Stockpile 2010

The Malabrigo Junkies group on Ravelry is having a group of contests under the label of Stockpile 2010.  The basic purpose of this is to knit as many small projects as you can in order to get ready for Christmas.  Projects have to be knit with Malabrigo yarn and cast-on after 12:01 a.m. on October 1, and cast-off by midnight on October 31.  It has been more fun that I ever imagined, and has encouraged me to do a lot more knitting than usual.  To date, I've knit 10 projects: 4 Owlie Sleep Sacks, 4 matching hats, and two adult hats.  Mine aren't necessarily geared towards Christmas, but now that I'm on a roll, I may just keep on with this and knit hats for everyone for the holidays.  Or at least everyone whom I think will enjoy and wear a hand knit hat.

I had Sarah model the Tuscan Leaves Hat and she looks great in it.  She hinted that she wanted it, so I may just save it for her.  I had intended to knit it for myself but I don't look very good in it.  It would look great with a scarf knit out of the same yarn, Mal worsted in Lettuce.

Jeff was at the house the day before yesterday and saw it and said, I wish I had a hat.  Hint,  hint.  So I asked him what he wanted and he said something wild.  I took him in my yarn room and showed him a beautiful Mal Rios in Archangel and he liked it, so that's what I used.  This is what I came up with.

I finished it tonight, just minutes before he and his girlfriend came over to meet Jack to go to the basketball game.  He was thrilled with it.   I need to make a hat for Jack, but think it will be something a bit more conservative.

After they left I cast on the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret in Stonehenge.  This is a hat that I've made twice before and one of my favorites.  Maybe I'll knit another one out of Lettuce and keep that one for myself.

I also need to make some helmet liners for Karen's project.  Am halfway finished with one.   And then there are the scarves for the homeless that we knit for the church.  I guess I'll never run out of projects to knit.

Tuscan Leaves Hat

Just finished the Tuscan Leaves Hat, a new pattern designed by a fellow Malabrigo Junkie, Nina Machlin Dayton.  I was surprised at how easy it was to knit, probably because her pattern was so well written.

It's perfect knitting weather today.  There's a cool breeze that sounds wonderful and competes with the sound of the waterfall.

I'm getting ready to cast on my fifth Owlie Sleep Sack and Hat.  A friend of Sarah's had a baby boy last night so I'm going to knit this one out of Malabrigo Worsted in Blue Surf, a sweet light blue color.  I love these sleep sacks for quick baby gifts.

The other four sets that I have knit still need to be blocked.  And I must get a picture of one with an itty bitty baby in it.  That's a job for Sarah.

Finally, Malabrigo Rios!

Malabrigo has developed a new Superwash Merino yarn that is soft, beautiful, and heavenly to knit with. I have a problem giving gifts that cannot be machine washed, especially to new mothers. My fear, which I think is realistic, is that a beautiful baby blanket that has to be handled with special care, such as hand washing, will be gently folded and put away to save for another day. So when Malabrigo announced that they were developing a new Superwash version of their worsted yarn, I got on the bandwagon. My LYS finally got in a shipment and when my knitting buddy Karen called to tell me it was in, I literally got out of my sick bed to run in and get first pick. I chose two colors initially, Teal Feather, a luscious blue-green, and of course, Natural.

Little baby sacks have become popular with photographers and I believe they will make a handy and unusual gift for new moms. My first Rios project is the Owlie Sleep Sack. This pattern has a little matching hat which rounds out a gift. I haven't blocked the sleep sack and yet it still looks good. When I finish this one, I plan to make one out of the Rios in Natural to give to my daughter, a photographer, for her photo shoots of babies.

BABIES!!

I've never been a fast knitter, and since arthritis has set in, particularly in my right hand, knitting large baby projects has become a chore. Both of these were fun to knit, and were knit out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. At right is the Baby Chalice Blanket which I knit for Shawn's new granddaughter, Iris, and the circular blanket is the Pinwheel Baby Blanket I made for Adam's sister Lindsay's new baby. The ruffle on these nearly did me in! So I've been waiting for Malabrigo Rios to come out so that I can find a more manageable "go-to" baby pattern.

Summer Projects

This is the Helms Deep Shawl, designed by JoAnne Mottola. I absolutely loved knitting with Malabrigo worsted and Lettuce may be my favorite color. I enjoyed knitting this so much that I adapted it to make a scarf out of it. And of course I had to dig out the Malabrigo Silky Merino in Natural again. I have blocked the stole but not the scarf.

This is my second Forest Canopy and I made it as a wedding gift for my daughter. It's a good beginning lace project as it has only four repeats. It's knit out of Malabrigo Silky Merino, probably one of my top two or three favorite yarns. She has promised that I can borrow it to take it to my high school reunion in Estes Park next week.

Above left is a simple scarf, also knit out of Silky Merino, stolen from a shawl pattern, the Sunday Market Shawl, designed by Vanessa Carter. If I were to make it again, I'd make it a tad big wider. I gave it to my friend Carol, who has lung cancer and needs a light scarf to cover her mouth when she's around smoke or other unhealthy inhalents.

Summer Knitting

This summer was spent in bed recovering from my second foot surgery in 6 months, and planning my daughter's wedding. I should have been knitting like crazy but in fact I didn't accomplish much. I recently fell in love with Malabrigo yarn so I loaded up on it before the surgery and managed to make some scarves and shawls.

I can't start this blog without first sharing a picture I snapped of my daughter and her bridesmaids getting ready for the wedding.

Sarah is my biggest fan and asks (begs) me to give her everything I knit. I usually do.