Lil' Devil Helmet

My hats for Lucy are finally back on track!  After all the knitting drama with the Pussy Cat hats, I took a break and made little L something to match her red jacket. It started as a Lil' Devil Baby Hat, but I made modifications. I added some length at the back, and turned the ties into a strap (the straps are super cute, but they are a choking hazard) which attached with a snap (a great big one that little hands can't open). 

I made my mods on the fly, and while I wrote them down they got complicated and I don't think they are worth reproducing in their present state. I'll have to knit it up again in an easier way and write that up to share. 

 I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, and it was perfect for the project and felt great!  

Oh, BTW, the reason kiddo is modelling in her jammies is because she had just dropped a great big smelly log and it smelled soooooo bad that we (aka. my sister-in-law) had to change her out of her clothes before her afternoon nap. Seriously, it was nasty, seriously nasty. That kid should not eat chickpeas.  

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Holiday Knitting Parade

I was going to try and get a picture of everyone in their holiday gifts this year but .... yeah, that didn't happen. They weren't going to be good pics anyway since the gift opening took place at night or at day break. 


My family celebrates both Channukah and Christmas, but I don't have it in me to make everyone two gifts. Everyone gets one handknit on the holiday of the religion they were born into. The exception I'm willing to make is my niece Lucy, who is presently very, very cute, and technically was also born into two faiths.  But mostly because she's cute and I luuuuuuv her. :-)


So lets start the parade .....

Irving

Let's lead with the best, shall we?  This is Irving, a cabled hat pattern by Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed, made for my new beau.  Meeting someone new right before the holidays is a tricky thing. You don't really know them well, you want to show them you are into them, but you can't overdo the gift or they'll feel pressured. It's a balancing act, and I've gotta say, I'm really glad I'm a knitter because it makes choosing a gift much easier. I went straight to BT, I knew he would have a man hat with some masculine but knitterly detail.  

I used Abuelita Merino Worsted and it turned out smashingly!  I made a few mods, especially since my yarn was thinner than the pattern, so if you want to do the same check my project notes on Ravelry. 

The hat fit, it was well received, and I have been updated that it is being well used (the new beau hails from outside of TO, where they get snow and weather and stuff). 

Cabled Neckwarmer

I am not pleased with how this pic came out, but I was very satisfied how this Cabled Neckwarmer did. I made it for my dad (the man who wants hand knits, but never wears them). It was a great gift knit, super fast and easy! I especially recommend for a last minute/running out of time gig. I used the Abuelita Mysterious Blend Chunky (why do they call it that?! It's no mystery, it is 95% Merino and 5% Silk) and it knit up beautifully!  BTW, the Mysterious softens up substantially after winding and loosening up with handling/knitting.  Anyway, dad seemed to like it, I have no idea if he'll ever use it, but mom can. 

Cabled Neckwarmer

I actually was really pleased with this one, it's a Cabled Neckwarmer for my sister-in-law, Katie. Katie is a casual, athletic dresser, and has a small, active child. I thought a close fitting neckwarmer would be the kind of think that would come in really handy this winter. The yarn is Abuelita Thick & Thin, held double and LURV it!  It is sooooooo soft!  I made up the pattern on the fly, I'll publish it for you soon. I think the gift was well received. I don't know if it is being used - you send them off into the world and hope for the best. 

Pussy Cat Ballaclava 2.0

I made this for Lucy, it was a follow-up to the first version that was too big. I've already blogged about the ongoing saga of the ill fitting pussy cat hats, read it here. Suffice it to say, this one came out WAY too small. I didn't even give it to her. BTW, loved this colour and really enjoyed knitting the Cascade 220 Superwash Sport, especially the heathered for some reason.

Pussy Cat Ballaclava 2.1

This is the third incarnation, which I did give to Lucy, and which still did not fit properly. It was well received, regardless.  I'm taking a short break from these, but I'll get back to version 3.0, possibly in red. 

