More Hats!

Here are 2 more hats. These are too much fun to make! The blue one has a contrast band of vairegated Unikat yarn, which felted beautifully, and the green one is for my friend Susan Schrott who looks fabulous in green! Check out her website at www.susanschrott.com for some delightful quilts.

Unfortunately I was felting late at night, so the hats came out a little wrinkled, but I think they will soften with wearing. Guess that means I'll have to make some more!

Playing with Lace

Lately I've become enamored with lace, and started knitting with some lovely Great Adirondak Sireno, which is wool and silk. Such lovely stuff. I'm enthralled watching the pattern develop, and wondering how far I'll get with only one 675 yard skein.And I'm not particularly a shawl wearing person, so from time to time I wonder if I should make it into a circular shrug or square it off. Right now at 50 rows it is 16 inches across, and I still have 30 rows of pattern to go. The pattern is an Italian doily pattern in a booklet called " Lavori artistici a calza 11" pattern #66. which I purchased from www.lacis.com a wonderful source for all things lace.

Finished Object

I finally finished my son's red sweater! I'm very pleased that he likes it. It is his signature color, and knit exactly to his specifications. I knit it top down and a little roomy so I can add length as he grows. He wants to add a zipper front, but that will have to wait until after the holiday so I can get one. For now, he is thrilled to have is own sweater--the first one I've knit for him. I got the yarn at Rhinebeck in October, and knit on 10.5 (american) needles, which was really hard on my hands, especially with the 6 hour marathon I pulled yesterday to finish it for the new year. Now on to other UFOs! I wish you all a Happy , healthy,and creative New Year.

Christmas Lace

I think my favorite Christmas gift to myself is this sweater! When it dried, it became a lovely teal with green stripes, and the sheen and softness of the silk shone through. I wore it for Christmas at Mom's, and it was deliciously warm and gorgeously comfortable to wear. I'm so pleased with how the color came out! I wish I'd thought to take a "before" photo, but in my haste to transform it, I forgot. As I love to knit lace, but am not a shawl person, I can see more variations on this pattern...and for Christmas my Mom got me more silk yarn in royal blue , so I have my summer project all ready. Now I just have to finish 3 UFOs, oops, make that 4 since I had to immediately cast on with the Paintbox Merino my brother got me , as I really need a warm vest before the snow begins...there will be some snow this year, right? 'Cause I've got boots, a hat, sweaters at the ready!

More knitting projects!

The hat obsession continues. Here is one for my brother, who I'll be seeing tomorrow at Christmas at my Mom's house. I hope he likes it...














And this is a lace sweater I knit over the summer in bright yellow green and blue silk yarn. I never could bring myself to wear it because the color was overwhelming. Last night I overdyed it with blue, and now it is drying. I think this one will definitely be wearable.
Happy Holidays to all!

Goddess of Knitting With Cats

My friend Elizabeth Rosenberg ( (www.Elizabethrosenberg.com and www.elizabethrosenberg.blogspot.com ) initiated "The Goddess Project" and encouraged her friends to create quilts reflecting their own favorite Goddesses.

Because my two cats are always rearranging things in my studio, lying on my latest quilt, helping me wind yarn, sitting on my lap and otherwise being a big part of my life, I decided to play with that theme, so I pulled out all the cat fabric I had and went to work. The shape of the Goddess was given by Elizabeth, but I wanted mine to be wearing a furry dress, surrounded by her minions, lost in the fiber frenzy
that sometimes is my life.

The ball of yarn appeared and the cats were delighted to play with it. I knitted her a vest on tiny needles and added some quilting for foliage in the background. Her name is Perdita: Lost Goddess of Knitting With Cats. Here is a detail so you can see the stitching. The background fabric is hand dyed by me.

Fantastic Felting

It amazes me what washing will do to knitted fabric. This hat went through three hot/cold wash cycles, and the result is exactly what I'd hoped. I love this hat! And so does my cat.
The purse had only 2 wash cycles, and you can still see the knit stitches, but the size is just what I was looking for. .. It is amazing how the stuff shrinks and compacts. And just in time; we're supposed to have rain today and then a cold snap for the rest of the week.