Owlie

I love gift knitting.  I may obsess that the quality of the gift reflects both the quality of my relationship with the recipient and the quality of my knitting skills BUT I love it.  I really do.

I made a big stuffed owl for a very wise friend of mine.  The pattern, Big Snowy Owl by Purl Bee,  is lovely, squishy, and easy.  I used DeAire for the body and scraps of Vintage for the eyes and nose; I didn't like how bulky the eyes were in the Purl Bee sample.  I love Owlie, and he will be very missed in our home.  The way he would sit and stare, the way he would lie down and stare...it's and absence we're still feeling.

Ravelry project page

A tip: place markers between the body repeats!  Makes it easier and faster!

woodlet (and my love of tiny owl knits)

woodlet woodlet woodlet!!

In the past few years, I've come across this pattern without reaction.  But earlier in July, I saw the woodland hoodlet and fell in love.  Instantly.

Anyone who knows me even the littlest bit can speak to my love of tiny owl knits patterns.  My adoration of the woodland hoodlet is no different.

It took me a while to commit to making this.  I kept thinking I wouldn't get much wear out of it, or that it was one of those things I loved for its design rather than its functionality, or that I wouldn't be able to do it (prior to this project I had never done bobbles or short-rows), but I am so glad I made the plunge because I love it.

I used Eco Wool double stranded and was just shy of gauge. I was considering dying it a mustard yellow, or mayhaps turmeric, but I can't imagine it being greater than it is in this natural color.   My hood is huge.  My tassle is sassy.

I had so much leftover.  This yarn is the greatest.

Here's a hat I made for Eddie pre-KoolAid dye!

Mods:

Shy of gauge 

Omitted kitchener stitch using a 3-needle bind-off

I started making more hexapuffs for the beekeeper's quilt after finally, after six months of living in San Francisco, swinging by Mendel's to get some fiber-fill.  

Up next I want to make hopsalot out of a lil Cascade 220 maybe?

And, of course, the BFF Cowl.

My real-life BFF Ashley told me about this pattern informed me that we are making this. I'm using Malabrigo Twist in either Applewood, an amazing tonal neutral, or Sunset, a vibrant orange.  I'm leaning towards Applewood as I used the amazing Superfine Merino in Sunset for the Pangolin Cowl.

Applewood

Sunset

Panoramic

In lieu of paying for this pattern, please consider donating to your local domestic abuse advocacy center.

Materials needed:
US Size 6 (4.25mm) circular needle, 24" at least
Yarn needle (for weaving in ends)
Stitch markers
Two skeins fingering weight, at least 330 yards each. 
The yellowish shawl used to skeins of Malabrigo Sock in Ochre and Primavera.  The blueish shawl used one skein of madelinetosh tosh merino light in mica and one skein of Ella Rae Lace Merino color 115.


Skills needed:
Cast-on (co)
Knit (k)
Purl (p)
Knit front & back (kfb)
Make 1 left (m1l)
Make 1 right (m1r)
Slip slip knit (ssk)
Knit 2 together (k2tog)
Yarn-over (yo)
Bind-off (bo)

Method:
Using main color (mc), co 4

r 1 : kfb all (8 stitches)

r 2: k3, pfb, pfb, k3 (10 sts)

switch to contrast color (cc)

r 3: k3, kfb to last 3 sts, k3 (14 sts)

r 4: k3, p to last 3 sts, k3 (14 sts)


switch to mc
r 5 : k3, *Place marker (pm), m1r, k1* 3 times, *k1, m1l, pm* 3 times, k3
r 6 : k3, purl all stitches and slip all markers, k3


switch to cc:
r 7 : k all, slipping all markers
r 8 : p all, slipping all markers


switch to mc:
r 9: K3, *SM, M1R, K to marker* 3 times, knit to marker, M1L, SM, *knit to marker, M1L, SM* 3 times, K3
r 10 : P all, slipping all markers


Repeat rows 7-10 until there are 25 sts between each set or markers (50 for the middle section), or 206 stitches


---


Lace Edging (mc):


r 1 : *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo* repeat until end
r 2 : purl all stitches
r 3 : *yo, k2tog, k1, ssk, yo* repeat until end
r 4 : purl all stitches

Repeat these 4 rows until desired length, ending with row 4


---


Modified picot edging (cc)


Knit one row, discarding all markers
Purl one row
Bind off 2 stitches as normal, *co 2, bo 2, co 2, bo 6* repeat until end


Weave in ends and block.


Madness:

My little knits had a photo shoot yesterday...

...at the conservatory of flowers.  Here are some highlights

Not included: the dozens of photos of me with hair in my face.  Thanks, wind.

Divisadero, Big & Bulky

In lieu of paying for this pattern, please consider donating to your local domestic abuse advocacy center.

Materials needed:
US Size 15 (10mm) 16" circular needles
One skein of Berroco Vintage, or another worsted weight yarn of your choice, held double.  About 200 yards.
Yarn needle (for weaving in ends)
Stitch marker


Skills needed:
Knit (K)
Purl (P)
Double yarn-over (YO, YO)



Now for a very quick version of Divisadero


Method:


CO 50 stitches.  Join in the round, careful not to twist stitches.
Rounds 1-3: Knit
Round 4: Purl
Round 5: *yo, yo, k1* repeat until end of round
Round 6: Purl all, dropping the yarn overs
Repeat rounds 1-6 one time

Knit 7 rounds


Repeat rounds 1-6
Bind off.


How easy was that?


Madness:

A brief to-knit list and a wishlist of sorts

I love being around yarn all day and taking inspiration from the projects people are starting, but it threatens the very foundation of my finances -- I want to make it all.  Somebody gets yarn for a chunky triple wrap infinity scarf, I wanna make it.  Somebody gets yarn for a giant toy, I wanna make it.  I need to know where to draw the line, so I don't end up with a stash of yarn bigger than me and no plan to make a dent in it.

My new to-knit list:

woodland hoodlet by tiny owl knits

....or as I like to call it, the woodlet.  There's a hood on display at ImagiKnit and I find myself staring at it longingly so often.  But I don't really like normal scarves, with the wrapping and the knotting and the falling.  I prefer cowl, or in this case capelet, type creations.  How fantastic is this?  I don't know if I'd get daily use out of it (I'm sure Chicago would provide plenty blisteringly cold opportunities), but I just love it so much.

Aethercopter by Jocelyn Tunney

Just look at that sweet, sweet drape.  Knit in DK yarn, this would be a change from the light fingering weight shawls towards which I always gravitate.  I could wear it all day every day, and it'd be awesome in coral.  

Gin & Tonic Hat by knittedblissJC

This yarn would showcase a skein of hand-painted yarn perfectly (as it does so in the photo).  I am tempted to make another broken rib hat, but I've just done that with Tosh DK, and aren't we supposed to be pushing ourselves?  I long for this in green, which brings me to...

My new (incredibly truncated) yarn wishlist:

Tosh DK (or heavier) in Jade

Blue Sky Bulky in Fawn (1005)

Twirl in Coral Bells

Superfine Merino in Sunset

(same micron count as cashmere!  That means you get the feel of cashmere for the price of merino!)

All yarns are available at ImagiKnit :)

New design -- sneak peak

Better photos and a written pattern to come