A Finished Knit

In keeping with my tradition of knitting one item a year, I finished a cowl for myself.  I'm super excited to be able to wear it before spring arrives.

The pattern I used is called the Gap-tastic cowl, which is available as a free download on Ravelry.  It is a perfect pattern for beginners, or those who are only capable of mindless knitting like myself (I don't know how knitters keep stitch patterns in their minds, let alone read or talk while they create intricate designs).  This is a simple seed stitch done on big, circular needles with bulky weight yarn.  Trust me: if I can knit it, you can too.

The yarn is an acrylic, alpaca blend by Bernat in Soft Grey.  It ended up a little fuzzier than I wanted.  I will definitely be making this pattern again, so I will look for a yarn with better stitch definition next time.  I'm open to suggestions from you more experienced knitters.

It's the Small Things

A mug rug for my dad. He'll use it everyday to set his coffee cup on, and it'll keep the granite counters from draining all the heat away. Just a small reminder of me.

I feel drawn to small projects after the completion of a long term project, for the instant gratification sure, but also for the freedom they offer. You can play with new ideas, color combos, etc without the commitment of a whole quilt.

I played around with a technique from Jacquie's amazing Broken Cogs quilt. I also got to try out my new dresden wedge ruler. This is an edgy spin on the dresden, and more masculine, I think. I also got to use orange and gray. Does any color not look fantastic with gray!? And finally I got to try some squarish meandering quilting. Phew, it's a little tricky, but fun.

I love small things when they're like this.

Another quick project (if you, unlike me, are actually a good knitter - mine took three tries and over a week) is a preemie baby hat. Save the Children is hosting a big drive for them now. Hats are due by the end of the month and go to newborn babies in developing countries. I'm hoping to have a couple more done to add to the pile being donated by a local knitting group. See this site for more info. FYI these are always appreciated by the NICU at your local hospital too.

Finished Scarf

I'm a novice knitter, so this scarf is just a simple seed stitch.I liked how the variation in color in the yarn made a pattern. I think it looks like a zigzag.

A Return to Knitting

I went through a knitting phase a few years ago, but I haven't picked up my needles since. A special lady asked for a scarf for Christmas though, so I dug out my supplies and got some new yarn. Boy was I rusty. I had to unearth my instruction book. After a few false starts, I'm back in the groove, and I'm really enjoying it.

Yes, that's snow out the window, and I find there is something really cozy about knitting in this cold weather. With quilting, which I normally love, there is so much up and down: sit to sew, up to cut and press, in the closet to find something, etc. With knitting, you just get to sit. And in this weather, all I want is an excuse to just sit.