One Happy Customer
Hope everyone had swell holidays. Mine were spent largely knitting furiously. I’m not going to lie, I did not relax enough over my holidays. Between work and all that Christmas jazz (which I usually take great joy in) I have been all worn out. That being said I had some seriously happy and appreciative knitted gift recipients this year. The biggest project I took on this year was a sweater for my darling brother, Eric. I am very proud of my little bro. He was recently sworn in as a police officer and is also a really fun guy. Whenever we hang out I end up laughing so hard I have trouble breathing.
I would normally stay away from knitting a sweater for someone else (my dad is an exception because he loves everything I make no matter what), and stay even further away from knitting a sweater for someone in their 20s but when Eric saw this awesome retro sweater in the new Debbie Bliss knitting magazine he had to have it. I have to say, I thought it was pretty great myself. The colors are my favorite 70′s orange and brown and the snowflakes make it really retro chic. Eric didn’t just ask once either, every time I saw him for a couple of weeks he would ask ‘How is my sweater coming?’. My mummy very generously offered to bankroll the project so I decided to take it on. Risks be damned, it also fits my other brother (Jordan), and my dad so if all else fails, someone else will wear it.
I hit a few snags along the way of course, it just wouldn’t be Christmas knitting without a few obstacles. I ordered the yarn (the soft and machine washable Rialto Aran) and I accidentally ordered cream instead of natural. This may not seem like a major set back but I had already knit an entire ball of cream before I figured out where I had gone wrong. So I had to order the natural and play the waiting game. This set me behind by a couple of weeks, which I didn’t really have to spare this season. I did get it done in time though, zipper and all (something new for me). And wonder of wonders, he loved it!
For the Love of Felt
Well, once I was finished with Jordan’s toque I figured it was time to finish something for me! I know this is rare in my knitting but I thought it might be time to actually finish something without a particular deadline. I think the reason I finish the projects that I give away is that there are specific deadlines: Christmas, birthdays, thanksgiving, etc. With projects for myself there is rarely a particular time I need it for so they tend to get pushed to the bottom of the pile.
I saw this skein of Manos del Uruguay in the shop a few months ago and I immediately knew I had to pick it up for my mum. Everyone has their colors that they gravitate to and hers are the colors of fall. Rich reds, oranges, browns and the occasional buttery yellow. This skein of kettle dyed wool had it all. I was at a bit of a loss with what to do with it when I came across a pattern for felted potholders in Joelle Hoverson’s ‘Last Minute Knitted Gifts’. I put my lovely skein together with a rich chocolate brown border and they turned out great! She loved the colors (of course) and she used them under the scrambled eggs at Thanksgiving brunch. I love it when things are pretty and functional!
(the potholder is in the lower left corner)
You’re probably wondering why this is a project for me…..the answer is: it isn’t. This felting project got me thinking about a project I have had on hold for a few weeks (months) now, some felted snug boots. These babies are just for me! They have a lovely cream exterior and a warm orange interior to keep my feel toasty in the coming winter months. I have one down (and have for a while) and one to go. My plan is to finish them before I put anything else on my plate. I wish myself luck!
Handmade Housewarming, Hostess, and Wedding Gifts
I knew this day would come, I just didn’t necessarily expect it so soon…everyone is getting married! You reach a certain point in your life and it seems like everyone is taking the plunge and tying the knot. Of course, as a crafter and as a fledgling photographer I could not be more excited and I immediately began to plot my crafting timeline for the summer.
Although three weddings may not seem like a lot to some, there are also some housewarmings, and other various summer shindigs to go to this summer. I like to have a gift for all occasions because, quite frankly, I like giving gifts. I love making them, purchasing them, and naturally the look on someones face when you get them just the right thing. This season I will need three wedding gifts, two housewarming gifts, a couple of birthday presents, and I always like to keep a few little hostess gifts on hand.
One of my new favorite projects that are quick, easy, and effective, are the organic cotton washclothes I found on the purlbee. They are strong and soft and can stand up to the machine washing and drying needed. I think this is a simple project (easy to do while having coffee with someone or watching a movie) but I think it is an effective one. While the purlbee suggests these washclothes as a wedding gift, I think I will use them as a housewarming. It works either way!
The project I am currently enamored with as a wedding present is a little something of my own design: A French Press Cozy and Tempered Glass Cozies. I am a great lover of coffee in all forms, morning, noon, and night. So I think a French press makes a great gift. Paired with these cute tempered glasses and perhaps some yummy organic coffee would be perfect! More on this project here.
I try to have a hostess gift on hand for any shindig I attend. While time sometimes makes this difficult it is a good idea to have a few on hand. Although a lot of people have the knitting skills to master the knitted dishcloth it still makes a great, and practical, gift. People are always appreciative and the clothes are simple to make. The yarn need not be too expensive and the time and concentration factors are minimal. A great thing to have on hand is a small stock pile so you can just tie them together with some lovely ribbon and a thank-you note. Remember: it’s really the thought that counts so it’s nice to get people something they can really use.
The other great little project is a little lavender satchet. Any yarn will do, simply knit 2 squares approximately 3-4 inches (the number of stitches and the size of needles will depend on your yarn) and then use a single crochet to attach them. Before you seam up the last little bit fill the satchet with lavender. There are many variations on the project with many different scented fillers and many different fibres. It is also a great project for that extra little scrap of yarn. The two sides of the satchet don’t even have to be the same!
