Projects Completed in 2009

In order of completion. Click on the text for related blog posts.

Dori's Chemo Cap (Ravelry page)

Red Better Plastic Bag

Vortex Hat 

Snowflake Illusion Blanket

Sahara

Simple Toe Up Socks

Toy Swirl Ball

Pink Cotton Bibs

Birthday Necklaces

Recycled Wool Mariah

Pedicure Socks

Embellished Plarn Bag

Lime Cotton Socks

Roger Ram Jet

Pencil Sketch Camisole

White Baby Sweater

Pioneer Socks

Pioneer Tshirt

Jack'o'Lantern Bag

Deep V Argyle Vest

Bibs, Bibs, Bibs

Hat-heel Socks

Girl's Pinwheel Cardi

February Fitted Pullover (NaKniSweMo Project)

Christmas Slippers

Vinterblomster Mittens

Red Purl KAL afghan

Review of a Crafty 2009

The end of the year is as good as time as any to look back and see what you've accomplished. I've got a lot of pictures and not much text for you today. (Because let's just say it out loud, I was verbose enough about these projects while I was making them!)

First up: a series of necklaces made with beads from a necklace my father wore:

Next, I've made a lot of sweaters/shirts for myself...

The Sahara by Wendy Bernard:

The Pencil Sketch Camisole by Iris G:

The Deep V Argyle Vest by Eunny Jang:

The Pioneer by kBomb (a Red Purl summer knit-along):

The February Fitted Pullover by Amy Herzog:

Next are a couple projects I started years ago and finally finished this year. (Yeah!)

A baby cardigan by Michele Rose Orne from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2007:

and the Mariah by Jodi Green:

I crocheted a couple of plarn bags, but it was new to add embellishments and purchased handles:

I made a lot of slippers for family Christmas presents this year:

The project also turned into a popular class at Red Purl.

I also started to get into socks this year and made a few:

Finished my Hawaiian Star quilt top:
I got to take it to my first quilt show (the AQS show in Des Moines) and get some advice from Helen Squire on how to quilt it.

And the last big project finished would be the Red Purl knit-along afghan:
Phew!! That's a lot of knitting in a year!

See you next year!

Vinterblomster Mittens

Just in time, I have finished the Vinterblomster mittens! (Spoiler alert is off--if you haven't received them yet, then sorry but you're not getting them.)

I had a stage I went through when I made a lot of gloves, but I don't think I've ever really done mittens. I've found this flat style with a peasant thumb very appealing. And Heidi's bloom pattern is very pretty--hard to resist!

I had the pleasure of giving them to my sister on Saturday. We happened to pick each other's names in the family so it was fun to exchange gifts with each other. (We're both stuck in the same part of the country while the rest of the family is back home in Canada.)

The knitting was done on Thursday (the 24th), so I pushed myself to block them that night.
Setting them up by the heater again, they were dry by morning.
And now that you've seen the "good" sides (top and bottom), I'll show you the inside:
The first thing any self-respecting knitter does to something they admire is to turn it inside out! (It's really funny to see, but it's true.) All the yarn carried across the back helps to make the glove thicker and warmer. There were six stitches in between the vertical stripes which is too far to carry the yarn over. Especially inside a glove where fingers and rings may get caught on long loops. So I had to catch the non-working yarn in between the stripes. I just alternated between doing it after 2, 3, and 4 stitches. (You don't want to do it at the same point on every row or it will show through to the front.)

The pattern was good and charts clear, but I did have one issue with it. There was a leaf left hanging when you pick up the thumb according to the charts.

Project Stats
Started: 28 Nov 09
Finished: 24 Dec 09
Pattern: Vinterblomster Mittens by Heidi Mork (free)
Materials: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, 1 skein each 36nsChocolate ($11) and 630Bittersweet ($11.50)You can see the half leaf in the yellow circle. On the same thumb, you'll notice the pattern of the leaves (alternating from side to side) is interrupted as well. On the other thumb (pictured on right), I fixed both issues. Removed the half leaf and reversed the chart so that the leaf pattern continues smoothly from the back of the thumb onto the body of the mitten. (It wasn't quite worth it to me to go back and fix the first thumb after I noticed the problem.)

I also wanted to show off the outline stitching:

The contrast yarn makes a pretty edge, almost like piping. I'm showing it off because it took some work and care to make it come out right. It flows from the body right onto the thumb, just like it should. Clever designer, that Heidi Mork.

One last look...
Now wave bye-bye because they're off to their new owner and you may never see them again.

One More Remembrance Necklace

I've added one more to the set of remembrance necklaces I made with beads from my dad's hematite necklace. (Details of the others and the story behind the beads here.)

You see, Dad had a niece named after him: Henriette. And although all his nieces were special to him, he indulged himself to spoil her a little more than the others. (He figured that was his job as her namesake!) It didn't hurt that her birthday (today) was only 6 days after his own. He always made sure to visit or at least send a gift if he couldn't see her.

I don't remember if one of my sisters suggested it, or if I thought of it on my own but I thought giving her a necklace along the lines of the ones I made for my sisters would be very nice. She's having a "big" birthday this year too, turning 20.

I'm not quite as familiar with what colours Henriette wears so I went with some pretty neutral beads. Strung some nice chunky ones up front using black tube beads to form the pendant hanger. And then lots of soft tumbled rocks for the back half:
I finished it off with a nice easy toggle clasp.

I hope she likes it!