In which I talk about my reluctance towards end of the year evaluations, WIPs, and the challenges of pattern-writing

The women in my family impressed upon me that you need to take care of all unfinished business before the end of the year. So I remember the days between December 23rd and New Year's Eve as a frantic time, and, honestly, it was stressful and it didn't need to be that crazy. I'm entering 2013 with a full laundry basket (I hope that's not TMI!) and lots of WIPs. And I'm taking a deep breath to say that's OK.

I'm also in the midst of writing up the pattern for this cardigan:

Persephone's Plaits - pattern in progress

The cardigan belongs to a cycle of - so far - mostly sketches that re-tell the story of Demeter and Persephone.

To be honest, I'm find writing it up more challenging than I had anticipated. I also imagined that my project notes were better... clean up your act, past me! But I'm working on it, hoping to make it as clear and enjoyable for my test-knitters as I can. 

The sense of community that Ravelry, Knitty, and other online resources and meeting places have helped to foster is incredible. So much exchange, support, and inspiration! In lieu of a year summary or, worse, WIP finishing, I prefer to thank everyone who's gotten in touch or responded to my messages. Thank you for making knitting more interactive and adventurous for me!

Curious about the WIPs? Here you are:

Summer in a Bag

Summer in a Bag, or my take on Scallop of the Sea by Katie Canavan. I'm proud to say that I've won the pattern in a giveaway on Katie's blog, Under the Red Umbrella. I like the pattern a lot, I'm just taking it slow as new things come up. If you need a cute bag, this one's a great pattern!

Wrzosowisko

Wrzosowisko (Polish for "heath"). Pattern: Dogwood by tincanknits. (I have a tendency to read this as Tin CAT not can - analyze me, please!) Tincanknits had a great pattern giveaway and that's how I got the pattern for this baby blanket. I'm knitting this for my own selfish domestic needs, so this is more like a grown-up lady indulgence blanket, I guess. I'm waiting for more yarn to finish it.

Wintering [worsted]

Wintering, by yours truly, resized for worsted-weight yarn and knit as a gift. More to come on this topic soon.

And, as expected...

Kenzo.

There's also one UFO. One is not enough to take over the Earth so I'll keep mum.

HAPPY NEW KNITTING YEAR, EVERYONE!

Toothy!: a new free pattern

It was right before Christmas, I was pressed for time, but I really wanted to make something for my friends' daughters. Their moms had them about the same time last summer. They hadn't met before and, actually, will probably have no recollection of me as they grow up because I'll be moving in a few months.

... So I thought it would be fun to make them similar toys. If they meet (and they might because I put their moms in touch), they'll each have a nice and somewhat mysterious souvenir of me.

Now, in more practical and less pretend fairy-godmother terms, it meant that I needed a pattern for an easy and huggable toy. I spent some time browsing Ravelry and, actually, finding very many gorgeous toys. But a lot of them involved knitting separate body parts and seaming them later, and I wasn't too keen on that. And time wasn't on my side.

And then I stumbled upon this pattern: Anything Animals by Rachel Borello Carroll, and I thought it was brilliant but decided not to knit it. Instead, I took the angular shape of the toy faces as a starting point for my own simplified bunny, Toothy.

Toothy has munchable ears and later will remind the girls to brush their teeth.
You can get my quick and easy pattern for FREE on Ravelry. It includes links to tutorials for finishing techniques and embroidery stitches that will help you embellish this quickly-made toy.

Enjoy Toothy!

Christmas tree

Some time in late November I had a potentially dangerous brainwave: I would knit all or almost all the tree ornaments. If the tree were bigger, it wouldn't have been a brainwave but merely a masochistic plan, but in this case there were very serious advantages. First of all, we don't have any ornaments. Each year, we'd make up new decorations, which in past years meant basically a lot of chocolates. Secondly, I do have yarns in the stash that were either impulse buys (carrot-colored Cascade 220 Superwash - what was I thinking when I got it?), leftovers in odd quantities, home-dying experiments (just one, again, orange, and I've no clue why), and acrylic from my knitting beginnings. You can see those on the tree and they look really nice, if I may say so myself.

A few close-ups:

There's a lion on top!

Patterns:
Mini Lion by Aine Marriott
Owl Ornaments by Emily Kintigh
Holiday Bird Ornaments by Purl Soho

***
I like Christmas a lot and really appreciate the holiday-related knit-blogging and talking about knitting gifts. Katie from Hoxton Handmade created a great advent calendar by posting on her blog every day - fantastic and practical advice on how to approach Christmas knitting and survive it.

And I'm really grateful to the Yarn Harlot and to Truscaveczka for writing about the significance of the holiday to those of us who observe it while not being Christian.

Great reads from bloggers with a good sense of humor, which is the key to making the most of the holiday season regardless of your beliefs. It's a dark time here in the northern hemisphere and we need some laughs when we lack sunlight.

History repeating

Wool People 4 is out and much as I would like to resist it, I can't. I don't know how Jared Flood does this, but he is able to get fantastic designers together and they contribute incredible designs to his collections. Last year, I couldn't take my eyes off Nancy Bush's Spruce Forest shawl and cast it on as a birthday gift for myself.

C'est moi - headless horseman-style, wearing my Spruce Forest

This winter history might just repeat itself with Olga Buraya-Kefelian's cardigan Kenzo.

Photo from the Wool People 4 lookbook. Original source here.

There is no point trying to resist it, is there?

Propellerheads feat. Shirley Bassey, "History Repeating"

Knitting beyond the end of the world, or, how I changed my mind about knitted skirts

For a long time, knitted skirts seemed to me awfully impractical. The ones I'd seen in my life were all frumpy, so it was difficult for me to imagine that I could ever like one - definitely not knit one myself.

And then, Holla Knits started coming out and Allyson Dykhuizen completely blew my mind with the New Girl skirt. This skirt is unlike any knitted skirt I had ever seen. It has such a flattering shape and POCKETS! Needless to say, I got the pattern, it's in my queue, and I already bought the yarn.

Photo from Holla Knits

In the meantime, I've decided to cast on another knitted skirt. Yes, last night was supposed to be The End of the World according to some sources, so I did two things that I hadn't anticipated:

• swatched for socks (I haven't knit any socks so far and hadn't been too keen on the idea but I got cold)
• cast on for the Yoked Skirt with Pockets - a fantastic FREE pattern

Pattern photo of Yoked Skirt with Pockets by Cynthia Parker

I'm modifying the Yoked Skirt for worsted yarn (the pattern is written for sport weight), lowering the elastic band a little, so that it's not at the waist but a little over the hips. I hope it works out. If not, I'll frog, it's not the end of the... oh, well.

First one, in which I talk about how blogs are like plants

While it may seem more sensible to let go of something you're clearly not too good at, how would you ever learn anything if you consistently followed sensible advice?...

So though a couple of plants faded with no small help of my forgetful tending, and even more blogs perished because of it, I find myself starting again - with blogging, for now.

As my Ravelry project pages begin to bulge with details and detours, and I'm putting down more and more knitting ideas in my sketchbook, I thought it would be a good idea to give blogging another try.

Say hi to my knit cat and watch this space.

Photo by magic-photographer.com