Off to Florida!

We are heading off to Florida for a month's vacation in the early morning. This morning we woke up to another 10" of heavy, wet snow and no power. I thought I had shoveled my last shovel full of the white stuff but, alas, Mother Nature had other ideas. We went to bed to pouring rain and woke up to a white surprise. Got it cleaned up by noon, took the plow off the truck and put it away til next year (we hope), loaded the car and are ready to bug out tomorrow. Power came back on, thank goodness, as lots of people are still in the dark. I have enough sock yarn with me to keep me busy for 6 months I think but you can never have too much. Yarn shops in Florida are few and far between so needed to be well supplied. We will see how many pairs I finish in between sightseeing and beach combing!

Mitten Mania

After making multiple pairs of mittens as Christmas gifts, I seem to be stuck on them. They are as bad as socks, habit forming! At least I am using up all the orphan skeins of yarn left over from sweaters and getting a head start on next Christmas. Two pair are from a booklet by "Wool You Order" called "A Year of Mittens" - knit with worsted weight - very heavy and warm. The blue and white ones are "January", the red and white ones are "February".

Two pair are from Mary Ann Stephens, red and green pair is her "Chrysanthemum" mitten done in DK. This pattern is available on her web site at http://twostrands.wordpress.com/. The second pair is her "Camellia" mitten done in Dale Baby Ull and is available at http://www.kidsknits.com/. They are great fun to knit.

Making Progress

After finishing my Monhegan sweater, I realized I had an awfully lot of sweaters and probably should make some for someone else. I cornered my sister one day and she sat down with some of my books and picked out this one. It is the "Polperro Gansey" by Cheryl Oberle in the Jamieson's Shetland Knitting book. She wanted it in a dark teal green - which I had just purchased in Jamieson's DK, color Rosemary. I obtained gauge with Addi size 4 & 6 and am now just starting the second sleeve. It's an easy knit and has been enjoyable.

Back From Monhegan

Picture this - gorgeous sunshine, warm, waves crashing on the shore, 17 knitters on the lawn, M&M's to munch on. What more could one wish for? Hurricane Hanna went through during the first night about midnight with 45 knot winds and pouring rain. I slept through it all! The flag pole on the lawn didn't fare too well and was gone when we walked up to the dining hall for breakfast. But the weather cleared and was beautiful and sunny for the rest of the stay. The whole group vows to return next year. Surf from the hurricane was spectacular, and the sunsets were glorious! We shared the Trailing Yew with a group of artists on retreat with an art teacher. They said we were having much more fun! Cousin Jean and I are ready to make our reservations on Jan.2 for next Sept.

Bressay is progressing very nicely, body finished, neckline done and one sleeve half done. It's a very easy knit. One more bag out of the stash closet! Already planning the next in the line - something with cables - either a cardigan in beige and white or a pullover in blue. That is unless something else catches my eye.

Bressay Jumper

She's on the needles and progressing nicely. The Bressay Jumper from Ann Feitelson's "The Art of Fair Isle Knitting". I'm off to a knitting retreat on Monhegan Island, a small island off the coast of Rockland, Maine, and this was to be the project I started there. As usual, I couldn't wait and once cast on could not put it down, but there should be plenty left to knit by Friday. No electricity in the buildings so will be working by headlamp in the evenings - may be more talking and sipping than knitting - and out in the sunshine during the day ( we hope ). Hurricane Hanna can just go the other way! I'm enjoying this knit ( what's not to enjoy?), directions are very easy to follow and it is going to be the perfect size. I'm using J&S Shetland on 2.75 and 3.25mm needles. Have changed the colors from Turquoise/Sand to a beautiful Sky Blue/White and really like it. The ribbing is not really ribbing at all - it's mostly knit with purl stitches in every other row.

Rocky's Winter Vest

This has to be the easiest garment I have ever knitted! It's from Briggs & Little's "Easy Family Knits" and was probably the most boring knit I ever did. But...............it will be perfect for the cold Maine winters. It is a utility vest made just for warmth. It took just one week and 4.5 skeins of Briggs "Anniversary Twist" worsted, knit on size 8 needles. It was supposed to be made in two pieces but I knit it on a circular needle - no seams, all in one piece, no ribbing to pick up for the armholes and neck. Did a three needle bind-off and had a total of 6 ends to weave in. What could be easier? This would be a great first sweater for a beginning knitter.

Winter Sunset

This pattern has called to me for several years and I finally got to make it. I happened to pick up most of the yarn on EBay, added a few to it and got started. After "Oregon" it was nice to not have to change the pattern and it only uses 5 colors so it went quite quickly. I have to finish up one button band and do the clean-up work and it will be done. I used Jamieson Spindrift and a 3.25 needle. The pattern is in the Jamieson Shetland Knitting book. Colors are Eesit, Shaela, Natural White, Sunset and Bramble. Managed to liberate some Irish Wool from a shop here in Maine this week, it wants to be next, but hubby wants a vest for Winter so that is next. Just plain stockinette stitch on a circular needle in worsted so shouldn't take long - I hope!

Oregon Finished

Finally have a chance to update here, it's been a busy summer. Oregon is finished and my next sweater is almost done so it is about time I put something up on my blog! "Oregon" was a fun knit, I found the pattern easy to follow and it held my interest til finished. I did not enjoy the changing of the pattern from a v-neck to cardi but with help from friend Anne managed to get it done. This was the first time I had done a crocheted steek and I really like the way it looks and the neat finished edge. Will probably never do a machine stitched steek again. Alas, it would not fit when it was done - too small! Have no idea why I knit the small size but the wooly board saved the day - isn't Shetland yarn wonderful? It stretched out just to the right size!