In the meantime....

I am trying to get enough of the sleeve done to sew down the cuff before I snap a picture, so I thought I would share my annual Christmas knitting project: Felted Footies...the ULTIMATE in warm footwear for indoors.

This is a before-felting/just-knit photo. I have two more pairs to make, and then I will felt them all at the same time. Stay tuned for "after" pictures.

These are my own invention, and they came to life in 1996 as the felting/fulling craze entered the knitting world. Worked on #13 needles with many strands of wool/angora/alpaca/mohair, with the same short row heel I use in all my sock patterns, they have become my favorite seasonal gift. I knit them, praying with every stitch, for the people I love each Christmas. There were years when those I knit for were lost to me, but as time has passed, issues have resolved and all is better. This project reminds me of where I have been in years past, and helps me keep Christmas giving handmade, humble and personal: the way I want it to remain.

Pine Leaves Nordic Hat
Topic: nordic knitting

The last 3 weeks of knitting have been duly interrupted by Mercury and Mars in retrograde as well as the annual Thanksgiving feast at our place. It has been work to get anything new to come together. But, here it is. I am tickled with the size, shape and fit of this hat (which had to be forcibly taken away from my 30 year old son for picture taking) but the colors are (again) not what I want for my sweater.

The good news is: the pattern is written. (I love finishing up things). And...AND, now I can see the sweater colors in my head. So, I cast on for the sleeve last night and I am off. Pictures to come soon, I promise.

A new sweater...so therefore a new hat
Topic: nordic knitting

I promised myself that as soon as the last knitting retreat was over, I would jump into planning the adult sweater for the Cape Ann and Rip Van Winkle Knitting Retreats next year.

I've vacillated over the colors for 3 months, so I guess I'll just have to make a pile of hats with alternate colors until I get what I am looking for. This first one will be black with pine boughs, wee Nordic charts, and hopefully some licing. I spent all afternoon yesterday with my books and favorite sweater pictures and everything is brewing in my head.

One thing is clear: no lines on this one. It occurred to me that a circularly knit Nordic sweater pattern should have curves and zig zags to help with jogless jogs when color changing. So, one hurdle down.

So, now I will just knit and see what happens with this first group. Stay tuned.

Fingerless Mitts with a Swedish Color Pattern
Topic: Knitting Retreats

This weekend I am off to teach at the Rip Van Winkle Knitting Retreat up in the Catskill Mountains. I love driving in the mountains this time of year. With just a touch of fall color left in the hills, there is a peaceful feeling that sends me to my yarn collection to start designing for the long winter evenings ahead.

One of the projects we are tackling at the retreat is Swedish Fingerless Mitts, with its accompanying Braided Cast On. This is a technique best done with knitting friends, as it is amazingly awkward to pull off the first time. In anticipation of this class on Saturday, I am making a second pair in Charcoal and Creme Kid 'n Ewe...pictures to come tomorrow.

New bag in town
Topic: quick projects

Betsi HAD to have a bag. She has been shopping for 2 weeks and could not find what she wanted. So I knit and ripped and reknit and reripped until I got the shape she wanted. "A canoe shape, mom, for all my stuff, so it won't fall out but it forms an "O" on my shoulder when I wear it".

Betsi's Slouch Pouch takes one skein of Burleyspun and #15 straight needles, with #11 double points used for the handle. One continuous knit with 6 stitches worth of grafting (or sewing). I have never increased or decreased like I had to for this bag! What a knit. 3 hours and I was done.

Did she want it felted? No. But that was the FIRST thought in my mind. (What did I know?)

The pattern and yarn pack is available here.

Block Stitch Tunic pictures
This is my FAVORITE sweater. It is almost 18 years old. Those of you who come into the shop in the Fall and Winter see me in this one more than anything else. It is a tunic that reaches down to mid thigh, and I wear it with leggings, wool socks and wool clogs. My Cold Weather Uniform:

And then there is the one in the front window:

And I am driven to make this in Mountain Goat, so I did a Block Stitch Tunic Hat to establish a gauge:

...and finally, the sweater is moving right along:

Some sweaters designs are so thoroughly wearable, that you CAN and SHOULD have more than one.

Arts and Crafts Movement
Topic: stranded knitting

A new sweater is swirling in my head, along with the Nordic one that is almost on the needles. I am doing research on motifs. I especially like the work of Mackintosh. My California sister has been clamoring for a sweater that goes along with her house style. How can I resist?

The Block Stitch Tunic Sweater
Topic: percentage knitting
I am packing for Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool this weekend, and with the weather taking a turn, wardrobe evaluation became necessary.

One of the first sweaters I ever designed, knit, and am still wearing, is the Tunic Sweater. (Pardon the lack of a picture...need to get one taken). Back in the late 70's, sweaters all of a sudden became HUGE, and patterns for them were few and far between. The whole oversized movement took off, and I envisioned a sweater to wear with leggings. Knit, of course, in the round, in some lovely pattern stitch that was attractive, not boring to knit, and interesting to look at once on a body. I made one in Lamb's Pride Worsted Loden and there has not been a winter since when it did not become a staple in my wardrobe. I made another in Charcoal Heather, and then Clematis. Fabulous.

Yesterday, the third day of dreary and increasingly chilly rain, saw me reaching for it with black leggings, along with a pair of Sheepy Socks:

I spent the day in my wool clogs, all dressed in wool, and was cheerful and toasty for the first time in a week.

I love wool.

At any rate, it occurred to me I need to make another of these sweaters in something a little lighter in weight. So, I wound a skein of Mountain Goat and off I will go on that mission.

I have been a spinning fool since the Fall Rip Van Winkle Spinning Retreat, but now that I have organized the one for next spring, I've decided to put spinning aside for a few weeks and work on my knitting. But first, I needed to organize all my knitting stuff. I dragged a cabinet to my knitting spot last evening and spent time collecting all needles, notebooks, tools and such into the area. (This was not a small job, and the first thing that had to go was my Norman Hall wheel (sob)).

A Quick-To-Knit Sweater
Topic: percentage knitting

Three years ago, I handspun 1800 yards of yarn(that perfectly matched the hazel in my husband's eyes)for a surprise sweater for my husband. As I knit a square to determine the gauge, I showed him the fabric and asked what he thought of it. "Nice color! Not something that I would wear, though...too busy."

(sob)

I put the yarn away for a few years while I pondered what to do with it.

This past summer my son dropped by while I was sorting projects ideas and remarked at the great knitted swatch (I had kept it...). Voila! Even though my son does not have my husband's eyes, he loves to wear earthy colors. So his Christmas gift was determined.

How do you go about turning yarn into a sweater without a pattern? Years ago, Elizabeth Zimmermann and others made a simple formula out of this, as explained on my free seamless circular knit pattern Betsi's Raglan Sweater.

Having made my son sweaters for years, I see how he wears them and I always build in extra short rows to accommodate his shoulder slouch. I end up knitting in about 2" of extra back length to make up for the unbalanced sit on his shoulders, and the sweaters looks strange after I block them, but FABULOUS once on. I have knit 6 extra half rows into the back so far, and will knit another 2 before I reach the underarms. Then I will add in another 6 at the back of the neck. That should do it.

At 3 sts=1", ths sweater is moving right along. I hope to have it done in a week if all goes well.

Warm Woolies Patterns
Topic: charity knitting

Needles ready?

I've listed ALL the details for two headbands to get some of you started knitting.

Besides spending today writing the patterns up for the web, I've contacted three newspapers, my charity knitting group, and everyone on my COUNTRYWOOL NEWSLETTER list.

And we're off...