Holiday Knitting

Winter Warmer Ear Warmer

I think this is the first year that I really feel that I am on the ball when it comes to holiday knitting.  I started this summer and have already knit several gifts for people, and have even had time to make myself a few items.

Knitting doesn't seem to come naturally during the warmer months, but now that October is here and the leaves are changing and nights are getting colder, the season and knitting just go hand in hand.  I want to knit ALL the things.  But realistically, how many mittens do I need?  I've only got one head, so I certainly don't need more hats.  And while cowls are easy to change up day to day, I've really only got so much room to store them, so I think my self-knitting needs to cool it for now.

But the thing is I just love knitting.  It's so nice to plop on the couch after a long day of working and just get into a pattern.  I love shopping for the perfect color of yarn.  I love the feeling of finishing a project and admiring it.  Making something beautiful and useful out of what was previously just a ball of yarn.

So, my dear friends, help me help you.  Help ME help YOU.  I want to knit for you.  Everyone knows handmade items are way better than some cheap 'made in China' item that your recipient could have easily bought themselves.  Most people I know love items that are unique.  One of a kind.

Need some ideas?  I think your mom wants a pair of boot cuffs.  Your best friend could probably use a nice cuddly cowl.  And your pregnant sister would probably squeal over a tiny little baby hat.

Vivionne Bay Hat

I'll be posting some items in my Etsy shop in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I'll be listing below some of the items you will be able to order.  Prices will vary based on the yarn I use (if you know yarn, just think Madelinetosh vs Quince and Co - both very lovely, but certainly at different price points), but know that I will only be knitting with quality yarn made of natural fibers.  I do not knit with acrylic yarns.

So let's do this!  Email me with any questions or requests.  If you comment below, I will try my best to respond, but email will be the best option.  Please note that two specific patterns, the heart hat and the one-skein boot toppers, will not be available for sale as I am currently teaching both of those classes at Finch.  If you'd like to learn how to make either of those, please come out and join us!

Merry and Bright Ear Warmer

CURRENT LIST

Everything is made to order unless otherwise stated.

Ear Warmers
Merry and Bright: $20 adult
Winter Warmer: $18 adult // $14 child 1 available!

Hats
Vivionne Bay Hat: $18 child 1 available! // *will not be making anymore*
Squishy Baby Hat: $20 baby
Autumn Hat: $37 adult // $25 child
Vermonter Hat: $35 adult

Boot Cuffs
Andover Boot Cuffs: $20 adult

Cowls/Infinity Scarves
Gap-tastic Cowl: $50 adult
Snow Day Cowl: $50 adult

More photos to come!

Honey Cowl

The air is slightly less humid, the leaves are green with tinges of yellow, and I still haven't had to pack away my flip flops for good; Hooray!  It's autumn in Virginia!

I have been obsessed with this Madelinetosh colorway since I first laid eyes on it.  It's called gilded, and it's a beautifully bright orange that screams 'autumn'.  Every time I went into Finch, I would pick it up and contemplate buying it.  And then finally one day I went in specifically to get it, and it was sold out. (#knittersproblems)  So I ordered a skein online via Mr. Yarn.  I definitely knew I wanted to make a honey cowl with this year after seeing Angela's shop sample at Finch.  Gorgeous.

I've come to learn that tosh yarns are a dream to knit with, so I plan on buying more soon.  Although maybe not too soon if I do indeed decide to splurge on a Bernina tomorrow...

Pattern: Honey Cowl

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh Merino DK in Golded

Mods: Used a size 6 circular.

Photos taken by my good friend Beryl Young, who teaches 'Momtographie' classes online and in Northern Virginia, wink wink!

Anthropologie Inspired Capelet

At the start of August, I had the brilliant idea of making my "fairy Godmother" the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet for her birthday gift.  I had nearly the entire month to make it, and given the gauge and yarn it called for, I knew I'd finish in time.

And I did, only the first one I made was tiny.  Like, practically child-sized.  So back to Finch I went to get more yarn for part two, because at this point I had about a week and a half to make it.

