Hats, Hands, and Two Sweaters

Ann started this beautiful hat at the November meeting of the Nordic Knitting Club (see the picture where she is trying to count her cast on while we talk!). It is from a Dale of Norway pattern and knit with Baby Uhl. The stranding on the inside is perfect. Shirley and several others are also working on hats that we hope to show next month.

Gloves, mittens and wrist warmers are also proving to be very popular choices this winter for club members. Be sure and look at some of the beautiful finished pairs from our last meeting in the previous post.

Sweaters are being made by the most intrepid of the group. Laura is making an incredible Fair-Isle design using different ends of a long color repeat yarn from Denmark. It is sock-weight yarn, and so is taking awhile to finish, but is beautiful, as you can see from the picture. A beautiful child's Fana sweater is in the works from Kristin, and I hope to have a picture next month of that one.

Dawn is making a small Norwegian design for an 18" doll (see below). For Dawn and Laura - it will be their first garments made with steeking and cutting. The next installment should show the successful outcome of their adventure with scissors and wool!

Nordic Knitting Club meets the last Monday of the month, at River Knits from 7-9, and all knitters who would like to do any type of Nordic knitting are welcome. I will also try to publish updates, at least monthly, on the blog so that you can follow our progress virtually. Nordically yours, Sheryl

(PS - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!)

I'm Knittin' Mittens!

Since I became a knitter, I have wanted a pair of warm, hand knit mittens. The sticking point has been that my coat is a leather-suit-coat-lookin' thing that didn't really suit the obviously hand knit, woolly look I was craving in a mitten. Last month, I bought a proper winter coat that is perfect for wearing with hand knit, woolly mittens. I bought myself a pair of gloves that I knew I would not like, as motivation to cast on some of my dream mittens sooner rather than later. They have bobbles, which do not appeal to me, and they cost $5, so they are falling apart at a rapid pace...


Tonight, I'm casting on some mittens. Let it snow!

We Think Only Knitters Would Understand...

An email exchange, in reverse:

Amanda: You just made me laugh out loud. I can't imagine what people would think if a foot arrived from Thailand.

Heather: I know what you mean...I was just sure it wouldn't be on ebay, but Joe said "Let's try" and just typed "mannequin foot" into a search and a bunch came up. And heads and torsos. And inflatable legs. It was a little freaky. I always have my ebay stuff delivered to me at work, so it was pretty funny when I got a package from Thailand, opened it up and took out a foot.

Amanda: Ah! I'm so jealous! I've always wanted a mannequin foot! Seriously. And a head. Not a hand so much...but a head and a foot sure would be nice sometimes. (Okay...someone who is not a knitter would so not understand this conversation...)

Heather: I'm going to have a shop sample up at RK in the next day or so...if you want to check it out. I used Louet Gems. I even bought a mannequin foot on ebay to use with them...they really need to be stretched out for full view...

And, as a side note...

The angel whose name is Courage is protecting the Francie Sock from Scott Farkus, who is being held back by Johnny Bravo and Hey Arnold. A couple of my staff guys had some time to kill on the day I had the sock and mannequin foot in my office....

"Crazy for Hats" Phase II

Well, the charity knitting group has outdone themselves! In one week, 19 hats for the Cary Home guys have materialized, and 4 more hats for the women at Home With Hope. There was a huge pile in the donation basket, and the picture shows them spread out on the floor, with some details of each one. Many of them continue to be the Thorpe design (pattern hot link is in the previous charity knitting blog entry). And there are lots of other patterns in that pile too. If you need a pattern for one of the hats you see, you can email the blog and we will try to find out where it comes from. The need for boy's hats is pretty well filled at this time, however, the women (all adult ages) continue to need hats and scarves. Machine washable yarn is the best for them, however, you can attach a tag if other care is required.

All of you who have knitted Thorpe hats (not just charity ones), feel free to email the picture to me, and I will put it on the blog. We are going to chronicle Thorpe Mania for awhile. Elizabeth is sending out my email address in her weekly update from the shop. If you don't get her enewsletter from the shop (very useful and important piece of email every week!), be sure and let her know so that she can add your email address to the list.

Some of the ones I have so far include Mary (pictured), who attended Nordic Knitting in her new Noro Iro Thorpe Hat. She is also sporting one of those really cute neck scarves from One Skein, and a coordinating ruffle scarf on the couch that goes with her hat. (I am pretty sure that she also had hand knit socks on!)

Elizabeth (of River Knits) sent pictures of 2 of her kids with their Christmas Thorpe hats and the third picture shows the stranded knitting version, included in the pattern.

Keep happy knitting hats, the weather is perfect for it. Nordically yours, Sheryl

Meet Sigmund!

Congratulations to "Name That Crocheted Weiner Dog" contest winner, Natalie Kanaby! Natalie felt like he screamed "Sigmund...not necessarily Freud"...so his official name will be henceforth Sigmund Notfreud.

Natalie wins the Arizona Colors Crochet Purse Kit seen below. Sigmund and I thank you, Natalie! Enjoy!

Thanks, too, to runner up Racine Kringle, for her very worthy entry: Aardi, Ninja Aardvark, Master of Disguise. Loved it! Racine, you win a ball of sock yarn...

You can pick up your prizes at River Knits...but wait until Friday. :)

Crazy for Hats - Christmas and Charity Knitting

It all started with the sample that Elizabeth has at the shop for the web pattern - "Thorpe". I had made the alien hat and was looking for another similiar pattern for christmas presents and she has this pattern knitted using "Iro" yarn from Noro. It is so great in Iro! Subtle stripes and beautiful colors merge for a very stylish look. (Pink striped ones on the right). I had to use the smallest size since the gauge is a little looser using Iro, but I ended up making 4 hats from Iro for presents - on size 9 needles. They are very cozy, warm and not itchy since that yarn is soft wool and silk. The pattern is very trendy, I see it on Purdue students all over campus and in every catalog that carries winter sport's clothes. The newest baby catalog even has baby versions, and a one year old in a christmas card we received is sporting a fair-isle version! So you can't go wrong, baby or teenager, boy or girl.

While I was making the Iro versions, Elizabeth made more hats using Universal Chunky (self striping) for her son and for the girls at Cary Home. I needed to make some of those too! (Gray striped one below). And then, worsted weight versions (using a different pattern) from Malabrigo (green one above) and Manos. The Universal yarn is washable and dryable, being wool and acrylic mixture and so was perfect for the men on my christmas list (including my husband who begged for one), and for charity knitting. The charity knitting group is now making some for the boys/teenagers at Cary Home and if anyone could contribute a hat, it would be appreciated. But be forewarned, they are addicting. I have now made 8, and there is no end in sight.