Thursday, May 29, 2008

Mittens, Socks and Snacks

Following Elizabeth Zimmerman's suggestion (and being struck with a desire to work on some mittens myself) I took the month of May to make mittens. Here you see the three pairs I worked on all month:

3Mittens_a

From left, EZ's own Mitered Mitten pattern from Knitters Almanac (one of my all time favorite books), incorporating the changes/suggestions found at Kathryn Ivy's blog and on Ravelry (wonderful tips, by the way!) They are worked in the Noro type yarn put out by Plymouth Yarn Company. The mitten to the right of the photo (kind of hard to see because it is dark) is my own version of the Spiral Rib pattern in a mitten, knit from Ainsley's natural brown Corriedale yarn and trimmed with white Corriedale lamb/Angora bunny on the cuff. And in the center is a pattern also of my own design, an Entrelac Mitten pattern (that I like....couldn't find any out there in that I liked the looks of so made one up as I went) The yarn...well, I just love the yarn! The main color is Cascade Superwash wool, but the contrasting colors are hand-dyed "Skinny Skeins" from my colorfully talented friend, Cherie Selles of Orchard Hill Fleece Farm here in Michigan. My next pair, I think, will be from shades of my natural colored fleeces ;)

As with most newly and hastily written/created patterns we have found errors while test knitting. Corrections are being made and then I will probably offer the pattern..maybe even as a kit. My friend Nellie, from our Sip-n-Socks knitting group commented that knitting this pattern (especially with these yarns) is addictive...you can't stop till you find out how the next tier looks!

ShadySide

The yarn above is from a fellow Michigan farmer and shepherd, Lona and family at Shady Side Farm. I love to support others who do the kinds of things I do and I fell in love with this yarn that Lona had dyed. She laughingly called it Guns and Roses, but it makes me think of the little pink quartz or granite type stones I find in my driveway and fields. I am designing a sock pattern especially for this yarn. The design is working in my head but hasn't quite made it properly to the needles. Look for it in days ahead, and please pay a visit to Lona's blog and etsy shop!

Finally, look at this lovely plate of deserts!!!

DesertPlate

LOL...these little yarn confections are the creation of my friend Donna, also a fellow Michigander and fiber dreamer ;) Aren't they just the sweetest little morsels? I bought them intending to add them to some gifts I was putting together, but I may just use the yarn as a trim on a project. She calls them 100 Calorie Snack Yarns, but I say they are quite decadent, Donna!

That is most of my knitting work for the month of May, along with some sampling of a few spun yarns for lace. What have you been working on in May?

8 comments:

Carissa said...

The mittens all look great! I especially love the entrelac ones! Donna's yarns look great too!

Donna B said...

Love the mittens! All so wonderful! The entrelac mittens are cute!

Woven Spun said...

Oooh I really like the Entrelac mittens. Let us know when that pattern is available. :)

Lona said...

Thanks for the kind words, Cary! I'm anxious to see the socks when they're done. Just can't imagine anyone comfortable enough with knitting and creative enough to MAKE UP a sock pattern. Wow.

I've enjoyed "indulging" in fiber arts vicariously through your blog.

Pamala Rose said...

Oh! I want to see the EZ mitten in person...hopefully it will be in your bag on Monday night.

Val said...

Your entrelac mittens are gorgeous! Mittens sound like a great summer knitting project. Maybe there will be time now that lambing is over. The gunsnroses yarn is beautiful too!

Nana Sadie said...

I love your mittens!! And the dessert yarn is gorgeous!
(((hugs)))

Brooke said...

I've been drooling over your entrelac mittens for a long time - do you have a pattern available for purchase? I don't like any of the others I've seen...