new season: new socks

I haven't jumped on the whole knitting socks bandwagon. And I've been knitting for twelve years. But here it goes.

It's already taken a few turns. They were supposed to be for my boyfriend. He's currently living in New England and freezing, and being a good girlfriend who knits, I decided to make him warm socks for him. So I ran out to my local yarn store yesterday, and got a really bright ball of sock yarn, to combat the grayness of New England winters. 

Cue our Skype date last night. He actually measures his foot and his favorite pair of socks for me and I discover. . . 

There is no way this sock is going to fit him. And I am way too far along to want to rip it out, find a new pattern, and reevaluate my sock-making abilities.

So these socks will be for me. 

Thankfully, he thinks even my attempts at sweet, thoughtful Christmas presents are encouraging and is not fazed in the least. He is willing to wait patiently. And he was even bragging to his friends that his girlfriend is making things to help him stay warm. 

Just about at the heel. I'll post on how that goes! 

Family Knitter and Sweaters

Today I was delighted to learn from my paternal grandmother that her mother, Rosie Clay, my great-grandmother and namesake, was a knitter. I was so excited to learn this today; previously, I knew that several of my female ancestors crocheted and sewed most of their children's clothes, but had thought that I was the only knitter. My granny proceeded to show me the three sweaters that her mother knit and she even let me try them on. 

Rosie Clay had such an eye for detail. The sweater is knit entirely out of perfect stockinette stitch, the edge of the sleeves, collar, button band, and hem are crocheted scallops, and the front of the sweater is decorated with embroidered flowers and leaves. She also lined the shoulders and upper back of the sweater with thin fabric so that it would retain its shape. It is knit with 100% wool. She crocheted the buttons, as well.

Although it was knit by my great-grandmother sometime in the 1980s, it fits me well and would be something I could see myself wearing with a pair of brown slacks. Because it is wool, it would be a wonderful layer to fend off the cold in the autumn and winter.

This second sweater also was knit in wool. It is knit in a basket weave or moss stitch pattern with a garter stitch belt. The hem, sleeves, and collar are bordered with scalloped crochet. 

Here is the detail of the third sweater, a men's medium, with a shawl collar, knit for her husband. 

In the picture above (with the man's sweater), it a linen placemat by my great-grandmother's aunt and a crocheted doily that my great-grandmother made. The linen placemat was made from linen that my great-great-aunt grew, processed, and wove. My great-grandmother then crocheted the edging on the placemat. 

I was amazed by the knitting and fiber history that I learned from my grandmother this trip. Do you have any family knitting or crafting stories to share? Please leave a comment!

Happy Knitting!

Union Long Beanie

This spring I got to go to the Carolina Fiber Fest at the NC State Fairgrounds. It was so much fun to wander around such a massive building with only yarn, sheep art, buttons, and spinners. I found Fiber Charmer in a beautiful booth filled with her hand-dyed wool yarn. I purchased Valhalla, a deep, rich, tonal purple. I'm currently knitting a Union Long Beanie by Connie Chang Chinchio from the book "Weekend Hats." I absolutely love the subtle richness to the yarn and seeing the difference that ribbing and lace make with the yarn.

I'll be showing my other purple treasure from the Carolina Fiber Fest once I start a project with it. Happy Knitting!

In Threes Baby Cardigan and Rabbit: More Baby Gifts

I have started another “In Threes Baby Cardigan” by Kelly Herdrich. It is knit with a 100% bamboo yarn in the same aqua-green as the baby hat. As with the blue multi sweater knit (almost to completion yesterday), it is made in the 0-3 month size. I’m just going to finish them and then find some willing babies and mothers to see what size mine are really turning out.

I finished a bunny rabbit a month ago, knit from the rabbit pattern from “Last-Minute Knitted Gifts” by Joelle Hoverson. It is one of the best gift-knitting book I own and very possibly my favorite pattern book. Its photos are artistic and beautifully portrayed and the directions are clear.

The inner ears and scarf were knit with the yarn I hand-dyed. I really loved how the Kool-Aid dye project turned out when worked into the rabbit. The body was knit with a skein of very soft 100% acrylic from Joanne’s.

Happy Knitting!

A Green Ruche Beret

So I finished that Ruche Beret in record time. I think I worked on it for about three days. It’s a well-written pattern, and I’m excited to have learned how to pleat in knitting. Part of the obsession was that the color breaks in the yarn gave me manageable goals. I wasn’t just knitting eight inches of plain stockinette but watching a symphonic harmony in green slide through my fingers. This ruche beret coordinates with the green scarflette I posted on here about previously, so now I have an entire green set. Wearing hand-knits is a great way to ward off the winter chill and have fun with different textures and colors.

I definitely plan to be knitting more green yarn, my current favorite color, and definitely plan to make another Ruche Beret. However, I intend to put more pleats into any future hats so that the headband is a little snugger. The Ruche Beret pattern was written by Susan B. Anderson, who wrote her own books called "Itty-Bitty Toys" and "Itty-Bitty Nursery." I have always enjoyed her designs; there are clear instructions with little details that pull the design together. 

Slouchy berets seem to me to be the most wearable hats; you stick them on, over a bundle of hair or not, and they frame your face without you fidgeting with them. What's your favorite type of hat? Do you prefer a hat or scarf to frame your face? 

Happy Knitting!