2010 Finished Knitting Projects

I learned how to knit in the round in October 2010. It changed my life! Well, my knitting life…it came alive! Since I'd learned to knit as a girl, I had only knitted squares on straight metal, clinky needles. It was sort of fun, but I rarely finished a project. Maybe a scarf or two with fat needles.

Then my work friend Sara showed me some items she had knitted...Bella’s Mittens and Patons Chunky Cabled Socks (from their sock booklet). They were amazing, and I thought how fun it would be to give knitted items for Christmas gifts. Sara was very encouraging. She shared her Chunky Cabled Sock Pattern with me and gave me tips on knitting Bella’s Mittens.

My mind went into overdrive. How many pairs of socks could I make before Christmas, less than 3 months away? Surely a pair for the family members on my list. I don’t know if you get this way at Christmas, but I was super ambitious! I ended up at Joann’s with a shopping basket full of different colors of Lion Brand Wool-Ease, and size 8 bamboo dpns. I went home and started work on my first sock.

It’s amazing how much I can accomplish with real determination. Using the illustrations in the booklet, and after much trial and error, I learned how to divide my cast on stitches between 3 needles, join them, and to use a cable needle. What amazing fun this was! I loved the look of the cable. It was like magic, and I was so proud of myself!

There came a time late one night where I was stumped with the “pick up stitches” instructions for the heel. None of the illustrated tips in the booklet made sense to me, and I wanted to call Sara for help so badly. But it was so late, and I didn’t dare. You-Tube to the rescue. Once I saw it on video, it made sense. From then on, You-Tube has been my best friend in learning to knit. I completed half of that first sock in just a couple of days. I was hooked. I continued to work on it every free moment I could steal.

I only knitted one sock. (image that!) I couldn't figure out what “cont in pat” meant in the instructions. I thought it must mean “continue in pattern.” But what was the pattern they wanted me to continue? Surely the cable. But how? I still needed each stitch in the pattern spelled out for me. So I just finished the sock in the stockinette stitch. Kind of disappointing, but it was the best I could do. It was a good learning experience and gave me the confidence to move on.

I’ve since figured out how to continue the cable pattern for these socks and have made several pair. I love the pattern.

Next, was Bella’s Mittens for my daughter Miss Holly, with what I call the “whale tail” cable (not its real name). She lives in northern Utah where it’s cold, and I wanted them to be warm for her. Sara knit hers with double strands of Berroco Comfort Chunky, and so I followed her lead.

During a lunch hour, I was off to Salt Lake City’s Wool Cabin for my first experience with fine yarn. And oh, what an experience. Such colors! Such textures! Such variety! And all of the knitted examples just fueled my growing addiction for knitting. How had I not discovered how fun knitting could be?

I left the store with my skeins of Comfort Chunky, hardly able to wait to start Bella’s Mittens when I got home that evening. These were a fun and challenging project. I tinked and frogged and didn't give up until I got it right. It took me over 3 weeks to complete them. I love working with Comfort Chunky. It’s such a great yarn that works up so quickly. I love the definition in the stitches. Cables look amazing in this yarn.

Oh! Get this. About half-way through the first mitten, Sara asked me if I had a stitch counter. What’s that? You NEED a stitch counter, she said! I’d been making tick marks for each row on my pattern. My stitch counter is my best friend now. 

Being totally hooked (and determined), by Christmas I had knitted items for all of my immediate family members. Here are some of the items. Horrible photos, sorry (all throughout this page). I was using my little point-and-shoot didge (rhymes with fridge) back then. (I have since upgraded to a delightful Nikon SLR...sweetness!).

I want to show off the mittens I made for Miss Becky who lives in Georgia where it doesn’t get that cold for very long. She asked for the pop-top mittens, and I’d made some for my son, but they had turned out huger than huge. And I wasn’t experienced enough to alter the pattern to fit her hand. So instead I made Lofty Wool Cable Mittens out of my fav Comfort Chunky, but with a single strand this time. These turned out so soft and beautiful and touchable! Divine cables...such a great pattern.

