It's All About Small

In the wardrobe switchover this past fall,  when I switch out the fading season's clothing to make room for the upcoming season's duds, I realized I had lots of sweaters.  Some might say too many sweaters.  I said , 'enough!'

2016, then, will be a year of small knits.  Hats, cowls, slippers, shawls,  mittens and the like.  Which will give me a chance to use up more stash yarn. Those bits and bobs that are difficult to find a place for in sweater knitting.

First up, is another  Elizabeth McCarten pattern.  Elizabeth does great designing and pattern writing.  Last year, three times, I knit her patterns.  One   My Valentine and two Glenoras.  Now, I start 2016 with another McCarten. This one, Elizabeth offers for free and calls  the Neck Thingum.  My French grand children would call it  -  the 'Cache Cou.'  Literally - hide neck - how accurate is that?

A quick and easy knit, it is simply a turtle neck with a bottom flare that spreads out to cover the upper chest area inside a coat.   A very manly cowl, I'd say.  Mine is knit with Cascade 220 leftover from My Circular Yoke sweater.

Elizabeth calls her 'thingum' boring and unglamorous.  I call mine - a gift waiting to happen.

First Up For 2016

First up, for this year, was meant to be my final finish for last year. But it didn't happen.  I started it mid-December and tried, really tried, to finish it before the 25th.  I thought it would be so special to be able to deliver it in time for Christmas.  But it didn't happen.  Instead it became my first  new year finish.

This is the article in question.

A lovely, pale pink, weightless, bed throw.    It has a history.

Near Remembrance Day, our branch of the Royal Canadian Legion hosts a dinner for veterans and their families.  Fred always goes to the local Retirement Home and brings over any veterans able to attend.  Over the years we have gotten to know these fine people and they us.  This November, when Fred brought them into the hall, one of the female veterans came over to me and gave me a bag of yarn.
"I know you knit and I don't anymore, so I'd like you to have this," she said.

It was a bag, containing 12 balls, of this Italian loveliness.

You can see that even though each ball contains only 20 grams, there were nonetheless 200 metres per ball.  Fine, fine yarn.  Fine in quality too.  80 % Kid mohair and 20% Nylon.

What wonderous opportunities did this yarn hold for me?  What  should  I  knit with this?  Extremely fine mohair in a pastel pink.    An afghan, shawl or throw of sorts was the best use for it, I felt.  And who needs that more than someone in a retirement home.  I decided to knit a throw and gift it to the veteran who gave me the yarn. A win-win.  I would have the enjoyment of the knitting, she would have the enjoyment of the finished throw.

With the yarn held double, a simple garter stitch piece, I felt would be the best  to highlight the yarn.  I wasn't long into it though when I realized I had made a purl, turn-around row after the first 6 garter ridges and ended up with  4 rows of stockinet between garter ridges.  Change of plans.  I repeated my mistake to end up with a piece  even more interesting than planned.

Nearing the end,  I thought it needed something along the edges.  Trim of some sort.  I laid the throw down to wait for inspiration.  When next I walked by, I realized it was speaking to me. The lines that  changing from garter to stockinet had created looked much better turned on the vertical. I had knit them on the  horizontal and envisioned the throw laid out that way.  But the vertical look was much more interesting.   A trim on the vertical ends alone would do the trick.

But what kind of trim. Nothing that elderly fingers could get tangled in.  A ruffle, I decided.  So I picked up the stitches across each end, knit one row then purled back.  The next row, I doubled the stitches by a Kf&b in each stitch, purled back, and   knit a purl row for turning.  I then reversed the process back down to the original number of stitches.  After casting off, I  stitched the trim down to the cast on/cast off stitches of the throw.

It is  light and airy, yet warm and cozy.  Perfect for someone in a retirement home.  Delivered on Saturday, it was a big hit. For both the knitter and the veteran.

Where Are They Now?

2015 was a busy year in my knitting world. I was quite pleased and surprised when I did a count of the FOs for 2015.  Several sweaters, two vests and five cowls.  Pleased indeed, until I read Tanisfibrearts blog.  She knit 25 sweaters in 2015.  All the while, mothering a toddler and a baby and running a wool-dyeing business.   Way to go Tanis.

