Big Sky Yarns & Crafts

Flame Mittens

I have been so happy knitting mittens lately that it makes perfect sense my next published pattern is one for mittens. Consquently, I am more than excited to report my Flame Mittens are in Issue 32 of Yarn Forward magazine:

 

 

Obligatory close up shot:

 
 

These began life as perfect skeins of Sport Weight from Blue Sky Alpacas. It is 100% luxury with yarn made from 100% baby alpaca. Let me just say, if I only knit with one yarn the rest of my life, this could be it:

 

I used Dark Grey (#509) for the main color (MC) and Red (#511) for the flames (contrast color, CC). The mittens begin with corrugated ribbing at the cuff, but instead of knitting two, changing colors and then purling two, I fell in love with a technique I learned from Wendy of Wendy Knits fame.

Instead of changing colors every two stitches, she knits the two MC stitches then slips the two CC stitches and repeats this for round 1. For round 2, slip the first two MC stitches already worked in round 1 and then purl the two CC stitches and repeat that for an entire round. Consequently, both rounds 1 and 2 are required before all stitches are worked, but I love it because I just focus on the one color the whole round. I also use two sizes larger needles whenever I work corrugated ribbing.

These mittens are worked in the round with the grey but each individual flame has its own color bobbin. Consequently, each little "flame" is worked separately and the yarn for each flame zig zags from the end of one round to the start of the next round. When you yank slightly on these, each flame "pops" a bit as well, which I think is kind of fun. The grey is worked at 6 stitches per inch, so the mittens really do cruise along nicely once the bobbins behave properly.

The mitten pattern is written in three sizes, 7.25" (8", 9.25") circumferences x 9.25" (10.25", 11.25") in length.

There is a chart printed to make life a bit easier and the tip of each mitten is grafted with Kitchener stitch. When working in the round, each row of the chart is read right to left.

Yarn Forward is a British knitting magazine and is now at Barnes & Noble if yours in town carries this magazine. I find mine does off and on, depending on the month.

Knit on.

Merry! Happy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I can't believe how fast this week has flown, but here are more mittens reporting in for duty:

 

These are knit from Cascade's Chunky 128. It is super fab chunky yarn at 3 stitches per inch. I love that it is a multi-ply, so I think it minimizes the "bulkiness" of the look of the fabric, if that is possible. I highly recommend it. I had knit a dear friend of mine a cardigan from this a few years ago and here are the matchy-matchy friends to help out.

Here is a perfect hank of Lorna's Laces shepherd sock in the Wild Purls colorway:

 

When combined with a friend from Uruguay, 100% merino undyed and so incredibly soft it almost makes you cry:

 

You get this:

 

I wish your cute little hands could test drive these mittens. So soft and personality plus in the color department make a snappy combo.  Here's the close up you were asking for:

 

I also received back my peeps from Three Irish Girls Yarns. I was so thrilled to see my cowl, it went on my bod immediately, providing perfect warmth for the chilly day:

 

If you want it out, here is your look:

 

The Kiss & Tell vest and cowl are available here as a PDF download, $5.95, knit in Galenas Merino, Saoirse colorway. I can see myself knitting many of these cowls for gifts.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas with those special in your life. My mamacita arrives Sunday and we can't wait to see her.

Knit on.

More Mittens ... and More!

The mittens just keep on coming. Here is another pair in Patons SWS (soy wool stripes) in Natural Blue:

 

 

Fraternal twins!! I decided I would live on the knitter's edge and see where the yarn landed. I did make sure the thumbs had matching yarn, but I have to say I love these for their quirky  nature. Hope the recipient does too. I knit her a scarf and hat a couple of years ago in this same yarn, so time complete the set.

I also am further along in the cowl:

 

The two orange markers indicate one whole repeat of the second chart, which I decided to work one more of to make the cowl a bit wider. Though I love it, this knitting is slow going. It is like I am learning how to read: "Two knits (pause, pause, while I knit those two stitches and check the chart for the next instruction), purl (pause), yarn over (pause) and the rest of the round just keeps moving in this molasses fashion. I realize why I don't knit much lace. However, every other round is just working the stitches as I see them, which is a life saver or I would rip this project faster than junk mail.

