Stripes, stripes and more stripes

My latest new project is more mittens. Surprise, surprise! I have mentioned below the 6-color striped scarf. These mittens will be made from the same yarns so they will go with the scarf. (The gray double-layer hat mentioned below is also meant to go with this set, but I made that in just gray so I can wear it with other things too. By the way, love the hat! I have worn it and it's toasty warm. I would highly recommend that pattern, found here.)

So for the mittens, since I don't feel like dealing with a row-by-row color change like the scarf, I am making big stripes. A total of 11 stripes, where the dark gray will be surrounding each of the other 5 colors. Here's a rough schematic of the mitten (you can scroll down below to see the actual color samples):

Striped mitten schematic

The way I figured out how to make the stripes all even was to count the number of rows (excluding the thumb part) and divide them by 11. Luckily, my row total came to 65 and it was easy to just add one more row to make it an even 66.

I have started the first mitten and am on the blue stripe. So I am not very far along! But I was away this weekend and this isn't the most travel-friendly project what with all of the yarn that needs to go along. Plus, I have to "share" some balls of yarn with the still-in-process scar

Mittens

Didn't do a whole lot of knitting this weekend, but I did finish my Pink (Raspberry) Mittens. I believe I mentioned the yarn below...I made them with Manos del Uruguay, which is 100% wool. The color is a beautiful, rich, dark pink with purple sections in it. The hand-dyeing gives it such a fun look. It is also a thick-and-thin yarn that made it fun to knit with, lots of texture. So here's the pic:

Oh yeah, the pattern I used was "Pop-Up Paws". I love that pattern and have used it to make several pairs of mittens. It is such a great pattern because the way it is written, it has each "section" of the mitten in its own part of the pattern, so you can use any combination of the different parts of it to make just about any kind of hand covering you want. For instance, I made some actual "pop-up paws" first...fingerless gloves with mitten tops that fold down. At each stage of the pattern, you choose what you want...whether you want a full thumb or half thumb, full fingers or half fingers...and then for regular mittens, I just jumped from right before the gloves would start to the finishing part of the mitten top. I have kept track of my counts and use the pattern over and over. I even made my husband some mittens in the larger size. (I actually have made him three mittens...two rights and a left. He lost one right mitten, just before we were heading on a trip. So quickly got out my yarn and made a new right mitten. Then he found it in the parking lot at work the day we were leaving. So now he has three.)

Speaking of rights and lefts, the other great thing about this pattern is that not only is it written out line by line but also there are complete instructions for right and left. So you don't need to go though and figure out your own shaping for the other hand. And because there IS a right and a left, they fit very nicely.

Here's a picture of my original Pop-up-Paws, which I made in a class I took a few years ago:

Photos of gray things

Okay, I'm back, this time with photos. Didn't really do much knitting last night (although I did finish the top part of my sock, and I am ready to start the heel) but I did remember to take pictures of things.

So here's the Gray Vest. This dark yarn doesn't photograph well but it's a very dark, heathered gray. The yarn is Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, and the color is called Charcoal.

The accent yarn that I used on the collar and pockets is called Bernat Galaxy. The color I used is called Deep Space. It is very fuzzy and has big fluffs of fuzz all throughout. Admittedly not the easiest yarn to work with though!

Here is the vest:

And lastly, back to the part about blocking. I blocked both the above vest and this sweater. The sweater really needed it because the cables in the top half pulled the whole thing in. So now, hopefully, you can see how it has been improved:

Gray things

Last night I completed my vest. I had blocked it, along with my gray sweater, and they both came out great. So I just needed to sew the zipper into the vest and now it's complete. I think I might have gotten the zipper a tad bit crooked, but I am not going to worry about it. It was a bit tricky, working with such thick yarn. I am pleased with the overall result of the vest...my only disappointment is that it is really big!! The silly thing is huge. Now here's my disclaimer: this is not because I didn't take the time to do a gauge swatch to test it! I did know it would be big...but I just didn't quite know how big. I will have to see how it goes; I might try to make some little seams along the sides to take it in a little. Right now it has no seams as the entire thing was worked in one piece, so I could feasibly add some seams to take it in a little.

I have moved my picture of the gray sweater up to the next post, so you can do a side-by-side compare of the blocked and not blocked. So head on up there and check it out!

Striped socks

Hi. Not much new to report...except that I started another project. [sheepish grin] Socks. I had the yarn already, but never got around to starting it. I was reading something yesterday that just made me want to start them, so I did! So far so good. I am making them from a free pattern on the LionBrand website, which can be found here.

And here's a sample of the yarn I am using for them. It's some of that self-patterning yarn, and this is the first time I have ever tried it. So far it's kinda fun!

Lion Brand Magic Stripes, Purple

Of scarves and hats, and turtleneckwarmerthingys

I am back with some photos. Okay, since it's bright and cheery, let's start with the Pink and Purple Scarf. As mentioned below, this yarn, Plymouth Combolo, is a rather fun mixture of three yarns stranded together. Here's a picture of the three strands laid out:

You can see the strand with the thin part and the poofy things, and then the one in the middle is sort of a braid-type with some silver in it, and then the other thin one with little fluffs in it. These strands all separate on the fringe of the scarf.

