Big finishes

I have two major projects finished. The first one was a pair of mittens that really took me to the limit. I learned a lot from this pair and it was a labor of love. However, they are a gift, and even if I don't think the recipient reads this blog I don't want to post a picture here. However, if you have a Ravelry account (which she doesn't), you can check it out there. Hopefully I'll remember to do a proper post after Christmas but let's just say I damn nearly knit 2 pairs of mittens on 2mm (US size 0) needles ;)



I am, however, able to show you another finish. This one was finished this evening at the library, about 15 min before they closed! Those of you (you know who you are) that left early, you didn't get to see the blanket in it's finished glory. The photo is a little consolation for you ;) He he he

This blanket is another labor of love. I started it in April 2008 (not 2 years ago as I claimed at knitting) and have been taking it slowly. It's the April project from EZ's Almanac. I made it with 15 skeins of Lamb's pride bulky in Lemon drop (yellow), prairie goldenrod (yellow-brown variegated) and Persian peacock (blue) on 7mm needles (I don't think there is an US counterpart to that needle size, but it would be 12 or 13 maybe).

I'm so happy it's done and I have this beautiful warm blanket, just in time for winter and happy that today was a holiday (Veterans Day), which gave me extra knitting time as well as special one-on-one with the younger daughter (the older one was at school but the younger one doesn't have school on Wednesdays).

How to get started knitting again.

I didn't really stop knitting. I was just working so much I didn't have energy to knit when I came home and/or I came home from work so late that I went straight to bed.

Twice a year, our sponsor come and see what we have been doing, and it is always very busy right before. But now this is over for the time being.

During this busy time, I'd come across a pattern on Ravelry for slippers that I was dying to make for the girls. The pattern is called Peter Pan Slipper and was really just a diagram of a granny square that turns into these cool slippers.

I had no idea about the gauge or the weight of yarn/size of hook, but I ended up using worsted weight yarn and 5 mm hook. That fit perfectly for both the girls.



Kamilla got red ones but when I was going to make orange ones for Ása Sóley, she revolted. She wanted the slippers but not in orange (I was trying to use yarn I had). We ended up going to the LYS (prjónabúð) and Ása Sóley picked out pink yarn, that was more to her liking. With a little help from her mom she even picked out a yarn that was on a $2 discount.



We came home and I started the pair immediately after the girls went to bed and, voila, I had them ready before I went to bed, or about 3 hours later. These are so fast and easy. The girls love them. We call them their 'Elf slippers' and that's my name for them on Ravelry - Álfaskór (Ravelry link).

Ok, so the title of the post was 'How to get started knitting again' but here I am going on and on about a crochet project. Well, after finishing this quick and easy crochet pattern I was ready to start tackling my more demanding knitting projects again. I have a stranded colorwork mittens on the needles, that are destined for a Christmas packet and I better crank them out soon. The fact that I have to make the third mitten doesn't help. The first mitten was too small. I knit the second one with same size needles, but took care not to have the fabric pucker up too much and it came out much better. So now I have started on the third mitten.

I have other projects calling out for me. But I want to focus on Christmas knitting for now.