Recently knitted.

Can you see the woodland creatures in these fingerless gloves? They're sort of subtle.

Owls! :)

This was my first project ever using cables. And it was way less intimidating than I thought it would be. {That seems to be a recurring theme with my knitting lately.}

I used this pattern. I started off with larger needles (because I usually have to do that to get gauge) and a loose bind-on, and after a couple of inches I realized these things were going to be way too huge for my wrist. Plus I was forgetting a stitch in the cable repeats. So I ripped everything out and started over, with a smaller needle and tight bind-on. Much better.

I bought this yarn on our day trip to the mountains this past fall. It's hand-dyed and I'm pretty sure it's handspun, too. It's 100% wool, but it's bulkier and less stretchy than most wool I've used. It feels a bit like I have big green casts on my hands when I'm wearing these, but they sure are warm.

{Also, I'm so proud of the thumb gussets! I've never been quite sure how to "pick up" stitches for the thumbs like patterns always tell you do. But after making socks, I know what they mean now and I no longer have gaping holes at the thumb that I have to go back later and fix.}



I also made this scarf. Apparently one of the Miss Marples wears a scarf like this. This is also from handspun yarn, some that I bought at the folk festival back in the fall. The natural coloring made it knit up in a stripey, ombre look, which is neat. But part of me wishes it had been consistently dark gray. :)

Anyway, I love the way it's made. It stays in place at your neck, but just in case you're having a rare really good hair day, you don't have to pull it over your head like a cowl.

And yay! I finished my first pair of the Woodsy Assocation wristwarmers. These are notable for several reasons.

1) They're badgers! And really adorable! Though I still feel a bit self-conscious wearing them out because I don't want someone to mistake them for skunks with the black and white. Knitted woodland creatures are adorable and all, but not skunks.

2) This was my first knitting project where I actually used the exact yarn the pattern recommends. But mostly just because Hobby Lobby's selection of fingering weight yarn is non-existent.

3) My first duplicate stitches. It was fun because it's basically embroidering on knits.

4) My first real seaming. These are knitted flat in brown rectangles. Then I added the animal face. Then I seamed them up the side. I was careful about seaming them neatly, and as a result they look seamless from the outside. Which was pretty exciting, even though I had to pause Doctor Who in order to concentrate fully. {I was watching the last two episodes of season 3 while knitting these.}

The right badger face looks slightly bigger, for some reason.

Until next time,