Cathy and Lynn

I was getting a lot of pictures from Cathy and Lynn last night. They were trying to outdo each other with Christmas decorations. 

These are from Cathy. My goodness. They are so cute.

This is the SnoBuddy Family and you can purchase the pattern on Ravelry. I wasn’t familiar with this pattern so I’m glad that Cathy introduced me to it.

Adorable little snow-people, all playing dress-up for the cold. Five versions to knit in worsted wt singles, heavy worsted, or Aran wt yarns.

Cathy used Woolstok. The accessories are from leftovers from Sarah’s 21 Color Slouch. Cascade 220 would also work for these. 

Last week I found a cute pattern on Ravelry for Christmas Tree decorations that are mittens. Lynn made one up yesterday in Woolstok. Can you imagine a whole tree decorated in mittens? Wouldn’t that be amazing? It could be a memory tree of all your knitting projects.

Brighten your tree or mantelpiece with these adorable wool mitten ornaments. Great for commemorating the passing year or for holiday gifts to friends and family. Work this mini mitten in varying yarn weights to get differently-sized ornaments. The back of the mitten has been left in stockinette stitch and is a great place to embroider someone’s initials or the current calendar year.

The pattern (free on Ravelry) has instructions for fingering weight, dk, worsted and chunky.

Today’s tip

If you double fingering weight you will get dk weight.

If you double dk weight you will get chunky.

Lynn also made a Jolly Wee Elf with Woolstok.

Meet Cathy’s Oliver the Pig (pattern purchased on Ravelry). He is gorgeous!

From the designer Susan B. Anderson

I love this pig! I usually don’t name my toy designs with a specific name for many reasons but mainly because I would prefer that the knitter or recipient come up with their own name that is meaningful to them. However, while I was creating this cute pig with a knit-in colorwork sweater, jeans and a separate button-up hooded jacket, I kept calling him Oliver Pig in my head. So when coming up with a project name I decided to just go with it. Oliver Pig seems to suit him well. But I encourage you to feel free to change the name to whatever suits you and yours! I would love that. The pattern includes photo tutorial guides and exclusive video tutorial links.

Construction Notes: 
The project is worked from the top-down started with the head. After the head and ears are completed, the body is picked up on the underside of the head and worked down with markers placed for the arms and legs. Arms and legs are picked up and knit onto the body. The feet are knit separately and are whip-stitched to the bottom of the legs (an exclusive video tutorial link is provided in the pattern). This is the only seam in the entire toy. The separate jacket is worked top-down and seamlessly.

Finished measurements: 9-inches tall including the ears when seated or 14-inches tall when measuring from the feet to the top of the ears.

Lynn is also knitting Oliver. I think she is close to being finished - I’ll share pictures when he’s ready to be photographed.

I don’t have any pictures that can compete with these so I’m going to sign off and wish everyone a good evening.

Feathers

Alex finished her Birds of a Feather. It is gorgeous. Alex was lucky that the shawl got back in the car with her. I love the colours. She used Uschitita in the colour Feather.

Happy news. Hedgehog is sending us some Sock. We didn’t think we would see this until the new year. If you are waiting on one of these colours, send me an email and I will send an invoice to make sure you get your yarn the minute the box is opened.

• Artifact
• Birthday Cake
• Cereal
• Crush
• Daydream
• Fool’s Gold
• Graphite
• Harvest
• Jelly
• Liebling
• Magpie
• Monarch
• Petrol
• Plume
• Poison
• Pollen
• Raku
• Rosehip
• Spell
• Urchin

Tin Can Knits has a new pattern called Embers.

With deliciously textured colourwork, Embers is a perfect project for playing with colour, and using up precious odds and ends!

You can purchase the pattern on the Tin Can Knits website. I haven’t been to their website in a while and it has been updated. There are some cool features on each pattern page. Anything in turquoise is a link to more information.

If you click on view pattern details this comes up

I chose Woman ML (40”) and this came up

Very detailed information for each size.

There is a hat to match and the pattern is also available on the Tin Can Knits website.

Blocked

My Shift adaptation in Rasta is finished.  

I think she is looking for mistakes 😘

It’s big enough that Lynn could pull it over her shoulders.

I used 3 skeins of Rasta and 10mm needles. I will be adding the kit to the website this weekend. The kit will include my notes to adjust the pattern but you will need to purchase the Shift pattern from Andrea Mowry to knit it.

