Elephant Shoe- I love you!

Name: Elephant Shoe- I love you!
Pattern: Elefante by Susan B. Anderson

Craft Knitting

Made for Jim for Valentine's Day 2010

Started January 25 2010

Completed January 28 2010

Needle: US 3 - 3.25 mm

Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Wool

Colorway 9477 Tutu Pink

Color family Pink

Purchased at The Wool Bin in Oakville, Ontario

Yarn Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers

How much? 0.42 skeins = 82.7 yards (75.7m)

Colorway 151 Grey Heather

Color family Gray

Purchased at Michaels
See this project on Ravelry!

Maybe I’m biased, but isn’t he adorable??! Modifications:

1. Knitted ears. I followed Susan’s instructions which can be found here. I used kfb to increase instead of m1. I also slipped stitch the first stitch of every row.
2. Sewed the elephant’s head a bit higher up so it looks cuter in my opinion. Also, I think the elephant looks happier and more optomistist than looking at the ground. Plus I think this makes him look like he’s a baby elephant.
3. Curly tail! I cast on using the long tail method (leaving a long end so I can use it later). Knit i-cord for about an inch, and then cast off. Sew cast off side to the elephant’s body. Then using the long leftover end of your cast on, threat that through a needle, thread the needle through the icord that you just knitted, then pull so that the tail shorters and then securely sew it to the body.
4. Just used grey and pink for the elephant. Made a solid elephant instead of a stripey one like the pattern.

Made this for Jim for Valentine’s Day 2010 because of a special memory we have. I mouthed out “elephant shoe” to him once, and then he said “I love you” for the first time because he thought I mouthed out “I love you”. Haha I’m such a trickster! Of course, I said “I love you too!”. We also have another inside joke about elephants, but that’s a whole other story!

The pattern was very easy and simple to follow. I made the elephant with using just grey and pink instead of doing multi-coloured stripes. The pattern is provided for free by the generous designer. I highly recommend this pattern because it is a quick knit and it produces a very cute result!

I used Wool-Ease Solids & Heathers for the first time. I was very pleased with it for this project. It has a bit of fuzz to it which I love because I wanted the elephant to be a tiny bit fuzzy and did not want perfect stitch definition. I think it’s great for a project like this, not sure if I would use it to make a sweater. Maybe a hat or mitts.

Used scraps of Cascade wool for the pink part of the elephant’s legs. Funny that this Cascade wool was given to me last year by Jim for Valentine’s Day to make this, and now I’m using it to make his Valentine’s gift! I love Cascade wool :)

Strawberry Jam

Name: Strawberry Jam
Pattern: Boo Berries Wave Blanket by Minh Hoang

Craft Knitting

Made for Alba

Size 37 inches by 43 inches

Started July 7 2009

Completed January 19 2010

Needle US 6 - 4.0 mm

Yarn: Bernat Baby Jacquards

How much? 5 skeins = 1730.0 yards (1581.9m)

Colorway 06435 Strawberry Jam

Color familyPink

Purchased at Spinrite Factory Outlet in Listowel, Ontario
See it on Ravelry!

Mmm garter stitch goodness! Nice relaxing knit for my commute to work and watching tv. It only look so long to knit this because I had to put it into hibernation while I worked on Christmas gifts. I absolutely love Baby Jacquards yarn! This one is a delicious blend that reminds me of Strawberry and Cream ice cream with some colourful sprinkles sprinkled on top! The first few pictures are very accurate of the colour in real life. The last few picture are a bit off because the sun was rising. I highly recommend this yarn and this pattern (although I’m biased with the pattern because I wrote it up)!

Booties with Blanket Stitch Detail

Name: Booties with Blanket Stitch Detail
Pattern: Booties with Blanket Stitch Detail by Debbie Bliss

Craft: Knitting

Made for Baby Jayden

Size 3-6 months

Started January 4 2010

Completed January 6 2010

Needle US 2½ - 3.0 mm

Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby Solids & Marls

How much? 0.3 skeins = 136.5 yards (124.8m)

Purchased at Michaels

Pattern: Decided to make this project because I wanted something fast and quick! Very easy pattern to read and follow. Just make sure you read the pattern correctly- I made one boot and realized that I k36 instead of k36 rows and I was missing the cuff part of the boots! Oops! Really happy with how it turned out. I wish there was instructions on how to do a blanket stitch (which is something new to me since I’m not good with sewing), but I found this youtube video and it was very helpful!

Yarn: My first time knitting with Bernat Softee Baby and I am very impressed! Even though it is acrylic, it is super soft. It also has a very nice sheen to it. My only concern about this is that it might get a little fuzzy with wear and tear, but this is not such a huge issue so I will definitely be purchasing and knitting with this yarn in the near future!

