One more pair of Cable Booties

I finally finished off the cable booties I started at the spinners retreat. They are such an easy knit that I kept putting them off knowing it would take me no time to finish them. Then I realized I was running out of time! I have a lot of things to go in the mail....
These are knit with Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks and the pattern is from One Skein.

FOs with no proof

I have finished a few projects since my last post but while in NJ for American Thanksgiving I managed to erase 3 days worth of pics. Including an incriminating video of friends Wii boxing that involved a slight head bonk that resulted in fits of laughter from the spectators. I'm more disappointed about losing that then my knitting pics!

I took down 2 pairs of felted clogs for my host and hostess. They fit perfect but I had to pack them damp as I was felting them the day before I left. Those things are super slippery on linoleum flooring... I think I'm going to hit Fabricville and see if I can't get some suede to cut out for bottoms for the 2 pairs I have done and the rest I have to do.

I also did 2 really nice dish clothes for another friend we visited. It was my own pattern, well sort of, I did a wave type pattern that turned out well. It's a repeat of 18 stitches on 5mm needles with the cotton yarn. I cast on 36 stitches for the dish clothes. I was going to do a dish towel too and cast on 54 stitches but I never had enough time before we went to see them

Here is the 4 row repeat I did. I did it 10 times and the cloth was a nice size.
Row 1 : *[k2tog ] 3 times, [k1, yo] 6 times, [k2tog] 3 times; rep from * to end
Rows 2 -4: knit

Now let me go complete some projects I can take pictures of!

Knitting Bag (and another pair of felted clogs)

I finished a couple more projects for my Christmas List. This is a bag for my aunt. It's a knitting bag for her to put her afghan project in. It won't fit a whole afghan but it's still a good size. I'm pleased with how it turned out. Must make myself one some day... I never make myself stuff. The pattern is a modified version of the marsupial tote from Stitch'N bitch The Knitter's Handbook. And the yarn is Briggs and Little. I stuffed the bag more after I took this pic to try and address the rolling around the top. It seems to help.

I also finished another pair of felted clogs. I know they look like the last pair I did but they are a size smaller and the dark blue trim is a different dark blue then the other pair. I swear!

Off to knit!

CLOGS!!!!!!!!

Wheeeee! I have a new favorite project. The Fiber Trends Felted Clog Slippers. What a fun and satisfying project. Quick to knit, but not mindless. It's like turning a huge heel and I love turning the heel. I'm so glad I like knitting them because I have all that wool from the spinning retreat and I planned on making them for my brother and his family and my mom and her husband... that's 12 clogs! So it's a darn good thing I like knitting them! These are the pre-felted version of my brother's size 11 man's. My foot next to them is a size 8 ladies.



The only problem I had with these is that I used the contrasting colour on the outer sole only because I was worried I wouldn't have enough yarn. I was right. I ended up only doing the inner part of the outer sole in the dark blue. The yarn was seconds so each hank was not equal in size. I think it turned out okay though. Pre-felted...

And post-felting.

These are just too cool!

Really the biggest problem is that I'm allergic to wool. My hands are all dried up and I've got some of the worse hang nails ever. I'm trying to keep them washed often and I do have a good hand cream to apply when I'm going to knit. The best one I have found is the Neutrogenia Norwegian Formula. It's lanolin free which is the oil in wool that is often the cause of the irritation and it's very emollient. I just have to remember to keep it with my knitting!

How's that?! Two posts in one day! (I thought the clogs deserved there own post)

Manon says "BLOG!" so I blog

No, I'm not giving into pressure to blog... I just haven't been getting much blog worthy stuff done lately. One sock of this, one sock of that...



The one on the left is the heat wave pattern in knitpicks Dancing yarn (it's discontinued). It's big on me because it's for my friend's daughter who has a size 10 foot. The one on the right is the wool sock pattern from Briggs and Little in their yarn for my sister in law. She's been wearing the ones I made for my brother so I thought I should make her a pair of her own. These are both for Christmas... now I just have to get the other matching socks done...

The thing I'm most please about (and the real reason for blogging!)is the lacy scarf I finished for my grandmother. She was an experienced knitter and she now finds she can no longer knit. She just can't concentrate. Whenever I think I'm not in the mood to knit I remind myself that there may come a time when I can't knit so I'd better enjoy every moment right now! My uncle says my Nan would be sitting on the couch, head falling back asleep and those needles would still be going. Now that's commitment! I know she will appreciate this scarf.

There is a mistake in there but you can't find it... I can though. It was a row I redid about 5 times so I'm just going to say it adds to the charm and proves it's homemade. (It's not in this picture so don't spend hours playing "where's the screw up")

I've completed one full cable bootie and started on the second. I love knitting these and they are great to take on the go. I'm heading to the US for American Thanksgiving and will have lots of airport time so I'll get these finished then and probably do another pair. These are for my friend with the big footed daughter from above. What are they feeding these kids anyway?!

Funny how knitters appreciate waiting time so we can turn it into knitting time. I'm was backed up on pod casts (football season means watching football and knitting all weekend versus listening to pod casts and knitting on the weekends) so I'm good for some serious time in airports. It's the holiday weekend and things tend to get backed up but I'm ready!

I've been trying to whip off a few quick Christmas gifts that will have to be sent away. I finished this hat for my uncle.

This scarf for his granddaughter. Orange is her favorite colour.
This scarf for his other granddaughter. Her favorite colour is yellow.

I'd like to mention that this month is my knitting anniversary. I starting knitting last November! It's been a whole year. Man, have I learned a lot! And there is still so much to do!

Side note... I don't remember when I quit smoking and I smoked for over 17 years. But I do remember when I first started knitting. Says a lot, don't you think?