Wednesday, April 15, 2015

A Variety of Projects

It seems I can't keep a pair of needles out of my hands for long... with so many patterns available on Ravelry, there are thousands of projects just waiting to be attempted. Here are a few I have accomplished in the past few weeks:

Tea cup cozy:  
Made of pure alpaca, I modified a scarf pattern to knit this sideways. It really DOES keep my hot beverages warmer for longer!


Handspun Dragon:
I was lucky to have won some free fibre last Fall - so I chose sparkly teal / turquoise merino and spun it up into a two-ply yarn.


Then I designed this fella using ideas from various stuffed toys and some of my own ideas - including a wire through his extra-large wings and tail to make them bendable! I also pulled some of the stuffing out his "nostrils" for a smoke effect.



Gallatin scarf:
In Ravelry, there are "Knit A-Longs", where a theme is presented for anyone to play along with - and when you enter your creations using that theme, you are eligible for prizes (often yarn, fibre, patterns or knitting-related merch). This scarf I made in just two days, for a KAL that asked for items in either pink or red! I love this dark Black Cherry colourway.


Handbrake Cowl:
This was designed by a male knitter in the UK who recently underwent treatment for cancer. The pattern was a mere £ 1 with all proceeds going to cancer research. I had some of my deep red yarn left, so I paired it up with "Cracked Pepper" grey to create my cowl. The designer loved it and remarked it reminded him of Hogwarts. Must have been channeling my inner Potter-obsession...


Stripey socks:
My second-ever pair of socks, this time I developed my own "vanilla" sock pattern - a design that I can follow from now on to use for plain socks I know will fit me. The yarn does all the work in the patterning of the stripes - my first use of 'self-striping' yarn (this one from West Yorkshire Spinners) that are so comfy!


More wash cloths:
A great way to learn new stitches, and a break from larger projects, wash cloths are so much fun to do! However, every night when I am sitting in my Studio, watching knitting podcasts and knitting, Sheba often jumps into my lap, butting her way in between me and my knitting. Here she is "modelling" my latest washcloth - which looks more like a cat-shawl. But it DOES bring out her green eyes, doesn't it?


Oh, and I have finally given in and joined Instagram... I have added a widget on my side column, so if you are on, please let me know so I can follow you!


7 comments:

  1. I adore that dragon! What a cutie! You've definitely been a busy camper. I love the idea of the cup cozy. After I pour my coffee in the morning it goes right in the microwave for 30 seconds b/c I need it to stay hot. Despite my efforts, it cools off too fast.

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  2. Wow, Maureen! These are beautiful! Love the little dragon guy :-)

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  3. Maureen, I can't get over what you have accomplished as a "new" knitter. I think it is your calling. The dragon is adorable but I think I like those cozy socks the best!

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  4. Maureen, Good to see a post about you have been up to. You are exercising your creativity with yarn!! Good job. Sylvia D.

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  5. Maureen you are such a natural at knitting. What a sweet dragon, oh and your gorgeous cat yes it certainly brings out the green in her eyes. Your socks look very comfortable too. We are at the beginning of Winter here and we have pulled out all our winter woollies. Plenty of rain her at the moment. Happy knitting! Karen.x

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  6. You are amazing with the way you can create or adapt any pattern to make it your own. Love the sweet dragon.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you were by. I appreciate and read with delight each and every comment!

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