This is what I can't wait to show you:

 

The most squishy superwash you have EVER felt by Tanis Fiber Arts in the color Lemongrass. I can't believe how lovely this yarn is for a superwash and 100% merino wool at that. That lovely hank morphs into this precious cake:

 

which swatches to this perfection:

 

Semi-solid colors are my favorite because color play happens without knocking you completely over. Many shades of delicious green occupy this generous 215 yard hank of hand dyed yarn. The label says 4.5 stitches per inch, though 4.25 is perfect on my swatch. The purl bumps tell me what size needle -- a lovely little trick I learned from the Yarn Harlot. I am a super loose knitter (no comments) so I always have to go down at least 2 needle sizes from the recommendation. This yarn line's official name is Green Label Aran Weight and since the band says US size 8 needle, I knew I would need a 6 but in this case size 5 needles were just the ticket.

This machine washable and dryable yarn is for one of the three (not two!) babies coming in my family in short order. Actually, a boy just made it here Thursday night late and these will be for him:

 

Yes, more knitted pants! I found this pattern in here:

 
 

Boho Baby Knits by Kat Coyle. This book is one of the finest baby knits books I have found. As you know, I am not much into the baby knitting, yet this book has a fine combination of whimsical and classic for the little people in your life. Hence, it had to come home with me.

The Studio Loungers are the perfect item for this yarn and I even got gauge, which is enough confirmation for me this yarn was meant to be lounge pants. I'm going to knit them in the 12-18 mths size for next winter. Good thing I planned on the larger size since they are not on the needles -- yet. Ahem. Christmas knitting has not quite finished. 

Yes, apparently I was repressing the fact three babies and not just two were coming. I don't know what I thinking -- or not thinking, apparently -- since none of them are coming home with me, I don't know what I was worried about. Maybe because I never thought of all three AT THE SAME TIME. Two are due mid March and this renegade baby came yesterday. We all wondered if he would be a Christmas baby, but no, he had different ideas and wanted to be a part of the festivities pronto.  Nevertheless, I am on board now, 100%, and am determined to get hand knits to these little ones. Someday.

Knit on.

 

Knitting Cookies

So, I have been baking like crazy and thus, knitting cookies. Here are the ten reasons you know it is baking time in my house:

1. Flour exploded on the tv in the kitchen.

2. I never have enough eggs.

3. People only call me when I am trying to take something out of the oven.

4. I did not buy enough cute cookie containers. Ever. Ever. Ever. Drives me crazy. I should write down that number and buy more. Do I? No.

5. The laundry buzzer goes off when the oven timer goes off. Incredible timing.

6. I do not allow enough time for the last batch of cookies before picking up Kate at 2:20. Do I take them out and put them back in when I get home? I don't dare risk leaving them in, as she will want to play on the playground forever if I try this tempting of fate. Do I leave them in the oven with the oven off and hope they finish baking properly?

7.  My kids do not want the cookies I am currently baking -- just whatever ones I don't plan on making.

8.  I only bake easy cookies. Very easy. None of these seventy-eleven layer cookies that truly are a work of art. Fast and furious cookies is what I am all about. Kind of like my knitting, now that I think about it.

9. Cookie dough has no calories. Whoo hoo!

10. I realize there are cookies that don't involve chocolate chips but I do not know why you would make these. My chocolate chip cookie derivatives involve Mrs. Fields:  rice krispies in one, "regular" chocolate chip, and my absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie involves coconut (which I usually do not like), chopped almonds and almond extract. To. Die. For. Period.

I did, however, finish, knitting the mittens, which is a lovely thing to do since we have two hands:

 

I wish I would have yanked the yarn a bit to get to the darker color for the thumbs, but did not think of this until after the whole thumb experience was over. I have declared this the Year of the Mitten (last year, Year of the Slipper) to match the zillion hat and scarves I have knit the last couple of years. In review, these were worked in Patons SWS, soy wool stripes, in Natural Denim in my own evolving pattern.

I also developed a slouch hat since the receiver did not benefit from the mass rush of the scarf/hat madness of years ago:

 

I am particularly fond of this hat because it doesn't fit tight on your head in any way, shape or form so Hat Head is hopefully deterred by some degree:

 

The scarf is my Spiral Scarf pattern that only requires one ball of SWS (or 100 yards approximately) with gauge of 3.5 stitches per inch for lickity - split knitting. The link is to Ravelry and the pattern is $4.95.  The pattern also includes a roll brim hat pattern with 4 hat sizes. Hat is knit in the round and the scarf is worked flat. Hat also requires only one ball of SWS as well. (Just to reiterated, the hat pattern with the spiral scarf is not the slouch hat, but a roll brim hat.)

If you would like to be on my cookie list, let me know. Then I won't eat yours. Promise.

Knit on.