FO Flashback!

So much for starting out the new year by blogging! Oh well - time to jump back on the wagon. So much to share since my last post (over one month ago, gasp!!) - Here we go - hang on!!

FO #1 - Wonderful Wallaby Hooded Pullover
Size: 4 (yeah, right)
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash
Needles: Ummm.... 8? I started this in January '09 & finished in October sometime. My gauge was way off, so the size 4 would really better fit a 2 year old, I think. So - this FO ended up as a donation to the kid's school fall auction. Overall a fun knit; I'll knit it again, but pay closer attention to the marriage of yarn & gauge.

FO #2 - My Kuspuk
This is the kuspuk I made for me. I *love* it!! It is so roomy & comfy; no wonder native Alaskan women wear them. Traditionally they are worn over other clothes as an outer, protective garment. Traditional kuspuks have a ruffled skirt at the bottom, but I learned that more modern AK native women opt to leave the skirt off. While you might not be able to tell from the photo, this kuspuk has a zipper - the first I've ever installed - I was proud to say the least! This was a fun & relatively fast project. I have another kuspuk just about finished (just need to hem up the hood lining - we know how much I love hand sewing!) & fabric to make another for me & one for my 7 year old.

FO #2.5 - Orion's Kuspuk
Okay - you're right, this isn't a knitted FO. I haven't abandoned my passion. I learned to sew a gazillion years ago, and pick it up now and again. Orion's class was doing a long term unit on Alaska studies and the teachers wanted all of the students to have a kuspuk to wear during their final presentations. It just so happens that I'd recently taken a Kuspuk class at the my local quilt/yarn shop, so I was good to go.


FO #3 - My Lanai Lusekofte Cap
Pattern: Lusekofte Cap from Hat's On by Charlene Schurch.
Yarn: Eco Alpaca
Needles: US 6
I call this my Lanai Lusekofte cap since I knit it while I was lounging on the Lanai during our Hawaiian vacation. I meant to write a post dedicated to this project alone entitled "Fish Out of Water" - I mean, who needs an alpaca hat in Kauai? But.... we misplaced our camera cable somewhere in our condo - there's the explanation as to why the vacations posts stopped to abruptly. I always feel the need to include photos in my posts.

FO #4 - Mini Sweater Ornaments
Pattern: Mini Sweater Ornaments
Yarn: RSC sock club yarn. Purple: Incredible Shrinking Violet, Red: Dragon Dance
Needles: US 2
What a great way to use left over yarn! My original intent was to knit these for my fellow teachers. However - the end of the semester got in the way, so I was only able to finish 2 before vacation started. So... made a wee "coat hanger" out of white pipe cleaners & used them as decoration for our 12 ft Christmas Tree. (Yup - that isn't a typo, our tree is 12 ft tall... One day the tree deserves a blog post of it's own) Perhaps if I stick with it I can crank out enough of these to use during the 2010 holidays.

FO #5: "Kitten Mittens"
Pattern: Cat Mittens by Jorid Linvik
Yarn: BMFA "Shadow" and "Branwen" - lightweight
Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm)
I was "smitten by these mittens" when I first ran across them on Ravelry. I purchased solid colored yarn with the thought I'd knit these for me as an end of 1st semester celebration. However - gauge bit me in the arse yet again. The lightweight yarn + needle combo created a mitten more appropriately sized for my 7 year old - hence the new name "Kitten Mittens". They were too fun to knit to rip out, and I'd purchased the yarn with these exact mittens in mind. I only went through a fraction of the balls too - now to decide what to do with the left overs. I think mini black sweaters is just a bit too goth for my taste. This project gets two photos so you can appreciate just how cute both sides of these mittens are. Perhaps I'll seek out a better yarn/needle combo & finally knit a pair for me. Little Iain loved the fact I knit his name into the cuff (although I think I can do a better job).

FO #6: 10 Cable Baby Hat
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Needle: US 8
Pattern: Cabled Baby Hats by Julie Hentz
Finished Size: Newborn
Our neighbors welcomed a brand-new baby boy on Winter solctice. So - what a better way to welcome him to the neighborhood than to knit him a cute little hat to keep him warm. Cute - how I love me some cables! I think this would be a perfect baby shower gift for a baby expected during the dead of winter. Baby won't get to wear it long (especially if they're born with a largish noggin - yes, Orion - I'm talkin' to you!) so act quickly & plan accordingly. :0)

Egads - I had more FOs to show you than I realized.... onwards...

FO #7 & #8 - Wood Hollow Mittens #1 & #2
Pattern: Wood Hollow Mittens by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops
Yarn: Red: BMFA Heavyweight "Mustang Sally" Green: Cascade 220 Heathers "Irelande"
Needle: US 5
We know how much I love cables - so these mittens just screamed "YOU MUST BUY THIS PATTERN & KNIT ME.... NOW!!" Who could ignore such a siren song? So.... I knit the red pair during the first few days of winter break (when I should have been finishing up a sweater that's on the needles) and I knit the green pair while we were out at my parents remote cabin. The pattern is well written & produces a wonderful mitten that fits, well "like a glove". These are destined for the "2010 gift basket" to make up for my lack of gift knitting in 2009. January is "NaKniMitMo" (National Knit Mittens Month) on Ravelry, so you'd think I'd save these to use as official entries. Of course not. So.... I guess I'll just have to knit another pair. I have yarn in the stash (2010 is all about using the stash!) that will work quite lovely, I think. And have I mentioned there's a matching hat? Yup - that might be on my list of projects to do. But not in January - no, January is for mittens! :0)





FO #9 & #10 - French Press Slippers #1 & #2

Pattern: French Press Slippers by Melynda Bernardi
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Purple Pair: "Wisteria"; Blue Pair "Worn Denim"
Needle: US 15

Virtually overnight, thanks to a post regarding this pattern on The Yarn Harlot's blog, these slippers became the must knit project of the 2009 holiday season. I fell hook, line, and sinker & smaller that I need (I wear a 8.5) So - I highly recommend giving this pattern a go, and if you don't mind seaming (some don't) - then just sally forth. Otherwise, join the French Press Knits group on purchased the pattern + yarn as soon as I could. However - I felt like I wasn't told the entire story, such as how much bloody seaming there is to do for these things. Yes - they are knit IN PIECES - that's 4 pieces PER SLIPPER - which requires seaming (BLAH!) before felting. Well - the finished project was so cute that I felt like I could overcome my aversion to seaming (sound familiar?) & give this project a go. It seems (hah!) like I was a glutton for punishment that I ended up making 2 pairs! The kicker is that this project was advertised (I must consider the source) as a "quick project" - one that could be finished between 1.5 & 2 hours. Yeah - right. Not so much for me. I probably spent 1.5 hours in seaming alone. Granted, I do things a bit overkill, so the length of time this took me shouldn't be that surprising. Thankfully there are others out there who aren't as fond as seeming & have figured out a no-sew modification to the pattern. Clever knitters! So - my next attempt at this pattern (these are destined for the gift basket once they are totally dry) is to do a no-sew pair for me. I knit the medium size (7/8) & they felted down to be just a smidgeRavelry, & check out the no-sew mods. I'll report back (I promise!!) when completed a pair of my own.

Whew!! 10 FOs that could have each had their own post had I kept on top of things. Okay - I'll attempt to do better. But with a new semester, robotics in full swing followed by high school soccer, I can't make any promises!

Hope 2010 is a good one for all!

~Ciao!