I really meant to update this thing when I finished (or even started) knitting my very first garment this summer, but obviously I never got around to it. It was Ophelia by Elizabeth Klett. The yarn I used was Debbie Bliss Stella and I used size 8 needles. My biggest worries getting into the project were seaming, which I hadn't done much of, and working single crochet around the edges. I had nothing to worry about--it was easy. I do remember the yarn being a pain in the ass to work with but I think it came out nice.
I knit my grandmother a shawl for her birthday. It was my first shawl. It's the Celtic Hearts Shawl by Vicki Mikulak. I used Louisa Harding Kashmir DK. I thought the pattern was really neat. It starts with a provisional cast on (my first!) at the top center (by the top I mean the long flat side) and it just grows from there. You're pretty much working in a triangle. I had never done anything like that before so I thought it was neat. This was also the first thing I had to block with pins. My mom helped me with the pinning.
I knit myself a hat and scarf that I absolutely love and wear all the time. I fell in love with the color of the yarn when I saw it at Michael's and could not resist. It's Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Full o' Sheep in Passionfruit. When I first saw the yarn I though, "I think this would be good for a cabled scarf," and sure enough there was a leaflet for a cabled scarf for that yarn. It's called Cable Vision by Debbie Stoller.
After finishing the scarf I decided I needed a matching hat, so I went and found a cabled hat on Ravelry. It's the Palindrome Hat by Kristin Bellehumeur. I consider this my most successful knit hat--it fits so well! It's a little itchy since the yarn is 100% wool but I don't even care. It's warm and I love it!
For the White Elephant at work I knit another cabled hat using Yarn Bee Melody Bulky Wool Blend. The pattern was Jellybean! by Samantha Stadter. This hat was exciting because I got to make my very first pom-pom! I messed it up a little bit because I missed the part of the pattern where it said, "Work in a K2, P2 rib for 12 rows." So, instead of a ribbed brim you get the wrong side of the cables. At least it was for a White Elephant, right?
Then, I knit a scarf for my sister to go with the hat I made her last year. It's Buninyong by Georgie Hallam. The yarn is spa by Naturally Caron (and was not particularly pleasant to work with). The pattern for the scarf is neat because it's reversible. It was also the first time I had to do a slip, slip, purl decrease, which was kind of a pain in the ass the first few repeats, but I got over it. I remember there being something confusing about the pattern, but I can't remember what it was.
Then I knit a hat and scarf for my mom, but I don't have pictures of them, so I'll have to get back to that later.
Currently, I am working on a pair of gloves for my dad. He is a letter carrier and could really use a pair of warm gloves for the few days a year it gets cold here. Originally, I was going to make fingerless gloves, but then I asked him about it and he said he wanted fingers, except on the right index finger that he uses to sort mail. I am using the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd. It's my first time using the book. It's a really neat book. First you knit a gauge swatch with the yarn you're using and then you have tables with how many stitches to cast on (or knit, or whatever) for your gauge. You can use it for gloves, mittens, hats, scarfs, socks, and sweaters. I've had the book for a long time but this is my first time using it. I will certainly be using it again! I finished the first glove last night (the one with the missing finger). It is knit in Rowan Felted Tweed.