And here is the finished scarf:

Last night I officially completed my Gray Double-Layer Hat. I added a little tassel to it since I thought it needed a little bit of oomph. Not too much oomph, just a little. So here's the very exciting photo of the gray hat:

And last (and definitely least), the turtleneckwarmerthingy. Don't really know what to call this thing. Anyway, as I mentioned below, I am not thrilled with its outcome, but such is life. Here's the very exciting photo of it:

(Note added later: gave the turtleneckwarmerthingy to my husband who wore it skiing. He liked it...I think.)

So that's the latest! Still working on the pink mittens, and the multi-striped scarf. And waiting patiently in the wings I have two big projects. A sweater that will be a raglan-style in a lovely dark red (#999), and the yarn is called Plymouth Encore. Here's a sample:

And the best one is the wonderful Christmas gift from my husband which was an afghan kit full of delightful Colinette yarns, which I can't wait to dive into but am waiting till my current fascination with mittens and hats passes so that I can give it my undivided attention and love.

Oh, speaking of Christmas, I almost forgot. Just before Christmas I was racing against the clock to complete our Christmas Stockings. And here they are, hung by the "chimney" with care. (Okay, okay, they're hanging from the bannister. We do have a fireplace, but no mantle on which to hang stockings.)

Superbowl knitting

Well, last night, during the Superbowl, I managed to finish off two projects. I had also completed another the night before. That one was the pink and purple scarf made with the fun yarn I mentioned below. I took a picture of it and will post that when I get the chance. I am very happy with it, it's fun and bright, and the fringe is nice on it. And I even have a little left over in case I want to incorporate it into some future mittens. In the meantime I have some bright pink stretchy gloves that I got at A.C. Moore for $2 that go nicely with it.

I also completed my black, fuzzy neckwarmer thing for skiing. I am not 100% pleased with this however, as the ribbing is stretchier than I'd hoped so it's not as tight as I'd have liked. But we'll see how it goes, I'll try it when we [hopefully] go skiing in a month.

I am on the other hand very pleased with my other completed project, which was the double layer hat. Here's where you can find the pattern. I made it in gray, out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Oxford Gray. (That is one of the colors in the scarf I am making, see below for a sample). But this hat is great...it's going to be nice and warm because of the double layers, and the ribbed cuff on it makes it look nice and will be very warm over my ears. I think I am going to add a tassel of some sort...perhaps on a string. It needs something else to liven it up a bit. But I love it...very comfy and I hope it gets cold enough again this year so I can wear it!

Raspberry Mittens

Last night I decided to leave work right on time so I could make it to a little yarn shop near home. The traffic almost kept me from making it there in time but I managed. I purchased some yarn to make some "fun" random mittens that don't match anything else. Anyway, I think they are going to be wonderful. The yarn I got is called Manos del Uruguay, which is hand dyed, in a lovely dark pink that has a bunch of purple bits in it. So far so good... The thick-and-thin of it adds fun texture, and I love the color. Very satisfying. (There's a chance it might even go with my wavy scarf...but haven't checked yet.)

Here's a little sample of it. The color's not too far from the real thing...

Manos del Uruguay, Color #57

My foray into the online world

I have decided to reorganize my online knitting journal, and try to keep it up to date with what I am making. So here goes!

Lately I can't seem to stop starting projects. So needless to say I have a few irons in the fire. It's just that I think of ideas and then want to start them right away. That's not to say that I don't finish them...I just get so excited about diving into them and getting them all going. So for instance, right now I have a scarf I am working on with 6 colors. It's a sideways-knit scarf, where I have cast on a lot of stitches onto long circular needles and am working one color for each row. So far so good. I am using old Lion Brand Wool-Ease that I had in my stash, in a medium gray, light gray, lavender, light pink, darker purple, and a medium blue.

I've also almost completed a hat in the medium (darker) gray that's included in the scarf. And there are plans roaming around my head for mittens...haven't yet determined how I am going to work the colors in. I want to do some stripes perhaps.

What else is in my knitting bag? A fun scarf, not designed to be a toasty warm one, in a bright pink and purple color, with some silvery accents in it. For this I am just knitting every row, and with about 20 stitches. The yarn is called Combolo, by Plymouth Yarn. It is actually a 3-part yarn, one part a thin string with little bundles of fluffy stuff, one with little fluffs, and another with blobs that have silver in them. Okay, since a picture's worth a thousand words, here you go:

Plymouth Yarns, Combolo (Color #1040)

I am also making a tube-shaped neckwarmer in a fuzzy black yarn--Lion Brand Jiffy. It's for skiing. I had to make a new one since my old pink one won't go with my new purple ski coat. (Logical, really.)

Oh yes, and there's the wavy scarf. Pattern can be found here.
I had some yarn in my stash that needed a project, and when I found this pattern, I thought that would be a good plan. And so far I love it. I'm not in a hurry to complete this one, as it's a great project to tote along on trips. The yarn is Lion Brand Imagine in Purple Haze.

Lion Brand Imagine, in "Purple Haze"

The wavyness of the pattern is really fun, and I am pleased with its results so far.