January Mittens Finished!

I'm pretty impressed with myself right now. (not very modest, but can't have it all!)

I decided on January 10, that I could knit a pair of mittens in January. I also decided to make a fully lined pair, with is basically knitting two pairs of mittens. As of last night at 10 pm, I finished them! Yay!

They are made from KnitPicks Palette, in Oregon Coast Heather and Bison colours. The lining is made from KnitPicks Gloss, which is a nice wool/silk blend that should feel nice to the hand. The lining colour is Bordeaux. I love how the Bison and Bordeaux colours work with the subtle mix of colour in the Oregon Coast Heather.

Now I just hope the rest of the winter goes by without a day that is cold enough to wear lined mittens!

QR Code Mittens

I’m in a blog rut today. It has been a week since I posted, so I want to give you something new, but I got nuthin’. 

I did finish the mittens a posted about a couple of weeks ago, but just the mitten shell, not the lining. I want to wait until they are completely finished, before I post about them. Other than working late, and working on those mittens, I haven’t done much. I did do some baking (and trading) yesterday, but we ate most of it before any pictures were taken.

So, I’ve decided to look back and post a picture of some mitts I knit back in November as a Christmas gift. I have a friend who appreciates things that are a bit on the nerdy side, so I decided to knit her some custom QR Code mittens.

I drafted a custom design that includes four QR codes – her first and last names, and two words that describe her. They were fun to knit and hopefully not too nerdy for her to wear out in public.

Finshed Pillow and First False Deadline of 2013

I’ve fallen ill to startitis lately, and I now have too many projects on the go. I was determined to finish something this weekend, so yesterday I slept in (priorities!) and then I hopped out of bed and finished the pillow I was embroidering. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out.

First False Deadline of 2013

Being a sucker for a possible prize, I decided I NEED to make a new pair of mittens by the end of January, to participate in a little contest on Ravelry. I get bonus entries if the mittens are lined, and of an “ethnic” nature. All of that collided into starting these mittens.

I plan to line then, and the pattern is influenced by traditional Latvian patterns, so I think I can get all the bonus entries I’m striving for. Mostly, I just wanted to make a pair of lined mittens for myself, and I figure it is better to do that before the winter ends. (Although given the wonderful double-digit temps this weekend, winter may already be over!)

I was also desperate to use the Oregon Heather Palette I had in my stash. I photographed the mitten start outside, hoping the natural light would help me catch the beautiful colours in this yarn. It is an incredible combination of blues, reds and yellows against a sandy brown base. So beautiful, when the sun brings out the colours. Here’s a close-up of the yarn.

What’s Next?

Now I should be sitting down to knit, but I’m off to the grocery store to buy some avocados. I’m easily influenced, and @DinaPugliese posted on Twitter that she is having guacamole with the Golden Globes tonight, and now I NEED guacamole too!

Big Plans for 2013

Happy New Year!

 

The first days of January are always so wonderful. A vast, full year of potential lies ahead. For me the potential holds the following:
 

More blogging

I won’t promise to achieve this immediately, but I do know my blog has dwindled lately, and I miss it. My day job (the one that pays!) has been very greedy with my time lately, which is why the blogging has slowed. I have a plan in place to help correct this situation, but it doesn’t take effect for another few weeks, so you won’t see an immediate change, but I hope there will be more frequent posting in the future.

 

More pictures

I’ve just bought myself a wonderful new camera. It isn’t state of the art (in fact, it is last year’s model), but it is a wonderfully compact Nikon Coolpix S6200 that will live in my purse so I’m more frequently ready to take a picture or two, to share with you.

I didn’t actually use it much over Christmas, because we were either talking or eating, but I did take a moment to snap the following picture while I was eating my lunch today. The view of the decorations from my food court table, at First Canadian Place, was quite stunning. This picture doesn’t quite do the holiday décor justice, but I’ll share it as just one example of pictures to come.

