Hammerhead Shark

My son has taken a great interest in my knitting, now that he is four. Suddenly, he recognizes that all the cute toys that are in my knitting books are actually... possibilities. The yarn under the bed, all the colors and textures are all just toy waiting to happen. After I made him a manta ray for his birthday (did I ever show off the manta ray? It's crocheted.)

Anyway, after that, it's like he suddenly realized that mom can make ocean toys. He immediately requested a hammerhead shark. A quick ravelry search indicated that there are few knitted hammerhead sharks, fewer still that are free. I ended up going with this small, slightly fat hammerhead.

My son picked the yarn, a purple, and we sat down to watch Tarzan 2.

By the end of the movie I had something like a hammerhead shark!

I still have the fins, mouth, and eyes to do, but after the movie I had to go to work, leaving my son with my fiance who, alas, cannot knit. My son was very upset about this lack of knitting, and when I got home he immediately gave the project back to me demanding I complete it. "We have to finish it!" he always says, as if he has any part in making or assembling the thing!
It is now morning, and he is still asleep. I think I shall work on the fins, and try to surprise him with it when he awakens.
Happy knitting!

Christmas Knitting begins...

I have this sister. She has arthritis, and so every year I make her fingerless gloves for Christmas. Something to warm the joints in her wrists, and keep her hands from feeling the pain, yet still allows her to use her fingers to text, use the remote and take care of her kids. One year, I almost didn't make her any. I wasn't feeling the Christmas knitting spirit I guess. But although other presents were forgotten or never attempted, I did end up making her a pair of fingerless gloves. She opened them up on Christmas day and exclaimed, "I've been waiting for these!"
So, it has become somewhat of a tradition. She gets mittens, fingerless gloves, gloves or wrist-warmers. Other presents can slide, but not hers!
This particular pair was made with Cascade 128 Superwash, size 10 needles, and a touch of inspiration.
Do you ever find a pattern that just sings to you? And you click on it, and you gasp because it is way beyond your budget? And you have to sulkily find something else to knit? Audrey is a six dollar pattern. I know how much work it takes to write a pattern, believe me. Yet I cannot afford the six dollars right now. Looking at the picture revealed how simple the pattern was: three rectangles and some sewing. Why, the original pattern didn't even have a thumb gusset.
A little more searching revealed this Bulky Fingerless Gloves pattern, and I was ready to combine the best of both worlds.

I think they rock!
So simple to just add a bow on, and yet it one-ups them from function to fashion! My sister will definitely love them. My son wants me to add a button on, at the middle of each bow, but I'm not sure yet.
They only took maybe 4 hours, total. Fun and simple! If this is how my xmas knitting is going to go, bring it on!

The never-ending ribbing has ended!

I'm finally into the body of this sweater!
I don't know if you can see it from here, but the front of this sweater is going to be seed stitch while the back and sleeves are plain ol' stockinette. I'm planning on doing my first Saddle-Shoulder sweater, in the style of Adonis.

I know that Adonis isn't exactly seed stitch, but I think seed stitch will be easier to keep track of, and still a manly stitch pattern.

You have no idea how happy I am that I am finally into the actual body of this sweater. The next one I make is almost guaranteed to be bulky!!

Done already!

I guess one thing that's great about doubling your yarn is halving your time!

Materials:
Canon Baby Soft, held double
Size 10 needles 

Gauge:
12 st/4"
20 rn/4"

I have one more ball of this yarn, which is good because I don't really swatch for hats, and after knitting this hat I feel like I can make a better fitting one the next time around.

I really like the length of slouch though, in this hat. And you know what's cool?
It's technically reversible ;)

This yarn really literally jumped out at me. I was in line at Big Lots and somebody had chosen it and then decided at the last minute not to get it, so they just put it right there next to the register. Well I saw it, saw the color and just couldn't resist, especially since on 360 yard ball goes for $2.50! Even though it's a 100% acrylic it is really soft and nice to knit with. And since it is washable and dry-able this hat can make its way to any one of my friends or relatives during the holidays!

On the Needles....

Using some sport weight acrylic I found at big lots held double, I cast on for a hat last night.

Knit in very plain reverse stockinette, it should prove a fun little distraction from the ribbing for Randy's sweater that seems to NEVER END. I'm really really almost to the point where I can start the actual body of the sweater.....almost.

progress?

This piece of knitting does not look like as much time that has been put into it has actually been put into it.
Curses.

FO Friday- Mom's Brithday Vest

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Colorway Forest Green Heather, Approximately 3 skeins
Pattern: Woman's Cabled Vest From Susan Bates Learn To Knit, published 1978
Needle: US 6 (4 mm)
Mods: shortened armhole by sewing a few inches up the sides

Though this vest was simple in design, I ended up having a very humbling learning experience while knitting it! After casting on for the smallest size (a size 8) I was pretty confident that if I dropped the needle size it would fit my mom better. After all I'm a loose knitter and she's a petite woman. No way could she EVER fit into a size 8! That's a 36.5" bust! Halfway through the cabling I flipped though the book only to find that the size 8 is a 31.5" chest. Remember how I said this pattern was published in 1978? Yeah..... A size 8 from the time of this book's publishing ends up being a size 00 according to J Crew. That definitely taught me to read EVERYTHING before starting! But in my defense there was no pattern schematic.
For a while there the vest looked incredibly skinny and I worried it would be far too small, and I hate knitting endless rows of garter stitch and if I had to start all over again I would definitely have shoved it into a closet and bought her something for her birthday instead.

Doesn't the cabling portion look TINY? You can imagine my fright, but I talked myself into continuing: "Garter stitch is a looser stitch! You WANT the cables to pull in! You can wet-block it.... even if it is mostly acrylic! Mom's smaller than you are! Just keep knitting!"
Thank goodness for perseverance: it really turned out well! Unfortunately I'm awful at keeping presents from people, and when the weather continued its cold trend I wrapped the parcel up and gave it to her early.
Three. Weeks. Early.

Oh well. I'm thinking I might knit her some slippers next.
Catch up on more FO's with Tamis Amis!

Happy Knitting!