Skip to main content

November knitting

Another blogger used to have a monthly "what are you reading, what are you knitting?" post,  but she's moved on to raising new babies.  I'm posting mine today for posterity.  

Before my local yarn shop closed its doors, I bought a bunch of yarn with the intention of making an "advent calendar" of mittens.  I thought I'd make one a week, no problem.  As it turns out, I've gotten more like two a year finished!  One of the reasons I didn't race to the end is because I liked some of the stitch designs more than others.  I knew I would be able to come up with some alternative stitches, but I need to set aside time to modify the charts.  Luckily, I left off the number on the first one, so I've stitched the ones I like, regardless of their order.

Pattern:  Mitten Garland Advent Calendar
Yarn:  Elsbeth Lavold's Silky Wool in 114 Maraschino, 086 Dark Oak, 002 White Sand, and a bit of 083 Sapling Green
Needles:  US1/2.25mm, 40" (I prefer the Magic Loop method for knitting in the round)

Modifications:  Other than the obvious changes to colors and making new charts, I have primarily done a two-color long tail CO, and I continued the patterns on either side through where the number would have been.  Also, on the one with leaves (chart 5, top right in the above picture), I embroidered them instead of knitting the chart, in order to make them look more like little pine boughs.  


It would have been nice to finish these before my kids had outgrown the concept, but I think they will make a lovely garland, nonetheless.  I am also working on a cabled sweater, more on that next time!  


As for reading, I am about halfway through a Richard Jury mystery, The Stargazey, by Martha Grimes.  I've started a dozen other books this year and just can't settle into them, so I finally opted for one of my top mystery authors once more.  

Are you reading or knitting anything good?  Are you finding time for creative endeavors?

Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 12, 2022 at 9:10 AM

    Why don't you start your own knitting/stitching and reading follow along, for posterity's sake? I'd join😊.
    I became a member of the local library and I can not believe the amount of mysteries on the shelves! I know I live in a mystery loving area for sure. I have delved into an older author that I found on the shelf, Nevil Shute. So far I have read two of his novels...Pastoral and In the Wet... and I believe there are at least two more on the shelf to read. As for knitting, all handwork is only now having a comeback...finishing a poncho sweater and a pair of socks that have been on my needles for longer than I want to admit.
    Did you get my email letter?

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousNovember 21, 2022 at 7:18 PM

    Wow - they're gorgeous! You tackle the hardest tasks and find a way to do them!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ThimbleannaNovember 22, 2022 at 8:12 AM

    Oh So Pretty! Your mittens will be a beautiful garland, even if you didn't get them done in time for the boys. I had the same problem with my boys -- SO many fun projects, and just couldn't get them done in time. And now, I have the same problem with the girls. If people would just stop being so clever and creating things that I want to make!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love reading your comments! Please be sure to LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS (if it isn't included in your profile) so that I may respond to you. Thank you!

Popular posts from this blog

reasons I knit

I haven't posted a lot of knitting on here in the last few years.  Not much to say about it but I still knit.   I knit because I love to create. I knit because I love sweaters. I knit because I grew up with a mom who is artistic beyond the acknowledgement she receives, and it's in my blood to do something creative. I knit because I love the good things God grows, like sheep and wool and muskox and cotton. I knit because I love colors. I knit because my boys wear what I knit. I knit because I like the rhythm. I knit because it has a beginning and an end, and they are achievable.  I knit because when my hands are busy, my mouth slows down, and it gives my brain a chance to make better decisions. I knit because I'm really, really good at it, and it's one of the few things that others acknowledge, and we all need that. I knit because I love to knit. I'm working on a colorful shawl in alpaca. 
1 comment
Read more

modular knitting

On the plus side, modular knitting gives one interesting options for colorwork and color blocking.  Sometimes the dye process can give the yarn its own commentary, like this changing of scales. However, there are often many more ends to weave in.  This one is not too bad, but there's at least four ends on every row - 14 rows.  Still, interesting to try something new! Details on my Ravelry page , if you are interested!!  Have you tried modular knitting?  Thumbs up or down??
1 comment
Read more

getting through winter

As classes of all sorts get scheduled, rescheduled and postponed due to weather, and with the short days with less light, I often find January and February to be a forced pause.  Years like this convince me that I should get good at reading rain gauges and keeping track of the temperature.  It seems like we've had an usual amount of snow.  That should be good for our snow pack and seasonal runoff to fill creeks, lakes, basins, but we'll see what the spring brings.  In the meantime, I have been trying to tick off indoor chores and projects, and working on garden things.   We have started a handful of seedlings:  basil, foxgloves, verbascum, lavender, rosemary, onions and something new to us, naranjilla .  We have varying levels of success.  The naranjilla did take a long time to germinate; I think we used 11 seeds, and we currently have five seedlings, some a couple weeks older than others!  We're still 12-14 weeks out from planting and I really had my hands full last year -
4 comments
Read more