Hurricane knitting

Just cast on a quick project with a new yarn (Blue Sky Alpacas Techno). I need to get busy on Christmas knitting anyway and what better time is there to start ... when you're "shut-in" during a storm. Yet I'm happy to say, "Good night, Irene."

So here it is! The pattern is from Wendy Knits Lace and called Rhossili Beach Watch Cap by Wendy D. Johnson.









Winter weather warm!

My head deserves a Hat also, right?

And since I have a "hat-head" ... or a face that looks good with a hat [or so I'm told], I like most hats I knit but this one is one of my favorites.

Another one from 60 Quick Knits, would you believe? It's called the Tweed Watch Cap. Details on Ravelry. But you must know where to find it in the book by now. If you don't have the book ... you should!!

I think I'm going to keep this one for myself. Yup, I am!

And look at the top ...Love the twisted stitches and the way it decreases to a circle at the top.





What do YOU think?

A keeper right??

My gift basket is over flowing ...

But you can't have too many knit objects to pick from at Christmas time can you?

So here's two more ... a hat and a scarf.
Both are from the Cascade Yarns book 60 Quick Knits.

And both got a slight modification done to them. I added a few extra rows in the brim of garter stitches on the hat so the brim wouldn't roll up too much.

I then wanted to make the scarf a little more fun with an added interest to it so I added a tendril style fringe. What do you think?




Does it give it a little interest?




















And I love the way the hat could go for either a boy or a girl. It looks much nicer in person than in picture too BTW.









But what I really hope is ... that they'll find a good home at Christmas time.







But if they don't get picked by one of the family perhaps they'll find their way into my own closet or ... maybe a friend?

To Crochet or not to Crochet ...

Didn't I say I was going to knit for awhile?

Well this Featherbed Beret came off the needles way to fast.



Oh how I love this yarn! The Featherbed Beret is for me so it's not going into the Christmas Basket. Nope, not this time. I love the feel of it and after all ... it goes with my new vest and even the flower scarf, don't you think?




And it did give me a break from crochet after making the Splashy Flowers Scarf. But only a short break. Because I've already started another crochet and plan to do another after that.

After all ... Filatura Di Crosa's Superior came in!



A Neck Lace is in the making even tho I still have Jared Flood's Quincy hat on the needles with Louisa Harding's Thistle Yarn ...



Now Thistle has fast become one of my all time favorite yarns and of course I had to puchase more for another knit ...



And what about that OTHER crochet?



How about I go spectacular this time?

A Hat is a Hat is a Hat ...

Or is it?






Well maybe it isn't a Hat until it's been given a hot bath and fulled.
And then it's ready for some felting. Needle felting that is. Ready to be capitalized and become a real Hat ... a fancy hat!



Just throw it in the washing machine along with a few pieces of my Mystery Knit. (see past posts about that and give me your guess if you haven't already.)




This is MAXINE by Lisa Cruse from Ambrosia Cottage. She still needs some drying time and a shave to cut back on the fuzzies. Then I'll be decorating her to give her even more style and personality.



Can't you just see a beautiful bunch of flowers over the lower brim & up the side of this Hat?
Stay tuned. There's more to come.

There's a garden of possibilities here!

What's this? Another WIP?

Nope ...

It's another FO !!!



Opps, I think I have the braid cable on the wrong side ...

Pattern: Sideways Grande Cloche by Laura Irwin for my Einstein Coat.

Yarn: Rowan RYC Soft Tweed (2 skeins)

Colorway: Oatmeal

Now ... what else might I have on the needles to finish?
Or should I "cast on" again? My fingers are itching to cast on.

Did someone tell me that knitting is an "obsession"??

Background knitting.

That's what it is these days. I'm so busy. A good kind of busy taking care of someone I love. But I as still knitting in the background whenever I can. So that helped me to complete 2 projects and start a few others.

What have I got done?

First there's the

Pattern:

Nomad Hat and Scarf by Kat Coyle

from Interweave Knits, Fall 2007

Needle: US 8 / 5.0 mm

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (Aran)

I made one in blue a long time ago and loved it. Nice and warm. But ... not fond of the color on ME. I bet it would look good on my dear daughter though. It's certainly warm. And she does the plowing at her house. She's worn the felted mittens I made her all the time this Winter. So I know she'll use the Nomad Hat & Scarf as well.

I also finished some mittens. I hadn't intended to knit these but others in our group were and very excited about 'em. So of course they peaked my interested and I "whipped" some up. I ended out LOVING them!

Pagliacci Gauntlets

Pattern: #05 Pagliacci by Kristin Nicholas




I feel very "fanciful" when I where them!

And I said I would never do it ... never knit knee highs or boot socks right?



But what knitter doesn't changer their mind? [a number of times]

Yes, St. Anthony comes through ...

And I thanked him from the bottom of my heart. The pin backs were found. The very moment I got back home I said to myself, "Now when was the last time I used the pin backs?" ... and I knew exactly where there were. With my felting supplies. The last time I had a class we cut out our creations and I gave everyone a pin back to make a brooch out of their work. So there they were in the first box I picked up from my supply drawer.

Wow, I'm so pleased!

**Added note here, I've included a quiz at the end ... something different. Love to cook? Well I love to eat!! Go check it out and take the test. **

So here's my first finished Juliet Scarf ...

And I've already started another. M-m-m-m-m, which button should I use?

Do you want to see something that I just HAVE to knit? Of course I'm always thinking ahead. Sometimes too far ahead, but this is something for me. If it's a style that will look good on me that is. Here's what came in the latest delivery from A Swell Yarn Shop ... I'm in their DeKay Duet monthly club. Along with the yarn comes a pattern. And I couldn't be more thrilled with this month's. Looky here ...



And would you know that it has a very similar color in it to the Juliet Scarf and Knuck Gloves [but without the tattoo lettering] that I intended to knit for myself after Christmas gifts are done? Of course it wasn't planned ... now would I do that?

I swear these things just "happen"!

My result for The hey good lookin' whatcha got cookin' test...

Sous Chef 79%

79% accuracy!

Superb result! You must really know your veggies. Either you are already a chef, or perhaps you just love to cook. You seemed to do well with several of the more obscure vegetables. Most of the vegetables used in this test came straight from the garden. They were so much fresher than those that are shipped across the country. For more recipes and pictures feel free to check out my blog "straightfromthefarm.net".

Here's how you did compared to others...

Executive Chef

Sous Chef

Sauté Chef

Vegetable Chef

Fry Cook

Maître D'

Bus Boy

Wendy's Bun Toaster

Please visit my journal if you wish to check your answers.

Take The hey good lookin' whatcha got cookin' test at HelloQuizzy