Brother Hat

This one was simple pattern, it's called A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend, but I made it for my brother (as per my sister-in-law's suggestion). I used Malbrigo Rios, which was lovely, in the colour Paris Night, which was also lovely. My brother is a little colour blind, he has a hard time distinguishing blues from purples, so I figured a bluey-greyey-purpley colour would be perfect for him - it can be anything he wants it to be. Plus it's dark and neutral enough a colour to be ok for men. It was well received, it fits (most important part), and he uses it when walking the dog. 

Bulky Mobius Cowl

I made this Bulky Mobius Cowl for my mom. I hate the way it looks in the picture and off in general, but it looks amazing on! It is made with a combination of a yarn I bought in Italy in 1995 that she frogged from a garment I made for her ages ago, held with dark blue mohair (she put in a request for something scarfy with the mystery yarn). I made the cowl to perk up a winter coat she bought last year that is the dullest shade of navy blue I've ever seen. It was extremely well received, which was not surprising because my mom always wears my hand knits. 

As always, you can find us at knitomatic.com!

Quick Malabrigo Mitts

Silly me! I forgot to blog my Quick Mitts!  I made them because I thought they would be a great, fast little Holiday Gift, and also because I felt the Malabrigo Rasta would look great on hands. I was right on both counts. I wrote up the pattern and it's free, you can download it right HERE.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Oh Christmas Tree

Note to self - never leave a project to be finished next year. Yup, I did that with my Christmas tree decoration, and when it was time to excavate the holiday decorations it was a bit of a denoument to find a half finished work. On the upside, the ornaments are needle felted, so it was pretty easy to pick up where I left off. 

Do you recognize the ornaments? They are Hannukah dreidels, and on top is a Star of David.  What can I say, I'm incapable of doing things like a normal person.  But it is a Christmas tree, just my take on it. :-)  

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Finished Tuzo!

Liane finished our Tuzo cardigan last week, and it turned out beautifully! The pattern is from Berroco #293 Vintage Family, and we used the prescribed Berroco Vintage.  I had some reservations about this kind of blended fiber, but we really needed to work with the yarn to get the feel for how it behaves, and this little cardie was a perfect experiment.  

I am glad to report back that the Vintage behaves really beautifully. It is easy and nice to knit with, and knits up lovely. It has a soft sheen that a pure wool like Cascade 220 (comparable price) does not, which lends the final product a slightly more polished air. It is very soft and gives off a slight aura or halo when knit. The heathered colours also have a beautiful depth when knit (we used 5182 Black Currant). 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Pussy Cat Ballaclava A-La Baby

I know I said that my niece would not be making her knit wear modelling debut in her new Pussy Cat Ballaclava, but I was wrong. Over the long weekend I was babysitting, the hat was there, and I dove at the opportunity. The hat is clearly waayyyyyy too big for her, but maybe it'll fit next year. I wish the picture was a higher resolution so you can get a better look at her scrumptious little arms - they are so yummy. 

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Thinking about Halloween

This year, I am finally going to make a Hallowig! No, the picture is not of me, that's the one from the pattern. I am only just casting on for my tension swatch.  I have a small head, so I thought it might be a wise thing to do. Right now I am swatching with 4.5mm needles, but I suspect I might have to go down to 4mm. 

I'm using Berroco Vintage in Dewberry 5167. I figured it is soft, hopefully not too-too warm, and the colour is so pretty (if you see it in person it has a glow to it). Glowy magenta knit wig! :-)

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!

Pussy Cat Ballaclava

This is the only time you are going to see me in a kitty hat. Well, it's on the internet, so i guess you can look as long as you like, but this is the only kitty hat you will see me in!

I finished the Pussy Cat Hat (balaclava) that I was making for my niece, but the sizing is not quite right. It's not the pattern's fault, before I embarked I reviewed the notes on the projects on Ravelry and they tended to say that the sizing was small. But the pattern has be republished several times over the years and my version must have been updated and corrected. So I'll give it another try, this time with a thinner yarn (sport weight I think).

I'm also not sure if the Dream in Color Classy is soft enough. My 8 month old niece is practically bald, and this hat is going to be covering a lot of exposed skin. I'll wash it in Eucalan and see. 

This is the front ......

And this is the back.

As always, you can find us at Knitomatic.com!