Traveling Woman Shawl (para mi madre)

One of my goals for 2011 was to hand knit something for my mom and my sister.  My sister received her hand knit item for her birthday, a thermis cowl.  For my mom, I knit her a shawl... something to keep her warm in church meetings. 

I had called her several times asking "What colors do you like to wear?"  I originally planned on something gray, you know... easy to match with outfits, but in the end decided on a green.  Malabrigo Rios, in Aguas to be exact.  It is no surprise that I'm a huge fan of Malabrigo, so it was only fitting that I used it to make something for my mom - since I'm a huge fan of her too!

After looking through tons of pattern choices, I finally decided on the Traveling Woman Shawl, by Liz Abinant.  I know it looks a little intimidating with all those purl rows, but this pattern was wonderful.  It was my first time working a lace pattern, so I did have to go to the LYS to get some help on how to read it.  Once they explained it to me, I was off to the races.  I guess I was just a little over-excited to be making this because within three days, I was out of yarn and waiting for a new skein to arrive.  Thank goodness I had ordered it from Mr. Yarn, and they still had a skein in the same dyelot available.  

I think it turned out lovely!  I really debated if I should give it away or keep it for myself ;-)  I decided my mom would probably love it more than I ever could, so I wrapped it up for her Christmas.

When I called on Christmas morning to see if she had opened it, my niece (she's almost 5!) told me "Mamaw really likes her cape."  Too cute!~

Raverly Page
Pattern - Traveling Woman Shawl, by Liz Abinant.
Date started - 11/20/11
Date Finished - 12/7/11
Made For - Mi Madre
Yarn - Malabrigo Rios in Aguas
Needles - US 10, 40" circulars - Addi Turbos
Pre-Blocked Size- 52" wingspan by 14" tall
Finished Size - 80" wingspan by 24" tall

Beauchamp Cowl - Malabrigo Style

This is actually a FO of 2011, but I'm just getting around to posting about it. There are still a few FO's of 2011 that I have yet to show. Hopefully, this will start to slow down now that the Holidays are over.

First off, this was my first time working with Malabrigo Silky Merino and I'm hooked. This yarn is a delight (although, how could it not be since it is Malabrigo) to work with and is very soft, and well, silky. Love it! There will definitely be more projects in Silky Merino in my future, for sure!

I originally cast on for this cowl back in August 2011, but then my hubs and I purchased our first home (YAY!) and life was pure chaos for a few months.  Of course, I was too excited to start this project that I didn't take the time to do a swatch.  I cast on for the DK weight version.  When I got about 10 rows into the pattern, I realized it would be way too small and wouldn't fit over my head. I was working at the gauge necessary for the fingering weight version. So I frogged it. UGH! Lesson learned. 

I re-cast on for the fingering weight version with a 132 sts.  I also changed the order of the colors, which I'm glad I did. I really like the teal feather color and wanted the cowl to have more of it. After that, I was off in a flash.  Such a great pattern and fun to see it emerge. I really like fair isle knitting, it helps to keep things interesting.

After finishing it, I did a quick blocking on it, but I don't know if I would do this next time (*if I used Silky Merino again) because it looked pretty good when it was finished and didn't really need a blocking. It did grow quite a bit upon blocking (about 22" around), which is nice because it gives it a little more drape than the pre-block item had, but not so good at the same time if you want the cowl to stand up.

We've had a extremely warm winter this year (I think I've only worn my coat probably 5 times this season) so unfortunately I haven't gotten much use out of this cowl, yet.  The few times that I have worn it, I've been extremely happy with it. It is extremely warm and so soft... and incredibly cute, too!   

Raverly Page
Date Started - 8/9/11
Date Finished - 12/3/11
Yarn - Malabrigo Silky Merino in Natural, Spring Water, and Teal Feather
Needles - US 6, 16" circulars
Pattern - Beauchamp Cowl by Laura Chau
Mods - Used the fingering weight version of the pattern for this cowl, although Malabrigo Silky Merino is more of a DK weight yarn.

Malabrigo Fingerless Mittens

Wow, these mitts I finished a long, long time ago. I don't know why I never posted about them, I guess I just got busy and never took any pictures. Now they are loved and very well worn.  They are starting to pill terribly and could use some love with the lint shaver.

