NuttyIrishmanKnits

March Madness

Antifreeze by Jenna Adorno.
Knit in Malabrigo Merino Worsted, lilac and small bits of molly.
Knit using US size 4 and 5 circs.
Ravelers find it here.

March Madness isn't just for college basketball fans you know.  It can also refer to the unpredictable weather in Kansas...including a blizzard just five days after 80 degree temperatures! We're just getting back from a week of skiing in Colorado, and I knit a couple of ski masks for the kiddos in an attempt to keep them nice and toasty on the slopes.  Sadly, they didn't need them as it was 53 degrees at the top of the mountain!  So we enjoyed skiing in just bibs and henleys, and no masks or caps at all!

From a knitting perspective I was, of course, a little miffed.  From a skier's...yeah, not so much.  So this morning when we awoke to several inches of snow and more steadily falling all day, I was more than pleased to bundle both kids up... ski masks included!

I used Anitfreeze by Jenna Adorno.  Great pattern!  And it knits up very quickly.  I love the ribbing on the neck, and of course, for Annabelle, the pigtail holes on either side of the cap.  The only real modification I made to the pattern was opting for ribbing around the face opening.  Annie can easily put goggles underneath, or slip it under her chin (as seen above).  I also used Malabrigo, which keeps her nice and warm (so thick), but isn't the least bit scratchy (because Malabrigo is some sort of magical yarn that refuses to acknowledge that yes, it is indeed wool!). 

I wish I had some pix of Ben wearing his... but he's much too busy to be bothered at the moment.  I had to snap these of Lulu in a matter of seconds, before she jumped off the porch!  Maybe I'll be able to capture a few of Ben's as well afterwhile...he opted for camo.  Imagine that!

I do have a few more projects in the works... Andy's Cobblestone is nearly 90% complete, and I have a pair of mittens on the needles for a silent auction at school.  I should have photos of both before too long!

I haven't had much time for posting lately, but I have been knitting!  And it's so nice when you get to see your kids getting to wear and enjoy some of those knits!  Hope everyone is well!  Happy Knitting!

The Best Damn Man Hat. Period.

Thorpe by Kirsten Kapur from Through the Loops
Knitted in Noro Kochoran, #40 colorway, and a small amount of Eco wool for the edging and braid.  Knitted using US size 8 needles.  Ravelers find it here.

Guys are fickle.  And guys are really fickle about hats.  Even when you give them something you think they're gonna really like, they may even tell you they really like, but then you might discover later, say after giving them something different, that they weren't really all that crazy about that other one.  It might take a while, maybe even a year... but eventually they'll explain what they did and didn't like about the first hat... you know, the one still hanging on the hall tree... with a bit of dust collecting on the crown?   And if your guy is like my guy you might have a one hat sorta guy on your hands.  So getting it just right may take time, but when you do get it right, save the pattern because you'll be going back to it when it's time to knit another.  Because that one hat sorta guy has a mantra... if it ain't broke don't fix it. 

Meet Andy's new hat.  Thorpe.  When I gave him Thorpe this past Christmas he put it on his head and exclaimed... "this is the best damn man hat.  Period."  Now that is exactly what a knitter wants to hear!  I was really interested to understand what caused such a declaration, so I asked, "what makes this one better than last year's hat?" 

"The yarn is super warm..."
"Yeah..."
"The hat fits snug on my head..."
"Yeah..."
"The brim isn't falling down over my eyes..."
(Now we're getting somewhere.)  "You mean the ribbing?"
"Yeah the ribbing.  I don't like ribbing unless it's really long where I can fold it up easily."
(Mental note.) "What else?"
"Oh, and I love the ear flaps.  Ear flaps are cool."
(Ear flaps good.  Got it.) "Well I'm glad you like it honey."
"Oh yeah.  This hat rocks."

And the proof is in the pudding.  We've been having temperatures in the single digits lately and he has worn Thorpe every day to the office and running errands around town.  The combination of a great yarn, Noro Kochoran, and earflaps is clearly a match made in heaven.  I loved working with the Kochoran.  I haven't used any Noro bulky before and chose this yarn because of it's handspun appearance.

This is a great pattern and can easily be reworked any size head by modifying the yarn and needle sizes.  And it's a really fast knit... many (many) of you know this already...  I think 9 out of 10 knitted at least one for Christmas 2008!  I'm looking forward to working up a couple more for the kiddos as well.

