Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Lots of Knitting
I'm kind of excited because I finally feel ready and interested to work on crafts here. I think it is a good sign that I'm starting to feel at least a little at home. Just in the past two months, I have finished almost the same number of knitting projects as I did all of last year. I'm almost finished with another project, and have a few more in progress.
Even though, technically, with all the travel, I had more time to knit last year, everything was so emotionally draining I couldn't even focus on creating something. That was a little too much to ask. The move and change in job and upheaval and chaos of a fixer upper home, the loss of a baby, the loss of my father in law, all have created stresses and hardships that we each are handling in our own ways, which makes things even more challenging. We are finally starting to see some light, I think.
I finished a total of seven things in 2012, two of which I never shared here.
A friend was due with a baby in January, so as part of the shower gift I put together, I made this hat:
Finished December 1, 2012
I was well on target to be finished ahead of time for Christmas for Elijah's socks. I knew it would mean something to him to have something hand made by me, even if it was a plain as socks. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn and had to hustle to get more. I did, but just in time, so his socks were finished on Christmas day. He wears them all the time, and I have to remind him that they need to be washed.
Finished December 25, 2012
On to this year's FOs:
Finished January 26, 2013
This is actually for me. I like it and enjoy wearing it, but I think it is funny that the pattern called this a shawl. It's hardly a scarf. I've had this yarn in my stash for some time, waiting for the right project and I think this was it. I used the pattern wingspan and made some of the recommended modifications for using worsted weight yarn. I also added four more triangles and did an applied I-cord at the neck rather than the rows of garter st. In the unlikely event that I actually knit this again (I tend not to knit the same pattern multiple times), I would start with using the original CO number and interval between the triangles, rather than the modified one she suggested for the weight yarn I was using. I did make more triangles, for the length, but this would add some depth to it as well.
I love the colors of this yarn:
One of Rich's coworkers and his wife had their first child this January, so I made a coordinating set of baby things for them.
Finished January 27, 2013
I "designed" these. As in, I made up the CO count and length and decreases, etc. It didn't take much design work.
Finished January 29, 2013
I modified a pattern I found online to make it somewhat more pleasing to my eye.
Finished February 4, 2013
I'm not that happy with these, actually. The construction was clever, but fiddly, and I didn't like how they looked off a baby foot. I probably won't make this design ever again.
Finished March 1. 2013
This is part of Amira's birthday present this year. We got her a look alike doll from American Girl Dolls for Christmas, so I made a coordinating set of shrugs for her and her doll, Lucy. I used this pattern for a holiday shrug and made some of the recommended changes to size it for Amira. I also made the ribbing about 1/2 an inch shorter for her size around the neck and edge, and made it a small amount shorter on the cuffs. I did 2 1/2" for the main ribbing and 1 1/2" for the cuffs.
Finished March 3, 2013
I ran out of yarn while making the doll's shrug, so it doesn't have the cuffs, but I thought it was close enough.
I have a hat on needles right now. Mostly so I could work on a cable band that I will be using on a sweater for myself. The hat is about half way finished, and I hope to have it finished within the week. I've been working on a baby coat for a friend of mine, on commission/trade. She sews and is making a spencer for Amira while I make this for her new baby. I also cast on for an entrelac St. Nicholas stocking for Jerome. When I finish that, I hope to make the pattern available.
Even though, technically, with all the travel, I had more time to knit last year, everything was so emotionally draining I couldn't even focus on creating something. That was a little too much to ask. The move and change in job and upheaval and chaos of a fixer upper home, the loss of a baby, the loss of my father in law, all have created stresses and hardships that we each are handling in our own ways, which makes things even more challenging. We are finally starting to see some light, I think.
I finished a total of seven things in 2012, two of which I never shared here.
A friend was due with a baby in January, so as part of the shower gift I put together, I made this hat:
Finished December 1, 2012
I was well on target to be finished ahead of time for Christmas for Elijah's socks. I knew it would mean something to him to have something hand made by me, even if it was a plain as socks. Unfortunately, I ran out of yarn and had to hustle to get more. I did, but just in time, so his socks were finished on Christmas day. He wears them all the time, and I have to remind him that they need to be washed.
Finished December 25, 2012
On to this year's FOs:
Finished January 26, 2013
This is actually for me. I like it and enjoy wearing it, but I think it is funny that the pattern called this a shawl. It's hardly a scarf. I've had this yarn in my stash for some time, waiting for the right project and I think this was it. I used the pattern wingspan and made some of the recommended modifications for using worsted weight yarn. I also added four more triangles and did an applied I-cord at the neck rather than the rows of garter st. In the unlikely event that I actually knit this again (I tend not to knit the same pattern multiple times), I would start with using the original CO number and interval between the triangles, rather than the modified one she suggested for the weight yarn I was using. I did make more triangles, for the length, but this would add some depth to it as well.
I love the colors of this yarn:
One of Rich's coworkers and his wife had their first child this January, so I made a coordinating set of baby things for them.
Finished January 27, 2013
I "designed" these. As in, I made up the CO count and length and decreases, etc. It didn't take much design work.
Finished January 29, 2013
I modified a pattern I found online to make it somewhat more pleasing to my eye.
Finished February 4, 2013
I'm not that happy with these, actually. The construction was clever, but fiddly, and I didn't like how they looked off a baby foot. I probably won't make this design ever again.
Finished March 1. 2013
This is part of Amira's birthday present this year. We got her a look alike doll from American Girl Dolls for Christmas, so I made a coordinating set of shrugs for her and her doll, Lucy. I used this pattern for a holiday shrug and made some of the recommended changes to size it for Amira. I also made the ribbing about 1/2 an inch shorter for her size around the neck and edge, and made it a small amount shorter on the cuffs. I did 2 1/2" for the main ribbing and 1 1/2" for the cuffs.
Finished March 3, 2013
I ran out of yarn while making the doll's shrug, so it doesn't have the cuffs, but I thought it was close enough.
I have a hat on needles right now. Mostly so I could work on a cable band that I will be using on a sweater for myself. The hat is about half way finished, and I hope to have it finished within the week. I've been working on a baby coat for a friend of mine, on commission/trade. She sews and is making a spencer for Amira while I make this for her new baby. I also cast on for an entrelac St. Nicholas stocking for Jerome. When I finish that, I hope to make the pattern available.
Labels: Family, FOs, Homemaking, Knitting