I finished these back in February of this year just in time for our vacation to New York.  I knew it would be cold so I whipped up these mitts to keep my hands warm. 

Raverly Project Page
Pattern - Potluck Wool Mittenettes by Midnight Knitter (free)
Date Started - Feb. 19, 2011
Date Finished - Feb 20, 2011
Yarn - Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Tuscan Sky (lot 0232)
Needles - US 7, DPN's
Modifications - Knit 12 rounds of K1P1 ribbing, k7 rounds before starting increase for thumb gussett, worked increases up to 7 sts,  work 8 rounds before ribbing, worked K1P1 ribbing for 12 rounds, sewen in BO, picked up 5 sts around thumb and worked for 9 rounds.

Age of Brass & Steam Kerchief

I'm not sure why this project took me so long to finish, (okay, it might have something to do with all the purling involved in this pattern - but that's just a guess) because it has quickly become my new favorite scarf.  I wear it everywhere now, even though the weather has been in the 70's, I can't help but wear it.  I cast on for this scarf on 8/22/10 and finally finished it a year later (9/9/11), but hey, at least I finished.

This yarn was amazing to work with. Very soft and squishy and drapes very nicely.  I opted to change up the pattern and use a fingering weight yarn instead.  As a result, I ended up using size 4 needles and I did two extra repeats before completing the final section.

Raverly Project Page
Pattern - Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower
Needles - Size 4, circulars
Yarn - Knit One, Crochet Too - Crock-o-Dye.  Color - Garnet (289)
Finished Size - 18" x 51"
Date Started - 8/22/10
Date Finished - 9/9/11
Modifications - Fingering weight yarn, size 4 needles, added two extra repeats before final section.

Knitted Bracelet - Turk's Head Knot

The other day on Pinterest, I saw this adorable knitted bracelet. Cute, right?  Well, when I clicked on the link, it took me to site that demonstrates how to tie knots (link here), which was pretty awesome... but I was looking for the knitter who made this beautiful bracelet.

I really, really liked it and decided it wouldn't be that hard to make one of my own.

So I did!  and.... I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!

 I'm mostly a earrings -pins-maybe a necklace-once in a while - type of girl.  This bracelet has changed all that. I have practically worn it everyday since finishing it and every morning I want to coordinate my outfits to match it.  

Raverly Project Page
Yarn - Malabrigo Rios in Arco Iris
Needles - US 8
Hours - Made on my lunch break (so less than an hour)

Calorimetry Ear Warmer

One of my good friends has a birthday in November, and so I thought she needed a little something special to keep her warm during the cold season (ugh... Utah weather).  As a side note, I really love living on the east coast where it is warm and pleasant through the winter months.  I really don't miss the snow.  But I do enjoy making knits for all my family and friends to keep them warm while they are burrowed in the snow.

I remember her saying once that she wanted a headband/ear warmer for the winter to keep her warm without squishing her hair.  She has beautiful hair and it would be a shame to cover it all up under a hat. And what better way to keep your ears toasty warm then in Malabrigo! 

I decided on a simple ribbed ear warmer (found free here).  It really is a simple pattern, and the end results are lovely. It could easily be dressed up with a knitted flower, or pin, a ribbon.... really anything, or just worn plain (that's how I like it, so that's what I did).

The button was nothing special, just something that I had on hand and matched.  I do like that the increases create additional holes so that if it is not tight enough there are different options of where to button it. 

After reading a few notes on other projects on Raverly, I made a few modifications to the pattern. Here they are:  Cast on 92 sts, 11 repeats of row 5, 13 repeats of row 7.

Overall, I really liked the finished project and hope that she does as well.  I might even make one for myself. 

Raverly Project Page
Pattern - Calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf 
Yarn - Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Tuscan Sky
Needles - US 8
Finished Size - 23"

Pink Thermis Cowl

Last year, I made a Thermis Cowl, and it really is one of my favorites.  Since my sister has a birthday in the cold of winter, I decided to make one for her.

This pattern is particularly wonderful since it creates a nice thick, fabric that makes it extra warm, but also has some buttons to open up if you get too hot. 

