They Say It'll Get Warmer

That's the theory at least. Something called "spring" is in the offing, and there will be mud and blackflies and sunshine that is warm, and also there will be "grilling". At least you don't have to shovel blackflies. Mud, possibly.

I had a little girl here two weeks ago who expressed some interest in a pair of mittens that I made, and she wondered if I could make some mittens for her, so of course I said yes. I found the perfect pair on Ravelry called Mittens with Kittens by Natalia Moreva. They were a free download, even better! The thing is, the pattern consists of only a chart - no needle size or type and weight of yarn to use. I took a gamble that they needed size 2 needles and fingering weight yarn, and I just happened to have hot pink, cream, and orange yarn in my stash, which were the perfect colors. I think they came out the perfect size:

Last fall when I was at my brother's camp up in Winterville, I asked my other great niece if she liked this dress:

It's  DROPS 138-4 Jade, and it is a free pattern. I don't wear dresses anymore, and it is really young for me, but I wanted to knit it. Luckily my great niece is in high school and she is young and beautiful, and she said yes! She picked out some turquoise colored yarn, which I secretly loved and wanted to knit with. Did I mention she has good genes?

That's DROPS Muskat #32 Turquoise. It's a beautiful Egyptian 100% cotton, with a long staple fiber, making it strong and wearable. It is mercerized, so it sparkles gently in the sunlight, and the color is a tropical color that just makes me feel warm.

I cast on 306 stitches, knit 6 rows, and found it was twisted. Aaarrrgghhh! I started over, did NOT twist my stitches, and now I am zooming right along. This is a great pattern to knit for the summer. I am dreaming of beaches and sunshine (warm sunshine not winter sunshine) and tropical scents in the air. 

My husband wanted to know what I was knitting with muskrat droppings.

*sigh* Men. 

Lynne is coming over this afternoon to make Blizzard drinks with hot chocolate, Bailey's, Gran Marnier and something else, maybe chocolate liqueur. And we will knit, and laugh, and make mistakes and laugh at them before we rip them out. It will be fun :)

It's Winter, So Get Over It: Make a Cowl, Not a Scowl!

Everyone is crabby, because all they can see is snow, snow, snow and more snow. More is falling as I speak. When I was a kid, up in northern Maine, this kind of winter was typical. For the past number of years we haven't had a winter with all this snow, and it is hard to go back to it now. It's hard to drive in, it's cold, and it's boring. I hear on Facebook that kids are out of school and driving their parents crazy, and business owners complain that no one is out shopping because they're all holed up at home. That is true. 

Yarn shops that are lucky enough to be in a town with a sidewalk to their door are doing some walk-in business, and you can always order yarn in if you need to. I ordered a skein of Ontheround's Merino Wool Aran Weight when it was on sale a while ago, and over the fall I hugged it and petted it. It's so soft and squishy and lovable. The colors are a blend of green and yellow and white and blue and gray, beautifully dyed, and over this winter it has seemed like a touch of Spring. However, I needed something warm, so I invented a cowl that sits around my neck and shoulders, keeping me warm, and looking pretty. 

       

I'm giving the pattern to you:

Stranded Cowl by Beth Collins

Ontheround Merino Worsted 
Size US10.5/6.5mm 16” circular needle

Gauge: 
15.5 sts and 22 rnds = 10 x 10 cm/4” x 4”

Finished measurements: 7" high by 28" around

Cast on 112 stitches (I like it loose; use 100 stitches if you want it tighter. Pattern is a multiple of 4.) Join, being careful not to twist the stitches.

(Knit a round, purl a round) twice. Begin Woven Stitch pattern:

Round 1:•K2, yf, sl2, yb; rep from • to end. 
Round 2: Knit. 
Round 3: •Yf,sl2,yb, k2; rep from • to end. 
Round 4: Knit.

Repeat these 4 rounds for pattern. Work in pattern for 7” or desired height. (Knit a round, purl a round) twice. Bind off loosely and weave in ends.

Abbreviations: 
k = knit 
p = purl 
yf = yarn to front 
yb = yarn to back 
sl = slip

(Pattern Stitch “Double Woven Stitch I” adapted from the Harmony Guides Knit & Purl, edited by Erika Knight, p. 76)

The center picture above shows that I had only a little yarn leftover, so if you want a higher cowl, you may want another skein.

I may have to knit another cowl with Ontheround's new DK weight yarn. She certainly makes wonderful yarn! 

I found that stranding the yarn across two stitches was a good way to show off the yarn; hand dyed yarn can be gorgeous in the skein, but sometimes it is disappointing knit up. Stranding really showed the beautiful colors as well as the thick-and-thin quality of the yarn. I love that.

In other news, my Aran sweater is done. I took some pictures of it before it was whisked away upstairs to be worn today. It fits perfectly :)

        

It looked better with Nicky sleeping on it, but this is pretty good :)