I've been MIA for some time now, huh?  I didn't even realize how long until I looked at my last post dated October 3rd!  My schedule hasn't allowed for too much knitting lately, but I have finished a few things that are waiting to be blocked and photographed.  And I've been on a hat kick lately.  Maybe because when you get out of the habit you just want to enjoy something small (and fast).  Okay nevermind, I always want it fast!  Happy knitting!

  

Jenny's Got a Brand New Bag...

of yarn that is!  I'm just returning home from the fall session of Yarn School in Harveyville, Kansas.  And what can you say?  I spent four days surrounded by enough wool and fiber to sink a large ship, alpacas, dye labs, parades, running lonely stretches of rural Kansas roads... not to mention the amazing meals prepared by Marissa... Ooi!  I am happy as a clam, exhausted, but really, really happy.

So where to begin?  Maybe with my first spinning project.  This is some Romney wool from my ginormous fiber bag that I dyed using the crockpot in dye lab.  Adrian (aka Mrs. HelloYarn) helped me tremendously by telling me how to stripe the yarn in the pot.  Did I mention I've never (ever) dyed yarn before?  Everyone kept saying, "just jump in there!"  But I am quite incabable of "just jumping" into anything, and was literally shaking as I squeezed my first color in!  No doubt I was the last one to start and the last one to finish, but I'm one of those "need my own space" type girls to figure things out.  And here it is all spun up!

There are definitely some thick and thin inconsistencies going on there, but overall, I'm really proud of how both the colorway (I'm referring to as dreamsicle) and the twists turned out.  The yarn is uber-fluffy which makes me uber-happy, and I'm thinking I might give Zeebee a go since I have 3 skeins of this now.  I swear Jason and I are on the same wave length!  Everytime I check his recent posts he's finished something I am just about to start!  I'm going to check out his modifications and try to cast on sometime this week (I hope!)

And here is my first attempt at handpainting yarn, which I truly enjoyed.  FYI... that's Adrian's right beside mine.  Her colors just rock.  The whole handpainted fiber/yarn thing I could completely get in to.  Being an interior designer I work with color (a lot), but it is pretty nerve-wracking to mix these up and pour them on.  I did like this colorway so much though that I dyed some fiber as well.  We'll see how vibrant the colors are when I spin them up, or if they fade to a soft pastel.  I have no (!) idea what to expect!  I have this fear of wasting anything, and really didn't want to screw up any of my yummy fiber. 

So thanks to everyone at Yarn School 2008 for making things a total blast!  Jennifer, Adrian, Nikol, Marissa... all you guys!  You make a great team and definitely made the middle of nowhere Kansas a blast for a suburban mom from Wichita!  (But now someone has to tell me how to get all the bugs off the front of my car!)

Good Golly Miss Molly

Baby Sweater on Two Needles (aka February Baby Sweater) from Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Knitted using Malabrigo Merino Worsted, Molly Colorway.
Knitted on US 6 Crystal Palace Bamboo circs, 24 inch.
Ravelers see it here.

My mom called me last month and announced, "Tim is having a baby!  Make that sweater!!"  Now this is a big (huge/ginormous) exclamation for my mother, considering when she is visiting I get in trouble for always having needles out.  For some reason, non-knitters think that we knitters aren't paying attention if we are clicking away, which of course, is completely false!  It actually makes us better listeners, calmer therapists, and flat out better friends.  So I was so surprised when my mom specifically requested the Baby Sweater on Two Needles (aka February Baby  Sweater, aka FBS) by Elizabeth Zimmermann.  Does this mean I can now click away when Mom's in town?  I doubt it... but it is a baby step.

Actually when she asked for it, or demanded it, (tomato... tomahto) I was happy to oblige.  I've made this sweater once before and loved every minute of it.  Probably because it's worsted weight lace that whips up in about four days of knitting.  And anything that involves Malabrigo, well... 'nuff said. 

I tried something a bit differently on this one and chose to do a M1L increase instead of EZ's M1 choice of backward loop over the right needle.  I was hoping to avoid the small hole that this increase shows in the pattern.  I'm not so sure how it worked out as it created a small ridge on my increase rows, so I don't know that I would use it again.  I also decided to make it more of a swing coat, so I left out the decrease rows on the waist and spaced the button holes evenly in the yoke.  I loved how the buttons turned out so I know I'll be using those modifications again.

I've got several other projects going now as well, including two sleeves worth of Cobblestone for Andy, and our October Mitten of the Month.  So I'll be posting some progress shots later this week of these.  I followed Jared Flood's advice (i.e. epiphany) from his Spiral Yoke Pullover and knitted the sleeves first.  I think this is just brilliant as sleeves are usually the worst of mojo stealers.  It really is working and I'm actually enjoying finishing up the second sleeve!  (Give it a try!) 

