more finishing

as i headed outside into the cold (it was a whopping 2) i realized that there was one more finished item to share. my moebius scarf.
it's not often that what i imagine actually turns into a wearable item. i mean, it seems like it would work in my brain, the math looks good, but the end product? not so much.
this didn't disappoint. i am continuing my love affair with lion brand's amazing. soft, pretty, cheap great price point.....it hits all the notes. this had no pattern, just a guess-ta-mit for number of stitches, a brief feather and fan pattern, and viola......

warmth. it looks like a lot of fabric around the neck, but it is truly comfortable under a coat and does a great job keeping the back of my neck warm.

finishing up....

i haven't been feeling at all productive lately. the more snow we move, the more snow there is. the streets and walks are so full that if i want to walk, i really need to chose the time of day carefully... and i need those walks to keep my sanity loving winter in new york! my only true winter complaint is what it does to my hands. they are raw & bleeding. i've been lotioning, balming, glove wearing, you name it, i'm on it. bottom line... dry, cold air = dry, cold skin. i can spin in small doses, and i keep on knitting, but it's a bummer.
so what is done? a cowl and a wrap, both from the knitting circle event. i came home so energized to make these items! first the cowl. this was starts and stops until i got a needle size that gave me the fabric i wanted....

love it, love it love it. dense, stretchy and oh so soft! i think i have enough yarn to make another ( and with all the longing glances it has received, i may need to make another for myself :)
i also had a wonderful time with my gnarled paws yarn. love the color, construction and feel to this fiber, and i even added beads!

this is the bench that i usually use for my shawl photos. i tried to get to it, but gave up when i couldn't stand the snow in my boots, the howling wind and zero temps. even the dogs stayed in their path looking at me like i was nuts.

so i tossed it over the pool fence and just laughed out loud. there is about two foot of snow on the pool shed roof and even more than that on the pool itself. spring will be an adventure.

i really modified the snot out of the basic pattern. i added more rows, put beads on the last lace section and made up my own border borrowing heavily on the medusa bind-off. i love it. can't wait to take it out, it's light, yet still holds the warmth. i thinking it will be lovely with a long sleeve t and jeans. and boots. and mittens. and a down jacket. and i may need to wait for warmer temps to enjoy it.
i'm turning my attention back to the sea-side rumpus. the best part of this winter is having a pile of wool in my lap :)

wintery weekend fun

i decided to knit an infinity scarf. it was another one of those bees in my bonnet, because i'm sure it will go unworn. i love the trend of oversize scarves wrapped beguilingly around the neck. well, i'm to short, and not really a beguiling sort. i looked through lots of patterns, without much success, when i got the idea to go moebius. dug through the real book self and found the cat bordhi book on moebius knitting. again, no pattern suited my mindset, but there were lots of parts and pieces that did. i threw caution to the wind and cast on. i've been knitting along for quite some time and i'm not sure if there is any progress. with 200 stitches, it takes a bit of time to go round the row!

it was perfect knitting for the winter piano recital (although the dude sitting next to me kept staring at it like it was going to bite him :)
saturday was the celebration of the knitting circle's first year. tina (the knitter behind the knitting circle) chose to celebrate at the century club with several vendors and lots of fibery people. i was there to help amythefibergoddess, and enjoy the warmth inside on a wintery rochester day!

lots and lots of fabulous stuff from many talented hands. i treated myself to stitch markers and some delightful dk weight sw merino dyed by gnarled paw.

i've wanted to play with her yarn for quite a while. i saw her yarn last summer at tina's, but there wasn't a colorway that spoke to me. this one.... screamed my name. i brought it home, balled it up and cast on! there was a sweet little shawl that winked at me during the event, so i tracked it down. it helps break up the monotony of the moebius!

knitting,... but not for me

At our last guild meeting, two lovely ladies shared the results of last donation project. members have been knitting wee tiny hats for the NICU at our regional medical  center. the hats were well received, and some industrious knitter had added a wee tiny set of mittens. well, i guess the nurse manger jumped on them and inquired if we could make more. it seems the little folks tug on tubes, scratch themselves and can just need those hands covered! i never got my hat finished, so i was determined to make mitts! i was off to the local michaels to find super soft acrylic yarn. while there was lots, the colors were so bland. really, really bland. i knew that there was just no way  it would be challenging for me to slog through any project with those colors. so i kept snooping around, touching, considering and finally found what i needed. i even polled random folks in the store (i chose the ones that i was related too :) to determine if the yarn had a high 'fun' quotient. so with yarn success i now needed a pattern. i did not take any that were brought to the meeting, so i searched online and finally made up my own......

