Thursday, February 11, 2010

And now for some knitting...

Finally...a knitting post.

TEA TIME
I've been wanting to make a tea cozy/cosy for a long time. There were requirements in my quest for the perfect cozy. The knitted cover needed to fit a larger teapot, be a quick knit with little to no futzing and not be too foofy. Frankie's Mistake Rib Tea Cosy on Ravelry* fit the bill. This teapot cozy will fit either a 3 cup or a 6 cup depending on the size of the yarn and the needles. The mistake rib was easy but interesting (I could knit and still discuss the plot of Zoboomafoo) and there are just 2 sides with very little seaming. I used some worsted Plymouth Encore (in my stash since the start of my knitting career) in a very pretty blue and an unknown DK weight green flecked yarn given to me some time ago and I like the two of them together so much that I'm making some pocketbook slippers with the same mix. Yes, it's mostly acrylic, but for the tea cozy and some slippers I thought they needed to be washable. Also? I'm getting rid of some stash. Hooray!

STOCKINGS

This was a project I've had on the back burner for a while. My mom and her partner wanted HUGE stockings. I began to search for the perfect pattern and decided to come back to the one I used for Buttons' stocking. I wanted it to have a rainbow theme and it needed to be huge, so I decided to use Lamb's Pride Bulky (great selection of colors and, well, bulky). Then I wondered: should I make both of them rainbow and how should I distribute the colors? It took months to decide and I polled nearly all my knitting buds. Finally in mid November, I cast on the blue/purple/green one for my mom who loves cool colors and I whipped it up in no time. My mom's partner loves yellows and oranges and reds, so that was easy and together they make the rainbow. Also, they love Disney stuff and my mom's favorite is Eeyore which goes well with her stocking and her partner loves Tigger and Pooh. Perfect. They came for Christmas, so once Santa had filled the stockings, I switched them for an extra surprise in the morning and they loved them. I still have the big socks because I want to reinforce the i-cord or change it out for a metal ring (huge=heavy) and I still need to weave in the millions of ends. I'm contemplating doing a lining even though they really don't want it since they love the stretch.
What do you think?

BUTTONS & HUBBY

We're in the midst of Snowmageddon Part 2 at our house. You think with all that extra time I would have new nicknames for them, but alas...no such luck. Maybe next post?

*Sorry, there was no external link for the pattern. However, if you're not on Ravelry.com, what are you waiting for, my knitting friend?

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Saturday, February 06, 2010

SNOW!!!

Well, we're snowed in today.
We had plans.
Big plans.
But there is something blissful about a snow day. So, we're shoveling and sitting by the fire and drinking cocoa and later we'll make bread and cookies. Plans, shplans...we're enjoying the snow day.

(Yeah, still no new names yet.)

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