2009.01 — Bamboo socks, made from Crystal Palace Panda Cotton sock yarn on US1 and US3 bamboo and aluminum needles.
I knitted both socks at the same time but on different needles. I would have run out of the color of yarn I was using, but fellow blogger Cathy-Cate of Hither and Yarn came to my rescue with a ball of the same yarn in black. I made some stripes, then switched to black to finish the toes. It blends with the black in the colorway and I like how it turned out. Also, the pooling of the main color yarn made these socks look almost like identical twins. AND they fit my husband, who bought me the yarn and needles on one of his business trips (San Luis Obispo, I think), so we’re both happy with them.
2009.02 — Jill’s Baby Blanket, made from 2 balls of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn in the Pastel Print colorway. US 13 needles to get a lacy look.
Cast this on January 8, finished January 12. Gaah! The pattern is for a garter stitch washcloth with eyelets three stitches in from the edge. It’s sometimes called “Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth.” When I thought about it, I have now used this pattern for Lauren’s shawl, Mom’s blankie, the triangle blanket for Grandma McGraw, and now this. Haven’t used it to make a washcloth yet.
2009.03 — Old School/New School Scarf, made from about 2 balls each of yellow (Plymouth Encore and Ella Rae Amity), medium blue (Plymouth Encore), and navy blue (Plymouth Encore and Ella Rae Amity). Standard tube scarf pattern, in my own color scheme to transition from the Warrior colors to the Golden Eagle colors. For DH, just in time to wear to the Marquette/Georgetown game (Marquette won). Started in October, abandoned before Christmas, picked up again in early January and knit on like blazes until finishing the fringe on January 29.
2009.04 — alpaca headband. After that huge scarf, I really needed a small and comfy project to do. I looked in my stash and found about 50 yards of pink alpaca that DH had brought back from a trip to California. It was from a small farm that also raises Pygora goats. After searched the Ravelry Pattern Database for about an hour, I found the Fall Head Wrap pattern and cast on. It took me three days to knit, including a whole day in which I didn’t knit at all. I got the perfect buttons for it at the Sow’s Ear on Feb. 6 but haven’t sewn them on yet.
2009.05 — Retro Rib #1, pattern from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks (and errata, don’t forget the errata). Yarn is Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in Forget-Me-Not colorway. This pattern was my January selection for the “Personal Sock Club” section, Stash Knit Down 2009 group on Ravelry. Doing the leg seemed to take three eternities. I hope the second one goes more quickly because I really want to move on to me next selection. Which I will call “March.” I had just enough left over to do the next project.
2009.06 — Miter square for Thom’s Afghan project. This is another Ravelry deal, a collection of 4-inch miter squares to make a couple of afghans for a suffering Ravmember. My First Miter Square Ever. I hope I have enough extra sock yarn lying around to make more.
2009.07 — Sock blocker keychain sock. Details to come.
2009.08 — Lavender slipper socks, for Gigi. Details to come.
2009.09 — Logan’s Blanket. Details to come.
2009.10 — Norm’s Scarf — shh! Don’t tell him!
2009.11 — Carolyn’s Scarf — shh! Don’t tell her!
2009.12 — Pinstripe Ten Scarf. This is a sideways scarf in a brown-and-turquoise pinstripe style a la the Tenth Doctor. After you cast on the initial 324 stitches, it’s a quick knit. Really!
2009.13 — Cell phone cozy #1. Details to come.
2009.14 — Cell phone cozy #2. Details to come.
2009.15 — Summer Scarf (Le Nuit).
Made from 2 skeins of (get this) DuPont Radiance acrylic yarn from the thrift store. The pattern is quick and easy and I highly recommend it. You can find it on Ravelry.
2009.16 — Clayton Prayer Shawl
This was just plain garter stitch, with the color pattern intended to pay tribute to my former father-in-law’s service in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Main color is Plymouth Encore in a heathered denim blue — the others are Patons Classic Merino in Natural Mix and Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Dark Rose Heather.
2009.17 — Windmill Dishcloth
Great pattern (again, free via Ravelry though it’s actually hosted on a blog) brought to my attention by SharonT. If you want to try short rows for the first time, this pattern is like taking a workshop. Super easy and without the intimidation factor of “crap I just screwed up my sock.”
2009.18 — Spiral Anniversary socks
This were on hiatus for months because I ran out of yarn 17 yards before the end of Toe Two. Several suggestions were made, but when it came down to it, I wasn’t able to unweave the end from Toe One so I could fix it that way. But while I was looking for a deal on some laceweight, I ran across a little cache of the Very Yarn in the Very Colorway. On Friday I put the project back on the needles, knitted two pattern repeats, packed up and drove home from late night knitting, then picked up the sock again and did the remaining two pattern repeats and the toe, wove in my ends, put on the socks, and wore them to bed. Couldn’t have ended better really.
2009.19 — Paul Newman Square
This was my contribution to Shawn4Equality, who’s collecting squares for blankets to go to Double H Camp. Finished 18 June. Yarn is Caron Simply Soft (left over from Logan’s Blankie) in Red and Dark Country Blue, and the pattern is a basic miter square.
2009.20 — That Noro Sock #1
Cast on June 19 and finished July 6. The less said, possibly the better.
2009.21 — Pinstripe TenScarf II
Cast on June 8, finished July 7, fringed July 11. Used Vanna’s Choice acrylic in Espresso in Sapphire, using the Ravelry pattern written by lilyofshalott. This time I cast on 325 stitches instead of 342. It’s still ten feet long!
Chocolate Sheep 