What I'm reading: Nothing at the moment
What I'm knitting: Just finished the last mitten - either a sweater or socks (for me) next
First off:
Happy Holidays!!
I hope each and every one of you has a joyous and safe holiday season.
Other than little notes in my header, I don't believe I've ever talked about my knitting here. I love knitting. I taught myself to knit when I was in my early twenties (and we won't talk about how many, many years ago that was). I've tried crochet, tatting, etc - but I just can't seem to get it like I do with knitting. My Grandma Wilcox knitted for most of her life and has passed down many of her supplies to me (including the hefty McCall's pattern book in which I got the pattern for all those double knit mittens I worked on this year). Now in her 90s, I know Grandma wishes she could still knit, but really can't anymore. I think I can understand how she feels - I'd miss the soothing motions and the light clack of the needles if I could no longer knit.
Anyway, I worked on several projects this year. I won't bore you with all of them, but here are a few:
Those Mittens!! (double knit with wool blend yarn)
A shirt/dress for the granddaughter - it's a bit too big still, but I'll give it to her probably on her birthday:
(junior jacquard yarn)
Socks! For me! (Jacquard sock yarn)
And the 'big' project this year: it's only a lap blanket size, but the pattern was detailed enough that it took me several months to finish. I finally finished it in early fall and I don't care how geeky it sounds, I really think I'll enter it into next year's county fair.
Some things I've learned about knitting this year: I really, really don't like intarsia work and I'm also not that fond of making knit bobbles (from the afghan). Also, after years of thinking knitting with four double pointed needles would be difficult, I found I really like it (the socks).
Now I have to decide whether I'm going to use the leftover yarn from the mittens, combine it with some beautiful cream Aran I have and make myself a sweater - or will I make another pair of socks... I'm not sure.
If any knitters want to know what patterns and yarns I used in any of these projects, just ask!
Wow, Amy. Lots of hours of work and focused effort on these projects. I LOVE the afghan and have only made one in my life. I don't have the patience for big projects. Last year, I knitted twelve chemo hats and scarves and thought I had done a lot. It' was peanuts compared to your accomplishments. Great job. Think I'll go pick up some yarn and get to knitting again! Happy New Year, my friend. Jackie
ReplyDeleteJackie,
ReplyDeleteIt's so great that you knit for charity - it can mean so much to those who receive your gifts.
My hubby and I like to sit down and watch a little TV at night and I joke that if I didn't knit I'd fall asleep. Not that the programs are boring, just that I have a hard time staying awake some evenings!
I decided my next project would be a wool sweater for me - so I started that over the weekend.
I love all of those, especially the blanket.
ReplyDeleteI want to commission you to make me more puppets. *G* I just don't know what I'd pay you with. Baked goods?
I'm in love with a Victorian afghan used in the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It was a very muted, metallic palette, of silver, copper and bronze wool, in concentric rectangles. Jeremy Brett treated it like an old friend, wrapping it around his head when sitting in a chilly horsecart, around his shoulders in his rooms. Puts me in mind of Linus's blanket. I'd love to see it up close, or own it.
I tried to teach myself to knit, but I could only get so far without a teacher to watch.
I really don't like acrylics, but I love natural wools.
There was a physicist, I think, or a mathematician, who knitted. She had a theoretical shape that was hard to convey on paper, so she knitted it! Now she gets orders for examples for teachers to show their classes, and gets about $300 a piece for them. Very cool.
I've heard of that mathematician/theorist - very cool stuff.
ReplyDeleteI think knitters use acrylics a lot because of its washability and durability as opposed to say, cotton or wool yarns. The sweater I'm knitting for myself right now is made from two yarns - one is 100% wool, the other is 65% wool and 35% acrylic.
My sister, Babby, saw the afghan during Christmas and insisted it's her birthday present. LOL. That works out fine because the fair is in July and her b'day is in August, so it can be judged before it's given away.
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