Modifcation: No real modifications to the pattern. Used US 2.5/3.0mm because I don’t have the US 2/2.75mm needle. No big deal!

Burridge Ocean Aran Afghan

Name: Burridge Ocean Aran Afghan
Pattern: Burridge Lake Aran Afghan by Anna Dalvi

Craft: Knitting

Made for: Jim for Christmas 2009

Size: Cuddle inducing size (67 inches by 83 inches, which fits over a double size bed nicely)

Started January 11 2009

Completed December 24 2009

Needle: US 7 - 4.5 mm

Yarn: Red Heart Ltd. Comfort

How much? 3 skeins = 6144.0 yards (5618.1m)

Colorway: 7031 Gray

Purchased at WalMart
See it on Ravelry!

Pattern: When I saw this pattern on the internet (for free!) I knew that one day I would have to make this blanket! I love cables, and this was definitely a dream blanket to make. This pattern is awesome! I can’t believe that I was not bored with this. Even though it’s huge and it took me almost a year to knit (because I was working on a million projects in between), I always look forward to knitting this blanket! I think I might have to make this in a cream colour as well one day, just not this very second...

Yarn: I found these 1 kilogram balls at Walmart and bought three for this blanket! 3 kilograms of yarn for $39! AWESOME! I was really pleased with this yarn. It wasn't very plastic-y (although I am sure others might agree with me because it is acrylic). I found it nice and sturdy to work with. No fuzz at all. I think this yarn has durability and will last for years (if not decades) without looking used! With the amount of effort I have put into this blanket, it better last!

Modifications:

1. Making 5 strips instead of 3. I wanted to ensure that this blanket is big enough for the both of us to snuggle under while we watch movies on the couch or snuggle underneath it to read a book. I wanted to make sure it was big enough to cover us well and allowed plenty of room to cuddle. What good is a blanket if it only covers from your feet up to your knees?
   
2. Cast off on row 1 of 28th iteration for panel A for a longer length.
3. Cast off on row 1 of 19th iteration for panel B for a longer length.

Brûlée Scarf/Cowl

Name: Brûlée Scarf/Cowl
Pattern: Brûlée Scarf by Cirilia Rose

Craft: Knitting

Made for Me :o)

Started December 30 2009

Completed January 3 2010

NeedleUS 15 - 10.0 mm

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick

How much? 2 skeins = 212.0 yards (193.9m)

Colorway: 138 Cranberry

Purchased at Michaels
See it on ravelry!

Pattern: Quick + simple mindless knitting = LOVE! My first time knitting with really bulky wool and size US15/10.0mm needles, so it was pure bliss in garter stitch! It took me about 1 day to finish half the scarf. It only took me so long (4 days) to finish this scarf because I went away to ring in 2010. I really like the crochet edging, it's such a cute touch! I also like the big buttons, you can wear this as a scarf or a cowl.

Wool: It's been awhile since I worked with this yarn, but I don't really remember anything bad about it. I didn't keep any notes about how I felt, but I think I was happy working with it. I remember it being really soft and fluffy to work with. I think there might have been a small amount of fuzz, but nothing too significant or would stop me from working with it again.

Modification: Cast on 22 sts and used US15/10mm needles.

My favourite hat this winter!

Name: Ash

Pattern: Ash by Kim Hargreaves

Craft: Knitting

Made for Me :o)

Started December 28 2009

Completed December 30 2009

Needle size: US 3 - 3.25 mm and US 2 - 2.75 mm

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco

How much? 1 skeins = 164.0 yards (150.0m)

Colorway: 5319 Lot 802

Color family: Pink

Purchased at: The Purple Purl in Toronto, Ontario

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco

How much? 1 skeins = 164.0 yards (150.0m)

Colorway: 5301 Lot 802

Color family: Natural/Undyed

Purchased at: The Purple Purl in Toronto, Ontario
See it on Ravelry!

Pattern: Knitted this in round. The instruction was to knit the hat in rows, who does that? Very easy pattern, this would be a great pattern for beginners. I really like how the hat turned out- nice and slouchy! This was really warm to wear during the winter. It was nice and casual and went really well with my grey peacoat and pink Burberry scarf! I wore this combo all the time this past winter.

Yarn: I was in love with this yarn when I first used it. It’s oh so soft with the right amount of fuzz. However, after knitting it for awhile I was really annoyed with the fuzz (I assume it was the angora because it was my first time knitting with angora). I was surrounded by a cloud of fuzz as I was knitting and felt that I needed a lint brush for my face. At first, I was in love with this yarn and couldn’t wait to work with it again, but now I’m not sure.

