Cranford mitts and Felicity hat

Cranford mitts, knit in Yarn Yard Hug (organic merino). A great pattern, very well written and with a very elegant solution to thumb shaping! The gloves fit like, well, a glove, I'm sure there will be another pair of these somewhere in my future.



Another Felicity hat, knit as a gift in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I modified the pattern by casting on 90 rather than 70, keeping the same needle sizes, and increasing up to 140 stitches. I also carried on the decrease rounds further than the pattern suggests. I'm very pleased with the end result and think I will make another for myself this time, in some brown Lambs' Pride in my stash. I am definitely on a hat kick at the moment, my current WIP is a sock yarn slouch hat using the grey Hug as seen in the Cranford edging.

The Cranfords mark my "24 in 2009", now exceeded! Next year I am planning to participate in the sock yarn challenge on the CTnY forum - any item knit using sock yarn each month. I may not make one every month but I do have lots of lovely hat, glove and shawl patterns queued up as well as socks.

Feather scarf

This blog is starting to resemble buses - nothing for ages then two turn up at once.

My latest FO is the Feather Scarf, knit in Artesano Alpaca Inca Cloud. This is a dream to knit with, it's so soft. It does shed a little though! The fabric opened up a lot on blocking, going from 44" to 52" long. I used a little less than two skeins, and the scarf was knit on 4mm needles.



Last night I cast on for a pair of Cranford Mitts. This is now a p/hop pattern so I will be sure to make a donation once I've finished them. Not much progress to show but I do love these colours - Mysteron (grey) and Smile in Yarn Yard Hug organic merino (something like a sport weight).

Boo!

Meet Boo the bat:





The first time I have attempted a knitted toy, he's mildly lopsided but then so am I :-D I used buttons for eyes, partly because I didn't have any of those special toy eyes, but mostly because I like Coraline. This was a gift for the Mr and served in lieu of a Christmas card - we'd rather do something a bit more permanent and different.

The pattern is from mochimochiland and I used the called-for yarn, Cascade 220. I also used DPNs for the entire thing, quite the achievement for someone who usually descends into cursing if forced to use them!

Last gift knit was a quick-to-knit pair of mitts in leftover Miski. Well, it would have been entirely leftover Miski if I hadn't calculated I was 4g short for the second mitt, so another skein was swiftly acquired.



Gifts completed, I've picked up Alhambra again and now have 6 pattern repeats complete. I seem to be coping much better with the laceweight yarn this time around. It probably helps that I'm not tired or stressed! I'm looking forward to finishing and blocking this piece and seeing the scrolls and curvy sides in their full glory.

Last night I made a start on a Westside cap from ChicKnits. Using Cascade 220 again, the silver grey used for Boo, I should have enough I think. The brim cast-on was, er, interesting, I suspect this is some kind of tubular technique. I'd never done one before but I think it looks OK so far.

This will probably be my last post before the big day so I'll wish you all a very happy Christmas!

Long time no blog

Hoping to post here a little more often in future. There are a few FOs to show:



Twilleys beret pattern knit in Fyberspates DK wool (shade Foxglove). Intended as a matching beret for my long-serving Clapotis in the same yarn - the beret yarn is brighter but the overall effect is good.



Marble Muffin by Woolly Wormhead - knit in the called-for yarn, Araucania Aysen, lovely stuff. The finished article isn't very slouchy and might improve with blocking, although I maybe should have knit the largest size.



Dashing gloves in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino aran - made for terri in the Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns Autumn swap. I love how this yarn knits up and was loath to let them go!

As for my current WIPs, Flutter Sleeve is currently hibernating (plans are afoot to finish it off soon), as is Alhambra (ditto). My Sirdar cardi in the pink DB tweed is coming along nicely, with one sleeve left to knit before some seaming is required.

At the moment I'm doing some Christmas gift knitting, not something I've attempted for the past couple of years. First up is the Blowsey Ruffles scarf in some gorgeous Mirasol Miski:



The yarn is 100% baby llama, incredibly soft and knits up nicely. It does shed fibres a little though. Hopefully a good soak and gentle blocking will reduce that a little.

In other happenings, some very exciting (to me, anyway!) news was announced recently - Ultravox will be playing a reunion tour next year! I'm signed up with the official site so got priority booking, and we have seats 3 rows from the front for Manchester. This tour is something I never thought I would see, I think pretty much all fans were resigned to the fact that they would never tour again. This is also the full original line-up of the band, I can't wait!

Ocean Waves shawl, and mitts

Two posts in one week, whatever next!

Ocean Waves shawl in Posh Yarn Emily:





More details on ravelry.

Also made this week, a pair of fingerless mitts in New Lanark Donegal Silk Aran, for my husband.



Again more details on ravelry.

I'm now part way through the Marble Muffin hat in Araucania Aysen, gorgeous yarn to knit with!