Since I often close my FOs posts by saying - 'of course, the proof is in the wearing'  I thought I'd start the new year by telling you how my 2015 FOs have fared in that department .  A  'where are they now' sort of year in review.

First up - Cowls, scarves, and other neck thingums:

 The above two items went to my friend Margaret.  They were a donation to Purple Day  - an annual,  March fund raiser for Epilepsy.   Margaret lives with her son and his family and is involved with Purple Day because her grand daughter has epilepsy.

The two cowls below were the extent of what I got finished in time for my Great Christmas Give-away.  They went to two of my nieces.   

This cutey was my first attempt at a necklace.  A few strands of I Cord tied together and  strung through some beads for closure and I had a one-of-a-kind colourful necklace to brighten up a white summer tee.

And this lovely green thing -

was an abysmal failure.  I got caught up in a yarn shopping expedition that saw several of my yarn- buying buddies scooping up balls of Opium.  A cotton/acrylic, thick and thin yarn that I though would make a nice summer wrap.  I used a free (sometimes worth what you pay for them) online pattern.  Never worn.  Sitting forlornly on the bench in my yarn room.

Vests:  I made two of them in 2015.  I love both of them and wear them  often.

 The lovely  salmon-coloured one above was one of my own design, inspired by this one I saw on a blog. Knit in Lett Lopi it is warm but light and a nice bright colour for grey winter days.

Below is the vest that I knit with Shelridge Yarns wonderfully soft, washable wool.  I love the colours and the style.  The pattern, Serendipity Vest  (available on Patternfish) drove me nuts.  The tri-coloured, slip-stitch pattern was easy to figure out and to do.  Understanding the designers description of the unique, mitered construction and shaping was near impossible

Sweaters:

 

First up for 2015 was Patchwork. Started while in Florida last January and knit with double stranded Knit Picks Palette, a gift from Nicki.  I love this sweater.  Colours suit me well.  It is warm and a lovely thing to wear.

This poncho, a combo of two patterns - yarnharlot's Very Easy Poncho and Cabin Fever's Fern Scarf,  used stash yarn in a flattering-to-me, copper-coloured cotton.  Very fashionable and trendy, it saw lots of wear this summer and fall.

My version of this Vogue, sleeveless top was another success that saw lots of summer wear.

Below you see my white, summer,  A-line tee with my I Cord necklace.  The tee was a pattern purchased in Florida with very confusing lace work on the sleeves.  Thanks to Sigrun for deciphering it for me.  The yarn was a gift from a fellow knitter.  Ten balls of white cotton which she said she would never use.

This beauty was my Christmas sweater.  No ugly CS for me, this one, Snowflake by Tincanknits, received compliments whenever I wore it.  And wear it I did this season.  The fit is lovely and the sparkly brown yarn gave it just enough seasonal glitter to be tasteful but special.

Both my niece and I love our Glenoras. A quick and easy knit designed by Elizabeth McCarten.  My niece's, immediately below, was knit with the recommended Cascade Eco yarn.

Mine, I knit with stash yarn - Sable, an acrylic/wool mix.

 

 Since the photo, I have put three, great, wooden buttons on mine as well.  It was worn almost daily as a light  jacket through our unseasonabley long and warm 2015 autumn.

Below is My Valentine.  Knit with Patons Classic scooped up at  a 75% discount at the Listowel Tent  Sale a few summers ago, it is another Elizabeth McCarten pattern.  With our long, warm fall,   some of my sweaters - including this one - haven't seen as much wear as they would have most years by January first.  I am wearing it today, though.

The teal sweater, below, was my first pattern from the Cabin Fever Need A Circular Yoke? book.  The colours of Cascade 220 were chosen specifically to match a Scottish, pleated skirt gifted to me by a friend who had 'outgrown' it. I wore them both yesterday.  The sweater has a wonderful fit and a Mandarin neckline that draws interested comments  from everyone and 'how-did-you-do-that' queries from knitters.

That's it, I think.  Only one real dud - the green wrap - from a years worth of knitting.  Not bad.  Tomorrow -  what's up for 2016.