:

Fall Stripeys

Pattern: Basic Sock pattern; Eye of partridge heel / 2 row alternating color stripes

Yarn: Mini Mochi in Neptune and Mocha

Needles: 2.25 mm dpn

I showed you the cowl in a previous post and since I fell in love with the yarn I used for my cowl, I decided I HAD to have a pair of matching mittens …

Pattern: Improvised (I’m writing it up, but my notes are partially illegible so it will be a bit)

Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky Hand Paint in CP21/Winter Queen

Size 9 dpn

For the easily impressed, I want to note that most of the projects above (excluding socks) are one or two evening projects and easily accomplished while watching TV.  And I knit fast.

 I also started another pair of socks… the last of my 2010 Personal / Self-imposed Sock Club:

Scarborough Fair Socks

I’ll provide the full details when these are finished. These are a bit fiddly so they are slower going, but I hope to finish them in December.  (HOPE)

And to round out the year, I started one more shawl.  I cast on for Annis with some of this, (color 158) but I’m only 9 rows in so there’s not much to show yet. 

So that's what I've been up to lately since the last two projects I posted.  I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and as I do, look forward to what 2011 brings. 

Happy Knitting

blessings, 

Nana

Also finished

Narrangansett Bay Socks
Originally uploaded by nanaknits21

Narrangansett Bay Socks

Pattern: Narragansett Bay Socks from a Fine Fleece
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential
Size 2.25 mm needles

40 thousand stitches are worth a picture

Finished Pi
Originally uploaded by nanaknits21

Finished the Pi Shawl!

Who Moved My Calendar?

December has arrived and I am nearly caught up on some of my knitting goals.  The end is in sight for the Pi Shawl.  It is still a hopeless looking blob, but I hope to free it from the needles soon and hopefully it will be much more photogenic when it can be spread out and properly blocked. 

Instead of going out and joining the consumer fray last Friday, I cast on and knit this quick little cowl.  This was one of the projects for the Friday Night Knitting Club at my LYS.  We got a shipment of the Misti Alpaca Chunky in a couple days before that and I fell hard for this yarn in this colorway.  When I saw the cowl pattern, I asked about doing a substitution and it worked out quite nicely in my opinion.  A second skein may have come home with me Friday night to work up some matching mittens.  (I’ll keep you posted!)

Pattern: Chunky Eyelet Cowl by Nancy Wyatt

Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky in Winter Queen

Size 10 needles

(About 3 hours of knitting time, including 10 frogged rows)

Pattern Mods: Knit 8 rounds between eyelet sets.

I also finished my Watershed.

This pattern was a lovely knit and I’m only sorry I let it sit as often as I did instead of getting it done more quickly because I can’t wait for it to be done blocking and wear it. This picture is sort of bleah, so I'll have to get a better modeled shot and post it later.

Pattern: Watershed by Amy Swenson

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Midnight Derby

Needles: Size 8

Cast on: Nov 1^st Finished Nov 27. 

I also finished one each of the two pairs of socks I’ve been working:

And cast on for each of their mates…

I also finished one of the Christmas gift knitting projects I was working on and will be starting the next one shortly. 

Saucey is not impressed:

Happy Knitting!

Nana