Knitting is the NEW Yoga....

Any day spent KNITTING is a good day!

The Elves are Busy....Knittng away!

When not playing in the snow--the elves helped me create this soft and aqua colored keyhole bow tie scarflette...with a crocheted flower for an accent--the flower has a blue vintage button in the center. I love these bow tie scarfs--or scarflettes--because they keep my neck warm and cozy without all the bulk of a longer scarf.

and this fuzzy heather beige hat and scarflette matching set...knit with wool and mohair, with a pretty ruby colored crocheted flower for some pizzaz! another vintage button on the center...all for sale at my Etsy Shop---hats and scarves make great holiday gifts!! and keep your or your loved one warm.

 

The yarn (and elves) made me do it......

Go to your studio and make stuff

so --I have been bookmarking nice handknit patterns I have found here online to make someday and thought I would share a few of them with you all....


1) I just love this knit tea cozy at the blog TEA BY THE SEA

2) and how about these lovely DAISY STITCH HANDWARMERS  at the Purlbee.com?

3) and these ZIGZAG MITTENS at Just Crafty Enough.....

Three projects...should be enough to fullfill the STRATEGIC PLAN--at least for now. I just am compelled to keep my hands busy--especially at this time of year....feel those holidaze coming on!

I recently knit this green and grey sweater for a baby girl--my good friend Tanya---is soon to be a Grandma! so I rummaged around my yarn stash and came up with this yummy wool/cashmere yarn and knit this little sweater. I love this pattern--so quick and easy. I have to admit, the instant gratification of small knitting projects like this is quite satisfactory....because they take so little time to finish. And mostly my life seems to be: "so many projects, so little time..."

THE YARN MADE ME DO IT ;-)

Off and On the Needles

 Off the needles : a sweater for little grandbaby Aram--due to arrive in less than a month!! Washable wool...this sweater will have a zipper closure(soon;-) This is Elizabeth Zimmerman's TOMTOM sweater pattern from the timeless book KNITTING WITHOUT TEARS. I used the same pattern over 30 years ago to make a sweater for the baby's Mother out of yarn I handspun.

 and still on the needles: a baby blanket.....for one of the two grandbabies due soon...

 and of course socks on the needles....

 and another pair of socks on the needles...

 and a lovely blue scrappy afghan...crocheted--for when I'm tired of knitting. I love this ripple pattern and decided to use up all the blue yarn scraps I had...

too darn much yarn and too little time...what is a knitter to do? 
Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either."--Elizabeth Zimmerman

Wee winter booties (with pattern!)

 Wee winter booties knit for little boy Gus who turns 3 months old this weekend. I knit these using my favorite baby bootie pattern ---with some scraps of washable sock wool and pure angora. Angora washes ok in a washer on cold--angora doesn't shrink much at all I have discovered.

I love this pattern because these booties stay on very well--and all the Mom's whose babies I make these for tell me they just love them! This is a very old pattern...and is attributed to several sources. One version I have calls them  "Stay-On Booties" but I like the title "Wee Booties."

Of course if you knit this same pattern with worsted weight yarn and larger needles you get a bootie  to fit about a 1 year old. I used sock yarn or fingering weight for this pair...to fit a newborn to 6 months size little one. I have knit these also for summer babies using fingering weight cotton yarn.

In case you want to try to knit these, here is the pattern. Sorry I'm not sure how to make it into a pdf file...but you can copy and paste this into Word with no problem.

WEE BABY BOOTIES

 Size #2 double pointed needles---I use 5 needles for this pattern--you will see why.
Sock or fingering weight yarn

Cast on 10 sts. Knit 32 rows, always slip the first st with yarn in front.
Count 16 ridges, then pick up and knit 16 sts on each side of the rectangle you just knitted and 10 sts on the other end of the rectangle.

1) Join and knit 1 round
2) Purl 3 rounds
3) Knit 4 rounds
4) Change color (if desired) and repeat row #1
5) Purl 3 rounds
6) Knit 4 rounds
7) Change color (if desired) and repeat row #1
8) Purl 3 rounds
9) knit 4 rounds
10) *knit 9 sts, then knit last st together with 1 st on the edge (edge st is on the long needle that has 16 sts on it). Turn.
11) Slip first st, purl 8 sts, p 2 tog (the 10th st and the edge st). Turn.*
12) Repeat * to * until you have 10 sts on each needle = 40 total sts.
13) Knit 4 rounds
Make holes for ties:
14) Knit 2 sts, yarn over, k2tog for entire row
15) Knit 2 rounds--40 sts total.
16) K2, P2 about 15 rounds (or until you think the top of the booties is high enough)
17) Cast off loosely.

I-cord Knit ties (or shoe lace)
1) cast on 3 sts
2) Put all sts back onto left needle (or if using double pointed needles slide to opposite end)
3) Knit 3 sts
4) repeat row 2
5) Knit 3 sts
repeat these 2 rows until tie measure 18" long, then make another tie
(Note: you do not turn your work. Your working yarn comes from the furthest left and it feels very wrong and weird. Just do it!;-)

I can knit a pair of these in about two evenings now...so go ahead and try some! If you have an trouble shoot me an e-mail and I will help you, but these are pretty simple. And then give them to the favorite baby in your life---the Mom will love you!

