more trip mitts and a year end knit reconciliation

It struck me that a pair of Trip Mitts would be just the thing for a gift I needed to give last week.

There aren't many patterns I feel sure I 'll finish within 2 days. Have to admit, while I was publishing and writing about the Trip Mitts pattern here, I got a jones to knit more of them, just for funs this time.  My eyes lit on a skein of handspun I've been hoarding   saving. I had me a plan.

These are knit in a springy handspun BFL wool  in a denim colorway. The construction suits the lovely handspun colors, and the fit is pretty fab. It was a frenetic few days, last week, so I cast on early in the morning, left them on the table and whenever I had a couple of minutes or was cruising by,  I knit a few rows. Poof, by the end of the evening, the first one was done. I hadn't even thought through the contrast color /yarn for the three needle bindoff finish.

I'm  pretty suggestible when it comes to color. I walked out the front door and saw these last golden leaves fallen on a row of stones on the porch railing. I have goldy yarn leftovers aplenty here. Contrast color solved!

For a hot minute, I considered joining 12 Days of Casting On.  It appeals in that throw caution to the wind, say Yes, go wild, just do it way... but I have a pretty good amount of, let's say, abandon, in my life already.  I'm turning my attention to other projects that I'm pretty psyched about: a partially finished shawl that'll be a gift, and more yarn for a second shawl I'll keep, a lopapeysa  I am twitchy to swatch, and then maybe a lopapeysa for Dave, a partially finished bulky scarf from last winter that's got some appeal again, and I'll confess, I need some new mitts with fingers 'cause you just know it really will turn into winter one of these days.  Zoe's agitating for a new sweater too, and how can I resist that? All worthy and interesting , all knitting I am looking forward to.   

But then I was contemplating the fabulous Noro Silk Garden Solo Trip Mitts that Mason Dixon Knitting Kay Gardiner whisked out...and I thought of a dear friend who I want to gift at the New Years Eve bonfire, and I thought of at least one partial skeins of Noro Sillk Garden in my tote bags of mysterious leftovers,  ...and I know I can knit these Trip Mitts in a couple days, I have proof..so I'm casting on for them last thing tonight, and probably my last cast on for 2015.

Happy New Year to all.  What're your knitting  plans as the year flips over?

trip mitts

Fingerless mitts, knit flat and joined by a 3 needle bindoff in a contrasting color.  Fun, quick, and a perfect distraction from serious pursuits. Also really excellent on a chilly day.  As soon as you complete this entertaining maneuver that is a three needle bindoff, they're done. Boom! Just like that. Trip Mitts.

Available now on Ravelry from me  5$ us 

My list of why you might like the pattern
- if you like to knit flat instead of in the round
- if you always wanted to try a 3 needle bindoff
- if you need a quick gift
- if you hate lots of finishing on a project
- if you need some travel knitting
- if you need a quick little instant gratification knit
- if your hands are cold (had to say that, right?)
- if you like rustic or simple style
- if you happen to have an odd or leftover skein of Dk (or close) yarn around (what? you don't???shutthefrontdoor!)
- if you want a distraction from those attention-needing children family cleaning deadlines knits....

The pattern includes links to written and video tutorials for 3 needle bindoff, if the technique is new to you and you'd like some backup. It's  satisfying to have this trick in your knitting arsenal.  Done on the right side, in a contrast yarn as in the case of these mitts,the three needle bindoff  leaves a neat little stripe as a graphic element that I designed to land offset on each mitt.

I like a loose fitting mitt, so I chose Anzula Oasis, a camel/silk blend that is gorgeous to touch but nicely durable. You can knit these in almost any fiber-- a plied wool will give you more spring and more fit.

And Trip Mitts go well with seawall sitting in the mist, too.

Many thanks to the lovely Sofie for modeling these, to Kirsten Kapur for her help in fine tuning the design and to Ellen Silva of Twinset for tech editing (she's a wizard).  