Now Miss Holly has the knitting bug and is learning to knit mittens with this pattern and is having fun and doing amazing!

My first attempt at changing colors was with the little mitts I knitted for my 4-year old grandson Little Man Asher. Again, with my fav Comfort Chunky (just can’t get enough of it). By the time I made these, I was experienced enough to be able to write the pattern myself. Imagine that! My first pattern (below)! 

Note: The thumb turned out kind of fat, as you might notice in the photos, so I adjusted this pattern. Instead of using 13 thumb stitches, I reduced it to 11 stitches.)

Asher’s Mittens

Yarn: Berroco Comfort Chunky, brown and blue.

Needles: Size 6 dpns.

Gauge: About 4.5 stitches per inch.

Brown

Cast on 28 loosely, divide on dpns and join.

Row 1-3: K2, P2 around (ribbing)

Blue

Row 4-7: K2, P2 around (ribbing)

Brown

Row 8-11: K2, P2 around (ribbing)

Blue

Row 12-15: Knit

Brown

Row 16-18: Knit

Row 19: K1, M1, K3, M1, knit to end

Blue

Row 20: K1, M1, K5, M1, knit to end

Row 21: K1, M1, K7, M1, knit to end

Row 22: K1, M1, K9, M1, knit to end

Row 23: Knit

Brown

Row 24: K1, slip 11 stitches to holder. Cast on 3 stitches using backward loop method. Knit to end.

Row 25-27: Knit

Blue

Row 28-31: Knit

Brown

Row 32-35: Knit

Blue

Row 36-39: Knit

Brown

Row 40-43: Knit

Blue

Row 44: *K1, K2tog. Repeat from * to end.

Row 45: Knit

Row 46: K2 tog to end.

Row 47: K2 tog to end.

Row 48: Cut yarn and threat end onto tapestry needle. Draw yarn through remaining stitches, pull through center tip of mitten inside, and secure end to inside of mitten.

Thumb

Brown

Row 1: Divide 11 stitches on holder onto 3 dpns. Knit, pick up 3 stitches from hand, at inside of thumb.

Row 2: Knit to last 5ish stitches, K2tog x 3ish.

Row 3: Knit to last 4ish stitches, K2 tog x 2ish (or x1 until 10 stitches remain)

Rows 4-10: Knit

Row 11: K2tog until 3ish left. Finish (same as Row 48)

~*~

Evenutally, I made matching socks and a hat. And it wasn’t until I finished the second sock, that I realized I had made fatter stripes than the first sock. So they don’t perfectly match, but there was no starting over this time.

The patterns for these are a mixture from several patterns. Going forward, I’ll be better at capturing my customizations, rather than going from memory (so both socks will match!).

Another pattern that turned out fabulous was the Turn A Square Striped Beanie I made this out of a warm chunky wool for The Robster.

Here are the pop-top huge mittens I made him. Good thing he has huge hands, so they fit! I made them with Lion Brand Wool-Ease. I love that Rob wears them. I can tell because they've softened up. It makes it so worthwhile!

 

Here are two more items I finished in the first few weeks of January, but I’ll lop them into the 2010 projects. This is the Chunky Kids Dragon Hat I made for my niece's birthday.

And this fun hat I made for my nephew. The pattern is somewhere in my knitting. Who knows?

The downfall to knitting is that knitting is sitting, and sitting promotes fanny spread. After 4 months of knitting, my clothes are snug. Dang! My 2011 resolution is to exercise before knitting (there’s a great blog with that name on my list). So before I can sit to knit at night, I have to get in 30 minutes of sweaty exercise. It’s my rule.

So there you have it. From beginning knitter to intermediate knitter (rough estimation...time will tell) in 4 months. I have no idea how many knitting hours I’ve put in. Before Christmas, when I was trying to get all my gift projects completed, every spare moment was dedicated to the sticks. I don’t know if everyone was as pleased with my projects as I was, but that’s okay. I will knit forever and enjoy every moment. Do you think there will be knitting in heaven? I do!  ~CJ~