for cool Fall evenings.

I stumbled across these in the Fall 2010 issue of Vogue Knitting in an advertisement.  I had seen them before but it was actually my mom who mentioned how much she liked them. The Long Striped Hand Warmers by Whitney Van Nes is a simple, easy-to-follow, instant-gratification-type pattern. I loved it.

That said, I almost didn’t share these because they have ended up having a little bit of a fumble. But a good friend said, “Carry on, carry on – they are for warmth – who cares?” She’s right and I can always make a new pair since these took no time at all.

Let me talk a little about these before I share the fumble with you. I chose Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift since I have been trying to stash bust and I had some gorgeous “Granny Smith” colourway waiting quietly to be knit into something. I also had some Rowan rowanspun 4ply needing to be knit. There is lots of the rowanspun left over and I fully intend on making another pair. There was not, however, enough to finish the mitts with the Jamieson’s. Bummer. Enter the Fumble.

Do you see it?  Yup. I had to sub in some of another colourway of Jamieson’s I had in my stash. The colour isn’t perfect – the Pistachio is quite yellow compared to the rich colour of the Granny Smith but it’s actually not that bad. They’ll mostly be under my jacket sleeves anyhow!

I used 2.75mm DPNs for the ribbing and 3.00mm DPNs for the body of the mitts.

I think what I love most about these is that there is no shaping. No fancy work. They are just simple simple simple. And so effective. Unbelievably effective. I am tempted to cast on for another pair now …

I hope you are knitting something warm this Fall!

apples. apples.

I love Fall – I think I mentioned that in a recent post. We have lived in our current apartment for almost 4 years but we have never been free to go to the Annual UBC Apple Festival. Since we will be moving soon, we decided to make sure to go this year.

I couldn’t resist an almond-caramel covered Granny Smith, though!

Apples seem to be theme around here lately because I am currently knitting with a colourway called “Granny Smith” – more on that soon!

colour backlash.

I love neutrals ... I love working with cream and beige ... I love to focus on the fabric and texture rather than the colour ... I think my tastes are changing.

Recently, thinking outside the box in terms of the knits I have been choosing to focus on has had me thinking about branching out and looking at alternatives when it comes to colour. Yellow. Rust. Teal.

They have been calling my name. Incessantly. “Come … knit with us … don’t be afraaaid…”

So what happens next?

Well.

Chaos.

Obviously.

And I love it.

Look, Ma! No GREY!

What happens when you put Noro Silk Garden Sock with a little hint of White Knit Picks Palette and allow the white, which is bright and bold, to fight against the colourful Noro?

Not just contrast, which in this knit I love, but also a bright cowl that reflects the light and leaves me feeling quite content.

The inspiration was a cowl I saw in Pacific Center in downtown Vancouver but it was grey and I just couldn’t stomach another grey knit (It can be so grey in Vancouver in the winter and I know I have to get outta that funk).

Also, I liked the idea of fingering/sock weight yarn since it doesn’t hover around –5 degrees for long here – you really just need something around your neck to take the chill of +5 degrees off.

The Pattern:

So on 3.00mm circs, I cast on 302 stitches and garter-stitched on! Every 3rd row, or 2nd “garter ridge” I added the Palette White. Knit until you almost run out of Noro Sock and cast off.

C’est bon! I love it. What chaos are you creating this Fall?

-r.

bright + beautiful + cute sweater.

A close friend of mine deserves a wonderful, colourful baby sweater knit out of yarn that she would probably never splurge on and buy for herself. Therefore, when trying to decide on a baby project for said close friend, it didn’t take me long to decide on Sweet Georgia – but which to choose? Enter Sweet Georgia Superwash Worsted. For a new mom, knitter or not, superwash is the only way to go. Check. Slightly thicker gauge for a warm sweater. Check. But what colour? Well …

1. Boy or a girl? No idea.

2. Bright or muted? Bright … but unisex.

3. Yellow or green? … Why do we always chose one of those two colours when the sex is unknown? … How about neither. A dear friend said to me, “Purple. I put my nephews in purple.” Awesome!

4. Must have buttons. Therefore it must be a cardigan for ease of placing said new baby in said new baby sweater.

5. We live in the city that just hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. Like it or not, baby will be born in the year that we had this enormous event and it would be nice to … What’s that? Sweet Georgia had a colourway that was a limited edition dyed just for the Olympics in the Olympic colours since she’s from Vancouver too? And it’s really beautiful and bright? But not too green? Really? hmmm …

Enter:

Sweet Georgia Superwash Worsted in Wetcoast Winter.

Perfect for the February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmerman on 5.00mm needles and knit in an afternoon. A perfectly enjoyable knit. In Stockinette stitch, rather than the gull lace pattern.

With the cutest 18mm lime green buttons with white polka dots to match.

This little sweater took one skein of yarn – although it was cutting it very very close – and I have to say that I am really looking forward to knitting another February Baby Sweater. I think between the joy of working with the Sweet Georgia and the colourway (which I ended up really liking), this was one of the most enjoyable knits I have done in a long time.

 

Did I mention the lime green polka dot buttons? I mean really. Can you get any cuter?

Yup. With sewn on buttons:

This post was written back in August while we were waiting for Baby Jack to be born. I couldn’t post it until now because Trace didn’t have to sweater yet and then I forgot about posting with everything else going on! Hope everyone is having a happy Fall … we are, it’s just hectic :)

-r.