Knitography
In writing my own blog and in reading other blogs about knitting and crafting I always appreciate a really good picture of a project. I like to know exactly what it will look like up close, far away, on a person, on a hanger, the list is endless. I want to be able to see as much as I can before I committ to making something. Showing off your work, however is only one aspect of photographing your projects.
I also like to photograph my projects in order to keep organized and to make the gift giving process more complete. I think that if you are going to put so much effort into anything you knit you should always try to make it easier for you to repeat your success. I can’t remember the last time I knit something and I didn’t have some sort of alteration or helpful hint that I wish I’d had before I started. I like to leave myself little notes like: ‘perhaps this would be better knit in the round’, ’use longer double points, not the little short sock ones’, or ‘add 4 extra stitches’. This way, if I repeat the pattern or lend it to a friend they or I can benefit from my experience. This is where the photograph comes in: always take a picture of the finished product to keep with your pattern. This will help you remember how the project turned out and how you will alter it next time, especially if the finished product has been given away. It’s a great way to keep everything straight and organized.
Another great use for knitography is taking pictures of your own creations. If you are making your own patterns or greatly altering the ones you have you may want to type them out and keep a picture with them. This way you won’t forget your alterations or the pattern you have created.
Yet another great use of a knit-pic is to be used as a tag. This will also work for your quilts or other crafty gifts although you might want to use a smaller picture since you won’t need to attach any yarn or buttons. You can attach your 4×6 pic to a piece of cardstock that is 4.5×6.5 and on the back you can print the care instructions, materials (is it wool, cotton, alpaca, etc). This is also a good place to attach your little extra yarn (for possible *gasp* repairs) or buttons.
This way the recipient of the gift knows exactly how to care for the gift and which garment the instructions are for. It’s a really nice finishing touch if I do say so myself!
Finito!
Well, I have talked a good talk about the projects I have started and it is about time I talked about some finished ones! The first project I finished was my red alpaca skirt. I used the pattern in Susan Mischner’s ‘Greetings from the Knit Cafe’ but I substituted Blue Sky Alpaca’s Sport Weight 100% alpaca. I have now made 5 of these skirts: 3 for me, one for my mommy and one for my friend Robin. It has been a very flattering and successful pattern. Although I’m not really a girly-girl I do love a funky skirt!
It’s always so nice when you find a pattern that just really works for you. I am especially impressed that the yarn substitution worked because when I started my first of these skirts I didn’t really understand how to make yarn substitutions and I really just winged it! Now I know that you need to substitute based primarily on gauge (how many stitches per inch) and for some projects you need to be careful of the fiber (if it calls for mohair, it is unlikely you want to go with cotton, for example).
The second project I finished was a toque that was requested by my friend Kim. Kim has some sinus issues and needs to keep them covered and warm. This past Christmas I made her a toque out of a lovely yarn from Mirosol. It has silk and alpaca and it’s lovely to work with. Kim loved the toque and only 3 months later she is ready for another one! Although Kim always wears blue I figured I would help her to branch out (DANGER: do not attempt to help anyone branch out into new colors unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure they will like it, it will only lead to heartache). Her Christmas toque was green and this one will be a plummy purple. I decided to with the ever warm (and a personal favorite) alpaca. I went with Blue Sky’s Worsted weight which is a blend of alpaca and wool and oh-so-soft. I knit this one up quick because I really wanted her to be able to wear it while it’s still kinda cold out (it hailed today at my house, for real!)
The last project that I managed to complete was my beautiful cashmere toque. I am happy to say that all fights between my husband Gary and myself over who gets to wear the good toque are over! The pattern is the Devin’s Toque from Handmaiden. I could make this toque over and over again, it’s so soft and luxurious and easy to make. Big fan.
Why I am a Crazy Person and made a quilt for a 2 year old
Well, every year there is one project that has me up late and drinking even more coffee than usual. This year it was a quilt I started a few months ago and was still hand stitching the the binding to on December 21st.
Let me start at the beginning…. a few months ago I was shopping near my local quilt shop (LQS) with a friend and we decided to go in and take a peek. We wandered around and we fell in love with some beautiful fabric from Moda (my latest fabric favorite as you know). Well, I got the big idea that I would finish my second quilt ever for my friends 2 year old son, whom I love.
Well, let me tell you that one finished quilt does not make you a ‘quilter’. I’m not sure why I have to learn this lesson so many times but hand crafted gifts always take 10 times longer to complete than anticipated. I hope someone will learn from this mistake!
Now, I should say that the quilt did get finished, it was beautiful (although imperfect), and my friends did love the quilt and appreciate my hard work. Creating this quilt was, however, not the joyous experience it could have been, had I thought through the entire process ahead of time.
The quilt was about 25 times more work than anticipated and late nights had me thinking ‘how can I get away with keeping this quilt and not giving it away after I slaved over it?’ . So I should also say that it might be a good idea to keep handmade gifts a secret, just in case they do not go as planned. That way you can always scrap the project, put it on hold, or keep it if is comes to that!