 

 

More cooking

We spent the weekend with our great friends in Niagara Falls. We were there long enough to enjoy some spectacular food and drink. In addition to hanging out in their kitchen we had some time to kill during the day. What are two women most apt to do with time on their hands? Shopping!

We stumbled upon a Stokes store that was having a great sale and so I bought some great new toys. I’m not much of a cook, but I do love a good kitchen gadget. I recently decided that my hand mashed potatoes were not good enough, and that I NEEDED a potato ricer to improve things. So, into the store we went and I bought a potato ricer, micro plane grater, stainless steel measuring cups and a 14L stock pot.

The cooking fun begins tonight with some mashed potatoes, but there will need to be future recipes that involve a large quantity of soup or stew in the stock pot, and something with lemon zest so I can try out my new grater.

For the sake of a gratuitous picture… I give you Cici and her New Year’s friend. Sally played hostess to Cici and the two dogs played, and played, and played. Cici is still exhausted.

More sewing

The weekend shopping spree also saw the purchase of quilt batting, to stuff the quilt I’m making. And, I bought a new pillow form and some fabric for a new pillow for our couch, to replace the current one which Cici has claimed as her dog bed.

More knitting

And finally, I have great plans for more knitting. I’m afraid to look into my stash, as I know I will be overwhelmed, but there is plenty of yarn to keep me busy.

I’ve started my first 2013 knitting project, with plans to complete a lace cardigan in 2013.

I’ve already distracted myself from that project, and decided I need to complete a new pair of mittens before the end of January.

The “I make mittens” group on Ravelry, has been highly active in 2012. Mary Elizabeth, one of the moderators, proactively sought me out this weekend, and had me count up the mittens I made in 2012. I came up with six pairs, which means I now want to knit at least 7 pairs in 2013. Must get started now!

I’m sure I’ll knit some socks, and I’ve got yarn that would make a good hat, and of course there is the Leftover Blanket which would be great to finish in 2013.

So much yarn, so little time!

More time with friends!

I have had some good times with friends in 2012. You know who you are - if you were laughing with me, and not at me. J I hope there will be more coffees, lunches, dinners and drinks in our future!

I’ve also made some online friends for the first time in my life. My introverted, cautious side has held me back from calling people friends, if I haven’t met them face to face, but all that changed in 2012. Sharing a common love of all things Walt Disney World, I’ve been able to virtually meet some great people, that I truly call my friends. Again, you know who you are, if we’ve shared some laughter and support together in 2012. I wish you more laughter and only good times ahead for 2013! (And of course, I wish you many trips to Disney, which some of you are well on your way to accomplishing!)

Soooo…. That should be enough to keep my busy this year!

Learning Lining

This week’s knitting has been all about learning how to line a pair of mittens. I’ve been making it up as I go along and so far so good. I did have a couple of false starts until I figured out the gauge of my knitting yarn, which although similar is just a hair wider than the mitten yarn used.

Here is the work so far. I’m liking it! I put in a Cyber Monday yarn order with KnitPicks and threw in some yarn that will be perfect to line another pair of mittens someday soon.

 

November Project - Large Mittens

UPDATE - When this was orginally posted, these mittens were up for sale. Then tonight I decided they were just large enough to be perfect for lining. So I'm busy knitting up some lining for these mittens. Stay tuned for a post when the lining is finished. They will likely return to the For Sale pile at that time.




My November project was another pair of mittens, using the Fall colour theme again. I wanted to see how the mittens would turn out when knit with a larger sized needle. The results are good and the mittens did turn out larger. Since most of my mitts fit a small to medium hand, I’m pleased to offer a larger mitt for sale.

 

 

The pattern is my own design, and the yarn is KnitPicks Palette. (I'm dreaming of more Palette yarn, in the hopes that KnitPicks has a good Cyber Monday sale tomorrow!)

• Size: Large (will be roomy for a medium sized hand, and quite comfortable for a larger hand and wrist)
• Content: 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
• Care: Hand wash/dry flat (that’s the official instruction, but since I like the look of mittens that are slightly felted, I just put mine in the washing machine on a gentle cycle)
• Price: $25.00 (CAD) plus shipping costs

If you are interested in purchasing these socks please email me and I will let you know the shipping costs.

