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 :)