Hey- if you knit any of these, send me a shout when you put them up on your Ravelry project page- I LOVE seeing what knitters do with patterns. I am SheShootsSheep on Ravelry.

fr makers to makers: the gift idea list

Welcome if you've come over from other Makers to Makers Gift Lists that preceded me. Links at the end. Definitely go click on them- they beat me to many fab gift ideas.  Let's get down to business:

a skein of Dragonfly Fibers yarn in Admiral Benbow

For the Knitters & Knitters Who Stitch on Your List: Obviously a gift certificate to your LYS is always excellent, especially if you are lucky enough to have ones like Knit New Haven or The Yarnery in Minnesota or TheYarnSpot in Maryland in your backyard*. If you can't get there in person, I bet you can call over the phone, and get personal help. Or maybe, like me, your giftee admires indie yarn shops from afar, that she/he can't get to. Or, heaven forbid, you don't have a local yarn store? Why not gift someone with a virtual, yet tangible, visit?
Start with a project or tote bag from the shop of your choice, add  a couple of skeins ofyarn that's particular to the geography, toss in a notion that they'd never treat themselves to and presto changeo--excellent gift.  (Can I also say? Feel free to just take this and mail it to someone who wants to know what to get you. Right?)
A few suggestions for starters:

peeking into Fibre Space in Old Town Alexandria VA

- Fibre Space in Alexandria, VA/Washington DC metro area. Danielle does it up right. Get one of her Knitting Space Girl totes (mine is well-used). One of the delightful aspects of the shop is they have sections dedicated to local yarn companies. I'd recommend a couple of gorgeous skeins from the talented local folks at Dragonfly Fibers like the one up top on this post or others they carry.  Top it off with a pair of little fun scissors or measuring tape.

-Other side of the USA, other Washington - Tolt Yarn & Wool is on my list of LYS to visit, someday.  Until then, their holiday tote bag filled with - well, pretty much anything they sell, you can't go wrong there. Personally, I'd put in a copy of the new book they produced with Kathy Cadigan's black and white  photos, Farm to Needle, and  a Salish Toque Kit, keeping it regional and stylish.

- If your giftee is into sewing and knitting, you must order them a gift bag of goodies from Clementine in Rockland Maine. Leah's shop selection is a sewist's dream come true- flannels, knits, wools, cottons, the best notions, patterns from the indies, dry goods, trims, and when she mails things to you, they are lovingly packaged and wrapped just so. If you need an idea of what to buy, consider some of the projects on her Pinterest board and order the makings for someone crafty. (Or, make it yourself. Do you love the flannel blankets with pompom edging?) She's also the go-to purveyor of Starcroft Yarn, grown, spun and dyed by her mom, Jani Estell.  This yarn, in itself, is never ever a bad choice.

Yarn in a Box Club/Kits !
A few years back, I listed yarn CSA's and Sock Clubs to give as gifts. The Yarn and Fiber CSA's  have all but disappeared. Clubs come and go. Do not use my old lists as a resource,  I'll save you by not linking to them. But never fear, the Yarn Box Kits is here!

a little stack of items knit with Zen Yarn Garden yarns

The purveyors of stunningly dyed yarns, Zen Yarn Garden have a fabulous subscription Zen Knit Box, it's available in shawl boxes or as the blanket club. Or you could get one of each for your giftee.

Another gift series of yarn+pattern, with lots of customization options is YarnBox . Looks delish.

Buy Ready to Wear from an Indie Maker
I truly do not enjoy shopping in big stores,  I'm  better in neighborhood small shops and oooohh baby give me a souk or market with haggling and I am so there (seriously, you probably hate dickering but I totally dig it. Take me to Morocco with you and I'll show you my stuff).  The one kind of shopping I'll go for locally is Pop Up Shops or makers markets and craft shows...but sometimes the timing isn't right. Luckily, we've got online.
Two of my faves, that I shop at
 Peterson Sweater Company - Hand loomed fine gauge knits, beautifully crafted, and excellent fitting. (If you're local, Chelsea's got a pop up shop at The Haven Collective in New Haven CT this month, too).
 

