Warm Ears, Happy Hair

Even though I have tons of sewing projects that I actually need to get done in the next little while, I've been craving the feel of good old knitting lately. I pulled out a ball of Rowan Tapestry that I got from a secret pal exchange last year to finish the button band on my Baby Surprise Jacket (more on that once I finish the finishing on that thing) and after some poking around on Ravelry, I realized that the rest of the yarn would make a great Calorimetry. I've been meaning to make this little scarf for about a year now and I'm really happy I did.


Isn't it cute? It would be more practical if I still had long hair in an up-do, but as someone who can only wear toques for a limited amount of time due to hot head, I think this will make for a good winter alternative. Not that I need it just yet -- I know many of you across North America have suffered some pretty terrible weather this winter, but it's actually been pretty nice around here since late November (um, knock on wood). Anyway, this is a pretty straight-up Calorimetry, only I cast on 10 extra stitches, since I was using a DK yarn and size 6 needles rather than a worsted and size 8s. I didn't add any extra rows because I didn't want it to be too wide.

In other news, I've followed Andrea over to this site, since I have so much time that I'm trying to waste these days. Oh, Internet, you're trying to kill me.

Return To The Valley Of The Shawls

What's more difficult than knitting a lace shawl? Photographing it. Apologies to all -- my regular trusty camera isn't available, so I'm borrowing an ancient digital camera of my parents' which doesn't have a "no flash" setting. Yikes. So, these pictures don't do my beautiful shawl justice. Plus, I'm all frazzled, because I'm operating on zero sleep (that's what'll happen when you host an all-girl slumber party, even though you have a toddler who wants to get up at 5 a.m. so she can see the ladies who slept over -- insanity).

Pie-Wedge Shawl pattern from the ball band on the yarn I used
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in Gray's Corner
Needle: Uh, I think it was a U.S. #7 circular...
Mods: Absolutely none. None, I'm tellin' ya.

I don't think I can even really call this a lace shawl, because, aside from a few eyelets and a saw-tooth edge, this baby is pure garter stitch. This piece is all about the yarn, because basically it's just straight garter -- aside from the saw-teeth all I had to remember to do was turn the piece two stitches early at the end of every other row. Easy. I still managed to bungle up the top a bit by weirdly unravelling and dropping a bunch of stitches, which was hard to repair, since it was where the short rows were their shortest. But, I pretty much faked it and it ended up looking fine. Since the gauge is so loose, anything really goes with this shawl.

So, was the Helen's Lace worth $65? Abso-freakin-lutely. Oh boy, is this fabric ever soft and luxurious and so so spongey. Before I bought it I extensively handled the sample shawl in the store and was amazed by its sheer spongey-ness. And it's also light enough that it can easily be bunched up and worn as a scarf. I love it. I've already had occasion to wear it and with Calgary's hot days and mercifully cool nights I think it'll get a lot of mileage.


Oh, and to prove my crap photography skills/lousy camera, here's an outtake of my "photo shoot" of me actually wearing it. As they'd say on America's Next Top Model (or, the even more awesome Canada's Next Top Model) "and this is your best shot!" Yikes.

For The Love Of Socks

I present to you: Roza's Socks. I know, I haven't been talking much about these babies here on the blog, probably because they knit up so darn quick and caused me so little stress. What a lovely pattern. Before I get to into it, here are the specs:

Roza's Socks by Grumperina from the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Sassy Stripe
Needle: U.S. #1 DPNs
Mods: I used a larger needle size (I never gauge for socks) because I found the last Grumperina pattern I tried (Jaywalkers) fit too tightly and I have another ribbed pair of socks in Shepherd Sock that fit perfectly with this size needle. I also shortened the leg by an inch, because wool socks tend to roast my legs no matter how cold it is outside. Finally, I only did one round of purl between the cuff and the leg because I'm bad with instructions. Oops.


This is, I believe, my eighth pair of handknit socks, and I think I can say they're my favourite. The brioche stitch pattern was easy, but not mind-numbing and the pattern looks great. Shepherd Sock is always lovely to work with (and as the pair that are currently on my feet will attest to, wears really really well), though the short stripe segments do make for a fair bit of wacky-ness. These were a huge success and if I may say, I do prefer these to Grumperina's Jaywalkers (though the Jays do still have a place in my heart).