But as for the FBS, there are already more in my future.  I've tried to cast on some alternatives, but I just end up frogging.  So as long as friends are having babies, I'll be winding Mal and knitting this sweater.  And goodness knows if it allows me to clickity-clack without getting the raised brow from Mom then I'll knit as many as neccessary! 

Smitten with Mittens? We've Got a Pill for That.

It's that time again... last weekend, Andy and I were working in the yard when he stopped pulling weeds, stood up, and sniffed.  This is a yearly ritual with Andy Adams.  And he then looks at me and says, "Ah, Jen... can you smell it?"  It which case I am then required to stop, stand up, and sniff too.  "Um, hmm. Yep, I smell it." 

"You know what that is don't you, Jen?  That's the smell of football."

Now, when I think of the smell of football, there are other things that come to mind.  All three of my brothers played it so I associate the smell of football with sweaty duffle bags, dirty shoulder pads, and nasty mud-caked cleats thrown by the backdoor.  But for a guy who played and loves the sport, there is something in the air right before the weather turns cool that signifies their beloved sport.

My guess is it's the leaf mold.

But in his defense I do know what he's talking about.  There is a crispness in the air just before Autumn sets in that makes you anxious for it to hurry up already.  But the smell for me is different, and is indicative of something else entirely.

It's the smell of mittens.

This year, just about all in my family will be receiving a pair for Christmas, including these.  These are the Cabley Mittens from Kelly Porpiglia of KelpKnits.  And these are also the first pair of mittens that we are knitting in our new Mitten of the Month Club at our local yarn shop, Twist. 

Shelly Stilger, Twist's owner, and I started brainstorming one day over the idea of having a sister club for our popular Sock of the Month Club.  Mittens were the perfect choice.  But to change things up a bit we decided to not only make it a "Brick and Mortar Club" i.e., Twist regulars, but we should also open up to the online knitting community as well, i.e. you!

So we are officially kicking it off with the September Mitten of the Month, Cabley Mittens knitted in Cloud 9 from Cascade.  Cloud 9 is a fabulous yarn using 50% merino and 50% angora.  And the halo effect is off the charts, not to mention the softness factor!  I blocked these a couple of days ago and when they were dry I combed the fibers gently and they plumped back up without loosing any of the cable texture pre-blocking.  They even gained some softness from being blocked, so you can't argue with that!

Overall this is a great classic pattern that gives you cables without going overboard.  I was a bit worried pre-blocking because the mitten and thumb were a bit short for my hand.  But it stretched considerably from blocking and now fits perfectly.  If you were concerned about it being short though, you could easily add another pattern repetition to both the cuff and mitten body. 

Another modification I would consider when knitting this pattern is going down two needle sizes on the cuff.  The mitten itself is knit on US size 6 needles, but I would definitely go down to a US size 4 for the cuff.  Cables don't have the same memory as a ribbing, so a tighter stitch would ensure for a better fit.

The specifics and registration for of our Mitten of the Month Club are available here.  We will also have a group set up on Ravelry to make sure a forum is available for everyone to be able to pick up new techniques or share ideas on knitting mittens.  And of course there is the discount!  15% off on the designated yarn and pattern used for the project, and an addition 5% added on your next purchase for the upcoming month's mitten when you post a photo of your finished mittens.  So, grand total: 20% off yarn and pattern!  Membership is limited to the first 100 registrants, so head on over to reserve yours.  You'll be getting sneak peeks from me about each month's pattern and yarn in advance here at NuttyIrishmanKnits, so be looking for them!

So if you are smitten with mittens or wanting to be, join the club!  We're looking forward to seeing some great mittens out there.  Enjoy, and happy (mitten) knitting!

Mighty-Mini Mitered Mittens

Mighty-Mini Mitered Mittens modified by me from EZ's Mitered Mitten Pattern (May), Knitter's Almanac.
Knitted in small amounts Cascade 220 Wool, light pink, chambray, and avocado.
Knitted on US size 3 Addi turbos using Magic Loop.
Ravelers see them here.

Go ahead.  I dare you to say that five times fast!  Mighty-mini mitered mittens, mighty-mini mitered mittens... I told you guys I loved this pattern!  It took me less than four hours to cast on my second pair, only this time I decided to knit some winter mittens for Lulu.  That's what the 5th Chapter of Knitter's Almanac is all about anyway, right?  Getting ahead on mitten knitting so when the blizzard's blowing little fingers aren't frozen?

