Friday, December 28, 2007

Sweater Girl Goes Extreme

I'm generally a sweater knitter, but with Christmas I turned to the extremities. Socks, mittens, hats, they all go faster than a sweater. That meant knitting a couple of little things for friends and family and, since I had to knit those by a deadline, knitting small things for myself as well during my selfish moments.

First I crocheted this hat for a book review I wrote over at Black Purl Magazine. It's the Soon Come hat from Get Your Crochet On! made in Encore and some leftover Patons SWS.



I knit these gloves for my friend Angel in Korea. They are the Convertible Mittens from the fall issue of Knit.1 . I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca in a very subtly heathered teal tweed. Check the errata on Knit.1's site!



I had been wondering why all mittens weren't made with a flap so your fingers could do their work. I discovered why as soon as I tried one on. Duh, the flap lets cold air in. So I added a button to try to keep the flap closed as much as possible. If I was good at adding zippers that probably would have been the best at keeping out the cold, though I bet the metal would have conducted the cold to the hand all too well, too.



I also lengthened the flap (even more than the corrected version on the errata page has) and lengthened the thumb. Hope she likes them. The yarn makes a great feeling fabric. I wish all the time I didn't find alpaca itchy. I can knit with it no problem, but wearing it gives me the itchies.

Also for a coworker whose b-day it was just a few days before Christmas, I made the Robin's Egg Blue Hat in chocolate in Patons Shetland Chunky. Very quick knit.



The button was one I had leftover from a headband I had been intending to make forever. I wanted a headband that I could wear with my afro puff and also one that buttoned so I wouldn't have to pull it off and on. So I made a simple ribbed band using Nashua Cilantro, which I absolutely love (the yarn, I mean).





Do you all think this pattern is worth writing up? Someone showed a lot of interest in it at knit night. I thought I wouldn't bother at first because it's so simple, but she was a beginning knitter and couldn't see how to make it. But I'm not sure how worthwhile it is for people who don't have afro puffs. Maybe I will write it up anyway.

Also I finally finished the socks I was knitting for my stepfather. Wow. Those socks took a long time. A looooong time. But he really liked the socks I made him last year, so hopefully he'll like these, too. Like? I take that back. He better LOVE these socks, as long as it took me to make them. I started these socks in . . . late July, I think. They took forever.



No, no, "love" is too mild a word for the depth of gratitude I expect for these giganto socks. It had better be passion. Lust. I'm talking Thinking Of Having an Affair With These Socks type love. I mean, Planning to Cheat on My Mother type love. For real, it should be a Mother Walks In The Room and Finds Stepfather And Socks In Bed kind of thing. I mean Got My Mother Checking The Cell Phone Bill's Call List For Suspicious Calls type emotion. Even to Planning on Running Away With The Socks and Growing Old And Gray Together type passion. Folks In Divorce Court, Socks Called To the Witness Stand, Family Members Blaming Me For Breaking Up A 20-Year Marriage type love. Only when it has reached this point will I say, "I guess he sufficiently appreciates the work I put in on these socks."

So now that I'm done with xmas knitting (almost; daddy's sweater didn't get finished in time), time to get back to my own stuff.

16 comments:

somebunnysloveDOTcom said...

Hey Sweetie,
Mucho congrats on being in Magknits AND in the Knitting Pattern-a-Day 2008 Calendar! I went to the December issue and absolutely love that pullover. Plus, those Princess Fingerless Gloves are awesome! And yes, that photo of them with Enif is just too cool. Take care, and I hope to be blogging regularly soon.
=:8

Nik said...

Girl, at first I thought that you'd knit my republic hat when I saw the robin's egg hat. I guess I'm not the only one who knocked off the Banana Republic hat.

You've been busy.

Lesalicious said...

Love all your latest projects wtg. Great job:)

Melissa Morgan-Oakes said...

If a thing is worth knitting, it is worth writing up.

Virtuous said...

Gurl you been cranking them F.O.s out!

I thought the Nashua Band reminds me of Cherry Garcia (neckwarmer) just on your head!

VERY nice socks and looks like they were worth the effort and time. Glad he liked them!

Wishing you well in the new year!

caroline said...

I'm a white girl so I don't have an afro puff exactly, but I do have a big head of hair and I use things like that. Some people don't like having their hair squished by a hat, you know? So it might be worth writing up (though I agree that most knitters could figure it out).

WandaWoman said...

Congrats on all those beautiful projects you finished! Oh and congrats too on the MagKnits pattern.

You're really too crazy with the socks. I'm sure your stepdad will finish them.

Larjmarj said...

You better hope I don't ever see you wearing that crochet hat, it'll be a "hat grab and run". TOO cute!!!

I agree with Melissa, if a thing is worth knitting up it's worth writing up.

So, how gigantor were the socks? I truly understand the demand of appreciation. I made Mr. Larj a pair of socks (size 14). He declared them to be "uncomfortable". Did I make him another pair? HELL NO!!
I give him the stink eye whenever he mentions it.

Jenni said...

I just made some giganto socks too with a similar stitch for my hubby!

Those are all great projects. I am a sweater knitter too, but every once in awhile it is nice to complete some small really fast pattern.

And congrats on your publications. I will have to look for your patterns.

Harlem Purl said...

I see you've been a very busy knitter/crocheter.

I would love it if you could write up the pattern for two reasons:
1- I probably could figure it out but it would make things so much easier if you wrote it out for us.
2- I was planning on keeping my hair in protective styles this whole winter because I got tired of stretching out all my hats. You just gave me hope that I can wear my puff during the winter months.

Thanks!

CurlyBrunette said...

I dont have an afro but REALLY curly hair and I think it would be an awesome addition to my wardrobe to keep my head warm since I am not a big hat fan (flattens my curls). I use my Calorimetry all the time but your pattern seems to showcase pretty buttons and I have a few that I am dying to use. Its also a great pattern for people with ponytails that dont want to wear a hat. Melissa is right, definitely write it up.
Happy New Year and I cant wait to see more beautiful patterns from you in 2008!

My Little Room In The Corner said...

Great projects and love the socks. Actually, I Looooove the write-up for the socks! I was laughing so hard that I needed my trusty roll of Bounty to clean off my computer screen. Thanks for letting me know you had them finished!

Larjmarj said...

check out my blog, I left you a little something ;-)

Hasbu said...

Hi,

I found your blog through Larjmarj's. Congrats on being in Magnits!

Susie said...

Love your blog! I'm hoping that you'll write up the headband because it would be perfect for my friend's daughter. I've been looking for something fun to make for her but it's hard since she has a lot of hair.

Nicole said...

I love your version of the hat, great colors! I am trying to make one now (the Soon Come) and having so much trouble. I feel like mine hasn't increased enough so that it will fold properly. Do you remember which size you made?