First TFA hat in progress

I'm pretty sure that my big brother Luke would really appreciate a hand knit hat for Christmas this year. And not just any hat. A one of a kind Tanis Fiber Arts hat that was designed just for him. So, with task in hand I set out to make him something special. So far so good, I came away with a decent prototype that, though too small and not the right colourway for him, will be perfect in it's next incarnation. This is the test version:

Knit in TFA Green Label Aran in the Shadow colourway I think there's just a bit too much variation in colour to really highlight the cables. The cables were obviously inspired by this sweater, knit earlier this year: ( I have no idea why this is writing like this, it's not intentional)

I'm happy with how it's coming together, I even think I did a good job hiding the decreases in the cable pattern at the top of the hat. I think I'll put the pattern up as a free download when it's all said and done. I'm also feeling nostalgic about these cables lately:

I really loved knitting this vest, but have only worn it once... it's too big for me and just really not my style. I tried giving it to my sister, but I think it's now sitting in my mom's basement... I may give it another chance soon, or at least reclaim the yarn. The diamond cable pattern is really pretty though!

In other Christmas knitting news, here's a sneak peek at something else I've just finished. It's a surprise for someone who doesn't read my blog. I think I love it!

Prett yarn, pretty colours

This morning I was playing around with colour combo's. I lined up my yarn in a tons of schemes, then because I was so excited by all my colour options I snapped a photo of a couple of them:

The top row is my blue and purples, the types of colours that I always gravitate towards. The middle row are colours that I rarely think of immediately, a little safer, more livable colours, but I'm really liking them all together! Earthy and rich, a bit jewel toned, very pretty. And the bottom row is my tried and true bright rainbow. I'm supposed to be an adult, but I still love rainbows!

Lining them all up like this really inspired me to want to knit with colour! With lots of colour! After I get my Christmas knitting done, I have to start working with these combo's!

Sock yarn stash

I think I have a lot of yarn. I know my boyfriend thinks I have a lot of yarn. But when I broke it down earlier last week and took inventory of my sock yarn stash, I realized that I don't have nearly as much as I thought. The thing is, I dye my own yarn right? So although I have literally an unlimited supply of sock yarn in my apartment at any given time, I don't consider that to be stash because it's my stock, and is always being sold and then replenished. And I guess that because I don't consider the couple hundred skeins of stock that I always have handy as "stash", even though I knit from it whenever I feel like it, which is almost always, I've managed to convince myself that my actual stash is quite minimal. So, here it is:

From the top left, the 2 big skeins are Dream in Colour Smooshy in Deep Seaflower, and my own hand dyed (from before the days of TFA) in an experimental red. The 5 skeins next on the right were also experiments, but those are 50g skeins, so they will be matched up for a couple pairs of striped socks. On the bottom right we have 4 skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight. The one that's already in a ball is Lucy, then from right to left it's Gypsum, Seastone and Moody Blues. I love these colours, at least I love them in the skeins, but find that the 100% wool content lake for poor lasting socks... I recently had my favorite pair get a massive whole in the bottom after not nearly enough wear, so I don't think I'll be making socks with those 4 skeins, I'll have to come up with a new plan for them. Bottom left are 3 recent purchases from Webs: Regia Canyon Color in 2804 (the one with the pink stripe) and 2805 (the more blue one, and On Linesupersocke in 1060. And on top of those there is one ball of Trekking xxl in #71, and 2 balls of Meilenweit Mega Boots Stretch in #710 and #704. 

This is pretty much an accurate representation of my sock yarn stash, there are a couple other odd balls in there, but for the most part that's it. Just enough to keep me busy for a little while (or a long while). The best part is, it all fits in this tidy little box:

I don't think I'm going to bother going under the day-bed to unearth the non sock-yarn stash today, I may leave that to another post, it's a little less tidy, and very much not in one little box... 

I have a new pair of socks, a hat, and a shawl to show off, but I'll save them for another day.

Peace Vince!

xox Tan

One extra picture

Yesterday when I posted about my first baby Surprise Jacket, I was having technical difficulties and couldn't upload this last picture. I like this pic because my socks match the sweater... duh, the sweater was knit with the leftover's from these socks plus the blue on the ground. Lovely.

Baby Surprise Jacket

I don't know why I've waited so long to blog about this project, it's been done for well over a month now! And I love it! You'd think that would be enough motivation to get it blogged promptly. Anyways, here it is, my first Baby Surprise Jacket. I knit it using leftover sock yarn. knit on 3.25mm needles. It's teensy, but it's adorable.

I combined 2 leftover skeins of sock yarn, Kaffe Fassett for Regia in Storm, and my own Blue Label Fingering weight yarn in lagoon. I'm really pleased with how the colours coordinate.  just sort of knit a little bit with one, then switched to the other, no rhyme or reason behind the placement. it was my first BSJ, so I couldn't plan the stripes seeing as how the whole thing just looked like a blob until the very end.

The pattern is totally ingenious. I'll definitely be knitting more of these little lovelies, but the next time, I think I'll up needle sizes to 3.5mm or 3.75mm, this one is pretty small, but it's so cute that even if it only fits the recipient for a month, or not at all and ends up being a dolls sweater, it'll still have been worth it.

Here's the required shot of the thing before it's folded origami style and seamed up into an actually sweater, sorry for the bad lighting, it was night and I couldn't wait to seam it up so I just took a picture of it with the flash... bad shot, but you get the idea.

She does look good in red!

Remember back when I knit Stella her first sweater? It was very cute and I was proud of myself for fitting her very curvy body. But I thought that she needed something a little bit more special, something less grey and more red! So, here she is in her new red sweater! And I think she looks very pretty.

The yarn is my new aran weight in the Royal Flush Colourway. I'm very happy with the result, both with the pattern and the yarn. It fits her much better than the first one. The first was really just the prototype, now I've got the formula down pat. This red version has a nice big turtleneck to cover her long neck, and is significantly longer in the body, it actually curves over her bum to cover her hips and is really nice and warm. 

I put a cable down the back, and I love this cable. I only wish that I had put some little border cables down either side of the center braid, I think it would have been nicer and more finished looking. But Stella doesn't seem to mind.

I've also completed my first pair of monkey's! I turned this:

into these:

I really like these socks and think that the pattern is very simple yet clever. But I can't help but feel like it's waisted on a multicoloured yarn. You can barely see the cool geometric lace pattern. I'm almost done my second pair of monkey's, this pair is being knit with my tonal yarn, and I think I'm liking the results much more. Hopefully I'll have them done by the weekend.