how small are they really???

pretty darn small. they are just so cute that i've easily made two sets. i'm changing needle sizes to make them smaller ... but aren't they dear? i can just picture them on a tiny hand. needless to say i've got lots of yarn left, so i'll keep going. right now i've been working on that cowl for amy. it is super easy, very meditative, and there is just reason it isn't done.

i'm close. just need to complete the picot border and i can put it in her hands. then i can decide what i'll be putting next on my needles.... i'm contemplating a mobieus scarf.

cowls

ever since i lost my mind, became obsessed started knitting the inpira cowl, i just can't stop. i finished the first version and it is lovely. perfect for taking the dogs out in this sub-zero weather.

i was afraid that it would be scratchy, but not an itch was felt! i was carrying on about it so much, that a request was made for one in more manly shades, narrower in width and not so long. ( you've got to love a dude that knows what he wants :)

wish granted. i'm still having a good time watching the colors shift and blend. the only hitch is that i started this for amythefibergoddess....

the swirl cowl in 'grapevine', a lovely dk weight yarn that she will be selling at the knitting circle's artisan market. it has a picot edge that is really slowing me down.

it may not be the edge but the -3 degree weather. i just can't get warm and stay warm. today's sunshine helped, but i'm snuggled up on the couch, tooooo chilled to even pick up the needles. tomorrow with a nice cup of tea, that will get me going!

so, i didn't take a picture

all my stealth knitting for christmas was successful..... i just did a really bad job at documenting it with pictures. we had a fabulous time with everyone here......

kids played games (it was a bloodthirsty game of spoons :) food was plentiful and yummy....

and i got an amazing craft! my sister had specifically requested my name (i'm the keeper of the craft draw) so i knew that she had a plan. it was amazing.... knowing my love of yarn she made this...

a wreath in vibrant, holiday colors to adorn my door. need to see it up close?

i didn't ask where she found the idea, but i love it!
so my gift. i asked amythefibergoddess if i could have the yarn to create the brush creek cowlette. i have been a fan of this designer since kntting zuzu's petals. i purchased the pattern knowing that i'd have an opportunity ( and special someone) to make this for. amy wound me the yarn (sw merino in finger weight) and i dyed it in three complementing colorways. i chose shades of purple, not so much influenced by the pattern pic, but suggestions of family members that know linda. i had just enough of the first color, enough of the second and plenty of the third.

here's my leftovers. sadly no picure of the cowl or linda. i did learn that she received a black coat for christmas, so it should match perfectly. sigh. guess i was just a little toooooo stealth.
one gift i did get a pic of....

the antler hat! will is out in the fall, ready for hunting season so i thought this was a perfect fit. i was in the mood for cables and a fun knit, this didn't disappoint. he's commented ( okay, joked really) about my car magnets, so he has an offical FLFF euro for his truck! and i will be checking to make sure it gets put on :)
still slogging away on the inpira cowl, wishing it was a blanket now that the cold weather has set in.

oh the new year....

we're still not finished with holiday celebrations, my family christmas is this weekend at our home. i've just finished the pans of lasagne, one more sweet is in the oven and i'm sitting here with my knitting and a cup of tea.

my christmas craft is wrapped and under the tree. i'll reveal all the details as soon as the recipient has opened it! i went out on a limb with my choice this year..... and i'm totally okay with it not working out and needing to be exchanged (i really love what i did :)

got together with my fiber peeps last week... we had lunch and spinning. i realized that i hadn't had a had a chance to catch up in forever!

we were gifted with fabulous hand-crafted mugs. yes, it really does say that.

i'm completely in love with my holiday fiber! i recieved 8 ounces of knit-picks roving. the emerald is just stunning and a dream to spin. i got two colorways, the emerald and a merlot. i already had an emerald so it will give me a nice amount of yarn to play with.
so speaking of yarn. my sister sent me an email with an item that she found on pintrist. i don't do the pintrist knowing what a deep, black hole that would be for me to fall in. and sure enough, down i went. before i knew what happened, i've found the item on ravelry, downloaded the pattern, found the yarn, drove to the store

yep, i got started. i'm not so quick to succomb to a new project when i have one in the que and several on the needles. i have but one going.... and it's lace (need i say more)

i didn't read the fine print (or really pay attention) that it's stranded. so i'm reacquanting myself with two-handed knitting.

how pretty it that? inpira cowl knit with lion brand (i know) amazing. it has a lovely halo and for a commercial blend ... very nice. of course i went off the bend and purchased enough to make three of these. considering the wow factor, i may just find myself knitting on!