Oh My! I’ve Been Knitting!

Can you believe it? I’m back in the knitting groove!  I had a couple of sick days this week (I’m feeling much better, thanks!) and picked up my needles while whiling away the afternoons.

It’s been cold here the last week or so (we’re talking -10ºC, or 14ºF, in the mornings) and it isn’t easy keeping the cold drafts at bay. My feet, and especially my ankles, have been chilly, chilly, chilly. Not pleasant. I’ve never made leg warmers before but if ever there was a good reason to make some, this week has been it. I started doing some searching in Ravelry and came up with these very simple leg warmers, knit in a k1, p1 rib using Paton’s Classic Wool.

The pattern is by Caitlinn Ffrench. Really, all I wanted the pattern for was for the needle size and the stitch count. Armed with those two numbers, I could have done anything. However, I want these for wearing under my “warmies” and with my slippers so k1, p1 rib is perfect. The first one was finished within 24 hours. The second one, I find, always takes longer. What? Me, suffer from second anything syndrome? Banish the thought! Um.. yeah. These have definitely become a priority, though. I really don’t like cold feet and I especially don’t like cold ankles. It just makes the cold seem so much colder.

To that end, I’ve also picked up another two balls of Alafoss Lopi today.

I bought the pattern last year (or perhaps two years ago) and have had every intention of making these felted boots. Obviously, I still haven’t. They are basically the same pattern as the Bev Galeskas felted clogs that I’ve been making for the both of us for the past few years, just higher. I have every intention of making (and finishing) these this winter but without the fuzzy stuff. I don’t especially care for the fuzzies. I will, however, reinforce the sole with leather, just to help prolong the life of these slippers. With these, the legwarmers might be superfluous but anything to help stave off the cold will be welcomed!

Another small, or maybe not so small, project that has been resurrected is the Annabella’s cowl that I started earlier this year. You might remember it; I blogged about it here.

Well, I ran out of yarn. I have to say, this is very rapidly becoming an expensive little project!

There are already two skeins of the Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend (@ $15.00 per skein) and one skein of the Artyarns Silk Mohair (@$23.00 per skein) and, because it isn’t quite long enough, I’ve purchased another skein of each yarn in order to finish it. I was asked this morning if this is a gift for someone special. I commented that there’s no one I like enough to give a gift this expensive; it’s for me and me alone! I don’t think I’ve ever spent this much on an accessory!

I have to say, though, that it is so cushy and soft and touchable. As the commercials say, “…because I’m worth it”!

Now, back to knitting before my alone time is over. Today is John’s last day of work for the season so I’d best savour the afternoon.

 

 

 

Mobius and More

I should feel badly about not keeping up with this blog, shouldn’t I? It must seem that I’ve been ignoring it, and you, for some time now. That isn’t true, though. There really hasn’t been much to blog about. Life is just ticking along at it’s usual pace, one day fading into another as they go by in a blur. Then it’s the weekend and there’s plenty to do around the house in preparation for the next week.

However, I am still here. Life’s been busy, work has been busy, weekends have been busy. And inspiration, sadly, has been pretty much non-existent. That said, I did accomplish one small project this week. One of the ladies I work with and I were talking about a mobius strip last week and, being a knitter in the know, I asked her is she’d ever knitted one? She thought about it and asked if it wasn’t just a scarf made into a mobius by giving it one twist and sewing it together. When I tried to explain mobius knitting to her, she didn’t understand any part of it. So I made a mobius scarf.

I brought Cat Bordhi’s, “A Treasury of Magical Knitting” to work to show my co-worker and even it elicited confused and puzzled looks.

It wouldn’t hurt me to smile, would it?

I like this cowl/scarf. The yarn is ancient. I do mean that. Years ago, before my youngest daughter was born, I knitted myself a really nice cardigan. There was just one problem. Let’s me put it this way – I wore it to the hospital the day she was born. The cardigan was buttoned up and there was still room to spare. Yes, it was far too big for me.

I reclaimed the yarn and eventually re-knit (mostly) the cardigan but never completely finished it because… well… because now it’s too small. So, the yarn is fair game. I will not knit this cardigan a third time. It is, incidentally, Scheepjes Dordogne; I doubt it’s even made anymore.

In other knitting, John’s sweater is languishing in a basket in my living room. I’m up to the armhole shaping but just can’t seem to get motivated to work on it. I’ve been spending more time cooking on the weekends than I have knitting. He has mentioned more than once, though, that it would be nice to have a new sweater by Christmas. Yikes! The pressure!!

I’ve also been doing a bit of painting. A few weeks ago, I painted this little painting from a photo I found online.

I wasn’t completely happy with it, to be honest so I tried to paint it again. I’m much happier with my second attempt.

My next project will become our Christmas cards this year. I have to say, I’m really having fun with my watercolours. Incidentally, if you’re interested, I’ve added a page to the blog. In the upper right corner of this blog, you’ll see a tab with the different pages on this blog. There you’ll find a page entitled “From My Palette”. That page is where I’ll add my paintings as they’re done.