Doggy Sweater

My parents asked me to knit their German Pointer puppy a sweater to keep him warm on his walks. When I went to visit them over Christmas, I worked on this project, and to my amazement, finished it before I had to come back home.

 

Cooper's Sweater:

Yarn: Lion Brand's Fishermen's Wool

Needle Size: US 7 (4.5mm)

Pattern Source: Side Button Greyhound Sweater (free Ravelry download)

 

This pattern had me confused a few times and I had to re-read a few sections to make sure I got it right; but it came out really nice and fits the dog perfectly (I made the XL size). Cooper seems to like it (or doesn't mind having it on all that much) and it should keep him warm in the coming cold winter days.

It was extremely hard to get him to sit nicely for a photo.

Small Gifts

I like to add hand-made (which usually means knitted) gifts to all my presents. Even if they are small like these two small knitted items I made:

 

Wine bottle hat and scarf (free pattern)

Four knitted apple cozies (free pattern)



Christmas Ornaments

Every year I make an ornament for myself and one for my mom. Here are this year's:

 

 

Aren't they just super cute? I picked up some cross-stitch kits from Michaels for $0.50. It came with the hoop, fabric and some thread. I didn't use the pattern they provided (I really didn't like them), but the kits were such a steal!

 

 

 

I don't know where the patterns are from, they were just saved on my computer and I found them by chance. Love them.



Chunky Hat

Finally made my own chunky hat. I had been borrowing my boyfriend's because I love it so much, so I sat down and made my own!

 

 

Neon Pink Winter Hat:

Yarn: Schachenmayr Original's Lova

Needle Size: US 11 (8.0mm)

Pattern Source: Warm Quick Hat (free pattern)

 

I did cast on fewer stitches for this hat (62 stitches to be exact) because I wanted a tighter fitting hat.

 

Love it!



Lacy Hat

Made this hat during a lazy Sunday afternoon knitting session.

 

Lacy Hat:

Yarn: Red Heart Shimmer in Black

Needle Size: US 7 (4.5mm)

Pattern Source: Milanese Lace Topper (free Ravelry download)

 

 

This was such a great and easy last minute gift!



Awesome

One of my co-workers recently went to Iceland on vacation. She brought me back this:

 

 

She went to the factory while she was there and picked me up some gorgeous yarn.

Yup. She is my new favorite person!

 

She also brought me back some beautiful earrings. She really made my day :) 



Lacy Scarf

My mother-in-law has gone through all my knitting books and marked off patterns that she would like me to knit her. This has made it quite easy for me to make Christmas presents for her.

 

 



Smocked Lace Scarf:
Yarn: Infiknit Rayanna in Bumbleberry
Needle Size: US 2 1/2 (3.0mm)
Pattern Source: Smocked Lace Scarf from Knitting 24/7

 

This project took me a while to finish. There was a lot of lace and some small knitting needles. I would knit this project for a few days, then put it away for a bit. So it's a good thing I started back in August.

 

The yarn and the pattern gave some beautiful results. It blocked so nicely and looks fantastic.



Arrow Head Mittens

When my dad made a comment on my Facebook page a while back saying he wouldn't mind a pair of mittens to walk the dog with, I couldn't resist knitting him up a pair.

 

 

Arrow Head:

Yarn: Loops & Threads Undyed Wool in brown

Needle Size: US 6 (4.0mm) DPNs

Pattern Source: Cruiser (free Ravelry download)

 

These were a really quick knit. They took me two days of knitting to complete. The pattern was extremely well written and easy to follow. It was my first time doing an 'afterthought thumb', and I had no problems following her directions to make it. I would definitely recommend this pattern.

 

Simple Black Mittens

My sister asked for a pair of mittens with a splash of colour in them. I don't quite know what she wanted, but when I saw the pattern for these mittens, I thought they would be great.

 

 

Splash of Colour:

Yarn: Loops & Threads Wool to Wash in black and leftover yarn from another project

Needle Size: US 5 (3.75mm) DPNs

Pattern Source: Phoenix Mittens and Treads

 

 

I used two patterns to complete this because the yarn I wanted to use was worsted and the yarn called for in the Phoenix pattern was DK. So I made a lot of changes as I went.

 

These mittens will keep my sister nice and cozy this winter, I think she will really like them.

