They're done!! I completed my fair isle gauntlet mitts in 4 days flat..... which is a HUGE accomplishment for me haha :-) It was such a simple pattern, I think I'll make some for my 'lil sister. I used the following fibers: Gray mohair, white mohair, French Angora rabbit, black Icelandic ewe. They're WICKED warm and too comfortable. I may shorten up the gauntlet if I make a pair for someone else, but I like the long ribbed gauntlet-----I typically wear a wool sweater outside, so the big mitts really keep my arms/hands warm.

Sean's hoodie is pissing me off again...... it's working its way back to the bottom of my knitting basket. The entire sweater is complete, however, I purchased the wrong zipper for the front so now it's just sitting up in the loft on my sewing machine. We're snowed in right now, so FAT CHANCE of me making it to the store for a new zipper anytime soon...... that's what happens when you take 4 kids to the sewing shop (I couldn't concentrate for ANYTHING). I started this sweater a heckuva long time ago (and have since lost the pattern) so I'm kinda makin' it up as I go. I'm not overly pleased with the ribbing around the hood, but it'll work. The darn thing is curling so bad at the front opening, I'm not sure if the zipper is going to look right..... RIBBIT, RIBBIT.... I hear a frog.

Welp, mom's head hugger is finished... I sure hope she doesn't have to use it. We bought her a wig just in case the chemo/rad treatments zap her hair. The pattern is *super* simple and you could easily crank one out in a few hours.

Well....you should get a load of this wonderful seam.... I'll NOT post a pic! Horrible looking >:( It pays to do a little research b4 you start knitting. Come to find out, Fair Isle is typically knitted in the round with a couple of little tricks for matchup: Jogless Color Knitting. This tip satisfies the 'type A' in me, however, I'M NOT RIPPING DOWN...... I refuse. I'll 'rig' the seam til it satisfies me. In addition, I'm told that Fair Isle is knitted in a tube...... no accomodations for sleeves. You simply CUT (haha) a place for the sleeves and then onward 'ho'. I don't think so---that sounds dangerous. I'll be the more 'progressive' fair isle knitter and leave the scissors in my knitting basket.


I'm avoiding the neckline of this sweater. It scares me. To seed stitch, or not to seed stitch..... that is the question. I truly hate necklines. Necklines are the part of the project that, if done incorrectly, can make the sweater scream 'HOMEMADE by someone that doesn't know what they're doing' (not that I ever know what I'm doing). Case in point: Ryan's sweater, I love the sweater, but the neckline stinks.

OH YAY :-D----knitting with silk hankies is such a wonderful experience when you have sandpaper hands. This will be my modest attempt at describing how to knit with silk hankies.


First off: PUT LOTION ON YOUR HANDS. If you have dry hands and try to spin or knit with silk, you'll end up with a hairball mess! I bought my hankies at a fiber show awhile back and I stuffed them in the bottom of one of my many roving bins until I mustered enough courage to try this.




Silk hankies look just like a pile of hankies when you get them. You need to pull them apart (gently) as you use them. Once you've completed this MONUMENTAL task, you will draft your roving. Punch a hole with your thumb in the center of the hankie. Then, insert your other thumb and PUUUULLLL the hankie until you have roving of the desired thickness.

I bought some beautiful Merino variegated roving from the Blackhawk Spin In this year and decided to use it for Lyndsay's sweater. Yes, I spun another 2-ply bulk yarn. Knitting goes much quicker for me with bulk yarns (too many sweaters to make :-). I used a seed stitch pattern on the bottom and will duplicate that on the sleeves and possibly the neck. The sweater will have drop shoulders.

Finished Product

Here's a comparison of the fair isle pattern next to the actual.... I modified it a bit to suit the sweater. I used a red line as a 'separator' in order to reverse the pattern colors.

Grrrrrr....... that darn hoodie is going to find it's way back into a ball of yarn !! I started it about a year ago and lost the pattern. All I have left to finish is one sleeve and some ribbing.... easy enuff, right? WELL..... I began knitting from the cuff up and screwed the whole thing up. I stuffed it back into my knitting stash and that's where it's going to stay until I can stand to look at it again.


On a brighter note, I've finished Ryan's sweater and he was able to wear it to his ice skating get together (he looked handsome for Hannah). It's such a simple pattern and that's exactly what I need right now. I'm 'cyphering' out how to use the same pattern for Lyndsay but on a bigger needle with thicker yarn . I spun some oversize variegated wool top-----wool top, what's with that?? What kind of wool?? Nope, doesn't say what kind of sheep, only that it's WOOL TOP. Alrighty then, it's just an amalgamation of wool that's had the holy crap processed out of it ?? At any rate, I'm going to do the same reverse fair isle with a snowflake pattern. I'm just a little concerned about the bulk of it all.... that bulk yarn can make some sweaters look sloppy. I spun up some bulk Icelandic Lopi from one of my older sheep to go along with the WOOL TOP :-) Call me anal, I like to know the breed of animal I'm spinning :-)