Happy Birthday Mom!

It was actually my mom's birthday yesterday, but we were so busy festivizing (hehe, I like making up words...) that I didn't get a chance to post anything.

Here's one of her newest pieces:




(copyright Sarah A. Cowling, of course!)

If you'd like to see more of her latest work, please visit her blog Mother of 3, Also Paints. And leave her a comment! She'd be thrilled!!

socks for a sister

herringbone socks, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

So pretty! I want them for myself! Waaah. But the cuff is a bit tight (surprisingly enough... I usually find 64 sts to be more than enough...) so they're going to my sister, who is modeling them here.

As stated last time:

The pattern is Charade with a free download for ravelers.
Yarn is Woolarina sock.
Needles are US 1 DPNs.

Oh well, I have a large-ish ball of leftovers (yay for small feet!) for my sock yarn blanket... so at least I'll be able to enjoy some of the gorgeousness of her yarn in blanket form!

cottage = good knitting time

herringbone sock, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

So here's a project that's been ignored both on the blog and in the ravelry notebook for quite sometime. So long, in fact, that I can't quite remember if I started them in April or May. We're going for May, at least according to ravelry. Oh, and there's a finished one lying around somewhere, but it didn't make it to the cottage so there's no actual picture of it yet. (Read: I'm lazy.)

The pattern is Charade with a free download for ravelers.
Yarn is Woolarina sock.
Needles are US 1 DPNs.

A note: the cuff turned out super tight on the first one... I tried to be a little looser with the cast-on on the second... I can get them on but it's a tight fit and the cuff cuts into my leg a bit. So they're going to my little sister who still possesses stick legs!

FO, just in time!

nana's blanket, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I finished up Nana's lap blanket on Saturday and leave for home on Tuesday (tomorrow!!) am, so that worked up just perfectly!

And the (not the best picture) full blanket:



And then I looked at things like this:



and this:



If you don't know what honfest is, you just ain't bawlmore, hon!

more garter stitch

Nana's 90th bday lap blanket, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Did I tell you I was loving the garter stitch or what?! This one is a present for my grandmother, who turned 90 last month. I got sidetracked by other things but it will be done by the time I head home on Tuesday! I wasn't going to mail a giant, heavy blanket to Canada anyway!

Hope she likes it!

baby blanket

closeup garter stitch, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I made this baby blanket for a very special friend, one that, despite not knowing me in "real life" has been there for me on many difficult occasions. She just had a baby, but it is also a very difficult time of year for her, so I'm glad she got this in time to bring a smile to her face on a difficult day! It makes up for a small fraction of the advice and support she has given me over the past few years.

And the full shot:



It's a basic diagonal garter stitch blanket with 3 yarns (sock weight and therefore washable!!) held together on a 7.5mm needle (no US equivalent). I used mostly the leftovers of sock yarns past, and when one ran out I'd add another.

I had an email on ravelry asking me how it was done, so the basic gist is this: cast on 3. Increase into the first stitch (kf&b) of each row until it's big enough for about 1/2 a baby blanket. Then decrease (k2tog) at the beginning of every row until there are 3 left. Bind-off!

Et voila. A simple but beautiful baby blanket.