Well, time for another update, no?

1. Off the needles/hooks:

Off the needles, but not finished is another Bimple hat. Just the knitting part for the smallest size took me under an hour. I still need to do the blanket stitch around the edge, so you’ll be seeing this one again next time.

The improvised skirt is also off the needles, but is still waiting for some lining, or at least an elastic waistband casing.

Also off the needles is one sock, just one. Nothing has been really finished this time.

2. On the needles/hooks:

On the needles is the second sock, just the ribbing for now. Then, I started something new, a cardigan for my son from Katya Frankel’s soon-to-come out book Boy’s Knits called Chip. You’ll be hearing more about this once it’s finished and the book is officially out.

3. Planning/Inspiration

In the planning phase are several designs. I am trying to ease back into working on designs. I make lists of submission deadlines, I swatch a lot. The better this goes, the less you’ll see (short term) of it.

4. Something else

I think this has happened to many of you before. Because people know you are a knitter or crocheter, they give you a huge bag of yarn from some old relative etc and expect you to go all “ooh” and “ah” about some neon colored acrylic with the smell that only 30 years in a cluttered attic can bestow. Well, that happened to me before. But this is a little different. Yes, there’s the smell, yes it’s super old, but it is a 100% wool, from George Picaud (a long discontinued yarn, but good quality).

The funny thing is the almost completed gigantic cardigan someone tried to crochet (in single crochet, bulky yarn!) out of it. Isn’t it… well… interesting?

The label is interesting, too. It starts out in French, then gives the yarn content in English, German and Italian. Then there’s this sentence in Italian about the norm number (or however you’d say that in English). And then they give you the yardage (actually it’s meters) in German only. And last, the needle size in French only.

First of all: Happy New Year to all of you!

Now on to 1. Off the needles/hooks:

Off the hook is my second Maia Shawl. Love the yarn, love the pattern, very enjoyable project altogether.

Ravelry Project Page

My Rubbish Mojitos Hat got frogged. Nothing to do with the pattern or yarn, both are beautiful. It just felt like my hat phase is coming to an end. The yarn kept screaming at me “make me into socks, please!”. So that’s what it’ll probably become. Speaking of socks:

2. On the needles/hooks:

On the needles is a new pair of socks. I went away for a 4-day family visit and needed a portable project. So I started a new pair of socks. I have two drawers full of socks, but they are mostly plain or self-striped, and they are getting kind of “old”. I haven’t made any for myself in a while. And I really wanted to make myself some more “fancy” socks, meaning fancy or at least new-to-me sock yarn and a little more elaborate patterns than just my standard sock formula. So I started Cookie A.’s BFF Socks from her e-book Knit. Sock. Love.

Ravelry Project Page

Also on the needles, a impro for a quick winter skirt. My daughter totally refuses to wear trousers at the moment. So, if I want her to be a little warm this winter, I need to make her a couple of skirts and dresses. She’s also seems to have outgrown everything from last year. I hope to sew her some stuff, and I started on a simple skirt in Cascade 220:

Ravelry Project Page

3. Planning/Inspiration

Instead of planning for the future, let’s look back today at what I had planned for 2011. My goal was to knit/crochet and to sew 52 items each. Well, that wasn’t very difficult. I finished the year with 89 projects in Ravelry. Sewing didn’t go quite as far, but I still managed to make 53 items. I will keep up that same resolution for sewing next year, but I won’t need it for my knitting/crocheting. I will find other goals, mainly trying to get back to designing.

4. Something else

First, I am on Pininterest now. Still figuring out how to use it, though. If you’re there and want to friend me, it might help me to find my way around.

Second, the sewing blog, yeah, I kind of knew I wouldn’t keep it up. If I have trouble updating one blog, I won’t be able to do two. I will keep you informed about my projects from time to time here. Here, for example, is my last project of the year, pirate costumes for all three kids:

And something else I just found out about: There’s a CAL happening over at the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics for my Phoenix Mittens. I am kind of tempted to join in.

It’s time for another update. And I am going to announce the winner of the e-book give away.

1. Off the needles/hooks:

Off the needles is another pair of socks, men’s size, but totally simple and plain.

Ravelry Project Page

2. On the needles/hooks:

Still working on the Maia Shawl. I have only 3 (albeit long) rows left. It looks just like in the last picture, so I didn’t photograph it again.
What I didn’t mention last time is, that I also have a Rubbish Mojitos hat on the needles, but I haven’t worked on it in weeks. Somehow it just doesn’t tempt me right now, although it’s a lovely pattern. But I am determined to finish it before the year is over.

Ravelry Project Page

3. Planning/Inspiration

I’ve been away on holiday this past week and just let me say that where I went, I saw a lot of hats. Not a lot of nice or beautiful or handmade hats, no, lots and lots of ugly acrylic machine made hats. But, it did inspire me to think about hat designing, at least.

4. Something else

In this category I am going to announce the winner of the e-book. Drawing the winner was very scientific, involving little pieces of paper and an incorruptible child of 7 years old.
And the winner is…. Lynette! Congratulations! I will send your e-mail to the powers that can send you the code to download the book for free.

Today, I get to tell you about a new book by Interweave Press. There’s a downloadable e-book as well as a paper-back version.

I was much honored to be asked by famous author and crochet designer Robyn Chachula to contribute a design to the book. If you want to check out the links to the entire blog roll for this book, have a look here.