My To Do List

I just looked over at the top of my sewing dresser and realized it is my current to do list.

On the left side there are three stacks of fabric squares that need to be sewn into quilt squares. This is intimidating as the fabric is precisely stacked in the order it will be sewn together.  I need about 12 hours of sewing time to get that stage done, and if anyone knocks those piles of fabric over before I find that 12 hours, my stacking system will have failed me and I’ll have to crawl into a ball and cry. 

Under the fabric is a book I want to finish. I started reading “The Wonder Boys” back when I was on jury duty. Since then I’ve been distracted by other books on my Kindle. I need to carve out some time to finish this book and get it back to its rightful owner.

On the right, is the current mitten project which I want to finish by the end of November.  I’m almost done the first mitten so it should be easy enough to knit the second one within the next two weeks.

And under the yarn, although it is the least time consuming, is the most dauntingly stack of paperwork that I need to figure out and take care of sooner, rather than later. I changed jobs recently and that always comes with a stack of benefits papers to sign and process. Hopefully I’ll get that taken care of this weekend (but first I need to go buy some stamps.)

The saddest part of this picture is that I have a pounding headache tonight, which means that this picture will look exactly the same, this time tomorrow. (But the happy part is that this time tomorrow is the weekend!)

A Few Pairs of Mitts For Sale

I’ve rummaged through my tickle trunk and determined I have a few pairs of mittens that are in need of a good home. I am offering these mittens for sale, not with the intent of making a profit, but rather to ask just a bit above cost to make some money to feed my yarn habit.

If you are interested in purchasing these mittens please email me and I will let you know the shipping costs.

 

Neapolitan Mittens

These mittens combine chocolate brown, light strawberry pink, and creamy vanilla colours into a combination reminiscent of Neapolitan ice cream.

• Size: Medium (but should fit most hands)
• Content: 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
• Care: Hand wash/dry flat (that’s the official instruction, but since I like the look of mittens that are slightly felted, I just put mine in the washing machine on a gentle cycle)
• Price: $25.00 (CAD) plus shipping costs

Currant Mittens

These mittens are made from a deep currant/burgundy colour offset by a nice dark ash grey.

• Size: Medium/Small (should fit most hands, but will be snug on a larger hand)
• Content: 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
• Care: Hand wash/dry flat (that’s the official instruction, but since I like the look of mittens that are slightly felted, I just put mine in the washing machine on a gentle cycle)
• Price: $25.00 (CAD) plus shipping costs

Fall Mittens - SOLD

These mittens are called “Fall Mittens” because I finished them just as summer was turning to fall. They are made of a lovely orange and yellow combination with a navy blue highlight for interest on the cuff.

• Size: Medium/Small (should fit most hands, but the cuff will be snug on a larger wrist)
• Content: 100% Peruvian Highland Wool
• Care: Hand wash/dry flat (that’s the official instruction, but since I like the look of mittens that are slightly felted, I just put mine in the washing machine on a gentle cycle)
• Price: $25.00 (CAD) plus shipping costs

Stay tuned for a sock sale. I found some of those in the trunk too.

Autumn Mittens

Where did my week go? I can't believe it has been 7 days since my last post. I'm not sure what I've been doing in that time, since there aren't too many quilt squares trimmed and there's been minimal knitting progress, but according to the calendar 7 days have indeed passed by.

I did manage to get started on a new pair of mittens that I plan to finish this month. They have a distinctly autumn palette going on.

Much like the past week, today has also slipped by. I had a good day roaming the city with a friend and wrapped it up with a trip to the grocery store to make some soup. I'm trying the Sirloin Soup recipe from the Mennonite Girls. It won't be ready until 8 pm ish, so by then we should be hungry enough that it tastes good, no matter how successful I am. So far all the ingredients are in the pot and it is smelling pretty good.