So, what do I plan to do with my new favourite socks? Send them away. By this afternoon these will be on their way to Vancouver as a birthday gift to my sister-in-law's girlfriend, Erin. (How does that work -- is the spouse of your spouse's sibling still your in-law? Or would she just be Aaron's in-law? I'm not sure). They're going to be hard to part with, but seeing as my first pair of Shepherd Sock Stripe socks were intended for her and I ended up keeping them, it's only fair. Plus, they're totally her colours and since I love her like a sister, I can't think of a more worthy recipient. So, I bid you adieu fair socks. You will be missed.

At last...

Dudes. I finally totally buttons and all finished my Fair Isle Cardigan. A very fussy and very finished object. The specs:

Fair Isle Cardigan from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits For Tots
Size: 2-3 yrs
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton in pretty much every colour it comes in.
Needle: US #3

Here it is. A fair isle cardigan knit in DK yarn. My mods were few, if any, and other than some chart confusion, I didn't have the kinds of problems with the pattern that others have had with some of the sweaters in this book. In the end I think this one falls into the "an experience to knit" rather than the "a joy to wear" category. The inside is neat, but there are a lot of loops and the fair isle and largely cotton yarn makes for a bulky and inflexible fabric. But I have no regrets. It was a challenge to knit, I loved doing it and I feel proud.

Now for the but... I'm sure many of you would love to see a picture of this sweater on the back of a certain two-year old. No such luck. Before it was blocked I tried to get it on Ruby and she screamed saying that it hurt her arms (I think her thumb got caught on one of the loops). Now she looks at it and will declare "Mummy made it for Ruby! My sweater!" but when asked if she wants to try it on she furrows her brow and says "too big." Nice. I'll try to trick her into putting it on so I can get at least one photo of her in the stupid thing.

For The Little People

For W.I.P. Friday I've got a W.I.P. and a bonus F.O. for you -- all the abbreviation you could ask for. Last night I whipped up a little Umbilical Cord Hat (from the first Stitch 'N' Bitch book) for the aforementioned baby Aidan. Since he's a preemie and it's cold here, I figured one of these guys would be in order. I used the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in the Hawaii colourway that I had left over from my Sweet Mary Jane slippers. It's super soft and perfect for a baby hat (though I'm pretty sure that it's not machine washable) and a good colour for either a boy or a girl.

I have to say, I really love this pattern -- it's as perfect as it gets. Kudos to Jennifer L. Jones for designing it. I've probably made at least half a dozen of these things and it's the perfect baby gift, especially for Canadian babies. I made one for Ruby before she was born and we got so much use out of it. We had some feeding problems when she was new (I was a breastfeeding fascist and refused to break down and go for formula) and we had to go to the doctor every other day for the first two weeks that she was home with us. Since she was born in February and we lived in Toronto without a car, she really needed a good toque for the walks/cab rides to the doctor's office. And the Umbilical Cord Hat did the job. Plus, you can make one over the course of an evening.



And in the W.I.P. column, the beginnings of the Fair Isle Cardigan from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits For Tots. Naturally, I didn't swatch, so this may be for Ruby, or for some younger child in the future. I like living dangerously.

Hey Boo-Boo

After much procrastination (strangely, I'm addicted to knitting that blasted baby blanket), I stuffed Henry The Bear's arms and legs and attached all appendages to his body. Little Aidan comes home from the hospital tomorrow (good job, little one!), so Henry is finished just in time. I want to make him a little hat too, but I'll have to tear myself away from a just-started fair isle project in order to accomplish that, so I'm not betting any money on it.

I won't do formal specs, but this is Henry The Bear, knit from Jess Hutch's Unusual Toys For You To Knit And Enjoy. I used Cascade 220 for him and stuffed him a little less than I have for my other Hutch toys, so that he'd be softer and cuddlier for the baby. The only alteration was the omission of the "H" on his sweater. That was not so much an aesthetic choice, but more of a "wow, do I ever hate doing duplicate stitch" choice. So, there you have it. One baby gift down, two million to go.