Naturwrk shirts  I know, there are so many places for screened tshirts but these, I can personally testify,  are the very best. First off, they're illustrated and screened by hand in Nashville by an indie artist.  The quality is crazy good- soft, well made and they hold up. I'm on year 4 with mine and they haven't faded or stretched out or fallen apart at the seams.  I'm kind of loving his takeoff on the xmas sweater--and the tea towels (I already have that bee on a shirt, its a summer fave). Full disclsure, the artist behind this is a cousin, but that's just icing on the cake.

And I can't leave off
ex libris anonymous -  book journals--recycled books that are recycled/upcycled into bound blank paper journals.  I love mine so much I can't bring myself to write in them (I know, that's nuts). Shopping their etsy shop is a hoot- it's  fun to legit be judging a book by its cover ;-).

The Mason-Dixon Coloring Book - in case you've been under a rock and haven't witnessed the adult coloring book phenomena this year...now we have one we can call our own. Lots of peeks inside on their blog, and ample linkage to purchase, too. Brilliant!

All around genius with color and design,  Kristin Nicholas has  many great gifts you could give in her online shops, from books and cards ,to embroidery kits to her colorful pottery. Don't wait too long thinking about that last one, it's all going to get snapped up as she refills her etsy shop!

Craft Activism  --Lastly, my book with Joan Tapper, in which we are all about making for a reason--whether you're knitting a group blanket like Fussy Cuts , upcycling and repurposing T-shirts into fabulous dresses with instructions by crispina ffrench, or discovering the granny square for its modern contribution to the world of fashion..and beyond. For makers who enjoy all the media, not just yarn.

Happy gifting! For more ideas, go to some of my maker friends who also participated in this chain of gift ideas, they beat me to many I would have included!
Beverly Army Williams / Po Mo Go Lightly
Mary Lou Egan / Yarnerinas
Cal Patch/ Hodge Podge Farm

* Apologies to all the other wonderful LYS I left off- just included a smattering of those I am in contact with most regularly.

holiday greetings of all kinds

Happy Chanukah (or Hanukah, or Hannukah - you gotta love a holiday that can't be spelled wrong in English). The Festival of Lights is on, now.  We are the house that still has pumpkins on the front porch, and a hand traced turkey drawing on the front door. But step inside and it is full blown winter holiday time. It's hard to focus on All The Things, like work, and making gifts and seeing friends and playing with dreidls and exchanging gifts and lighting candles...and because this weekend we'll have a party, instead of getting up on the food prep,  I have decided to rehab and paint a tiny bathroom that's stuck in 1995. Back when stamping brass painted fish and stars all over the dark purpley-blue walls actually seemed -and looked -cool.  Anyway, come Sunday, I will fry lotsa latkes. We make up our annual per captita potato consumption all in one weekend. And it is oily and delicious.

what I am knitting this week. The L'Arbre hat on the right is finished. The indigo yarn on the left is on the needles, to be a shawl. Yes, I seem to be into that particular color--though the shawl  is a gift.

All the added activity makes my focus fragment into a zillion pieces. Yesterday, I gave myself an hour to choose words for a new years card I was designing. The imagery was no prob. Should words that take long? Yup. It took pretty much all day. I started out looking at other cards,  googling new years wishes and new years toasts and quotes on renewal and...after three many hours, there I was reading every single post on a really sappy Pinterest board. Note to self: in 2016, when you hear a thoughtful  quote, save it to use for your new years card.

Overthink much?? Probably should have gone with this:
Life is really simple but we insist on complicating it.- Confucius

Hope the rest of your week is uncomplicated! To help simplify your gift giving , you can follow this thread of Indie Gift Ideas, starting with my friend Beverly Army Williams at PoMoGo Lightly.
Wednesday (today) is Mary Lou Egan and Thursday will be  Cal Patch of Hodge Podge Farm.  I have Friday, come back and check it out!