While at the store I picked up a nice loaf of French bread, so there will be some French toast for breakfast tomorrow. Mmmm.

Neapolitan Mittens

Back on September 8, I unveiled mylatest mitten pattern design. I cobbled the pattern together using some Kurzeme graphs from Lizbeth Upitis.

I stated that I wanted to finish the mittens in September and was further inspired when I discovered Ravelry had a contest for anyone who finished mittens in September. So I picked out some yarn and then I knit, and knit, and knit, and as of 9:35 pm last night, I finished the mittens before the end of September.

They are knit with KnitPicks Paletteyarn in a brown, blush and cream combination that makes me think of Neapolitan ice cream. I LOVE Neapolitan ice cream.

This pattern turned out great and I expect you will see it again someday in a different colour combination.

What to do, what to do...

I find myself with some time to fill. I’m in that rare state in life where I just left one job and don’t start my next until October 9. Lying in front of me are 10 glorious days where I can do so many different things.

I will be spending some time catching up with some friends; there are some family milestones to celebrate; there is a teenager to bug; there are some chores to do and so much more…

• In the area of chores, I bought shelf liner to inspire me to clean up our cupboards.
• I need to repair a stack of clothes so I can finally put them away.
• I want to finish a pair of mittens before the end of the month (let’s put that at the top of the list).  
• After that pair is finished, I want to get a good start on an October pair of mittens.
• I need to finish the red beaded necklace, so I can get the beads off the sewing table.
• I may decide to get another set of beads together into a finished necklace.
• And, if I’m really ambitious, I’ll start turning some piles of fabric into a quilt.

So what will I really do over the next week and a bit… whatever I want! (So far, day one has started off with sleeping in and eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for breakfast.)

 

I Love a Prize

I’m a sucker for a free gift, or a prize. I love Clinique bonus time, and I showed great restraint by walking through The Bay today and not succumbing to the temptation to purchase some cosmetics, just to get the “free” gift.

I’ve been attempting to finish a pair of mittens by the end of the month, to meet my usual false deadline. As I was perusing Ravelry, I discovered a challenge to knit a pair of mittens by the end of September and be eligible to win a prize. I don’t know what the prize is, but I want to win it. The prize is generously donated by Tullymongan designs. To meet this deadline, I need to knit an entire mitten that I just cast on last night. Thankfully, the first mitten is already complete, and the TV watching is good tonight. (I’m excited to have 2 Broke Girls back!)

Here is a sneak peek at the mittens in progress.

Hot Off the Press - New Mitten Pattern

This weekend I lack focus, but I’m still getting things done. I’ve knit a bit on my Leftover Blanket, I’ve strung a few beads, I’ve started mulling over a future project, but most successfully, I’ve designed a new mitten pattern that I’d like to knit up in September.

Creating the design involved sitting at the computer and colouring in a mitten graph, square by square. (I’ve become an expert at using the “Format Painter” function.) The design stage has been a bit labour intensive, but I think I’m going to like this pattern. I’m excited that the cuff will use 3 colours, but only 2 colours in any single row. (It’s the little things that make me happy!)

The different designs that I’ve cobbled together for this pattern, are inspired by the graphs in the book “LatvianMittens” by Lizbeth Upitis. The chosen motifs are based on designs that originated in the Kurzeme district on the seacoast of Latvia. According to Upitis, Kurzeme mittens traditionally have a scalloped cuff, unique to this district. I contemplated incorporating the scalloped cuff, but eventually I gave in and realized I much prefer to start my mittens with a two-colour braid, so that won out and the scalloped cuff will need to wait for a future design.

One of tomorrow’s tasks will be to root through my stash and see what colours will be chosen for this design.


In other news…

I’m very excited to be on the verge of a new TV season. After spending the past months watching endless home improvement and reality TV shows, I’m excited to get back to some old-fashioned comedy and drama shows. This week I’m looking forward to the return of Parenthood and Glee, as well as checking out new shows like Go On and Breaking Amish. By the time mid-October comes, and all the new shows are back, the PVR will be well used and well loved.

