Everything's Coming Up Daisies

The posts should be getting more regular as I get back into my work and school schedules (blah...). I also haven't had much to post even though I've been working on several projects (and on most days, just sitting on the couch watching Northern Exposure and knitting).


First, a couple of Christmas presents from two of my favorite knitters:


A beautiful wrap from my Aunt Nancy, "for when I'm studying." The colors aren't very true to life in this picture, but the natural light was weird this morning what with some quick flurries and then the sun trying to come out.

And from Susan, a pair of cabled fingerless gloves in this bright cheerful color of Malabrigo (which is one of my all time favorite yarns and I want a house made out it).

Susan also gave me a skein of Malabrigo and a free pattern from Patternworks to make this one skein crocheted scarf (it's also the One Skein Scarf from The Happy Hooker). I made it on Christmas Day, while watching movies with the family, after all the gifting and eating was done.

These are my awesome stash-busting new-wave Daisy Stitch Hand Warmers from The Purl Bee. (Can you tell I am a child of the eighties?) I used about half a skein of each color, all leftover from other projects--the pink, black and white are Lamb's Pride Worsted, and the green is Malabrigo. Let me tell you, as cute as they are, Daisy stitch is not fun. Sometimes it's downright painful. But, these aren't very long and it's a great way to use up stash yarn.

A (blurry) close-up of the stitch:

Pattern: Daisy Stitch Hand Warmers from The Purl Bee (free!)

Yarn: About half a skein each of four colors; in this case, pink, white, and black Lamb's Pride Worsted, and green Malabrigo

Source: Stash

Needles: Susan Bates Quicksilver US size 8 dpns, Brittany Birch US size 7 dpns

Modifications: Because I don't always read directions, I striped the black along with the others even though I don't think the pattern calls for color A to be included in the stripes.

So, back to the grind of school and work. However, this is the year that I finish graduate school (one semester down, three to go) so I'm trying to have a better attitude about it. Work is fine, it's just involves being somewhere other than my house. Susan and I discussed this yesterday when we met for book- and yarn-buying and had delicious pastry at Bread and Chocolate in Concord (go there, right now, and buy a creme puff. You'll thank me). We are definitely both homebodies who would prefer to be at home curled up with books and crafts than doing just about anything else (except buying books, yarn, and pastries).

Anyway, hope your new year is off to a great start, a year full of books and crafts (and, if you are like Susan and I, lots of quality time at home).

Gnome for the Holidays

Who doesn't love a needle-felted gnome, especially one who also resembles Old Saint Nick?



A couple of things I finished during the last couple of weeks and forgot to post:

Pattern: Single Cable Scarf from One Skein
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, 1 skein sage

Source: Patternworks

Needles: Crystal Palace Bamboo straights, US Size 9

Modifications: None

Pattern: Tweed Beret, Interweave Knits Winter 2006 (Size 19"; my head is actually 21" but

this fits great)

Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed, 1 skein

Source: The Elegant Ewe

Needles: Susan Bates 16" circular, US Size 6; Aluminum DPNs, US Size 6

Modifications: None

Finally finished:

Pattern: Clessidra from Knitty Spring 2007
Yarn: KnitPicks Essential, 3 balls burgundy (I ordered four balls, since the yardage is almost the

same as the yarn the designer used, and despite adding a significant amount of stitches to

the calf to make it bigger, I didn't even touch the fourth ball)

Source: KnitPicks

Needles: 2 Addi Turbo 24" circular, US Size 1 (I used the two circular needles method)

Modifications: I added 12 stitches total to the calf to make it larger and then added more decreases to make up for it

I wore them on Thanksgiving and they were very toasty and pretty (if a bit slippery on the hardwood floors--one of the risks of handknit socks and klutzy tendencies)

And in non-knitting news, I present a picture of my made-from-scratch apple pie:

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

And now the holiday countdown begins:

6 Christmas presents to make

5 Final papers

4 clues to knit for the Secret of the Stole

3 weeks of classes
2 presentations
and a partridge in a pear tree

Not to mention I plan on watching Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas every day from now until December 25. Full speed ahead!

Back to School

My birthday presents from Bethie! She also gave me One-Skein Wonders, which is where the pattern is from.







The Back-to-School U-neck Vest from Fitted Knits:

Yarn: Cascade 220 Quattro, 3 Skeins, pink/purple/green mix
Source: The Elegant Ewe
Needles: Inox 24" circular, US Size 7, and Inox 16" circular, US Size 5 (Inox are great needles--they're the same price as Susan Bates but the joins and needle tips are smoother and the cable has less memory so it doesn't coil as much)
Modifications: I followed the 42" bust size directions, but knit the lengths for the larger sizes




I saw the pattern in Fitted Knits (which is currently my favorite knitting book) and just fell in love. Also, Stefanie Japel must know me and must know that I would fall for the back-to-school rhetoric about impressing professors and fall days. And, after all, it is my last back to school (well, as a student. Since I hope to be an academic librarian/archivist, there will hopefully be many back-to-schools for the students).





Detail of the waffle stitch and the clever bust increases:

(This picture is truer to the real color, but neither one gets it quite right)




And, voila: Chanson en crochet

Just when you thought I had forgotten about it. You know what's silly? I finished this about three months ago and I was nervous it wouldn't lay right on my shoulders or that I hadn't done it correctly, so I just put it in a bag and left it. I decide to pull it out and try it on the other day, and it's fine. It's more than fine. So I just wove in the ends and attached the blingin' brooch I got at the thrift store (I was worried it would be too blingin' but I think it's just right).


Pattern: Chanson en crochet, from Wrap Style
Yarn: Tahki New Tweed, four balls light green
Source: Patternworks (on sale!)
Hook: Clover (I don't remember what size, but those Clover hooks rock my socks off)
Modifications: Who knows. There are always some modifications because I have this inability to follow a crochet pattern correctly but I don't remember. I just kind of make it up as I go along if I run into problems (or rip it out and redo it repeatedly)



Next up: Clessidra from Knitty