Modifications: Used bigger needles than what the pattern asked for, which is fine because my knitting is tight. I didn’t check the gauge, but I’m happy with how the hat turned out!

Year in Review- My 2009 Knitting Projects

This video shows all of my completed knitting projects for 2009. Wow, I was a knitting machine in 2009! I hope you like my projects. If you want to know more about any of the projects or information about the patterns or yarn that I have used, please comment below and I will respond! Please subscribe to my Youtube channel- I cant wait to show you all the projects I plan on making in 2010!

The Making of Santa

Name: Santa
Pattern: Santa by Jean Greenhowe
Craft: Knitting
Made for Jim's mom

Needle: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Yarn: Loops & Threads Impeccable Solids and Cascade 220 wool

Started December 18 2009

Completed December 22 2009
Click here to see it on Ravelry!

I'm so sorry for the lack of update! I've been secretly knitting away on various Christmas gifts. I decided to create a video to show the progress of Santa in the making and a video blog about the project! Hope you enjoy the video :)

Lace Beret

Name: Lace Beret
Pattern: #24 Lace Beret by Kate Gagnon Osborn (Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2009)
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: 10.5 inch diameter
Start date: October 10, 2009
Completed date: October 22, 2009
Needle size: US 1½ / 2.5 mm and US 3 / 3.25 mm
Yarn: Garnstudio DROPS Alpaca
How much? 1.1 skeins = 216.7 yards (198.2m)
Colour: 3720 (Lot 601)
Purchased at: Mary's Yarns in Unionville, Ontario

I'm so sorry for the lack of update. I have been secretly knitting Christmas presents. There's a really big one in particular. Once you see it (and you have to see it!) you will forgive me for being MIA. I've been working on small projects like this hat when recipients of my gifts are around (like Jim...cough, cough)!

Yarn: My first time knitting with alpaca, and I am in love! It is oh so soft with just the right amount of fuzz to it. I've been wanting to try Garnstudio DROPS Alpaca for quiet some time now and this was the perfect project to try it out. I was not disappointed at all! There are some lovely sweaters on Ravelry that is made with this yarn (and most of them are in stockinette stitch). I have such admiration for those knitters, I don't think I can ever make a sweater with such a fine yarn and small needles! Let alone stockinette stitch...I would be bored out of my mind! Ok, back to the hat...I used one full skein and a few yards of the second skein. I hate it when this happens because it is a waste of money and now I have an extra skein sitting around the house.

Pattern:Nice and easy pattern to follow. No errata found in the pattern. I love it when this happens because it makes the knitting process so much more relaxing. I really like how the lace pattern zig zag back and forth. You can't really see the zig zag pattrn with the pictures I have taken, you'll just have to take my word for it until I have time to take more pictures!

Modifications: Using bigger needles than instructed in the pattern. I don’t own the size required for the pattern. Oh well! I never check guage, but it should be better with the bigger needles because I am a really tight knitter.

Blocking:Used my trusty 10.5 inch dinner plate to block the hat. As always, blocking made the hat super nice and the hat now has the appropriate shape. Can’t wait to wear it this winter! It's going to look so cute with my grey peacoat and pink Burberry scarf!

$2 Habitat

Name: $2 Habitat
Pattern: Habitat by Jared Flood
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: Med/Lg
Start date: September 13, 2009
Completed date: September 17, 2009
Needle size: US 8 / 5.0 mm and US 10 / 6.0 mm
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice Solid
How much?1 skeins = 170.0 yards (155.4m)
Colour: 99 Linen
See it on Ravelry!

Modifications: To accommodate for my big head, I decided to use aran weight yarn instead of worsted. Used bigger needles to accommodate the increase in yarn. I didn’t bother blocking the hat when it was done. I was very happy with the size and shape, so blocking was not necessary.

Pattern: Huge fan of Jared Flood, so I have been looking forward to making this pattern for awhile. I wanted to make this hat for Jim last year, but he doesn’t like the cables. I didn’t make it for myself at first because normally hats like this don’t look so great on me. Usually the hats are too tight around my big head and it just looks awkward. I have a similar style hat from Abercrombie and it it fits me pretty well because the hat is huge. So I decided to give this hat a try with a thicker wool and bigger needles to see how it goes, and I’m really pleased with the final product. It’s nice to knit with a pattern that doesn’t have any mistakes in it. I hate being one of the first knitters and discovering errata all throughout the pattern.

