block 'n tackle knitting

I couldn't stop, even on the road... I crocheted this shawl and finished it at Waitabit Creek, one of our favourite campsites near Golden, BC. Something about the mountain air made me want to add a BIG fringe.

I'm leaving on a camping trip tomorrow, but I just had to finish these soft bamboo socks tonight! They're a fairly simple pattern, but I think I'm ready to try something trickier now. (Yes, that is a real tattoo...)

Here's the bamboo sock I'm currently working on, using Bernat's Bamboo ... I love how soft it is! I found some very pretty sock yarn at the thrift store; my research tells me it's discontinued so I guess I'll just have to make some very small socks out of it.

My daughter is a huge doll fan, and Blythe is her current object of adoration. I've been commissioned to make her clothes, so I started with a crocheted hat. I'm working on a sweater, but it's not quite done, yet. The kids were fascinated to see that the cat's head is the same size as the doll's. Tika is not pleased.

Just some pics of me and my knitty friends, at home and camping...

When I was a kid my favourite Dr. Seuss story was The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins and maybe that's why I persist in buying and making hats even though I seldom seem to find the right one for me. Here are a few attempts. The top hat is crocheted in shells... the middle hat is knit flat in a k2p2 rib. The bottom one is that crocheted hatbasket , before I felted it, oops.

Here is the first sweater I ever made, using this online pattern as a guideline. I modified the sleeves by picking up the stitches with my smallest circular needles and turned them into stockinette full-length sleeves as opposed to the 3/4 on the pattern. I also knit the bottom of the body on circulars, picking up the stitches after I seamed the top (garter) portion, which was more fun than just knitting two pieces and sewing them together (I dislike sewing, in case you hadn't noticed). I used a chunky acrylic yarn, and it knit up really fast, which is always a plus. I've worn this quite a few times and it's perfect for chilly evenings here because it's loose enough to go over a tank top but the simple open neck isn't too warm.

Ok, I knit a LOT of wristwarmers when I first started out, but I had fun thinking up new designs. Here are two variations on camo warmers using a ginormous ball of discount yarn I got from The Store Who Must Not Be Named (eek, it's Waldemart...). The opera-warmers are k2p2 rib with crocheted ruffles, and the shorties are a mix of garter, stockinette and k2p2 rib. Both are knit flat and sewn up to create the thumbhole -- simple and elegante! Here is an obligatory dog pic (Lexie the dog was borrowed from my friend, Nance). It was taken at a favourite beach on Denman Island, at a sacred burial site (no, just kidding -- I dunno why that cross is there). My older daughter is wearing the short camo warmers.

Early attempts at Barbie clothing (crocheted) for my daughter resulted in accidentally X-rated beachwear... and my first go at felting resulted in an oversized hatbasket, hee. Recycled wool; waste not, want not.

I made a pair of green wristwarmers for my friend Megan (isn't she cute?) who lives in Austin, TX. She liked them so much she posted pics of herself wearing them on her blog.

I actually made the obligatory garter stitch scarf when I was 12 (it was an orange and brown variegated worsted with white fringe, woohoo!) but this winter I revisited scarves because my family wanted some. I made three variations on a k2p2 rib-knit scarf for me and the kids... then I made a 100% wool scarf, knit in garter stitch, yes, but horizontally on very long, large circular needles, for a friend's winter birthday. Shown here with the obligatory cat. Note: Since I'm still learning different techniques I don't often splurge on expensive yarn. I came across a blog somewhere that talked about salvaging yarn from thrift stores and even unraveling old sweaters, so I decided that many of my small, beginner projects would have the added feel-goodness of being recycled.

Two more pairs of wristwarmers, also knit flat and stitched up. I made these for my friend Amy and her daughter. My daughter kindly agreed to help model them with me. The blue warmers are knit in k2p2 rib with supersoft baby yarn; the black & red ones are stockinette with regular worsted.

I knit this flat and it was too small for me, but just right for my lovely daughter. I added some crochet trim for flair!

This is the first sweater I actually knit and designed myself. It's cotton, knit with straight and circular needles (I picked up the armhole stitches after seaming the body and used my smallest circular needles) in stockinette with crocheted trim. Sorry the pic of me is blurry; I'm not very good at self-portraits and my photographer wasn't around that day. :P

Just so my crochet hook doesn't feel left out, here's a pic of a quick handbag I whipped up the other day (based on a pattern in Stitch 'n Bitch: The Happy Hooker ) to match some orangey thrift-store shoes I found. Ok, I look a little weird in the pic, but the purse looks great, I think. I love the blingy button.

It might not look like much, but it's my first real sock, complete with turned heel and gussets, and I love it. I'm making it a mate and hoping they'll like each other enough to reproduce.

Well, I finally decided I'm serious about this knitting thing, so I'm doing what all serious people do: I'm bloggin' it! This is primarily a forum to show off my various projects and progress; I re-started knitting just over a year ago after a 30 year break and I'm really glad I've found something new to do with my hands... Welcome to my knitting blog. Enjoy the pics, the trials, the tribulations, and the moments of small glory contained herein. (The pic is me in a pair of ruffled wristwarmers I made for my lovely friend, Christy. I think they sort of look like girlie hockey socks.)