Two Foxy Brooches

Since I live in Canada, it takes a while to get the new Mollie Makes in newsstands (fingers crossed I get a subscription for Christmas!), so I was excited to finally see issue 32 in my local Wal-Mart. It came out way back at the beginning of October in the UK, and I just got it a couple of weeks ago. Of course I had to make the two foxy brooches kit that came with it, and here are the results:

 

 

I haven't done much embroidery so I am really happy that the eyes and nose turned out so good, I thought I would have a harder time than I  did.

 

Aren't they just adorable? I am going to keep the pink one for myself, but the orange one is looking for a good home.



Neon

I started knitting another afghan. I just can't seem to help myself; I see a pattern for an afghan that I like, and next thing I know I have bought the yarn and casted on .

 

 

This is a free pattern, and I am using Caron Simply Soft yarn in some awesome neon colours.



Check Another Thing Off my List!

I asked everyone in my family what they wanted me to knit them this year for Christmas. This way I know they are getting something they want and I don't put a lot of effort and love into something they won't want.

This is the case with these mittens. My sister asked me for mittens in the same yarn I did the Blue Cowl in. I was a bit sceptical at first because I wasn't sure how this yarn would look as mittens, but I was totally wrong and they turned out gorgeous!

 

 

Braided:

Yarn: Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Tidal

Needle Size: US 5 (3.75mm) DPNs

Pattern Source: Treads, a tipless gloves pattern (free Ravelry download!)



 

I modified the original tipless gloves pattern to make them into mittens. I added the mods I made to my project page on Ravelry. I learned how to do a lateral braid from the instructions and it wasn't hard to do at all once you get the hang of it. The explanation was clear and made it super easy to do. This pattern is incredibly well written, and I would highly recommend it.

 

Dishcloths

Just finished up a few dishcloths from one of my enormous balls of cotton yarn. I still have a lot of yarn left:

 

Leaf dishcloths - pattern is free!

Set of 3 dishcloths - free Ravelry download

Warm Quick Hat

I designed this hat for my boyfriend. He wanted something to keep him warm while snowboarding and this yarn is perfect because the yellow bits reflect light when it is dark. I really liked the results, so I thought I would write up a quick pattern for it.

 

Materials:

2 balls Schachenmayr Original's Lova

16" circular needle and DPNs in US 11 (8.0mm)

Directions:
CO 56 stitches
Round 1: *K2, P2* repeat to end of round
Repeat this round until piece measures 4.5 inches from beginning.

Knit every round until piece measures 9.5 inches from beginning.

Start decreasing (change to DPNs when you have too few stitches):
Round 1: *K2, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 2: Knit
Round 3: *K1, K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 4: Knit
Round 5: *K2tog* repeat to end of round
Round 6: Knit
Round 7: *K2tog* repeat to end of round

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail, thread tail through remaining stitches, pull tight and tie to secure. Weave in all your ends and block.

 

This is a great last minute gift, it is really easy and quick to make, and it looks great. The boyfriend really loves it.

Creativ Festial

I went to the Creativ Festival last weekend an had lots of fun looking at the different vendors that were there. I was also able to pick up so gorgeous yarn and a few extra things:

 

100% cotton yarn to make dishcloths.

Sock yarn for the boyfriend.



Sock yarn for me!

Super bulky yarn to make a hat for the boyfriend.

My new project bag.

I bought the kit to make this, which included the glass ball, plant and water beads.



Winter Accessory

With the cold weather starting, I added a new cowl to my winter accessory pile.

 

 

For Warmth:

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky Solids in white, natural, dark taupe and linen and Loops & Threads Charisma in taupe

Needle Size: 10 1/2 (6.5mm)

Pattern Source: Sugarplum (free Ravelry download!)

 

To make this cowl, I used up all my leftover yarn from making my Chunky Afghan. I just kept knitting until I ran out of yarn! This was a really quick knit. The pattern was easy to follow and looks gorgeous, I have already had lots of compliments on it. 



Afghan Gift Take Two

As my last attempt to make a knitted afghan as a gift for my aunt turned into a total UGH! I decided to try again, but this time I went with a bulky yarn to speed things up a little.

 

Chunky Afghan:

Yarn: 2 balls of each: Bernat Softee Chunky Solids in white, natural, dark taupe and linen and Loops & Threads Charisma in taupe

Needle Size: US 10 1/2 (6.5mm)

Pattern Source: Maple Grove Blanket (available on Ravelry)

 

This was a wonderful blanket to knit while watching TV, and as it grew it kept me warm while I was knitting. I think my aunt will love it, and I can't wait to give it to her!

