Tiny Mittens

Not as tiny as the tiny sweaters... but my sister knit these for the little hands of my cold dear children.
Then I spent an hour exercising a little ADD, putting off a couple projects, playing with Fireworks (as I don't yet own Photoshop, sigh...) and ended up with this.

Why? It really serves no useful purpose, other than the simple joys I get when playing with anything creative. It really can be addicting. But then supper needed to be cooked, served, eaten, and cleaned up after... and then there was the little run to the ER for x-rays to see if 8 year old's ankle was broken... just a bad sprain, poor little guy. Thankfully, we have yet to require a cast for any broken bones around here. There was a toe incident, which only resulted in a little 'buddy taping', but that really doesn't count now, does it? And that would make 2 ER trips in 4 days- it's getting to be a bad habit... baby has pneumonia (and set a family temperature record, coming in at 105.9) and that has kinda slowed the knitting progress as there has been a lot of baby holding. I may have knit while nursing a wee one, but an active (and sicky-crabby) 13 month old is a different story- she likes to pull on needles... she pulled a needle out of the sock I brought with to work on... ugh... she's in bed now, I should be knitting.

Back to my sister's mitten gifting. So cool to have a sister who makes sweet things for my little people. She was teaching herself to do colorwork, with bulky, for small hands... why didn't I think of that? I taught myself to do colorwork doing this...

Celtic Cardigan from "Knitter's Stash, Favorite Patterns from America's Yarn Shops"

After I had spent a day learning to cast on, knit and purl, I figured I knew what I was doing so I ran out and bought some Red Heart yarn and cast on for my very first sweater. I didn't even have a garter ridge scarf under my belt... classic overachiever move. That sweater lies unfinished, just needs another sleeve, which I know wouldn't even take a week... but I've moved on to greater things, well, more distracting things, and definitely greater yarns, though the Red Heart served my beginner budget well. Now that I've shared that sad tale, I may get up the gumption to knit that sleeve that has plagued my mind with knitter's guilt for several years now. Cyber accountability... we'll see. It won't be this week, my husband's sleeves are much higher on the priority ladder. And they're calling me, right now, can you hear them?

happy knitting,
ali

12 Tiny Sweaters

I'll post real knitting progress very soon, but I just had to share this-

I haven't even used their yarn, but I do subscribe to Berroco's newsletter, "KnitBits". I have been inspired by a couple free patterns (like Valpuri), and was tickled to see these in my inbox this morning. I think they are just too cute! We don't decorate christmas trees here (we actually don't celebrate christmas at all other than enjoying the fact that my husband has the day off of work!), but can't you just picture a tiny little sweater garland sweetly hung on the fireplace mantel for a simple winter decoration? I can! I've been stalling on taking down our fall decor, partly because I found some really great squash and pumpkins from Smith & Hawken on clearance at Target (before holloween, even!) and partly because I was hoping to come up with something other than snowflakes for winter decor; so now between these tiny sweaters and the mitten garland I was inspired by the other day, I should be able to craft up some decent decor for this season! Even if I don't get enough made for a garland, how about a tiny attatchment to a card sent to a knitting friend? Totally.

Who wouldn't enjoy practicing cables on this sweet thing?


How about a little colorwork?


Sweet embellishments?

Aren't they just the cutest? The sleeves on my husband's sweater may just have to wait another day... I may have found a new distraction...

You can find the pdf instructions for these cuties here. Have fun!

Happy knitting-

ali

Husband's Sweater- Day 4/Skein 3

Well, that immune system pumping up came none too soon. Husband called yesterday- he was on his way home and he was violently ill... As horrible as it is, I really hope it was food poisoning, and not a stomach bug, as the latter would be so very unpleasant with 6 children to pass through. The knitting was set down, the disinfectants came out and the laundry got underway... and well, I was too distracted so much of the night to pick the knitting back up- so I didn't get through skein 3 on day 3. I did, however, enjoy much blog reading and blog hopping, discovering several blogs new to me... a girl could loose a whole lot of time that way...

Despite working my husband's sweater in the round to avoid that time gap I mentioned a couple posts back, I did manage to find a way to exercise a little ADD and stop by the sewing machine to finish a little person skirt that I started way too long ago (notice the springlike fabric...) I even went so far as to add a few stripes of rick rack to this one. Quite the pleasing extra touch. I think it would be good to note that when working with rick rack, one should pin it firmly in place, as it tends to get pushed around a bit by the presser foot; at least this tiny stuff did. I was trying to get by with as little effort as possible, which, I should learn, usually ends up causing more frustration than I would've experienced if I would have done it right in the first place... what is it 'they' say? If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it again?

So skein #3 (of 11) did end up finished a day later... I never actually stood a chance of maintaining that skein a day rate... and the sweater is a bit over half-way to the armholes. My husband held it up and pointed out the fact that there was still quite a long way to go. I sweetly informed him that it was not every knitting wife that would knit that much in 4 days... Such single-ness of knitting mind is not usually my way. Yes, there was the sewing distraction, but I often sit with 2 or 3 current works-in-progress within reach, switching between them randomly. I don't think he realizes the devotion it displays for me to knit on this one thing for 4 days... yet. I'm sure he'll realize soon... I'll make sure he realizes soon... (Love you, dearest!)

We had our first big bad snow today! Church has been cancelled for tomorrow morning, hence the late night, and the sleeping in to follow... Not sure how much knitting will be done tomorrow, nor am I sure that all of the knitting that does get done will be on that sweater...

Good night, and happy knitting-

ali