Lynn finished her first sock. It’s even been blocked. It was time to go so we were rushing to get a picture. We will do a better photo shoot when Lynn has both socks finished. Lynn went up to a 2.75mm needle for her socks and said that she was happy she did.

Lynn knit Maize (a free pattern from Tin Can Knits) in Malabrigo Rios. You can knit them as full mittens or fingerless mittens. Lynn says that she likes how long the thumb is. 

I was looking at pictures from December 3, 2019 to see if there was any knitting to share tonight. Nothing from 2018 either. These are from 2017. Our first hockey game in Vegas.

You never know, we might be able to go for December 3, 2021.

It Happened

I had to try the cast on last night. I was right. Follow the video and you can do the Turkish Cast On. The first few rows are awkward but keep going. A suggestion is to take thicker yarn and larger needles to try the cast on and work a few rows. When you are comfortable with it you can start on smaller needles and thin yarn.

My yarn is Old Soul Fiber Co. Soul Twist in the colour Pink Panther.

This is my first time using FlexiFlips. I like them. For my other socks I am knitting on double pointed needles. Every few rows I drop the spare needle - I don’t have this problem with the FlexiFlips. If socks were my traveling knitting I would definitely use the Flexis.

Stephen West has a new knit along starting December 26. I signed up on Ravelry.

Welcome to the first annual Hiberknitalong! It’s the coziest time of year, so let’s knit a new shawl for the new year as we hiberknit through the deep winter nights together.

The Hiberknitalong begins December 26!

Sign up by purchasing this Hiberknitalong e-book.

When you purchase this Hiberknitalong e-book, you will receive an intro PDF with all the yarn info you need to participate. Then, you will receive not one, but two Hiberknitalong shawl patterns on December 26, so you can choose your favorite of the two designs to participate in the knit along. One of designs will be a triangular

shawl and the other design will be a semi-circular shawl. Both designs will be revealed on December 26 as a surprise and you will get the entire pattern instructions on that day. Collect your colors in December and then eagerly wait for the December 26 reveal and cast on your favorite shawl from the two pattern options.

You can use any fingering weight yarn to participate and don’t forget to share your colors in the Hiberknitalong Ravelry group where we will also share our progress and knit along together once the patterns are revealed.

From Stephen on yarn choice

I especially love non-superwash wool for winter projects because it’s so comforting and cozy. 

These shawls will be fabulous with hand dyed superwash wool yarns as well! The most important part about choosing yarn, is making sure you love your colors! The exact type of twist or fiber composition isn’t very important for these designs. Choose a main color that contrasts well with all three contrast colors. It’s all about choosing beautiful colors that make you happy!

I am going to look at Le Petit Lambswool for mine. 

Lykke and Mindful needle sets should be in the store next week.

We’ve watched The Amazing Race and now it’s The Masked Singer. Another hour of knitting.

Fleegle Heel???

Andrea Mowry has a new sock pattern.

These are the socks I cast on again and again. Simple enough for an adventurous first time sock knitter, and available in 11 sizes so that you can make a pair for each member of your family and all of your friends! The ribbing helps to create a perfect fit and you can keep it interesting by adding in contrasting toes, heels, color blocks or stripes. (Which makes them great stash-busters!)

You can purchase the pattern on Andrea’s website.

Photos © Andrea Mowry

You never know, I might make another pair of socks. Beth is getting the Sparks Socks for Christmas. She tried on the first one last night and exclaimed ‘these would be great on to wear on Sunday when I’m at home and the floor is cold’. 

Andrea uses the Turkish Cast on for her socks. Here is her video.

And another video. Somehow I watched this video instead of Andrea’s. Both are good and sometimes it is best to watch more than one video. You will get tips from each. Andrea uses magic loop and the second video uses Flexi Flips.

 

The videos explain the Turkish Cast On really well. It looks easy but I’m not sure I should say that until I try it.

Andrea does something called a Fleegle Heel. Huh? The Fleegle Heel is worked with short rows. I am learning a lot of new techniques. I watched the video on this website.

We have new Opal collections coming early next week. 

From 2.25mm needles to 10mm needles.

If you are looking for a quick hat pattern, Blue Sky Fibers just published the Hibbing Hat and Scarf. They use Blue Sky Bulky. You can also use Rowan Big Wool or Malabrigo Rasta. 

We received new shawl cuffs from Knox Mountain this morning. I should get them on the website tomorrow afternoon. 

The fireplace is going and my needles are calling.