Summer's Almost Over

Not that I’m wishing the summer away, but I can’t help but notice things have taken a turn lately and we are heading into the end of the season. It should feel like we still have half our summer ahead of us, but the signs of Fall are all around.

We did some shopping for back to school clothes this weekend. While out and about I notice that the grocery store is selling Halloween items, the book store is selling 2013 calendars, and Hallmark has Christmas ornaments on display. So that’s it folks, summer is almost over.

Fortunately, I’m prepared. I recently finished this pair of mittens.

They are made from KnitPicks Palette yarn, using a pattern of my own design.

Stay Tuned... Someday I'll Finish Something

I’ve been slower on the updates this month, due mostly  to my day job exhausting me, and the weather being too hot to make much more than a cold drink each night. Every day I do a bit of work on something and think about how I’d like to post it on my blog when it is finished.

Eventually I will finish something, but in the meantime here are the things I wish I was making enough progress on to be blog worthy.

I’m back into beading and this pile of beads and strings is just about to grow up to be a necklace.

I love these new green and turquoise beads and they will be quickly strung as soon as the pink piece is finished.

This month’s mitten project is only a few days from completion, but not ready for prime time blogging yet.

And once those mittens are off the needle, I’m be diving back into the Leftover Blanket and hope to make enough progress on that to warrant a blog update soon.

So, stay tuned and I’ll post a finished item soon (hopefully.)

July 2012 - Not a Friend to the Knitter

Toronto’s 3-day forecast

	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
High	32° C	30° C	33° C
Low	22° C	21° C	22° C

 

According to the news, we are in the midst of a heat wave and on track to have the hottest July ever!

This weather isn’t helping my knitting ambitions. I’m determined to start and finish at least one new project each month. This month I have my mittens on the go and while I’m almost done the first one, I’m not sure if I will finish it by tomorrow which is the middle of the month. The false deadline is looming and I may not make it – oh the stress.

While I can (and do) knit in the heat, the yarn moves through my fingers slowly and it takes me a while to get things done. I keep thinking I should get back into beading but for some reason keep reaching for wool instead.

Not that I’m wishing the summer away, but I could do with a forecast that is dialed back a few degrees.

Love the Smell of Wool

Steve went to a movie tonight, so I stayed home to do as I please. While I watched Dallas and knit, Cici inched her way closer and closer to my yarn.

She loves the smell of wool and couldn’t resist getting her nose right into my ball of yarn while she slept.

I like the smell of wool too.


For those who watch Dallas... I don't get the whole Annie, her ex and the necklace thing. And the pregnancy thing was way too easy. The writers could do better than that. (But it wouldn't be as great and cheesy a show if they did.)

3-colour Knitting is a Bitch

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, but it has been a bit of a scorcher and the motivation to make things hasn’t been great.

In spite of the heat, I have been compelled to try and do a bit of knitting each night. Although I love working on the Leftover Blanket and have enjoyed the hat and socks I’ve made lately, I need to have the next project be more challenging. I decided to work on a pair of mittens. As I searched the colours in my stash, I picked out a nice yellow and orange, but needed to do something else to take it up a notch. I decided to throw in one more colour on the cuff.

As I began to live with the decision to knit with three colours, I soon remembered that it is a major pain to knit with three colours at once. I can easily manage two colours, since I do have two hands, but throw in a third and the result is a tangled mess. With two colours I manage to keep the yarn winding to a minimum and if a twist results, I can just dangle the knitting in the air and it will unwind itself. With three colours I can put one colour in one hand and keep that relatively tangle free, but the other two colours must be picked up and dropped and by the end of the row it is an unmanageable bird’s nest of yarn. My solution is to stop and untangle the yarn after every half row. The result is that 3-colour knitting takes me four times longer than regular knitting and the slow progress is not satisfying.

The end result is still somewhat satisfying, but only enough to have me limit using three colours to very small portions of my project.