Thursday, May 29, 2008

ruby slippers

So I planned to knit up these slippers for my Mom and put them in the holiday gift stash, but I'm not sure I can give them away!
Pattern: Plain or Flowery Slippers, by Sarah Hughes
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 wool, poppy, 2 skeins
Needles: US 6 Knit Picks Harmony circs (love the Harmony needles!)

So cute and cozy! I really like the Mission Falls wool. It's one of the best superwash wools I've worked with, and the color selection is fabulous. It's a heavy worsted, much thicker than Cascade 220. It's neither plastic-y (Swish) nor scratchy (Lamb's Pride superwash). These slippers fit my big ol' size 9 feet much better than the pocketbook slippers I knit last fall.

So, do I make these flowery or leave them plain? Any thoughts? In Sarah's original pattern she includes a flower that's very fiddly; she recently wrote up another flower that looks more my speed -- the Simple Knitted Rose and Leaf.
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Speaking of knitting for my mom, Gust is nearly done! I'm knitting it much longer than the pattern calls for. I want Mom to be able to really wrap it around her neck. I'm still loving the yarn -- The Plucky Knitter Merino single ply merino lace. As soon as I bind off (which should be within the next day), I'm sending off the leftovers to Joline as part of brainylady Alison's laceweight leftovers swap.

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More baby knits for the gift stash:
Pattern: February Baby Sweater, by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton, "Hiss," 2.25 skeins
Needles: US 5 bamboo circs

Notes: While my gauge swatch was close, I forgot to take into account how loosely I knit lace. So the finished cardi is a little bit cropped. I'm hesitant to frog back the bottom and add a couple inches, but I probably should.

I followed the pattern very closely this time. Next time I'd put the sleeves on waste yarn and knit the body, then come back and knit the sleeves in the round. EZ doesn't mention the buttonholes until you should have already made a couple. I just went with one button.
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The 5 (more like 9) Hour Baby Sweater now sports a white grosgrain ribbon.

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