Yarn: I bought this at Michaels using their 50% off coupon and got a skein for $2! What a steal! It took less than a skein to complete the hat. I was really pleased with Vanna’s Choice; it is extremely soft for acrylic. I recently knitted with an acrylic yarn and it was awful! It was very plastic feeling and stiff. This yarn did not feel like plastic at all and it was very soft to work with. I absolutely love this colour as well, very elegant and very understated. Just my kind of colour!

Snapdragon Tam

Name: Snapdragon Tam
Pattern: Snapdragon Tam by Ysolda Teague
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: Medium
Start date: September 10, 2009
Completed date: September 12, 2009
Needle size: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Yarn: Red Heart Ltd. Comfort Sport
How much? 60 grams = 0.17 skeins = 194.5 yards (177.8m)
Colour: 4312
See it on Ravelry!

Pattern: When I saw this hat on ysolda’s website, I knew I had to knit it. As soon as the pattern was available, I instantly bought the pattern and cast on right away. Again, another flawless pattern from her. Easy to follow and not a single mistake anywhere. There’s a chart version and there’s row by row instruction, so you can use whatever is more convenient for you.

Yarn: I bought the yarn because I liked the vibrant raspberry colour (the pictures doesn’t do it justice). I used this yarn because I was sick and decided to knit from my stash instead of going out to get more yarn. I don’t think store owners would be very pleased with me coughing and sneezing while I grabbed and fondled their yarn to decide which one I wanted to buy. I wasn’t very pleased with this yarn and don’t think I will ever knit anything with it again. It was very stiff and felt like plastic. I know it’s acrylic, and I have nothing against acrylic! In fact, I often love it because of the cost. However, this has to be the worse acrylic yarn out there. Never again!

Gretel

Name: Gretel
Pattern: Gretel by Ysolda Teague
Craft: Knitting
Made for me :o)
Size: Middle size (blocked to 10.5 inch diameter)
Start date: August 27, 2009
Completed date: August 30, 2009
Needle size: US 3 / 3.25 mm and US 7 / 4.5 mm
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Heathers
How much? 1 skein = 220 yars (201.2m)
Colorway: 8401 Silver Grey
See it on Ravelry!

Made this with the leftover from my Almeara gloves. Beautiful hat, I love all the cable-y goodness! I have been wanting to knit this for awhile and the finished product is everything I had hoped for. Can't wait for the weather to get cooler so I can start wearing this!

Grove Mittens

Name: Grove Mittens

Pattern: Grove Mittens by Jared Flood
Made for me :)
Size: One size
Start date: August 19, 2009
Completed date: August 25, 2009
Needle size: US 6 / 4.0 mm
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Wool
How much? 1 skein = 220.0 yards (201.2m)
Colour: 9484 Stratosphere
See it on Ravelry!

Made this to go with my Laurel hat! It was an uphill battle, but I think I won in the end! I didn't check the gauge (which is a bad habit, but I never do) and the mittens were extremely tight when they were on the needle. They were also poorly shaped and weirdly long (they reminded me of hot dog buns for some reason). I wasn't very happy with them and kept thinking about how I could turn my frown upside down with these mittens. I even tried lining the mittens, but that didn't work out so well either. Thankfully blocking did miracles to these gloves, and now I actually like them!

Tip: The chart in the pattern is very tiny, so what I did was scanned the chart (you can also take a picture of it) and cropped it so it was just the left mitten or the right mitten chart by itself. I then printed each chart so that it was as large as a 8.5 by 11 page. It was so much easier to see and I just highlighted each row as I was done knitting it.

Modifications: Made the cuff a bit bigger than instructed in the pattern. I did k2tog instead of k2tog through the back loops. When I did them through the back loop the stitches were going in the opposite direction of where they needed to go. Used kitchener stitch to bind off instead of using the three needle method.

Errata: I think there should be a change in marker placement. Work to the end of row 49. Remove marker, slip one stitch to right needle with yarn in the back, and then put the marker back on the needle.

Blocking:The mittens turned out a bit small (and I have really small hands!). Oh well, nothing blocking and stretching can’t fix. We’ll see how blocking does. I might try knitting with 4.5mm needle next time (serves me right for not checking the gauge and relying on blocking to fix any problems). What I did was cut out one side of the mitten chart when I was done and traced it on a piece of cardboard (this piece was a bit bigger than my hands and definitely alot bigger than the finished knitting piece). Soaked the mitten, and then used a towel to get rid of excess water. Blocked it over the piece of cardboard, and the result is perfect pair of mittens! I should of used a piece of plastic to block the mittens instead of cardboard. I didnt have any plastic, so the cardboard was just fine! I would have thrown these mittens in the garbage can if it weren't for blocking. Blocking saved the day :)