Haha! I'm not precisely sure when I last bought yarn, but I can assure you all that my pledge to buy no yarn in 2013 is still unbroken. (Yeah, I know, it's barely out of the first week of the new year ...)
In honor of NaKniMitMo, I am of course knittin' mittens ...
I use a build-your-own-mitten template from a magazine ... Knit-n-Style, I think it is. You start them just the way you start a toe-up sock! I am not fond of their thumb gusset, so I will try to find a different one to use. The pattern is supposed to be a flowering vine, copied from "Ethnic Knitting, Lithuania, Iceland, and Ireland." Yeah, I know ... those three places are geographically nowhere near one another! Anyway, after they're blocked, you'll be able to see the vine.
They're for a co-worker who is retiring this Spring. I'm going to put a ribbed wrist section in, and then a flared cuff.
I am knitting the color-work with both hands. I taught myself to knit right-handed over the Christmas vacation, while I worked on the Citron, and now I can knit ambidextrously! Which makes color-work that much more fun. Just have to watch that the gauge stays the same between hands. (I'm not left handed, I just knit that way because it was easier to learn that way.)
I recently frogged a scarf I knit with Berocco Boboli, and am re-knitting it as an Elizabeth's Diagonal scarf, pattern from "Luxury One-Skein Wonders."
This is a very easy pattern to knit -- and it is interesting to see it on a diagonal.
Finally, to destash my acrylic, I crochet cat mats.
I can't babble on about these enough. Here are three, made in a couple of hours. Four skeins of yarn, and a Q-hook. Cats love these.
Here is an example of a ball that makes one cat mat ... 25 x 30 stitches, roughly. I just set all four skeins up somewhere and wind into a big ball. When I can no longer manage winding it, I stop. It's generally big enough then.
And the people who run cat shelters love to get these. They're washable, durable, and defy kitty-claws.
Georgie Girl and Molly Cat (look at her dainty crossed paws!) remind you to stop by and visit Tamis Amis on Wednesday, for Work-in-Progress Wednesday!
Very nice! I too have many WIP's. I am working on a hat a cowl and a sweater for myself. I wish my dog and kitty would lay together. The closest they get is opposite ends of the couch. LOL Very pretty fur babies!
ReplyDelete(ALL TOGETHER) HI, BETH! 39 days! WOWZER! That's over a month. If I had a chip, I would toss it your way.
ReplyDeleteYour mittens are looking simply wonderful. As for the number of WIPs you're working on.... it seems you may have replaced one addiction with another. :-D
Great looking mittens and well done on not buying any yarn so far this year.
ReplyDeleteEverything looks great! I am so impressed you haven't bought any yarn:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a variety in styles and techniques :) I do like the cat mats, and I'm wondering if I could do something like that to stash-bust. Maybe a floor rug? Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteThose mittens are looking really cool so far!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, you are busy! I made cat mats ages ago. Now I don't think I have any suitable yarn to use. Hmm, must look at stash and see what's leftover. Can't wait to see the mittens.
ReplyDeleteThat diagonal shawl patter is looking very interesting. Might have to explore that one.
ReplyDeleteI say two weeks without buying yarn is an accomplishment. Maybe you need to reward yourself with some...other thing than yarn :-) You have been very productive! Can't wait to see the mitts done!.
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