This past weekend the boy and I flew to DC for my company Christmas party. I bought a new dress for it in November and realized that I was going to freeze walking to and from the shuttle so I decided to knit a shawl to add some warmth. I found about six shawls from my queue and library and then picked out three possible yarns to knit the shawl out of. Because I like to second guess myself I took photos and posted them for my friends to weigh in on. We all decided that the white yarn would look really nice with the peacock color dress. I wound up the yarn and took it with me to my brother’s for Thanksgiving. Since I was trapped by myself in the car with no crocheters insight I was forced to crochet a 60 some odd stitch chain for the provisional cast-on and I was successful! :) Maybe I will figure out this crochet business after all. 
I decided to make mine long enough for only one loop long instead of the two loops long the pattern calls for. It was a hit at the Christmas party and I liked the way it fit. 
The boy and I before the party.
Description: Christmas Wrap
Pattern: Loop Shawl by Leah Bear
Yarn used: 1.25 skeins of Aslan Trends Invernal Colorway 37 (50% Angora, 25% Merino and 25% Polyamide ) 100g / 295 yds
Care Instructions: Hand wash
Needle Size: US 7 (4.5 mm)
Modifications: I only made mine about half the length called for. I knit it until it was about 43″ long. Then when I tried it on it was too big and was falling down on its own. Talk about some serious negative ease. I then picked out the grafting and ripped out two repeats. That made it a more tolerable width so I grafted it back together.
Finished Size: About 10″ wide by 39″ long.
Date Started: 11/26/2008
Date Completed: 12/18/2008
Notes: If I were to make this again I would probably make it shorter still or I would suck it up and make it the full 80″ long. Also, this yarn is super warm! 
I highly recommend it and for having angora it rips back nicely.
Stitch pattern up close.
Ignore my oddly placed hands, this was a hard picture to take. :)
The holidays are a fun season for me because well I don’t get to celebrate JUST the holidays. I also get to celebrate the birthdays of three of my favorite guys. The boy - Nov 29, my youngest brother (Bustah) - Dec 16 and my younger brother (Mr Ban) Jan 1. Last year for Mr Ban’s birthday I decided to make him a hat and scarf set. So I wanted to make something for youngest brother this year. I really wanted to make him a hat with ear flaps but since I am not hip enough to know what’s considered cool at his high school and seeing as how he’s a freshman I went pretty basic instead. Behold we have a birthday hat!
The ribbing in this hat allows it to expand to fit all sizes of melons.
Description: Bustah’s Hat
Pattern: A Hat Fit For a Boyfriend by Stephanie Nicole
Yarn used: .44 Skeins of Sol by Yarn Source colorway 13 (100% wool) 100 g / 220 yds
Care Instructions: Hand wash
Needle Size: US 8 (5 mm)
Modifications: None
Finished Size: Big enough to fit every head I have placed it on.
Date Started: 10/25/2008
Date Completed: 10/26/2008
Notes: No notes, this hat knit up quickly and painlessly. I also really like how the construction on the top allows the hat to stay on your head rather than ride up. I may have been testing it out on a cold day…
On my melon it covers my ears. Probably not on Bustah's melon.
I rather like how it all comes together on the top. It stays on your head instead of riding up.
I wanted to make something for my friend Courtney’s Bachelorette Party because I had missed out on one of the party games during the Bridal shower. (Funny story of misplaced ZIP codes leading to invitations not arriving.) The idea of the game was that everyone would bring a pair of underwear and that the Bride-to-be had to decide which party guest brought which pair of underoos. So I really really wanted to knit her a thong. I had a couple great patterns laying around the house (doesn’t everyone?) I then decided to find a yarn to match their wedding colors.
Courtney's Surprise
Description: Courtney’s Surprise
Pattern: Lacy Thong by Laura Rintala
Yarn used: .4 skeins of Svale by Dalegarn, Colorway 7432 (50% cotton, 10% silk and 40% viscose) 50g / 114yds
Care Instructions: Machine wash
Needle Size: US 5 (3.75 mm)
Modifications: None
Finished Size: Medium
Date Started: 6/27/2008
Date Completed: 6/29/2008
Notes: If you are talking about someone else’s dupa be kind, knit with cotton.