The best part about this cowl, the yarn was hand dyed by me!  Yep!  And not with Easter egg tablets either, this time I went all crazy scientist in the kitchen and used acid dyes.

I think it turned out wonderful, and really love the subtle color changes - which I worked really hard to create.  Overall, it was a wonderful learning experience and it was so much fun to knit with yarn that I created.   

Raverly Page
Pattern - Thermis Cowl by Kris Knits 
Needles - US size 6
Yarn - Superwash Merino Wool - hand dyed by me!
Date Started - July 2011
Date Finished - August 9, 2011

Ballband Dishcloths ...in BULK Apparently

Well, I think I finally have a new favorite dishcloth pattern.  Don't worry, I still love the grandmother's favorite dishcloth pattern, but recently I have been obsessed with the Ballband Dishcloth.

 This picture shows ten of the finished dishcloths, but there are a few missing that were gifted before I could take pictures of them.

We just purchased our first home, and so I'm excited to use all new dishcloths in our new kitchen.  I love the bright colors of these and think it might even make the chore of dish washing a happy experience.

My favorite is the top dishcloth, that was made with leftover scraps. 

I used the slightly smaller version pattern for this. (Instructions found here.) I have made this pattern before (see here), and decided I didn’t want them as large as the original pattern, and not quite as small as the “slightly smaller version”.  So I did an in-between size and added 6 sts to the cast on for a total of 43 sts. Turned out perfect size! Love them, obviously, I can’t seem to stop making them.

And since I just can't help myself, I've also managed to make a few grandmother's favorite dishcloths to add to the pile.

Raverly Page
Pattern - Ballband Dishcloth
Modifications -Cast on 43 sts
Yarn - Various colors of Lily Cotton Sugar n' Creme
Needles - Size 7 US straights

Oh Boy, Baby Booties!

 Are these not the cutest things ever!?  I think they look like little baby uggs.

 These were made for a cousin who was having her fist baby, a little boy.  They live in Utah, where winters are cold, so I'm hoping these will help to keep the little ones' feet super warm.

This was my first attempt at a baby shoe, and overall it went pretty well.  I learned a few new tricks on this pattern.  I followed some modifications by a fellow knitter (link found below), so that each bootie was knit in a single piece and then grafted - which is the new technique I learned.  Finally learned to do the Kitchener Stitch.  I was a little nervous at first, but thanks to the many videos on YouTube, it was so easy.

Overall, I am super pleased with these.  Super cute, really easy to construct, and super fast. 

Raverly Link
Yarn - Knitpicks Swish DK - Green Apple
Needles - US 4
Pattern - Oh Baby, Baby Booties, by Judy Nemish
Mods- Followed modifications by Babylee
Hours - 2.5 hours per bootie

Friday Night Knitting

Friday Night Knitting, a photo by raverlygirl on Flickr.

A relaxing evening spent knitting... just what the doctor ordered. Although, this was over two weeks ago. Maybe I should prescribe myself another night of knitting just to keep me sane.

PS - This is made with the Malabrigo Silky Merino, which is to die for. I can't wait until it is finished.

Pile-Able Pups

My favorite little nephew just turned 2!  Which is definitely a good reason to knit him up a special present. I thought these adorable pile-able pups would be just perfect.  Fun for playing and stacking. Even though the patten calls for three pups, I only made two, since it was his second birthday.

I must admit, I really struggled with these guys.  Mostly just the seaming gave me troubles.  It was my first time seaming and it was definitely a good learning experience.  Using the mattress stitch worked perfectly to hide the seams but it was a major pain to figure out.  Once I got the hang of it, finishing up these guys was no problem. And from now on, I can use the mattress stitch if I need to.

The only changes I made was to switch to a 16" circular when I picked up the stitches along the side. It was a little easier to manage than the DPN's at that point.  I also did a stripe patten on the belly of the pup.  The yarn I used was just enough for one pup, but only because of the stripe on the belly. 

Overall, this was a fun learning experience project. Something small and quick (if you already know how to use the mattress stitch).  And just enough of a motivator to get me back into the swing of things with knitting.

How adorable are the little tails?