Close-up of lace detail.

Small Stuffy

I bought an issue of Mollie Makes a few days ago. It's an old issue, but I was really excited to buy it because it came with the fabric to make this:

 

 

Took me a morning to hand stitch it together, and it is so cute!

 

Baby Hats

The child size hat.

I made two pumpkin hats, one for my nephew and one for a co-worker. They turned out fantastic and they are really cute.

 

Baby size hat.

Pumpkin Hats:

Yarn: Loops & Threads Impeccable Solids in orange

Needle Size: US size 5 (3.75mm) and 7 (4.5mm) 16" circular needles

Pattern Source: Pumpkin Hats (free Ravelry download)

 



Close-up of the leaf.

These hats were a really quick knit and the pattern was really easy to follow. I decided to only put one leaf on my hat because I liked the look of it.

 

 

This hat was also made for my nephew. I love the color block, the two colors worked really well together.



Forward and Reverse:

Yarn: Rozetti's Always Dreams and Vanna's Choice Prints

Needle Size: US 6 (4.0mm) and 8 (5.0mm)

Pattern Source: Leisure Arts #75357, Knit Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for the Family by Lisa Gentry



 

Love it! Can't wait to see it on my nephew



A Secret Hat

I have finished one of the projects I have been working on in secret for my boyfriend. I had to wait until he goes out or is sleeping so I could work on it, but I got it done!

 

 

 

Naturally Confertable:

Yarn: Rozetti's Always Dreams

Needle Size: US 6 (4.0mm) and US 8 (5.0mm) 16" circular needles

Pattern Source: Leisure Arts #75357, Knit Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for the Family by Lisa Gentry

 

 

I really enjoyed knitting this hat. The pattern is great and the yarn is so soft and nice to work with. I am thinking of getting a couple of more balls so I can make matching scarf to go with the hat. 

 

 



UGH!

I finished making the blanket I was knitting for my aunt about a week ago but I couldn't bring myself to do a post about it since I felt really discouraged about it. Here's what happened: I had finished knitting it and it was looking awesome, but I wanted to make sure all the stitches would show nicely and the blanket would sit well. I decided to steam the blanket to kill the acrylic (as had worked beautifully in the past), but unfortunately, this time it didn't it didn't turn out so good. I made a big mistake while steaming it: I didn't follow the direction of the pattern, I just went in a straight line. This turned the squares all wonky on one side (I saw that I had made a mistake on the first half, so the second half of the blanket turned out great). To top it off, there was drops of hot water that fell from the nozzle of the steamer right onto the blanket causing the acrylic to get over-killed and creating holes. Seen from one side the blanket does not look so bad, but I won't be giving it as a gift, I will keep this one for myself and work on something else to give to my aunt.

 

The 'good' side of the afghan.

 Afghan:

Yarn: Mary Maxim Starlette in Soft Taupe

Needle Size: US size 9 (5.5mm)

Pattern Source: Knitted Black Afghan from Knit Simple Fall 2013

 

The pattern was excellent, and all the different stitches really kept me interested in making it. The different squares were easy and small enough that I was able to carry this project with me. I will chalk this one up to a learning experience and move on to my next afghan project.





You can see the holes created by the drops of water in the center of this photo.

Finished Christmas Present

I have another Christmas present now checked off my list. This one is for my mom. She asked me for a cowl in a blue color. When I saw this yarn, I absolutely loved it, so I had to buy it. I don't know if she will like this color, or this style of cowl (it is not a 'lush' as I had originally wanted), therefore, this is only 1 of the 2 cowls I will be making her. The next one will be a worsted weight cowl in a blue yarn.

 

Jeweled Cowl:

Yarn: Araucania Botany Lace 

Needle Size: US size 8 (5.0mm) circular needles

Pattern Source: Jeweled Cowl (free Ravelry download)

 

I did not add the beads to the pattern, as I thought the colors of the yarn were good enough to keep this project interesting to look at. I enjoyed making it, and it didn't take me as long as I thought it would to knit up, considering it was lace weight yarn.

 

 

Now I am on to my next Christmas project. I am trying to finish making the Squared Afghan I started for my aunt ages ago. It is almost done and I hope to be able to show you the finished object soon enough.

 

Until then,

Happy Knitting!