Little Wit Knits - Unplugged » Knitting

FO – L’éléphant

LittleWit — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:38:24 +0000

I decided for Christmas this year to make my nieces the elephant and bunny from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. While perusing Knitters Mercantile one day I happened upon some Rowan Pure Wool DK in splendid colors for the animals. I started to knit them up while I was handing out candy for Trick or Treat. They knit up quickly and make me smile. I did give them eyes before Christmas, I kind of dragged my feet a little bit. The elephant went to my niece, Sophia. She seemed to really enjoy it on Christmas Day.

L'elephant sans eyes.

Description: L’éléphant
Pattern: Lovable Toys by Marion Edmonds from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn used: 1.75 skeins of Rowan Pure Wool DK Colorway 002 (100% Superwash Wool ) 50 g / 136 yds and .14 skeins of Rowan Pure Wool DK Colorway 024 (100% Superwash Wool ) 50 g / 136 yds
Care Instructions: Machine wash gentle
Needle Size: US 6 (4.0 mm)
Modifications: No mods
Finished Size: One size
Date Started: 11/12/2008
Date Completed: 11/21/2008
Notes: These guys are super cute and I highly recommend making them. There are no eyes in the pictures but there were eyes when it appeared under the tree.

Elephant and Bunny hanging out by the fireplace.

FO – Grandma Kathryn’s Shawl

LittleWit — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 04:28:58 +0000

I wasn’t able to find out Grandma Kathryn’s foot size so I decided instead to make her a shawl. Grandma usually drapes sweaters around her shoulders when she gets cold and I figured a little shawl would be less bulky. She was quite happy to receive it and even wore it home to keep her ears warm. I am sure I will see it around the apartment when we go to visit her next time.

Me modeling Grandma's shawl before it was wrapped up.

Description: Kathryn’s Shawl
Pattern: Lace Poncho by Susan Sternlieb from Interweave Knits Fall 2005
Yarn used: 3.58 skeins of Crystal Palace Merino 5 Colorway 2302 (100% superwash Merino) 50 g / 110 yds
Care Instructions: Machine or hand wash cold, lay flat to dry
Needle Size: US 8 (5.0 mm)
Modifications: I only cast on 49 sts and I didn’t join this together to create a poncho as the pattern calls for.
Finished Size: You know I forgot to measure it. It’s probably about 12″ wide or so and about 60″ long
Date Started: 12/01/2008
Date Completed: 12/07/2008
Notes: None.

Shawl blocking on another chair from TDS. Love them!

2nd photo of me modeling Grandma's shawl

Rounding the corner

LittleWit — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:08:33 +0000

As of today all of my previously assigned Christmas knitting is complete. The shawl has been knit, grafted together, ungrafted, had 2 repeats ripped out and regrafted. It is awaiting a bath as soon as I finish this post. Francis for myself was blocked and then I decided I didn’t like how the sleeves turned out so I ripped them back to the elbows and low and behold I had enough yarn to make long sleeves! I will do the happy dance tomorrow once it finishes drying and I can cut the ends and weave them in. Saturday is my office Christmas party. Hopefully I will get some nice pictures of the shawl in action there to post next week. The boy will be home most of next week and the following week so chances are good that we will be able to find some nice sunlight to take pictures in during my lunch breaks. I have two presents left to sew on Sunday and some candies to make. So I may have decided I have plenty of time to whip out another Christmas present. I cast on tonight at knit night and it involves some very fun Rainbow roving from Yarn Chef. I can’t wait until after Christmas when I can finally blog about all the items I have been knitting.

FO – Pumpkin Headgear

LittleWit — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:01:22 +0000

Well there are babies in my life now. Albeit they are other people’s babies, but babies I can knit for nonetheless. As we all know babies can pull off some of fashions silliest items a lot more smoothly than grown ups. As I was cruising Ravelry a couple of weeks ago I found this adorable pumpkin hat that I figured would be smashing on my niece for Halloween. In a fit of pouting aimed at my Master’s project I decided to cast on something quick and easy Tuesday night. It knit up amazingly quickly (go figure, eh?) and now I present you with adorably cute pumpkin headgear:

Pete modeling Sophia’s hat. It doesn’t quite fit him right. Hopefully it fits her better

Description: Pumpkin Headgear for Sophia
Pattern: Pumpkin Hat by Susan Esser
Yarn used: .43 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky Colorway Burnt Orange (100% acrylic ) 100g / 164 yds
Care Instructions: Machine washable
Needle Size: US 10 (6mm)
Modifications: I knit on a US 10 just because the fabric looked better than on a US 9
Finished Size: about 17″
Date Started: 9/30/2008
Date Completed: 10/1/2008
Notes: If I were to make it again I think I would plan out the leaf layout better from the beginning but I swear once she puts it on she’ll be too damned cute for it to matter.

Sophia’s Hat – leaf detail

Sophia’s Hat – side view

FO – Water bottle cozy

LittleWit — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:01:52 +0000

Part of my package to my swap partner for the yoga swap was a water bottle cozy. It actually knit up pretty easily (once I stopped being a goober). I did attempt to knit it in the round at first, however the pattern doesn’t completely lend itself to being knit in the round. It leaves a weird seam that doesn’t look as good as when it is properly seamed. I finished up all the weaving in of ends while I our power was out on Sunday. Good timing, eh?

Cory’s modeling again – water bottle cozy

Description: Water bottle cozy
Pattern: Lacy Yoga Bags by Alison Green Will in the small size
Yarn used: 1.72 skeins of Tahki Cotton Classic in Colorway 3872 (100% mercerized cotton) 50g (1.75oz)/ 108 yds (100m)
Care Instructions: machine or hand wash, dry flat
Needle Size: US 7 (4.5mm)
Modifications: none, since my initial modification didn’t work out.
Finished Size: Small bag size
Date Started: 9/5/2008
Date Completed: 9/14/2008
Notes: This bag is pretty nice and I would totally recommend making one. It’s cute to boot.

full shot of the bag

I love the detail in the bottom of the bag.

