Where To Start?

Having set aside optional knitting for the entire year of 2010 to concentrate on Elizabeth Zimmermann's techniques and patterns I now have a stockpile of yarn and patterns I'm anxious to knit.


This orange/rust yarn

is meant for this lovely, cabled cardigan. From Creative Knitting,

I missed the name of the pattern when photocopying, so can't provide you with a link. This cardigan excited me for fall wear until last Thanksgiving weekend. Everywhere I went in my little town on Georgian Bay I saw city tourists wearing orange/rust. There were so many of them, it became funny as I imagined the high-end shop clerk selling them their sweaters/scarves/ hats/ jackets by saying the colour would be wonderful for a fall weekend in the country. Discouraged by my late-coming to the orange sweater-for-fall craze, but not defeated, I intend to join the ranks of those that 'know how to dress' for autumn.

Patiently waiting it's post-Elizabeth turn is this bag of creamy off-white Zara. A lovely, soft, New Zealand Merino.

It should look great in Peasy, a pattern by Heidi Kirrmeir I downloaded from her ravelry site.

A fun project, I've been anxious to begin is Kate Atherley's Moose Eh? Sweater.

I purchased this pattern and yarn as a kit from Toronto's The Purple Purl.
It is such a fun take on a typical Canadian sweater I imagine it will bring a smile to my face each time I wear it. Can't wait.

This soft, fussy yarn,

caught my eye because if that doesn't say Brenda's Colour, I don't know what will. I see this in a longish vest with cap sleeves and maybe a cable or two.

And, I purchased some Noro.

My colours again. In my mind, I have, until recently, seen it knit up in this vest pattern. The Summer Vest from Creative Knitting.

But lately, I've begun to think that maybe the yarn would look better knit in EZ's Rib Warmer Vest. With the Rib Warmer's mitred corners, the colours would turn a right angle. Wouldn't that look great in Noro?

Quite a stockpile. All intended to be knit in 2011. My biggest decision at the moment is where to start?

They're Pouring In

Requests are pouring, no dribbling in. Not even, but I do have another one.

When 'Sis' heard that I actually appreciated requests for hand knit items, she put in hers. A felted hat. A black one. The yarn is waiting, and as soon as I finish Katie's mittens, the hat will be next.

The mittens have been great fun to knit. Katie's pair, like Turtlegirls' , I knit with both the inner and outer layers as a complete mitten.

The pattern - Chimera, (scroll down for Chimera) by Julia Mueller - is quite unique in that it is a double layer mitten, with the outer layer being decreased away to expose the inner layer. Cables decorate the front, to give it some fashion flair.

When I finished the first mitt, I realized that the outer layer, being only attached at the cuff, could easily be ripped off by things like subway turnstiles or door handles. A few, same- colour black stitches tacked it down and solved that issue.

I did find the writing of the pattern to be a bit confusing. There is one point in the outer layer where the beginning of the round is moved a couple of stitches in one direction, then a few rows later, a couple of stitches back in the opposite direction. For the life of me I couldn't figure out the necessity of this step. And, it was never made clear, anywhere in the pattern -- that I could see -- where exactly the round began. Hard to move it, if you can't find it. Me, being me, I solved the problem by ignoring that part of the pattern. The mitten seems not to have suffered because of my omission.

Katie's mittens have my own special touch. A texting buttonhole.

About 3 rows from completion of the thumb, I did a three stitch Elizabeth Zimmermann one-row buttonhole Big enough for the tips of the thumb to protrude, text, then retreat without removing the mitt. I knit Katie a pair of mittens with that feature last winter and she tells me that she wears them daily.

Layer number one, of mitten number two, is almost done.

Then onto Felted Bucket Hat number four.

Thursdays Are For Knit Group

With Survivor still on winter break, the singular great thing about mid-week is Knit Group. Since coming back in the new year, two new knitters have joined our ranks. Donna and Tanya. Sadly, I forgot to snap Donna's photo. Tanya, though, a brand new knitter, was so happy with her first-ever, 40 cast-on stitches that she proudly held them up for all to see. Along with her pattern. The Fish Hat from Knitty.com. 40 first-ever, cast-on stitches are quite an accomplishment. But keep going Tanya. 90 are needed.

A little camera shy are we, Tanya?

Isn't this a perfect picture? Three knitters, side by side, chatting and all three, knitting socks.

Gail, Sharon and Bonnie are expert sock knitters. Marlene, though, has just been bitten by the sock-knitting bug.

This first pair of bright, cheerful, hand-knit socks, she is gifting to a friend. Or at least she will when she gets her hands on another ball of the yarn . Eight rows short of 'done' she ran out of yarn.

Wilma, soon to get on a plane to head out to Calgary to visit her daughter is knitting a top down hat.

This is the Top Down Igloo Hat from Cabin Fever's Need A Hat ? (the bright orange one on the left hand side in the link) This is Wilma's second Igloo Hat. The first, she reported was a success and received lots of compliments so another one is on the needles.

The cheerful, multi-coloured piece you see in front of Doreen is one of a set of Thigh Warmers.

Yep, that's right. Thigh Warmers. Her daughter works in a frigid office and complains of cold thighs while at her desk. Only a knitting Mom would know how to solve that issue. Thigh Warmers! I wonder if they will catch on? What I love about this picture is that Doreen' hand is a blur. Isn't that a typical knitter's hand?


Today, I wore my Nimbus to knit group.

Compliments are one thing, but when they take it right off your back! Wilma who has queued Nimbus, tried mine on. It fit her perfectly, so she measured it to know which size to make.

Lots of fun. Lots of laughs. Great to be back at knit group.