For an extra bit of fun and because they don’t take long to knit, I decided to make a matching willie warmer for her groom-to-be. I showed up a smidgen early to the bachelorette party so that I could give both of them their gifts together before the evening’s festivities began.
Description: Mackenzie’s Surprise
Pattern: Seamless Willie Warmer by Darcy Whitlock
Yarn used: .6 skeins of Svale by Dalegarn, Colorway 7432 (50% cotton, 10% silk and 40% viscose) 50g / 114yds
Care Instructions: Machine wash
Needle Size: US 6 (4.0mm)
Modifications: The sack portion appeared to be rather large on the first pass so I knit it up a little smaller. I didn’t knit the i-cord waist string either. I just decorated it with the same ribbon from Courtney’s thong.
Finished Size: Average as per Wikipedia.
Date Started: 6/29/2008
Date Completed: 6/30/2008
Notes: To get sizing info I went out to Wikipedia. As I am sure you will know without me telling you, the recipient proclaimed that it would be too small when he opened it. We shall leave it at that. Additional pictures after the jump.
Continue reading “FO - Bachelor(ette) Party gifts”
Someone in Ravelry the other week asked me how much yarn I used in my Hemlock Ring Blanket and how big it ended up being. That’s when I realized that I hadn’t blogged about it at all! Woops. Sooo…back in June I knit up a Hemlock Ring Blanket for my friends Courtney and Mackenzie who were married in early July. It took me about 3 weeks to knit up. The last week I was in Denver on business so I spent my evenings knitting furiously. The bind off does take awhile but it’s not quite as long folks would have ya believe. Of course I forgot to take a picture of it before I wrapped it up. So the most complete picture is of the blanket blocking.
Description: Courtney and Mackenzie’s wedding blanket
Pattern: Hemlock Ring by Jared Flood
Yarn used: 1.86 skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool, Colorway Chocolate 8087 (100% Wool ) 100 g / 478 yds
Care Instructions: Handwash
Needle Size: US 10 / 6.0 mm
Modifications: I knit it a little bit longer than Jared’s original blanket using the extended chart I got from the yahoo group.
Finished Size: About 48″ across
Date Started: 6/2/2008
Date Completed: 6/27/2008
Notes: Be sure when knitting from Jared’s chart to realize that the pattern repeat doesn’t start from the sides but from the middle. My lace spots are opposite Jared’s. It’s not super obvious but it will slightly change your final result.
While visiting with family for my Great Aunt Rose’s funeral we went on a journey to WEBS. My great aunt Millie kept finding these wonderful fibers that were so soft. She doesn’t however knit. She says she knows all these wonderful people who knit or crochet and just give things to her because she’s so gracious. It’s true, I gave her the first scarf I knit because she was so crucial in helping me find someone to teach me to knit and she is always so excited to receive something homemade or heartfelt. So my mom pulled me aside and said I will buy the yarn you just find something to knit for her. So she did and I did and you can see the pics below!
unmodeled cowl. The color isn't so accurate here.
I made her a cowl because she lives in New England and it’s cold in the winters. She said that she likes to have something warm on her neck to keep the chill away. Oh and I haven’t mailed it yet, so if you know her don’t spoil the surprise. Thanks!
Description: Millie’s Cowl
Pattern: Darkside Cowl by Sarah Fama
Yarn used: .66 skeins of Blue Sky Alpacas Suri Merino Colorway 419 (60% baby suri, 40% merino) 100 g /164 yds
Care Instructions: Hand wash
Needle Size: US 7 (4.5 mm)
Modifications: none
Finished Size: 17″ x 7″ (ish) [43cm x 18cm]
Date Started: 10/25/2008
Date Completed: 10/28/2008
Notes: No notes but I do like how this turned out.
I am wearing a cowl, not planning a bank heist. The color is more accurate here.
I see you taking my picture.
Isn't the stitch pattern cool?
