I'm back and knitting something big!!

I'm back!!! I am currently knitting a sweater, my first. My wife has requested a sweater forever and I never had the guts or nerve to attempt it. I got the pattern and yarn (Rowan Cocoon: Misty Blue; 10.5) from Knitscape in Worcester. So far it's been great! Why was I so intimidated? I have already finished the back of the sweater as you see above and am now on one of the sleeves. I will post more pictures as I proceed. I am excited about this project though, and can't wait to show you the finished project!!

Fall Ambiance...

      Hello again. Ah, what a Fall we have had this year! The colors are brighter than ever:

    Vibrant colors surround New England like a blanket.  Our crock pot has been working up some great dinners for us on these cool nights, and how early the sky is getting dark.  Busy days fall on one another, they feel long, and the weeks go by quickly. Raking and planting is in order for this weekend. There is something magical about putting a clove of garlic in the cold earth and having it cultivate all winter into a full bulb of garlic by summer. 

    Now onto my knitting. I finished my kids hats in two days.  Basic ribbed and knit hat with baby alpaca yarn, knit with addi turbo size 10 knitting needles. The yarn is so soft, warm, kind of pricey, yet worth it and they love them.

More projects to come soon! Until then, have some soup to warm the body and get ready for a great Winter!!

Cheers!!

Here we go again...

     Nice to be back blogging about knitting again! After a nice little break and an awesome summer, I feel recharged and ready for some new projects. My kids and I picked up some baby alpaca yarn today at Knitscape for winter hats. They chose the colors and got a tutorial on winding up the yarn from a machine.  The owner there is very personable, yet she doesn't know how to knit, which is fine, she sells a lot of great products.  Here are the yarns I picked up today:

Baby Alpaca: So soft, great for hats! 

     Does anybody else love Fall? I love Fall, the crisp air, leaves changing, pumpkins, apple picking, Octoberfest beer, garlic planting, just the beauty of it all.  Fall for me is like New Year's, I get to start something over again.  Homeschooling my kids started this week, which is always awesome. New goals are set for swimming, and other projects.  Fall is my happiness! 

     So here we go again, I will blog again when their hats are complete!

Cheers!!

April through Sept...knitting off

     So April is here and I haven't done any knitting, which means it must be Spring. I am so happy when Spring comes, I want to be outside playing, gardening, swimming, cycling, not cooped up like I was all winter long.  Knitting to me is seasonal. I will start up this blog again in Oct. with some new projects in mind. Until then have a wonderful Spring and Summer!!

Be Happy!!
 

MARCHing on!!

       

WAM Hat!

       So March has been slow, but I did do a little work.  Worcester Area Masters (WAM) is the adult swimming team that I belong too.  I have been swimming competitively since I was 10 years old, and I still love to compete.  Swimming makes me happy! I made this hat for my upcoming taper/big meet of the season, the meet that I train for all year.  It will keep my head nice and warm on the swimming deck and show a little team spirit too :) This is also the first time I did embroidery with letters, good to experiment once in a while.

 More Bulky Socks!

     I also knit more socks. I redid my wife's socks so they were a better fit and embroidered a heart on hers. My kids also got a pair, they love them.  Now all I need is to make myself some. They are pretty fun to make, my favorite part is shaping the heel, and picking up stitches for the gusset, good stuff!

Good March!

All Aboard...

     OK, maybe a hat a day was a bit ambitious. I think I got up to 10 hats for the month of Feb. and I am happy with that.  
     
     I went to IN. where my family lives for a couple days. I went by train going from MA. taking about 22 hours of first time train experience.   Bumpy, a lot of waiting, and not too much sleep involved, but I did get some great knitting done along the way. 

This was a scarf I made for my Mom.  Well, more like a cowl, that she pins on for neck warmth,  It is cabled and turned out pretty great with a nice vibrant color. Believe me, without knitting on the train, I would have been bored out of my mind. This took a long time to make, but my Mom loves it as you can see...

    So from now on, no more goals for me, just happiness and the true meditation of knitting!

Cheers!

Spiral Cable Hat

     I started this hat a week ago and finished a couple days ago.  I love spirals knits, cable knits, all those loops and twists just speak to me.  
Here is the spiral hat I made out of Plymouth Baby Alpaca:

 It is soooo soft...

This is a gift for someone, not telling who...;)

Cheers!