I’m Knitting As Fast As I Can

Last week, one of DS-16′s friends came to the house to hang out. He saw me knitting a pair of socks and asked the rhetorical question, “Do you knit?” Um, that would be a “yes.”

To make a long story short, I was so enamoured with his seemingly genuine interest in the knitting that I offered to make him a hat in his high school colors. He’s a member of the football team and immediately accepted the offer.

Pattern: Live Dangerously, Don’t Swatch (96 sts)
Yarn: Lamb’s Pride Worsted
Needles: U.S. #8 (5mm)

I worked a tubular cast-off on this hat. Basically I knit the sides until they were just about long enough. Then I worked 4 rnds of 1×1 ribbing but on the last 2 rnds, I knit the knit stitches and just slipped the purl stitches with the yarn held in front. Next, I transferred the knit stitches to one circular needle and the purl stitches to a second circular needle. Then I Kitchenered them together using a very long tail. It makes a stretchy yet firm edge.

Last night, a second of DS’s friend (also a football player) came over for latkes and brisket. The hat was perched on the styrofoam head awaiting photographic documentation.

I caught Friend #2 glancing repeatedly at the hat and he finally said, “Is that the hat you made for M? He told me about it.”
“Yes,” I said, “do you want me to make one for you, too?”
He paused for a minute and then said, “Well, if you teach me how to knit, I can make one for myself.”

He’s coming over tonight for lesson #1.

Teenage boys! You gotta love ‘em!

Tomorrow night is the first night of Hanukkah and I’m scrambling to finish up a couple of projects.

The first is a Bejeweled Scarf I’m knitting from the yarn left over from the Sienna Cardigan I made for my daughter.

Next, I’ve been busily making batch after batch of Peppermint Bark to bring to a party on Saturday night.

This is my favorite holiday treat to make because (1) it’s easy, (2) everyone loves it, and (3) I hate both white chocolate and mint in candy so I’m not tempted to eat any myself.

Finally, a sure-fire sign the holidays are closing in . . . I opened my first present–a pair of hand-knit socks sent to me by Tine:

Are they fabulous or what! She dyed the merino yarn herself.
I wore them to work today and they’re perfect for the ice box they call my office. Thanks again, Tine! My feet were toasty warm all day.

The clever among you correctly guessed that my new wheel is a Kromski Sonata. Because I already own a perfectly nice wheel, I had no intention of purchasing a second until Marcia put the idea of a folding, travel wheel in my head. Then she had the nerve to entice me with the at-that-time-still-unavailable Sonata. So, I did what any fiber-lovin’ soul would do, I ordered one sight unseen. It arrived last week.

I love it.

OK, so it’s not quite a nice as my Schacht, but then again it was only half the price.

The best feature, besides the incredibly easy way it folds up, is that it treadles great. You can start the wheel rotating from a complete stop without a bit of effort.

And it seems to spin and ply great. I’ve managed to spin both a DK weight and, just for grins, a 2-ply that’s more like thread than yarn.

No problems at all.