SnerKnits

well it's finally summer and I'm actually finishing projects. Here are the latest:

I finally finished a mystery KAL. This is "Mystic Light", the yarn is a merino/seacell mix that I bought at Knit-knackers and dyed myself. The final measurements were 6'6" along the top and 3' deep. I'm in love with the drape and the colour and very proud of myself for finishing the damn thing!

I also made up a Clapotis. This is probably my fourth Clap but this is the only one that has stayed with me. It's made from two skeins of the Noro Sock yarn (also bought at Knit-Knackers). I hadn't intended to make up this project but I saw the yarn and knew that it had to be done.

Being a voluptuous type I opted to make this a really good size - I mean really good. It ended up over 8' long. Blocking was a hoot!

I'm working on a lot of baby knits right now. A cousin and a good friend are both expecting their first in a few months so I've got to get moving. The Fad classic mentioned in the last post is finished and I've worn it tonnes. The Tree Jacket is not getting much action in the summer but I'll try and pick it up late in August so that it will be done before spring ;-)

The other thing keeping me interested is my new drum carder. No pictures yet but I'm deeply in love with what my Strauch petite can do. I've had it ripping through all kinds of lovelies and can't wait to get the new goods on the wheel.

Hope everyone is having as much fun this summer as I am!

How's that for an opener . . .

I've recently gone over to the dark side and actually tried crochet. It was an overwhelming desire for a new bath "poof" that sent me over the top and led me to actually complete a complete project

it looks great but it does a horrible job. The mesh/fibers are too big and the bath gel just gets absorbed and dosen't foam up.

I made ribbed baby jacket for my good friend. She delivered the baby last weekend and he is adorable. She was a trooper (33 hours of labour and then a c-section) but everyone is healthy and happy in the end.

it's a superwash wool who's name I don't remember but it is very soft and was fun to work with.

and I've signed up for yet another mystery along. I always start these things with the best intention but then get side tracked. Mystic Light is holding my attention pretty well. I love the pattern and and the yarn I hand-dyed. The yarn is a merino/seacell blend that has just been a pleasure. This picture shows a completed clue 1 and I'm mostly through clue 2 (never mind that clue 4 comes out tomorrow.)

I've also finished a Fad Classic and I'm working on a Tree Jacket but no pictures just yet.

There are a million pregnant ladies at my school (really only three) but I have been having a blast knitting for them. It really is so much fun imagining the little guys (three boys) in their new gear and it really is a pleasure to give something handmade at the shower in amongst all of the mass produced stuff.

First up were the sweaters.

I love the classic colours of this Organic Guernsey. F.Pea is making some amazing baby patterns. Once I was done the sweater I was worried about finding buttons but I'm really happy with where I ended up. I snagged these from my Mom who has one of those great baskets that are just stuffed with buttons. I think the orangy/red give is a very playful feel.


This is Supernatural Stripes out of Cotton Ease. The mother wasn't sure what she was having for a while so I knit in green but we're pretty sure it's a boy now. I hope the green is manly enough. The pattern is great and really well written. If anyone else desides to reproduce I would totally make this again.


I think this is my favourite. This is for a good friend at work so I'm not ashamed to say it got more work than the sweaters for the "just co-workers". It is of course Trellis from Knitty. It is in a superwash merino and the cables were just a blast to work. I had lost a little knitting mojo working on all the gift knitting and this thing just fixed me up proper. I zoomed through it and adore the finished product. I had a little trouble sewing the sleeve to the shoulder but I think it looks ok and I hope that the Mom to be will love it.

and then the pants


How can you not love baby cargo's again out of Cotton Ease. These were given away just this weekend and the love for them was very strong. There's something so sweet about adult like clothing for little people. I kept the pockets open rather than mucking about with sewn down top flaps and it was my first run at a hemed knitting project.

there have been a few socks and slippers too but I didn't snap pictures before I gave them away.

Another piece of which I am very fond is my new lap blanket

It's a bigger piece so I feel it deserves a bigger picture. I loved the idea of the Hemlock Ring blanket by Jared Flood but I couldn't get my head around the crochet so this was the cheater's solution. I found an old doily pattern that didn't have any crochet and went to town. I used some handspun that I had made from a mixed fibre batt (about 500 yards) and kept expanding the pattern until it looked like I was going to run out of yarn if I didn't bind off soon. I absolutely love the finished product and it is now an object of pride in my study.

I think that's it for now. I am working on a sweater for myself out of handspun at commercial yarn, a vest (Fad Classic) for myself out of cotton/linen and a summer top for my Mom but they are all at various stages of completion and I don't tend to take pictures until things are done.

Thanks for stopping by!

