Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas with lots of love, light and knitting!

Christmas Ornaments

Almost everyone has left over sock yarn except for some of us who do toe up socks. I find that I still have leftovers because my feet are only a 6.5 and I don't want my socks too high up the calf! So, what to do with all this extra sock yarn? Why not Christmas Ball Ornaments? These cute little ornaments are super easy to make and only take 15 grams of wool! They can be knit using magic loop or double point needles. I knit mine using a 40" circular addi with the magic loop technique. The yarn featured in the photo is Phildar Preface but any sock yarn would work!

The pattern is also easily adjustable: To make a smaller or larger size, continue to increase until you reach the center equator of the ball.  Work 4 rows of knitting and begin decreases. I like to insert the ball into the covering when there are only 3-4 rows left to knit.

The pattern includes written instructions to create your very own Christmas Ball Ornament.

Here are the details:

*Phildar Preface - 1 Ball

Color Shown are: #116 Shanghai

Or:

 *30-40 yards of any sock weight yarn

* 3mm Double Point Needles

or

* 3mm 40" Circular needle (for magic loop technique) 

* Tapestry Needle

Size:

3" Christmas Balls

 

 Enjoy!

Chinook Toque

Warm hats are definitely a great thing this year - we have had a bit of a cold start to this winter season. I've been knitting lots of hats, scarves and cowls just to keep warm. This hat is the sister hat to the Chinook Flap hat - sans ear flaps. I've been enjoying playing with the different colors and seeing how just by changing the background color from light to dark or vice versa, it can make the whole toque look completely different.

The pattern includes a written pattern and two different charts for the color work.

Here are the details:

* Briggs and Little Country Roving - 1 Cake of each color 

 Colors Shown are: Sheep's Grey and Sheep's Brown

Or:

70-90 yards of any bulky weight yarn in 2 colors ( approximately 50-60 yards in main color and 20-30 yards in contrast color)

* 7mm Double Point Needles

or

* 7mm 16" Circular needle and Double Point Needles.

* Tapestry Needle

Sizes:

Child - 18", Small Adult - 20", Large Adult - 22"

Enjoy! 

Smitten with Mittens

Currently I am knitting Coco Knits Smitten as a custom order. I love the idea of these mittens - each person having 1 mitten and then having a heart shaped mitten so that you can hold hands while you are walking. My inner romantic loves this idea and yet I know there is probably only 1 in 1000 men that would actually let you, let alone want to,  to use these mittens on a snowy walk down the country road.

Chinook Flap Hat

Calgary can get very cold in the winter - like minus 40! But then the chinooks come and we warm back up to the positive digits. This hat was designed to keep us cozy while we wait for the next chinook. The Chinook Flap Hat is also a great way of trying out color work for the first time and using up all those pesky scraps of yarn :)

 

The pattern includes a written pattern, a chart for the color work and instructions on how to crochet the trim.

 

Here are the details:

* Briggs and Little Country Roving - 1 Cake of each color 

 Colors Shown are: Sheep's Grey and Sheep's Brown

Or:

70-90 yards of any bulky weight yarn in 2 colors ( approximately 50-60 yards in main color and 20-30 yards in contrast color)
 

* 7mm Double Point Needles
or
* 7mm 16" Circular needle and Double Point Needles.

* Tapestry Needle

Sizes:

Child - 18", Small Adult - 20", Large Adult - 22"

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Thanks to Mark Wayne Wills for the excellent photos!

 

Winter Flower Headband

Sometimes wearing fun accessories makes you feel good and I've always had a love for headbands. Perfect to wear indoors and out.They are also a great way to brighten up any day or attire when the dreary days of winter are upon us :)

This sweet headband is a great way to practice new increases. Pattern has M1L, M1R, M1P. There are instructions on how to create your very own embellished, felted flower.

The flower I made in the photo is made from SMC Wash It & Filz It as I had some left overs (a great way to use those pesky guys up!)

Here are the details:

* Diamond Luxury Collection Inca Touch - 2 Balls, Color Shown is #41 Pearl Grey

Or:

210 yards of any feltable worsted weight yarn

 The pattern includes instructions to create your own felted flower, so make sure that the yarn chosen is feltable.

* Knitting Needles: 5.5mm / US9

*2 Buttons

There are 3 sizes but is very adjustable to any size of head.
Head sizes include 18 (20, 22) inches.

                       

Enjoy!

New Photos!

David's father, Mark, has been visiting for the last week which has been really nice as David hasn't seen his father in quite some time - a perfect birthday present, if I do say so myself! 

I had the day off today and I roped Mark into taking photos of some of my latest knitting projects. We ran all over the countryside taking "wintery" looking photos. Can't wait to show you!