block 'n tackle knitting

I pretty much ad-libbed these crocheted mitts, starting at the top and crocheting round and round (increasing and measuring on my hand as I went). I left a gap for the thumb and picked that up later, finishing off with a cuff of floofy fun-fur.

Back when knitted cupwarmers were all the rage, I knit one in a pretty, fair isle pattern. Then cupwarmers weren't so hot, and I thought it'd look nice as a matching set -- oops, that yarn's long gone. No matter! Mismatched is just as cute, don't you think?

Last winter I posted a free, simple beret pattern , which I used to make my daughter a gift (which she loved, yay!) and today I'm feeling the urge to knit a few more. Berets are supposedly hot fashion accessories this fall -- though to be honest, they're one of the few hats that look flattering on my tiny head, so that's one good reason I knit them. Fair isle beret I knit with literally scraps of leftover worsted wool. The other reason is that they lend themselves to a variety of patterns on that lovely, circular top part, and I also really enjoy knitting with double pointed needles, which is a plus for berets because of all the increases and reducing you do. Finally, I absolutely love how easily they block (well, the wool ones) by being stretched overnight on a plate balanced on a wide-mouthed bottle. So they're really like knitting projects and circus tricks all rolled into one. And that reminds me I really need to get a photo of me doing the beret blocking ...

Accessories for fall need not be excessive. Simple strands of ivory and gold knit up very quickly in these wristwarmers with a simple ribbed cuff. I used to be obsessed with knitting these, but now I usually make them when I have a special yarn and need something eye catching to go with an outfit.

This could have been a very sad tale of my wooly, hand-knit socks getting accidentally caught in the wash, but instead: it's the story of new, felted wristwarmers, hurrah! Moral: When life shrinks your socks, cut 'em up and wear 'em someplace skinnier.

Scarves. Because they go so well with everything, including being knitted while watching Netflix.

The secret to this lace tablecloth is how simple it is: a large granny square crocheted with thin crocheting cotton, round and round until it's big enough for your table or dresser. Sweet.

This is third sweater I've finished this summer, and I think it's probably obvious how much I love knitting them. More stash busting in this one, playing with dark-to-light colours and using a simple stranded striping. I also really like the bit of roll the open, stockinette neckline has. It's comfy!

Curling up with a good book and squishy cotton and bamboo yarn to make some colour magic.

Yep, it's me wearing the variation on the Dr. Who scarf that I made for myself last winter. I like the slightly muted variation on the bright colours of the original. Looking forward to fall so I can wrap this around myself a million times.

Last week a few new friends joined my Facebook page and liked and commented on some of my older posts. One of them specifically asked to learn how I'd woven this sampler: I told her I'd be happy to show her (though I'm only a beginner myself) and if she brought a piece of cardboard, nothing could be easier. To prove it, here's a pic of the loom I made (and recycled afterwards): So all you need to make your own is a flat piece of cardboard as long and wide as you want your piece to be (Refrigerator box kicking around? Hello, area rug!) along with some masking tape to reinforce the edges, a pair of scissors to cut notches in the top and bottom to wind the horizontal warp yarn or string, and some yarn to weave with. Have fun!

After a summer of working with colours, including stash-busting stripes, fair-isle and slip-stitch designs, I'm feeling a need for something simpler. Textures like cables and simple stitch patterns can be complex or simple, but they always look classic and elegant. I made these black wool wristwarmers for my sister with a simple garter on stockinette raised pattern of crosses and ridges, finished with a ribbed cuff. She wore them to work, where the air conditioning made her hands chilly. Now I'm thinking more of this for fall -- maybe a cardigan next?

So I knew I'd knitted a Dr. Who (4th Doctor) scarf at some point, but I couldn't remember when. Now I've found the photo proof, and it turns out it was almost ten years ago! This was for a young lad of around age 11. I wonder if he still has it?

The lazy ends of summer make me want to use up the small, scrappy bits of yarn I've been saving thriftily all year long. Combined with two skeins of really stringy, fuzzy mystery yarn gifted to me by a friend, I figured a crocheted rug would be the perfect project -- not too fussy, not too difficult to make whilst sipping iced tea and eating cookies with friends in the backyard on a Sunday before September. This took me a couple of days to complete, including blocking (I'm sure there's some wool in there somewhere). It'll look nice on my kitchen floor. No pattern for this, just single crochet, round and round, on a summer's day.