I told you I still knit! I've been knitting away all holiday but haven't had a chance to post anything. I have a tonne of pictures on my camera and hopefully this weekend I'll be able to put some of them up. The move was great and I love my new home. It's the first one time I've had this much space (even if I have to share it with the BF!).

The only things I have pictures of right now are my new winter accessories.



This is the Roman Centurion Scarf and it was a great pattern to knit. It's the most basic Patons classic merino but I love it.

To match I made the Manly Mits from Knitty. I made them with the same Patons Merino but on a smaller needle size to make a smaller mitt. They came out with a nice firm fabric that has blocked all but the very coldest of Ottawa winter winds.



I have one other project uploaded - it was a goofy Xmas hat I made for a staff picture at work. Each department was posing for a calendar month and English was December. I couldn't find any ornament baubles so I just made tiny pompoms (which is incredibly annoying) but I love the result.



The BF wore it to his office's Xmas party and was harrased by all because they loved it so much (yay). It's made out of Cascade 220 and various sock odds and ends for the lights.

It just looks that way I promise! My BF and I have just purchased a home and are moving in one week. We are so excited but also soooooo busy! I've finished all of the X-mas knitting (except for his socks but he can wait). I've been trying to find time to spin but that just isn't happening. Add all this to the craziness that abounds at a school two weeks before the holiday break and you can start to understand my non-blogging. Hopefully I'll get a post in with pictures before the move but no promises.

I finished up all the knitting for my sister and her partner. He's recently moved to Canada from much warmer climes so I wanted to make sure he would have something warm to wear.

Pictured below are a fake isle hat (pattern from Magknits) and a one row scarf from the Yarn Harlot. I made both out of Paton's SWS. I'm very pleased with how they turned out. I particularly like the striping on the scarf. I hope they do the trick when it really starts to get cold here.




My Sister got a hat too but it's very special. One of the spinning groups on Ravelry is having a monthly spin a long and for September it was Merino in "end of summer" colours. I hand dyed 200 grams of merino (which I showed you here) and spun it up into this:

It kills me how pretty it turned out (if I do say so myself). It is a traditional 3 ply and about a worsted weight. It very quickly turned into:

and these

The mitts are Dashing from knitty with some alterations. I didn't make them as long as the pattern calls for but the cables really hug the wrist and I think they'll keep my Sister very warm.

I've also been working on the Secret of the Stole which is exceptionally pretty. I know I bailed on the Mystery Stole this summer but I'm actually really enjoying this one. The picture shows the end of clue number one and I'm most of the way through number two (never mind that three is already posted).

It also pains me to admit that I've signed up for another mystery lace project - the Mystic Waters KAL. It's not my fault though, the designer is from Ottawa and I really had no choice ;-). I'm using some malabrigo lace for it and the first clue is released tomorrow. I think I may need help!

A summer top (it never fails).

This is Josephine from IK Summer 2007. I used some Debbie Bliss wool/cotton that is now discontinued (but that I got for a song at Knit Knackers). I made the largest size and the only real modification I made was to increase the length of the top part (past the eyelets) by 2" to account for my bust. I love how it fits - I wore it to my school today and everyone else seemed to like it too. Luckily we're having a bit of a warm snap this week so maybe I'll get another wear or two out of it before it has to be put away for next summer.

I've also finished up a little more Xmas knitting

This is for the BF's sister. I didn't actually knit it myself but I did do a lot of work so I'm going to claim it anyways. I went to my local Value Village and found a lovely child's sweater that looked like it was made from something Lopi"esque". There was no label so I assume it was handmade. I took it home and felted it to within an inch of it's life, cut off the sleves and sewed up the bottom. I sewed down the crew neck and attached a leather strap and now I have what I think is a very cute recycled sweater bag. His sister is big into responsible consumerism so I know she will enjoy this!

Now for my Dad (who has stated that all he ever wants are more socks)

This is the Spring Cable pattern and some very generic plain grey sock yarn. My BF took one look at these and decided that I should make him a pair as well. I told him no problem but he gets socks all year so he would have to go to the back of the line. He was good humoured but less than impressed (I don't know what he has to complain about - he already has like 10 pairs of handknit socks).

This is the first in the pair of socks from the yarn that I squirt dyed and showed here. I love how the colours look but I'm a little terrified that the chevron pattern is going to make them too small. I won't really know until I have more foot knitted - please thing positive things!


School is amazing right now. I have a couple of really great groups of kids. I still don't have a lot of time for knitting and spinning but I'm doing what I can. I finished some yarn last night that I think will be for my Sister's Xmas gift but I haven't really decided yet.

Hopefully I'll be able to post again soon!