I loved working with this colour. There’s just something about greens! I’m definitely looking forward to autumn, and this shawl will be perfect for chillier days. The pattern is Gudrun Johnston’s Wast Side Shawl and the yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in Peat Mix. I’m a big fan of Gudrun’s patterns. In fact, this is my second in a row. The shawl is worked from the edging inwards, so once you move to the body you feel like you’re almost done!

Wishing my knitting partner for life a very happy birthday today!

[Photos courtesy of Chris]

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I made these fingerless mitts in thanks for a box of mystery wool. I was the lucky recipient of a box of super bulky yarn and a mix of brightly-coloured fleece. A friend of a friend gave it to me and thinks it may have originated with family in Poland. I think these mitts should make it a fair trade! I’m really happy with how they turned out – delicate and feminine with their buttoned lace cuffs.

The pattern is Veyla by Ysolda Teague and I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in Pitch Black. I love the yarn and I should have enough leftover for another project. Something soft and lightweight!

[Photos courtesy of Chris]

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I started this cardigan way back in September. During the many months between then and now, I came full circle on bottom-up seamless construction.  It was my Moch Cardi, another bottom-up sweater, that turned it all around. I loved the neatness of the underarm seams and how effortless the yoke felt after finishing row upon row of the body. So I picked it back up and finished the sleeves and yoke, and I’m happy I did. I love it – the smocking, the I-cord edging and cuffs, and the Rowan Felted Tweed that I used. The pattern is Ysolda Teague’s Coraline – highly recommended!

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I wanted to make something special for Phil and Aggie’s wedding – something that they could share and cuddle up in. I settled on Jared Flood’s Girasole – a piece of traditional circular lace that can be worked as a blanket or a shawl. It looks much more complicated than it was to knit. The chart sections flew by and the lace was really fun to work. I used Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton & Silk so the blanket would be soft and cozy but not too warm.

What special projects have you made or received as wedding gifts? I have a few more weddings to attend this year and am on the lookout!

[Photos courtesy of Chris]

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When I first started knitting I was more inclined to make up my own patterns. Sometimes they worked out, other times not so much. I was more adventurous in a way, less focused on proficiency and more on experimentation. I had completely forgotten about an early hat I made for my brother, but when I saw him over the Christmas holidays he told me he still wears it. Since I can barely remember making the hat, I figured it was high time to replace it. Or at least add to his collection!

I decided on Jared Flood’s Turn a Square – a toque with raglan decreases and subtle striping. I used Mission Falls 1824 Wool and Noro Silk Garden. The hat takes less than a ball of each, so it could be a great project to use up some of your yarn leftovers.

Here are some other man-friendly patterns I came across in my search for my brother’s birthday hat:

Windschief (Ravelry link) by Stephen West

Golden Autumn (Ravelry link) by Lucy Sweetland

Koolhaas by Jared Flood

Seaman’s Cap by Brenda Zuk

Thorpe (Ravelry link) by Kirsten Kapur

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I had a serious cute attack last weekend at Mokuba, where I picked up the pink ribbon for this cape. There were so many sweet, frilly options! Now that I’ve finally settled on the finishing touches, I’m ready to wrap this up and send it on its way to my friend Kozue and her baby girl Kaede in Kanagawa.

I used Mission Falls 136 Merino, a nice Canadian option, since Kozue and I met while she was studying in Vancouver and Canada has been close to her heart ever since. Her daughter’s name is actually Japanese for maple.

The pattern is another great one from Kristen Rengren’s Vintage Baby Knits. I can hardly wait to see photos of Kaede in the cape – this has to be one of my favourite baby knits so far!

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Gudrun Johnston’s Moch Cardi pattern is a great one. This was my first bottom-up sweater (seamless, yay) and it made for some good travel knitting over the holidays. I used Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label in Stormy; yarn that was originally intended for a February Lady Sweater knitalong. The Lady and I weren’t to be, so I frogged it and used the yarn for this instead. I love this cardi but think I would love it even more in a solid colour. Maybe I’ll just have to make another one!

[Photos courtesy of Chris]

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My cousin (aka The Ginger Ninja) requested a camouflage Woodman’s Cap just like the one I made for her dad. I modified the pattern a bit to accommodate her cute little redhead: I casted on 72 sts and worked K1, P1 rib for three inches (rather than K2, P2).  I worked the decreases as established for the larger version.

We went shopping this afternoon for a flower girl dress for her to wear to my brother’s wedding in the spring.  She asked if she could wear her hockey pants under the dress. She’s definitely more of a hockey gear than dress girl! Regardless, she looked pretty darn cute.

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These little moccasins are technically not my first project of 2010. I think I finished them on Christmas Day after my sister learned that one of her friends had given birth to a baby girl named Olivia. We both got knitting straight away: my sister on one of my favourite baby hats, Cisco; and I on these Baby Mocs by Whitney Van Nes and a pair of Yumiko Sakurai’s Kanoko Pants (Ravelry link). I didn’t get a shot of the pants before my sister packed them so I’ll have to share a photo once Olivia is big enough to model them!

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I’m almost at the end of my holiday knitting, which is good since I leave for Vancouver tomorrow morning! Hints were dropped for a muff, so I decided on a slightly modified version of Cirilia Rose’s Hanne. I’m not sure if it was the stitch pattern or me but I ended up with the wrong stitch count two times. Not a believer in third time lucky, I switched to a similarly shaped stitch from Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns (Powder Puff on pg. 136). It was a fun project to make. There was some assembly required – it’s knit in two separate layers, then padded with batting and secured with running stitches to anchor all three layers.

These are Those Mitts by Leslie Friend. This pattern, along with other great ones (hello, toast and toasty!), is available as a free download in her blog sidebar. I can see why this is her “go-to” pattern for mitts. I love them!

I used Mission Falls 1824 wool in Raven for both the muff and mitts. Can’t get enough!

[Muff photos courtesy of Chris]

[Ravelled Hanne Muff; Ravelled Those Mitts]