NuttyIrishmanKnits

Autumn Knits

I promised more pix of the Lovikka mittens, and the weather has been so beautiful that getting outside to do so was a joy!  Not much to report here... just hoping you're enjoying the fall weather as well!

 

 

And a special thank you to Lu's BFF for graciously agreeing to being such a fantastic model.  =)

Mittens!

My friend Shelly Stilger, owner of my local yarn shop Twist, asked me to write the November pattern for our shop's mitten of the month club.  I haven't written a pattern in a long (!) time and thought this would be a great kick-in-the-pants deadline... something I haven't had in a seemingly much longer (!) time.  I knew I wanted to do something classic and traditional, and after mulling it over for a couple of days, I decided on Scandinavian Lovikka mittens.  Simple mittens that are felted for added warmth and fulled for added softness the Lovikka pattern dates back to turn of 19th century Sweden.  And I love the simplicity of the embroidered cuffs and trimming used in the embellishments.

I used Araucania Azapa yarn for these mitts, a great bulky Donegal tweed that felts well.  It also knits up amazing fast, both mittens taking less than 4 hours to complete.  The really fun part of this pattern is left in the details.  I felted mine to fit a child (7 inch width, 9 inch length), but changing felting time can result in a larger mitten.  Then using a pet grooming brush the fibers are combed and trimmed, resulting in a really soft and dense fabric.  Simple embroidery and a braid finish things off, and within a weekend you have a fun and traditional pair of Scandinavian mittens! 

The pattern is for sale online here and in my pattern store on Ravelry.  You can also swing by Twist if you're in the area and get your supplies for the November mitten.  I have more photos coming soon... and there will be a store sample at the shop for you to pet! 

I hope you all enjoy the mitten pattern!  Happy Knitting!

Lovikka Mitten Pattern: $3.00

In Progress

This has truly been a mild summer, and it seems that when the weather is cooler my mind really turns to wool... and needles.  Last week I had a hankering for some good natural wool and I have to say I love Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool.  I know this might not be the first place one's mind goes to when thinking about a good earthy wool (or even second or third) but it really is great stuff.  And it comes in such a large amount... (227 g) that you can leave the store with two skeins and be ready to knock a sweater quickly.

I also knew which pattern I wanted to pair my wool with as well.  I found it on Ravelry a few weeks ago, Francis Revisted, by Beth Silverstein, and I loved it immediately.  This is my first time to knit a top down sweater, which is fantastic.  Or a sweater with raglan sleeves, which is also great!  This may be my favorite combination by far, and the design ideas are endless. 

I've finished the body and first sleeve, so only have the second sleeve and cowl to finish.  I'm hoping to gain some length on the body when blocking.  I'm knitting the small, which fits perfectly, but is a little short for me.  I know that one of the joys of knitting from the top down means you can try on as you go... but I'm too lazy to put all those stitches on waste yarn to try it on... So instead I hope to pick up a little length at the end.

I love the seed stitch detail on the hem, sleeves, and cowl as well.  I considered continuing the body and sleeves with the stockinette stitch, and may try that later on a different raglan.  Hopefully I'll have my Francis Revisited finished by the weekend!

I also have another sweater almost finished that I'm not convinced about.  I've been working on the Gathered Pullover from Interweave and I'm really not liking the holes created by working the center cable.  If you've knitted this and had a similar issue let me know if you have words of wisdom to correct it!  I'm almost finished with this one as well, but the cable has me stalling...

I hope the weather's nice where you are today!  It's cool and raining here, so I've made a pot of chicken noodle soup and a little hot chocolate.  Needless to say I am totally in the mood for some fall knitting.  So I'm going to get back to finishing my other sleeve... Happy Knitting!

First Lace Project... Baby Steps!

Lace Poncho by Susan Sturnlieb
Knit using Malabrigo Silky Merino, Cloudy Sky colorway.
Knit on US size 8 circular needles.
Ravelers find it here.

Back in the fall of 2008 I got a package in the mail from my friend, Alice, of Kathryn Ivy.  Inside I found 2 gorgeous skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino.  At the time few were getting their hands on this luscious stuff so I counted myself incredibly lucky that Alice would part with a couple skeins!  I tucked it away for several months trying to decide on the perfect project for such a fantastic gift.

A few months later I came across Susan's Lace Poncho pattern and had found just what I was looking for.  I had never ventured to try a lace pattern (not including EZ's February Baby Sweater) and wanted something that wouldn't require working and reworking due to operator error... this was perfect for a first lace pattern!  I didn't have to tink once! (Yep, you read that right... not one time!) The ostrich plume pattern was easily memorized and I was finished within a couple of days.

I used 2 full skeins of Silky Merino on this project, and it was a dream to knit with.  I recently purchased 4 skeins of Sundara's Aran Merino and I find the two yarns very similiar.  I opted to forgo seaming to make a poncho, and instead have a small shawl or scarf.  I love the scalloped edging created by the plumes and the overall delicate look of this project.

I highly recommend this pattern for a first lace project.  Sometimes wrapping your mind around a chart can be complicated, and this pattern allows you to knit up your shawl will considerable confidence! (Something I sometimes struggle with... ha!) 

So thanks Alice for such a gorgeous gift!  I love the finished project and look forward to purchasing more of this lovely yarn!  Goodness knows I've got plenty of shawls now queued in Ravelry, just waiting for more of this yummy stuff!  Happy Knitting!

First Sweater

Cobblestone by Jarod Flood
Knit using Cascade 220 Tweed, Olive colorway.
Knit with US size 6 circular needles.
Ravelers find it here!

Hey guys!  I've been pretty quite for the last few months.  Other things have been taking up a lot of time, but thankfully I've been able to keep knitting.  I started Cobblestone last, errr... October (that's so embarrassing to admit!), and finished both sleeves then.  In January I hurt my back and was on the sofa for a week (that's embarrassing too!), so thus began work on the body of the sweater.  I had hoped to have Cobblestone finished by the time we went skiing in March, but had a glaring mistake in the yoke that I tried to pretend wasn't glaring for, oh about 5 inches.  By the time I acknowledged the mistake I was in no mood to tink so I stuffed it in a bag and forgot about the whole thing until just a couple of weeks ago!

I started work on organizing and arranging my work/yarn room (been in the house a year, embarrassed yet again!) and found A's Cobblestone waiting patiently in the corner.  So I put in a DVD and spent the next day tinking back 5 inches.  Thankfully after that things went along smoothly, and a mere 2 days later I had a finished sweater, blocked and ready to wear!

This was an incredibly easy "first sweater" pattern.  I was surprised at how well everything turned out, with nothing being wonkey anywhere!  Maybe it's just me, but I've dreaded my first sweater for 2 years because of the possibility of something being wonkey! 

I knit the small version and after A tried it on, everything fit perfectly.  I extended the length of the arms slightly, but besides that had no modifications.  The Cascade Tweed (aka my favorite workhorse of a yarn) paired perfectly with the pattern and the stitch definition looks really good.  I look forward to knitting this pattern again, maybe in a charcoal or oatmeal tweed?

Hopefully I'll be able to get some photos of A modeling his sweater, rather than Lu and myself (like the striped pj's?).  He was terribly excited about my actually finishing this project, as he thought it would never be done!  But it's amazing how the process of organizing and reorganizing a room can give you just the lift needed to knock out some UFO's.  I hope everyone's doing well!  I'm looking forward to being back online and posting on more finished knits!  Happy Knitting!

 

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!