Just because you asked....

The hat that is shown both on Dear Daughters head and after a proper blocking was one of the Holiday Mystery Patterns from this Yahoo Group.

So far the patterns have consisted of the Gansey Gale hat, some knitted and crocheted cupcakes, socks (not the ones in my pictures )and a brand new mystery with seven clues that started today. It is a really fun group and I highly recommend that you join in the fun ! No obligations to knit or crochet everything, just pick what you want to play with and run with it.

The kids' Christmas sweaters are all loosely based on designs in Elsebeth Lavold's Designer Knits. Her viking cables are truly fabulous - cables to and from nowhere - so I stole them and added them to sweaters of my own shaping design. The Drama Queen's Pseudo Tank has a rolled hem and neckline and follows the shaping of a top that I had in my closet.

Unfortunately the book is out of print, but can still be found on ebay and the like. I use it more as a reference for funky cable designs than as a pattern book, but I suggest you grab it if you see it.

~m

Does anyone remember Seven of Nine ?

Secret of the Stole Three is moving right along, I would have had pictures up yesterday but time got away from me with them still in the camera. I am really excited to see how this looks when it has been properly blocked instead of just dry stretched. It always amazes me the change from the jumble of yarn to gorgeous finished object that occurs with some water and a ton of pins.



Tippy the cat was very disappointed that he was too late to stretch out on wet blocking. I don't know where he had been sleeping but he missed out on his chance as the Christmas things were dry and unpinned long before he wandered over.

Still plugging away on Dear Son Number Two's Christmas thing. Somehow I forgot that I had used some of the moss green yarn on another sweater earlier in the year so it is going to be iffy if he gets a whole sweater - maybe a vest ?

~m

One of the choices

The Patterns that are offered on this knit along are varied, so far there are this knitted hat and a knitted and crocheted cupcake (not my style but they are kinda cute). Now the question is, who should this Mystery Holiday Gift be for ?


~m

Distracted

There should be more to show for the weekend...but all I have to share is Secret of the Stole Three hint six. That means this project is two-thirds of the way done and it really seems like I only cast it on a couple of days ago.



The rest of the weekend was eaten up by: a metal mailbox and a can of copper paint, some pink cashmere and a holiday pattern, a garage that has been playing home to a mouse and house work. I was one of the lucky ones, apart from reattaching some lattice and needing the new mail box, there was no damage at my house from Ike's death throes in Ohio.

~m

There is still time

Anna of Knit and Knag has posted her swatch file for the Mystic Earth Knit Along. Here is my first attempt at picking a needle size that compliments the yarn that has been sitting in my stash for the best part of the year waiting for this project.

There is still time to join the fun. Mystic Earth is third in the Mystic series. You know you want to, so why not just join now ?

~m

Look what the mailman delivered !

I am not sure if I mentioned that I was the winner of one of the two yarn prizes that Andrea of Bad Cat Designs awarded for "speed knitting" of the Summer Sampler...but I won and this is the gorgeous yarn that the mail man delivered today ! Oh is it ever so soft, and just as thin as I could want. Every way I look at the Summer Sampler Project I was a winner, the stole itself is fabulous, it was a ton of fun to knit and then to get yarn on top of that.....seventh heaven for knitters.

Andrea is running a couple of workshops that I really wish I could attend and once those are out of the way, along with another "large" project that she is working on, it will be time for her Fall Project. I can't wait to see what it is and you can bet that even with my drastically altered schedule I will find a way to Knit Along with the rest of her followers.

If you missed out on knitting the Summer Sampler Project with the group, have no fear, the charts are still available on her blog just click on the Sampler Project label and jump on in. You can do that here.

Happy Knitting ! I have to go and fondle some yarn now :)

~M

They nearly count as finished

Secret of the Stole, through hint 5. Sorry about the terrible picture, if you flip over to the kids blog you will see why I was having difficulty today with lighting. :)

The only thing left to do on the Drama Queen's Christmas item is to sew up the side seams - my least favorite part of any project. So rather than actually do the seaming, I seem to have cast on for Dear Son Number Two's.

~M

Four of Nine

Sounds like a Borg designation - but this is hint 4 of the 9 total hints for Secret of the Stole 3.

Some people are seeing snowflakes, I see either water lilies or magnolias. :)

Knitting time is going to be limited next week, not quite sure how my schedule is going to work out, but I should get a Drama Queen Christmas Sweater finished and Dear Son Number Two Christmas sweater started.

Have a great week !

~M

Wow

I spent my evening washing, soaking and pinning out my Summer Sampler. The twelve different patterns, plus Snake in the Grass border look fantastic.

What do you think ?

~M

Quick Update

Phewww........talk about a knitting marathon !

But, guess what ?

Come on, I know you can guess......there will be pictures tomorrow to confirm your guess.......go on then, guess !

~M

The Christmas Sweaters

Let me clarify - when I say Christmas Sweaters I mean the knitted goods that the children find under the tree from me each year - not what they wear for our Christmas photo...thank goodness because I am not sure that I could keep the Drama Queen and Dear Son Number One far enough away from each other not to make my eyes bleed !

I have made more headway on the vest for the Drama Queen. Almost to the back shoulder and now she really needs to make up her mind if she wants it open at the front or as a pullover. The girl is fickle, she started out wanting a cardigan !

As you can see the cable design is related in both of these, and will be showing up again in Dear Son Number Two's sweater. One the Drama Queen makes up her mind I will get to pick what to make for him - I am not a big fan of button holes so I would prefer to only make one at a time with button bands on.

The cable design is lifted, I mean borrowed, I mean taken from Elsebeth Lavold's Designer's Choice book one, The Viking Knits Collection.

Now to continue knitting miles and miles of edging...In the case of a Bad Cat Designs Summer Sampler we are short rowing the corners. :)

~M