All the projects in the book use just a few skeins of yarn, there are a number of one skein projects, two skein projects etc. Me, I come in at the very end with a 5 skein project.
I designed this little cardigan according to a very specific idea of Robyn’s. I actually do like working like that. I am often overwhelmed by too much choice, so if you (let’s say) ask me directly for this kind of garment, in this kind of yarn, with such and such features, I can jump right in instead of spending ages to decide all this for myself.

The yarn used is Filatura Di Crosa Zarina which I can’t recommend enough; I’ve used it both in crochet and knitting and really loved working with it.

And if you’re still reading, lucky you, you might have a very good chance to win a copy of the e-book, just leave a comment on this post and I will draw the winner when I come back from a short holiday.

In the last picture the cardigan is worn by my own daughter. For me, this is quite strange as she is now double that size.

So, I’ve decided to give you a general update on what I am up to once every week or every two weeks. I don’t know what to call it other than “update” (yeah…), maybe I’ll come up with something later.
This will include the following sections (can you tell I’ve been inspired by listening to podcasts?):
1. Off the needles/hooks
2. On the needles/hooks
3. Plans and Inspiration
4. Something else.

1. Off the needles/hooks:

This week I cast off the gloves I made to match my Wurm. It’s a free pattern from Drops.

Ravelry Project Page

And yesterday I also finished a simple pair of socks, the last but one of the Christmas gifts I am making.

Ravelry Project Page

2. On the needles/hooks:

I am still working on my second Maia Shawl. Love the color of the Malabrigo Sock.

Ravelry Project Page

Also on the needles the very last Christmas gift, another super simple pair of socks for my uncle in law.

Ravelry Project Page

3. Planning/Inspiration

I’ve been meaning to knit something for my son for quite some time now. We had a look at patterns together and he likes Chip by Katya Frankel. Her book “Boy’s Knits” is full of great projects for the boys in your life. It should be out soon. I’ll probably use Cascade 220 Heathers in some kind of blue.

And my daughter keeps asking about her Red Riding Hood costume. I thought I’d sew her the dress (although the fabric I ordered seems to have gone missing somewhere) and knit her the cape. There’s a cute cape called Capuchon in Petite Purls. I have red yarn, I just have to figure out the gauge, my first swatch didn’t cut it. I’ve ordered some 6.5mm needles and will swatch again when they arrive.

4. Something else

My life has been dominated by baking recently. Lots of Christmas cookies. Here are just a few I made:

I don’t have time to translate any of my recipes right now, but for inspiration, here’s one I will try out very soon, I’ve been thinking about those since last year when I read the recipe on delicousdays.com:
Cocoa cut-out cookies.

Oh dear, it’s been a while. I have no excuse to not have blogged for so long. It just happened.
What was the last thing I wrote about? Let me check…

Oh yeah, Single Skein September. Now, what have I been up to since? I’ve actually been knitting and crocheting up a storm, it’s all photographed and documented, honestly, check out my Ravelry page.

I’ll try to stick to a weekly schedule at least, maybe twice. I’ve been listening to a bunch of podcasts recently and had the idea to organize my blogposts in a similar way that many podcasters organize their show. I still have to figure out the “sections”, but something like: on the needles/hooks, off the needles/hooks, techniques, questions, inspiration, maybe a recipe …
Let me know if you have any thoughts on this, please!

For today, I’ll just post a couple of pictures of some of the things I finished since September.

I had hoped to post more updates on Single Skein September, but here we are already at the end of September. And as I don’t think I will be finishing another project, I am calling it done. And here’s the rest of what I made:

Two Bimple and Cowl sets:

Another hat, Wurm:

Three
Norie
Hats:

Two pairs of
Fingerless Mitts

A pair of little mittens:

A pair of basic socks:

And 8 Mini Sweaters:

Not bad in my humble opinion.

I had meant to write a follow up post regarding Single Skein September, but I got sick, so well… But I will do it soon.
Today, however, I have something else to share. It took me totally by surprise, I had forgotten all about it. But then, a couple of days ago, a copy of The Best of Interweave Crochet arrived at my doorstep. I have three patterns in it:

The first week of Single Skein September is over and FOs have just been flying off the needles. I admit, I might have overdone it a bit and will need to rest my wrists one of these days. But it’s so much fun to make those little projects and actually finish them and see the skeins come to life (some of them have been lingering in the stash for years and years).

I’ve mostly been making hats. I have not swatched for any of them. And it’s quite interesting what sizes they turn out to be. Some of them are destined for my family; some are going into the gift box for upcoming birthdays and holidays.

I think the easiest is to link to my SSS2011 tag over at Ravelry. There you can see all my Single Skein September projects in one place. If you want to know any details you can click on the project in question. And if you’re not on Ravelry… well… you must be living behind the moon and won’t be reading my blog anyway.

And now: pictures!

Meet the first contestants for Single Skein September 2011:

62g of Purelife British Sheep Breeds Chunky
18 g of Rowan Felted Tweet
28g of Cascade 220 (although I might save that one and put it into a bag with 220 left-overs for stripy things in the future)
50g of Rowan Cashsoft Aran
82g of Malabrigo Worsted

I am thinking hats, fingerless mitts and baby booties. Off to check out pattern ideas…..