"Never give up on something that you can't go a day without thinking about."-- Author Unknown

the Mad Hatter welcomes 2011! More hats for the New Year...

Got-the-blues? wool, silk tweed, and angora hat....unique, warm and comfy.

Flower-power hand  knit hat wool with flowers embroidered in pink handspun angora yarn.

Peaches-and-raspberries hand knit wool and alpace hat--very soft and warm!

All wool tweedy rainbow colors hand knit rolled brim hat...

All currently  for sale in my Etsy shop BOREALIS BEADS....keep your head warm this winter with a unique hand knit hat!

Green HATS! not too late for that Holiday gift!

Here is a trio of green hats...hand knit just for you! this one is a wool/silk blend with mohair....and a  rust colored crocheted flower with vintage button for a cute accent..... warm  and thick with chunky yarn....this hat will keep your head warm in the coldest  weather!

this one is wool and wool/silk and brown angora...I love using angora in hats..it is so soft!

another variation-- wool/silk pale sage green tweed plus brown angora....knit in the fair aisle manner from my own design...

so if you know someone who loves green--now is your chance to buy them a lovely hand made present! You can shop for them at my Etsy shop--Borealis Beads ---HERE!

Lilly's Sweater

 Well, it is sooo hard to get a toddler to hold still for a good photo...but here is little Lilyanna wearing her wool sweater I knit for her...looks very sweet on her..huh?

 I love this easy and quick knit-from-the-top-down pattern...and will be knitting more of these soon since I have some grandbabies on the way...think I will make some of these out of pretty and colorful WASHABLE wool....

Hand knit HATS make Great Holiday Gifts...#2

I have added a couple more hats to my Etsy Shop ---here.

 This one is knit in a twisted stitch; the yarn is hempathy---made of hemp, cotton and model. Very soft, warm and stretchy--this hat feels real comfortable on my head---and would on your head, also!

 and this wine red, ruby and brown hat is knit of wool, alpaca, and angora--very soft, warm and fuzzy---this hat feels wonderful on your head!

Hats make great holiday gifts....so purchase a unique hat for that fave person in your life! and support a crafter, instead of a big box store....

Hand knit HATS make Great Holiday Gifts...

I just listed these hand knit hats at my Etsy Shop - BOREALIS BEADS - for sale...my hats are always unique...no two alike! (so the creatress never gets bored...:-)

 a lovely pink and brown wool and angora  hat--oh! so soft....perfect for your favorite sister or girlfriend! hand knit from my own original design.     

 and for the man in your life---that comfy hand knit alpaca gray beanie...

 and for someone who just loves color...peach, green and wine...warm and fuzzy alpaca/wool hand knit from my own original design.
All hats reasonably priced...visit my Etsy shop here and get your holiday shopping done early!

Blue Scarflet....

Just finished this neck cozy....made of nice soft Patton's wool merino yarn. Fits most necks....and now for sale in my Etsy Shop--BOREALIS BEADS.

So if you need to keep your neck warm and cozy or know someone who would just love this, do visit my Esty Shop (click here ) where you can purchase this.
After all, the holiday season is coming up fast--and this would make a lovely gift!

After knitting I added these embroidered flowers for a little embellishment....

this photo (below) shows how the scarf intersects...the narrow part of the scraf is hollow--so one side fits through the other..

I really like how this style of scarf (or scarflet ;-) keeps my neck warm and  cozy without all the bulk of a longer scarf. This scarf is also an easy size to just stuff in your purse or pocket in case you get cold....

KNITTING FOREVER, HOUSEWORK WHENEVER.....

Newborn Sweater and Booties

I love these two colors! knit with nice organic yarn for a Southern California baby girl. This was a fun project using 2 of my fave patterns.

I cannot count my day complete

'till needle, yarn, and hands meet....

Fun Little Bow-tie Scarf

This little scarf was very quick to knit! and I love how it feels....because it is made of a nice soft wool/silk blend. I have ordered some cashmere/wool blends to create a few more of these. Also, making this used less than one skein--so this is a good economical project for some more expensive luxury yarns....
(now guess what I'm making this year for holiday gifts?)  I may even knit some of these to put up for sale in my Etsy shop.

Pretty clever how you knit a tube by dividing the stitches so one side of the scarf fits through....pattern here if you want to try to knit one! Yep--it is from Martha Stewart's online...although this is a old pattern which has been around a longtime--and Martha doesn't mention that fact.

I like that it keeps my neck warm with out the bulky-ness of a longer scarf. Now back to knitting...the next one is light blue and oh! so soft...and I think I may try a little embroidery embellishment on this blue one.

Is it really lost?

If any of you are wondering why I have not posted much here lately--it is not only traveling and moving that has kept me from posting--BUT in all the traveling and moving I have misplaced (or lost???) my camera!!!! and I like to post photos with my musings...hopefully the camera will turn up soon...where do "lost" things go anyway? do the "Borrowers" have them?

Meanwhile here are some images from my archived  photographs....just some photos I took that I like. A little Alaska, a little art/crafts...

this is what I keep telling myself while I job hunt ....

crochet doily rug...with really fat yarn...

socks on 2 needles!  really fun technique....

trail to my sister's cabin in Alaska...I love this image..and I used it as my screensaver for a long time...

 beadwork on vintage hankie....

my cabin in Alaska....

a watercolor design.....for my portfolio....