Proud Auntie of Knit Worthy Girls!

As many of you know from following the blog I have some very knit worthy girls in my life.  "The Knit Girls" as I call them rock the knit worthiness world!  I knit and they wear everything I knit!  I can seriously attest to their knit worthiness!  I recently received a worn sweater back to be from Knit Girl #1.  This sweater was repaired once last spring as the icord cuff trim was wearing out and this was done at a local yarn shop in Port Townsend.  I got a call saying the elbows had holes and it would be going back tot he yarn shop.  On Friday the sweater arrived here in the village as it was not getting repaired as the person who once was doing the repair work has moved on.  I was thrilled to get the sweater back and to have a serious look at this sweater's wear and tear. 

Knit Girl #1: wears this sweater all the time! I do mean all the time!  Wool will wear in places, the sweater is stained, but I am thrilled. I know this sweater is loved and worn! 

The first job was to assess the worn out bits. Both elbows had holes one more than the other showing that right elbow spends a good deal of time leaning on desk and table tops. The left elbow only has a bit of wear but still, a small hole was present. One pocket had the potential for a disaster, I was able to head that off.  Buttonholes were snugged backup. To help reinforce the elbows, I remembered that EZ (for those who don't know of EZ this would be Elizabeth Zimmermann) had heart shape knit patches she designed for just this purpose.  I dug through all my EZ books and located the pattern in her book the Knitting Workshop a wonderful knitting tool/resource I can highly recommend.

Now one thing you should all know I jokingly call EZ the knitting astrophysicist.  Her brain never ever worked like the rest of us and she was a brilliantly talented designer.  I am continually amazed at her work.  Off I jump into casting on a heart patch . . . right away I am in over my head and knit up a mess!  I quickly go to Ravelry and the Zimmermann's group to see if others had an issue with this little pattern.  Well, of course, I am not alone.  Meg, EZ's daughter, pointed me in the right direction with her reply to another knitter.  I also pulled out the revised Knitting Workshop and saw that Cully had more detailed instructions.  I spent most of yesterday working on heart patches.  Mission accomplished!

Knit Girl #1's Kate Davies' Bláithín sweater is now washed, 98% repaired,  and on the blocking board. All I have left to do is to sew on the elbow patches and send Knit Girl #1 her sweater.

Worn elbow

Small hole

Top photo now repaired

The 1st disaster of a heart patch and off to Ravelry to find a few answers to solve the mystery of an EZ heart!

Using the newer Knitting Workshop and solving the mysteries of the heart patch!

Not blocked or anything but it looks like the hearth patch will work just fine.

Very worn & loved sweater.  I am so thrilled my work is used 110% of the time.

Off for a nice long soak in wool wash.

Hearts blocked and drying.

Washed and blocked . . .

We were just out ont he tundra and last weekend we were skiing right at this spot.  We have had rain, winds, and highs in the upper 30ºF.  A bummer but snow will be back soon enough.  The Nulato Hills south of us are covered in snow!

Miss Tally ready for the ride home! 

Procrastination & STILL . . . WAITING FOR SNOW! Photos--lots!

Here I sit in November which for your non-knitting folks is the month of "Wovember"   and all things wooly are just wonderful.  The world would be even more wonderful if I looked out my window and there was glistening snow covering everything.  There is no snow at all . . . well, I take that back we have had a few flakes after our original snows in October.  All of that snow melted, left, and is GONE!  This weekend we had just a bit of snow, not even a dusting just flakes of snow.  This whole global warming and lack of snow really pisses me off! I wish we would return to a mini-ice age!

Let's start with PROCRASTINATION or should I put this off a bit more hehe Eee!

I am an amazingly great procrastinator!  I have this trait down to a science and I am very productive when I procrastinate.  The project I am procrastinating over is the crochet button band on the sweater posted below.

The girls are ready to head out on the tundra.  You can see something one might try to call snow on the ground.  The village isn't very pretty at this time of the year. Two adults also fit on the MG convertible as I am starting to call the 4-wheeler.

Saturday's walk.  If you look close you will see the stick flying through the air that Tally is in hot pursuit of said stick.

The southern hills in a light blanket of snow.

At about +20ºF and no snow.

Snow in the distance over by the villages of St. Michael's and Stebbins.

Last weekends almond flour orange poppy seed scone---dang good I will add!

One of my procrastination projects.  Christmas stocking for my nephew Giovanni.

Last weekend's beach walk on a stellar day.

Tally a little bummed as she does not have a moose nose to chew on like Sadie!

Nothing like a moose nose for a snack so yummy!

Really, can I take this home, Please!

Another procrastination project--#2!  A functional but ugly dishcloth.  Our dish clothes are in varying degrees of old and worn out.  I am trying to use up stash, more on this later!

This sweater is for my grand niece and I need to get to the button band!  I loved the pocket design as well as the sweater. This, of course, is a Kate Davies design:  Bláithín 

A steek for me is far easier than a button band!

Where's the button band?

I grabbed this off of twitter and I didn't get the site.  I never thought about how the fall equinox is about half from summer to winter.  I knew this but really like this schematic.

Procrastination project # 3.  I have wanted to knit this felted slipper pattern for years.  The button band pushed me right to knitting up a pair of slippers!  It is a very simple design with a bit of engineering tossed into the mix. 

My DH suggested that I use masking tape to label the sections.  This made the construction so easy!

All sections labeled and ready to be sewn together.

Before the washer . . .

Drying away

Don't you just love this one!  Thank goodness for sheep, shepherds, wool, designers, yarn shops, oh the lists goes on . . . Do support your local yarn shops and wool producers!

I will leave you all with this little quote from the Washington Post!  Soon this crazy election will be over!  I know my candidate won't win but will be paving the way for third parties in the future!

I started this post pre-election and am just getting back to it now Nov. 18th.  I certainly don't need to have a tantrum about the election but I would like all of us to make sure that we each fight for what is near and dear to your hearts.  Hold the elected officials accountable . . . for me it is the environment, healthy organic foods, and health care.

Be kind to yourself and others, be a role model in making our world a better place for all!  

Bláithín Sweater # 2

I have a wonderful family that I get to knit for, and they are extremely knit worthy!  They wear everything all the time, send photos, and pass on the compliments they are given about what they are wearing.  My grand niece needs another sweater as she has outgrown her last sweater.  I sent her all kinds of ideas/pattern to choose from but in the end she went with this Kate Davies design.  I have knitted this sweater for myself and I really enjoyed the well thought out design.  I will say this even after I complained about miles of icord the sweater came out great!

A provisional cast on to get things rolling.  Always use a yarn that is in a contrasting color and won't shed into the main yarn you are using.  I am using a worsted weight superwash.

After you get sts on your needles then right away you have to set up for the knit in pockets.  I wasn't to sure about this step all, but once you read, follow, and knit on, the pockets come together spot on perfect!

I almost 99% of the time I start with the sleeves of any sweater for a few reasons.  One is to get them out of the way and more importantly to make sure I have gauge. 

This is inside the sweater.  I picked up my sts that were being held on scrap yarn, once the body was knitted to the correct height.  I knitted the flap that will be sewn down into place.

The inside flap is done being knitted and I am getting those sts on my main body needle.  The sts in the front will be bond off in and icord.  

Pocket is almost done, the inside flap is on my needle with the rest of the body sts. the front part of pocket is on waste yarn being held.

A pocket is born!  All done . . . I love that there is just 2 layers here with a solid pocket knitted into the sweater.

Colors to be used which amazingly came out of my stash!  Harrisville Highland Design Yarn, worsted weight which I love!