After finishing the first pair I knew I wanted to knit another, only this time modify the numbers to fit a child's hand.  I did a few quick measurements, let Annabelle help me pick out some yarn, and was blocking the first a few short hours later.  Once again I used Grace's sore thumb modification, but increasing to 9 stitches rather than 15.  Other than that I cast on 36 stitches and knitted 6 rounds in garter stitch before switching to the mitered pattern.  I also changed colors after every 6th row, (easier to remember!) and started the top decrease at 6.5 inches to allow for some growth.  I measured from the side edge of the mitten to the tip of Annabelle's pinky and rounded up.  Once I got to the decrease I switched to a funky contrasting color and finished the thumb is the same.  The great thing about the sore thumb is that you can customize it to fit a little thumb, and I made mine about 1.5" long.  These should work great for Annabelle this winter and hopefully next year as well. 

These are certainly toddler mittens and you would need to do some larger calculations to fit a larger child.  But that's the great thing about Elizabeth Zimmermann!  She gives you some perameters and says, "there you go, now go create!"  It's so much fun reading her patterns, especially when you're as addicted to line by line instructions as I am.  I like her laid back approach to knitting, and I love her utilitarian view of it.  But it's a testament to her great sense of practicality when you surf through 4500 versions of the baby suprise jacket, or 450 versions of mitered mittens!  I can't imagine a better gift than an adult tomten with a hood or a February baby sweater for a baby.  No doubt about it, EZ rocks!

A Little Wisdom Goes A Long Way

Mitered Mittens from Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Knitted in Noro Silk Garden Lite, colorway 2037.

Knitted using magic loop on Addi Turbos, US size 4.
Ravelers see them here.

It started out like any other day.  Betsy, the toy poodle woke me up at 6, eager to make her morning tromp down to Turtle Pond.  I then made a pot of coffee, sadly discovering we were out of half and half.  And finally, I plopped down at the computer to check emails and of course, new patterns on Ravelry.  It was here, while surfing patterns and drinking that perfect first cup that I felt it.  And I thought, hmmm... something's hung in my tooth.  So I started to wiggle my tongue around back there trying to figure out what it was.  And that's when it came loose.  No, not a piece of food.  But my tooth.  Half of my wisdom tooth to be exact.   So there I sat, mouth full of hot coffee and half a tooth floating around somewhere therein.  I didn't know what to do.  Should I swallow?  Should I spit?  Ah!  The dilemma! Thankfully I decided to spit.

And how are you?  Ha!  First time you hear from me in a month and this is the greeting you get?  Terrible huh?  And it is how I spent yesterday morning.  But yesterday afternoon's recovery period proved much more productive, i.e. EZ's awesome Mitered Mittens from Knitter's Almanac.  These may be my favorite mitten pattern to date. 

I am in love with this pattern!  And knitting it in Silk Garden Lite was a dream.  I've had two skeins of this colorway laying around for some time now, and this seemed the perfect opportunity to knit them up.

I know I've been MIA lately.  It has taken a good month for me to get our house in order after the recent move, and believe me I still have a long way to go!  But I have been surfing patterns online and watching with shear fascination how some of you guys are knitting your way through the Olympics.  I am amazed at your stamina!  Every morning I check the Ravelympics and cannot believe all the new FO's posted.  And it was here that I saw Alice's Mitered Mittens just finished this week.  Needless to say I've been struggling for a project that could fit into my hectic schedule right now, and when I saw these I thought, that's it!  Did I mention it was at 9:00 at night?  Well, it was, and by noon the next day I had the first mitten off the needles and in the bath.  Yesterday afternoon, happily drugged on pain killers, I finished the second and gave it a good soaking too. 

I followed Grace's instructions for the sore thumb, which turned out great.  EZ calls for the afterthought thumb which requires "snipping a stitch" and then unraveling it "either direction" until fifteen are exposed.  Lord just shoot me now.  My hands are shaking just thinking about it!  But it makes for great fun reading one of Zimmermann's patterns.  There for a moment I actually thought I might be able to do it.  But it was  short lived and an indication it was time for my meds...

But with Grace's modifications I felt much safer.  I also liked Alice's idea of binding off twelve rather than eight at the end, and it gave it a slightly less pointed top.  And I know I will be knitted another pair of these, soon.  They made for perfect Olympic knitting, with only one row of instructions you can put the book down and simply let the Noro do it's amazing thang.

So it's good to back!  And I hope to reinstate my usual knitting schedule now that things are calming down a bit.  I've got a few other things on the sticks right now that need finishing up, so hopefully you'll be hearing more from me soon!  Happy Knitting!