Lynn's birthday was on Saturday - by the Tuesday prior, I had begun the final ribbing stage when I ran out of yarn.  And not only that, but I had bought the last two skeins from Finch.  So I started searching for yarn shops who carried this yarn.  Called to no avail, so I then began looking for shops in New Jersey.  See, we were headed on vacation to the Jersey Shore with my lovely giftee, so not only would I need to track down yarn on my way there, but also finish the knitting without her noticing.

That's when I first learned of Home Made, the shop I raved about in my last post.  She had the yarn (Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted) in the color (Mulberry), so I bought a skein and made it to the house.

I worked feverishly Friday night and throughout parts of the day on Saturday, finishing just before Lynn's birthday dinner out.  After dinner I packaged up the capelet and brought the gift upstairs with the others.  Whew.

I think it turned out well, although for the sake of these photos, it looks a little lumpy since it wasn't blocked.  

Pattern: Anthropologie Inspired Capelet
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyes

Color: Mulberry

Alterations: Cast on 63

Speedy Cowl

The air is crisper, the nights are longer... it's that time of year again: knitting season.

Although, there are some of us who don't mind knitting year-round.  As a matter of fact, I started knitting this cowl while I was on vacation down the Jersey Shore, looking from the second floor balcony right onto the beach.  Knit, knit, knit, crash, crash, crash (those are waves).

I came across this adorable shop prior to my trip - Home Made - because they had a specific yarn in a specific color that I was out of and couldn't find locally (more on that debacle in the knit capelet post).  We stopped in on our way to the shore to pick up that yarn, and because it was just a five or ten minute drive from the house we were renting, I went back later that week to look around longer.

While browsing the shop - which bears a similar resemblance to Finch - I spotted this beautifully bright hot pink striped cowl.  It's called the Speedy Cowl, and despite the name, it's not a quick knit.  It is, however, an easy knit - linen stitch all the way.  I bought the exact yarn used in the sample because how could I pass up this pink?!.  

I love the look of the linen stitch.  It's a bit more time consuming (in the same way seed stitch can be), but it's simple to do.  This project can (and was) easily done while watching TV, listening to your favorite podcast, or with your morning cup of tea.  Apparently, the linen stitch is reversible, but I prefer the "right" side of it.

You'll notice that my two outer pink rows are not equal.  Oops.  Also, I need to get the hang of this blocking thing.  I tried steaming with the iron, but I ended up with a still lumpy cowl that smelled like wet dog.  Or wet sheep.  So I hand washed it in my bathroom sink, and the entire bathroom now smells like an Irish farm on a rainy day.  I can't wait for this thing to dry...

Pattern: Speedy Cowl

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Maxima: 2 sk. Natural, 1 sk. Shocking

(I only needed to knit a few rows using the second skein of Natural)

Sip + Sew at Stone Tower Winery

What's more fun than sewing?

Sewing while drinking wine, of course.

Although I am more of a whiskey drinker, I do enjoy a glass of white, especially on warm summer evenings.  Even better if I'm surrounded by 20 or so crafty women in a gorgeous barn-style wine tasting room with a wide open view of rolling hills and an impending sunset.  Behold, for I present to you Stone Tower Winery:

I love Virginia.

Anyway, last night was Finch's monthly Sip + Sew event.  Take a local establishment, toss in a bit of socializing and top off with a dash of sewing and you've got Sip and Sew.  Last night, we made waxed canvas dopp kits given that Father's Day is only a few weeks away.  I gave mine to my husband as a "Not-a-Father's Day" gift.

Sewing with waxed canvas was easier than I thought.  I had this impression that it would be thick and difficult to work with, but it wasn't any different.  I'm looking forward to using it again when I eventually make the Cooper Bag this fall.

You're either going to love or loathe the fact that I brought my camera and took heaps of photos.  Enjoy!

EEEEE Cotton + Steel fat quarters!  And guess who won one of them?  ;)

I apologize to those of you reading this (is anyone reading this?) who don't live in Virginia; we are not only blessed with countless vineyards, but also incredible landscapes to feast our eyes on while our tongues indulge in a glass of what Galileo called "sunlight held together by water."