The top of the bag has an eyelet row for the icord straps and has a turned hem. I quite like the technique.

FO – Mama T’s Handspun Scarf

LittleWit — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:54:27 +0000

My friend won a skein of handspun yarn at Sticks N Stitches 2007/2008. She doesn’t knit so she gave it to me. I decided (perhaps with some prompting from my mother) to find something to make for her with it. I searched around on Ravelry looking for something that would highlight the handspun nature of the yarn without overpowering it with a strong and busy pattern. Plus, I only had about 200 yds so I couldn’t do anything super large. A scarf seemed like a good idea and modifying the Clapotis to scarf size looked easy enough. I hope she will wear it in the winter all the time.

Cory’s been doing a lot of modeling lately. The scarf is a little big on him.

Description: Mama T’s Handspun Scarf
Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
Yarn used: 194 yds (177m) of Coridale Sheep spun by Judy of Five Points Llamas
Care Instructions: Handwash
Needle Size: US 6 (4.0 mm)
Modifications: I modified this to be a scarf so it’s a lot smaller.
Finished Size: 5″ x 64″ (13 cm x 162 cm)
Date Started: 8/23/2008
Date Completed: 8/28/2008
Notes: This worked out pretty well. I could have probably done another repeat but I was afraid I was going to run out of yarn. I had also already ripped it back once to add in another repeat so I decided to just go with it this time.

Full length view (folded in half)

Detail view

WIP – Liesl the long

LittleWit — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:04:27 +0000

I knew there were was going to be a good bit of car time while the boy and I were traveling to/from/around New York. I finished up a Christmas gift on our way to New York (well in the hotel that evening) and then I swatched for Liesl the long. I cast it on and then didn’t pull it out of the bag during a couple of our shorter car trips. I pulled it back out on our drives to and home from Canada. Then last night I worked on it at knit night and once I got home until I finished the body. All that I have left right now is the sleeves. It would be awesome if I could finish it tonight. It turns out that the sleeves are more finicky than I would have thought. I only have circular 7mm needles so I am having to magic loop the sleeves. Here’s a picture of my current progress.

PS – When knitting a sleeve, be sure to pick up the stitches on the correct side of the sleeve…unless you really want a purled sleeve with a stockinette body… don’t ask me how I know…

Ravelympics08 – Quick Hit #14

LittleWit — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:20:53 +0000

Last night while visiting my sister and her daughter in the hospital I finished knitting my Liesl. I can’t believe it only took me two days of actual knitting to make this. It’s lovely and I may make another in the future. Partly because I am a child of the 80s and I totally love “Choose your own adventure” books and that’s what this sweater reminds me of. After we got home from the hospital I wove in the ends. All that is left now is blocking to open up the lace. Look for an FO post tom’w or Monday. I am super excited to have successfully completed two projects for Ravelympics. I really thought I was going to be pushing it to finish just the scarf. Of course now this means no more excuses about items taking forever, if I just spend 3 hrs knitting a day I can finish anything quickly!

For now I am off to visit my grandmother for the weekend. Tschus .

Ravelympics 08 – Quick Hit #13

LittleWit — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:17:30 +0000

While I was in Colorado last week I cast on Liesl at the Fancy Tiger knit night. I knit a few more rows Sunday in the car with my mom and then a few more Wednesday in the car with the boy. As we approached our destination I realized something was wrong so I ripped it out. Recast it on and knit a few more rows. This morning I realized that I had borked the button hole and was off by a stitch so I ripped it out again, recast on and it’s been fairly smooth sailing. If you don’t count the three tinked rows because 1. I dropped a stitch but found it and picked it up, 2. can’t read a pattern and 3. I was too busy chatting at knit night and not paying a bit of attention to my knitting. All of those problems solved I am now ready to start the arms. Wish me luck!

End of day – yoke complete. I have until Sunday 11 am to get this finished. Can I make it?

FO – Celtic Cable Scarf

LittleWit — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:18:21 +0000

I partook in the Ravelympics this year and my main project was this Celtic Cable Scarf. I was bound to finish it so that it would be done for Christmas. The scarf and I got off to a rocky start the first time I tried to knit it back in March of 2008. The Ravelmypics was just the kick in the pants I needed to get going on this scarf and get it done. I changed the needle size this time around and it stopped hurting my hands so much and the cables were a lot easier to execute. I am quite happy with the outcome and I am hoping the recipient is as well!

Description: Celtic Cable Scarf
Pattern: Celtic Cable Scarf by Vanessa Lewis
Yarn used: 2.52 skeins of Dark Horse Yarns Rhapsody 516.6 yds total. Colorway 54 Royal Blue (100% merino ) 100g / 205yds.
Care Instructions: Hand wash
Needle Size: US 8 (5.0mm) – I originally started this on a US 6 (4.0mm) as the pattern recommended but the cables were very much flattened out.
Modifications: No mods. Just knit it forever until it was long enough.
Finished Size: It is somewhere in the range of 73+ inches. I know that when I held it next to the boy last night it dropped down to the floor and folded a little. Still can’t find my tape measure…it’s neon green, have you seen it?
Date Started: 8/8/2008 cast on at 8am EST in accordance with the start of the Olympics
Date Completed: 8/19/2008 finished weaving in ends at approximately 23:45 EST
Notes: The cables worked out really well. I am hoping the recipient is a big fan!