Raverly Page 
Pattern - Pile-Able Pups by Anna Hrachovec
Yarn - Lily Sugar N' Creme Solids in Yellow Sun, Green, and Bright Blue
Needles - Size 5 US DPN's and 16" circulars
Safety eyes and nose from Joann's

Turn A Square - the Second

Obviously, I couldn't let Dustin have the only warm head in a beautiful Turn A Square Hat.  I had to make one for me as well.  It was so very easy to make, and it took me less than 4 hours to complete this.  I started it the day before we left on vacation and was able to finish it on the plane ride to NYC.

I used the same yarn as I did for Dustin's hat, but used the green color for the MC on mine.  How adorable are we in our matching hats!?  Cute, right?

I did make a few modifications to this hat as well.  I used size 8 needles for the entire hat this time, I worked the jogless stripes on this one and think they looks so much nicer, I didn't increase any stitches after the brim (mostly because it fit well enough with out them because I was knitting on larger needles), knit the body for 6" before starting the decreases.

I absolutely Love Love Love this hat!  It is perfect!  Great fit, so very comfy, and very warm.

Raverly Link
Yarn - Malabrigo Rios in Lettuce and Coco
Needles - Size 8
Pattern - Turn a Square by Jared Flood

Serious Case of SSS

I have had a serious case of SSS lately. That would be Second Sock Syndrome.  I want to knit socks, but after I get the first one finished, I want to move on to a new pattern.

New goal ... learn to make socks two at a time.

Pattern - On Hold Lace Sock by Wendy Johnson
Yarn - Malabrigo Sock in Terracotta

Turn A Square - Malabrigo Style

Back in February, we took a little vacation to New York City.  It was guaranteed to be bitter cold in NY in February, so I knew that Dustin needed a hat to keep him warm.  He doesn't usually like hats, but considering we were coming from NC where it was around 65-70 degrees each day, he was willing to sport a hat to keep him warm.

I have been wanting to make a Turn A Square Hat since I first saw it, like several years ago, but that was before I began knitting.  This was the perfect time to try out this pattern, plus, I already had some great Malabrigo Rios in my stash that would work perfectly.

I did end up making a few changes but not much.  Here is what I did.

I cast on 100 sts, k2 p2 for 1.5", increased to 108 sts, followed pattern for 5.5" then began increases per pattern.

In the end, I thought it looked perfect and fit nicely.  Dustin was not so sure.  He wanted it slightly longer to cover more of his neck.  So being the loving wife I am, I frogged back and knit for 6" before starting the decreases. A simple hat that should have taken me a day to make ended up taking 5.  But he likes it and it fits, and the best part --- He will wear it!  I'd say it is another successful project.

Raverly Link
Pattern - Turn A Square by Jared Flood
Yarn - Malabrigo Rios in Lettuce and Coco
Needles - Size 7 for brim, Size 8 for body

Vesper Socks

I have one completed sock!  Now on to the second one.

I think these might just be my new favorite.

Yarn from Vesper Sock Yarn.  Color - Serendipitous

Malabrigo Mitts

Dustin has been asking for a second pair of fingerless mitts since he loved the first pair so much.  I decided to use some of the Malabrigo Yarn I got for Christmas.  When ever I need to make some quick and easy fingerless mitts, this pattern is my definite favorite.  So easy, simple, quick, and looks great in the end.  These really only took about two hours to make, but I put them down and waited forever before finishing them.  I really dislike picking up stitches and so I let them sit and sit before finally just attacking it and getting them done.  

I did make some modifications to it since I was using more of an aran/bulky weight yarn than a worsted weight. Here is what I did.

*Size 9 needles
*K12 rounds of K1P1 ribbing
*K7 rounds before thumb gussett
*K8 rounds before finger ribbing
*K10 rounds of ribbing before bind off
*picked up 5 sts for thumb
*K6 rounds on thumb before bind off

Raverly Link
Pattern - Potluck Mitts by Midnight Knitter
Needle - Size 9
Yarn - Malabrigo Twist in Autumn Forest
Made For - Dustin
Date Started - January 17, 2011
Date Finished - February 19, 2011
Total Hours - 3