Love Bytes

One of the best things about knitters is that you never have to wonder what to give them for a present.  Yarn!  Always yarn.  Even if a knitter has bins and bins of yarn, they need more.

For every birthday, Mother's Day and Christmas, my husband takes our two boys and heads them down the The Knit Shop to pick out a skein of Malabrigo worsted each.  It's great fun for them and I know I'll absolutely love whatever they pick out.

For this past Christmas, Bailey chose colorway Purple Mystery and Silas chose Bergamota.  Instantly, I knew that I had to knit a project that used the both yarns together.  What a great combo!  My kids apparently have an awesome eye for color.

The pattern Love Bytes has been in my Ravelry queue for nearly a year.  I first fell in love with it when my friend Angie finished hers.  Robot mittens??!!  Are you kidding me?  Greatest thing ever.  I need them!  And now I finally had the right yarn to knit them.

Pattern: Love Bytes by Grace Schnebly
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted
Colorway: Purple Mystery and Bergamota and scrap blue yarn
Yardage: Approx 220 yards total
View more notes and photos on my Ravelry page.

Hats and Socks

...from top to bottom

Here I am combining projects into a single blog post.

First up, Frankenbaby! This is a Frankenstein hat that I made my nephew for Halloween last year. I was just recently sent the photos. I made up the pattern myself and I do plan on writing it down so you all can make one for your little monster.

Yarn: Cascade 220 in black and green. And a little bit of grey for the bolts and some red embroidery floss.

Second, my Honey Hat. I fell in love with the pattern, Honey Cowl but I didn't have enough yarn. I picked up this yarn at Churchmouse while I was in Brainbridge Island. I thought the stitch pattern and yarn would make a great hat. I made it slightly slouchy. Then I embroidered a tree and some orange leaves to it with some scrap yarn. I love it. Reminds me of a burning field.

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted, colorway: loro barranquero.

My friends Heather and Erin are due with their first son very shortly. I've been wanting to make these little socks for so long and I knew they were the perfect couple for them. I call them The Snowflake Socks.

Yarn: Cascade 220 green, Knit Picks undyed natural yarn.

The dark spot on the toe is a raindrop!

Lastly, Bailey has been asking me to make him some socks for awhile now. I have had this yarn in my stash for years and thought he would enjoy some Candy Cane Socks. I knit them with an afterthought heel so as not to disrupt the striping pattern. Quite by accident, these socks have the complete opposite striping pattern from each other. WIN! I love it when stuff like that happens.

Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Nation Color

Things I've Done

...but not yet blogged.

There's some knitting projects that I've completed in the last couple months that I just haven't gotten around to posting. So I'm going to do that now.

I made this cowl/scarf/scrunchie thingy for Amy's birthday. I used Knit Picks Gloss and Hannah Silk Ribbon. I love it, Amy loves it. Yay!

For Christmas, I knitted my husband gloves. I used Knitty's Cigar pattern but made all the fingers full length and made a button hole in the first finger and thumb so he can use them without taking the gloves off. I used Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool.

My husband gave me a Kindle for Christmas and my sons got me Malabrigo. Living the life, I tell you! I made this lovely Kindle cozy out of Malabrigo Worsted Amoroso. I altered the pattern a bit to include a flap and buttons.

My son has a Build A Bear bunny he named Tucker. Tucker is his best friend and when it snowed here awhile back, my son was very concerned that Tucker did not have anything to keep him warm. So for Christmas, "Santa" knitted Tucker a sweater. I used scrap Cascade 220 yarn.

Blue Ribbon Winner

... this ain't no Pabst

Chronilogically, this post should have come sooner. But the Eugene Celebration kept me busy until now. Earlier this year, I knitted my first shawl. I chose Gail (Nightsongs) by Jane Araujo. I find lace knitting easy enough (as long as you have the time to concentrate) but shawl construction was a bitch. Completely unlike anything else I've knitted. I forged through after finding some help on Ravelry.

I knitted it as a part of a knit-along with my favorite Ravelry group, Knit Knack. It turned out so well (love Malabrigo!!) that I decided to enter it in the Lane County Fair. I had never entered anything before.

To my shock, it not only placed but I freakin' won first place!!! Because I make money on my knitting, I had to enter in the pro-class which makes the win even more stunning. I am so happy and definitely plan to enter knitting in every year.

Me trying to take a picture with my shawl and the little bub completely stole the frame! I don't mind. ♥