2010-11-14

Smitten with mittens!










 

I'm a big list person.  To do lists, to buy lists, to knit lists. 

With that in mind, I set out to plan my Smitten project before ever casting on a single stitch. 

- 3 red mittens
- 3 green mittens
- 4 red mittens with green stripes
- 4 green mittens with red stripes


... you get the point. 

I started this project with such gusto... until I realized I didn't have enough green yarn on hand to complete the project (and who wants mismatched mittens!). 

Project progress    meet    grinding halt!  

And it wasn't for lack of trying on my part.  It seems the few stores I tried just didn't have the right shade of green on hand in the appropriate fibre (ironically enough, I'm just using acryllic, the most prolific (well, colour-wise, anyway) yarn out there).  I plan to stop off at another store today with high hopes of snagging the elusive Christmas green shade I've got in mind.

In the meantime, I've decided send my Garter stitch kimono baby cardi to the frog pond.  Dividing one ball into three just wasn't my idea of soothing knitting (mainly because balls 2 and 3 kept running out of yarn!).  Instead, I've rewound the yarn back into a neat little cake and have started:

The Child's Placket Neck Sweater
Yarn: Handmaiden casbah sock yarn in blue and green
         Knitpicks Swish dk kettle dyed yarn in green
Needles: 4.0 mm (size 6)


Knitting is quick and mindless (stockinette in the round is just about one of my favourite things!).  The yarn is so soft, but this guy will need some serious blocking to even out my tension problems (I think my needles are just a bit too big for sock yarn).  Nevertheless, I'm pleased with my progress and am excited for the finished project.

2010-11-06

One knitting MOJO - found!

Umph, gumption, get go, motivation.  Mojo.

When it comes to knitting, I had lost all of these things.  I always seem to stall in late summer and can't seem to focus on completing my ever growing To Knit list. 

I'm happy to report, it's returned!  To what to I owe this great pleasure?  Christmas!

I was surfing Ravelry and discovered the most enchanting project:


It's Smitten, a Mitten Advent Garland by Emily Ivey (Ravelry link found: here).  A free pattern, c/o KnitPicks (how I love these people dearly!).  I've already started working out my colour scheme, and plan to finish this guy within the month just in time for December. 

I'm off to go root through my stash and round up all of my red and green yarn.  Tis the Season!