Freebie Friday- Abree's Knot, Stranded Tam

Confession time: I don't swatch for the Freebie Patterns. Most of them are small enough that by the time I got done with a swatch, I'd nearly have the item finished. And often these projects are actual swatches for larger patterns- either I'm testing out yarn, stitch patterns, pattern sizes, or some combo of those for more *official* patterns. Most of the time, they come out exactly as I envisioned.

Most of the time.

This time, I wanted to do a stranded child-size tam (I needed another for a small friend's Christmas present), and I already knew the gauge, general pattern measurements and I had a chart that I was itching to try. So I chose a pair of leftover sock yarns from the stash- a Confetti Self-Patterning, and Knit Picks Essential in the solid burgundy (I didn't have enough black yarn, which was my first choice). As you can see, the colors contrasted highly, which is the most important issue when pairing self-patterning yarns with solid yarns for stranded knitting. I thought there would be enough contrast for the patterning to show well.

I was wrong.

I love this tam pattern, but I sure wish that intricate knot pattern showed up better. If I knit it again, I'll use either black or white as the MC. Or I'll use 2 solid colors.

Anyway, enjoy.

Click on pattern page to enlarge, right click to save as a jpg. Print from any graphics program.

I should probably start worrying...

This is the 5th Selbuvotter pattern I've done in a pretty short period of time. I think that might qualify as an obsession. On the other hand, it's my first pair of gloves from the book, and I haven't knit a pair of gloves for a couple of months. And I'm using up stash yarns, which is always A Good Thing. So no anxiety needed. Right?

This is Annemor #15. The yarn is hand-dyed from Fearless Fibers. The colors in person are more pastel than my scans- the peach/coral is a lovely light color, and the gray/charcoal/black is more mottled than it looks in this pic. I've had it on hand for quite awhile- it's beautiful yarn (Merino superwash sock yarn), but it's too fine for most of my preferred sock patterns. It's even a little fine for these gloves on size 2 needles (there's no extra room for dropping down a needle size) but I think it'll all come out okay. If they end up too small for me, I'll put them away for next Christmas (most of this Christmas is already taken care of, hand-knitwise).

P.S. My join between the fingers in the left-side scan shows that I need to work on the joins between the fingers. It looks a tad messy there (though it's not as obvious when the glove is on the hand, which is where it was when I darned the gaps.)

Thursday Tab- #176 Stephens Triplet Dolls

My reference book has no date for #176, Stephens Triplet Dolls, but my guess would be late 40's (judging by the style, and the similarity to other Stephens' publications from that time). This is an interesting set- you can leave the dolls *connected* and play with them that way, or you can cut them out and have all 12 separate.

Click on image to enlarge, right click to save as a jpg. Print from any graphics program, clothes on plain paper, dolls on card stock.

Spiderboy, Spiderboy, does whatever a Spiderboy does

(and if you're not a Simpsons fan, that won't make any sense at all)





Anyway, the We Call Him Spidey Hat (from Pumpkinknits) came out exactly the way I hoped. I used Knit Picks Palette yarn, so it's a bit smaller than the given size (which is fine, my grandson is 3), and I didn't line it (I knitted a facing instead). With Pumpkinmama's permission, I am going to adapt her hat chart to mittens. And she has given me her permission to upload the mitten chart when I get them done (that will probably be next Friday's Freebie pattern- if I get them done, that is).

So, next up: Spidervotter

(See earlier post to find links to the hat pattern and chart)

Spiderboy

I thought I was going to have to make up a Spiderman design for my Spidey-obsessed grandson but I found this:

http://pumpkinknits.blogspot.com/2007/10/we-call-him-spidey.html#links

Which also had this:

http://pumpkinknits.blogspot.com/2007/10/spidey-chart.html

So I cast on this (with my undying thanks for Pumpkinmama at Pumpkinknits for sharing the design):

right after I finished these:

NHM #12- one down, one to go

I have one NHM #12 finished (it helps that I'm knitting mittens for children- they do go a lot faster). If I hadn't knit 3 other Selbuvotter patterns already, I wouldn't have known what the author, Terri Shea, meant when she said that these mittens weren't like the rest. But she's right- the thumb construction and palm is totally different from any other mittens in the book. I worked the chart exactly on the palm, and though it's historically accurate, it looks like I made several mistakes. Ah well, the 6 year old who is going to get these isn't going to inspect them, or worry about that blank green section under the thumb.

I was a bit confused by the pattern though- the sample picture in the book doesn't match the instructions (there are more rib stripes in the written instructions than shown in the picture), or the chart (which has another entire flower/snowflake motif) and instructions aren't given for multiple sizes. These differences weren't listed on the errata page on the Selbuvotter site. Neither is a big deal, and adjusting the length of a mitten is something almost everyone who knits mittens has to do, but it did surprise me.

My thumb patterning lined up on this mitten, but not as photogenically as the last pair, so no pics... heh... I'm almost done with the cuff on the mate, so finishing the pair is my goal today.

Stats: Knit Picks Palette yarns, size 2 needles

After these, I need to design/work out some sort of Spiderman mittens for my 3 year old grandson (who would not be impressed with snowflakes and flowers).

Oh, and I finished the Neverending Sweater. It turned out gorgeous- I'll post a pic after Christmas (since it's a gift).

Not gonna do it annemor...

Make really bad puns, that is.

I fully intend to continue knitting Selbuvotter mittens.

These are NHM #12, and they're destined for my other 6 year old granddaughter. They're a little different from the other Selbu mittens in Selbuvotter, but very pretty.

The mittens, as shown in the book, are different from the chart (the chart has another entire flower/snowflake repeat and the picture only has the bottom of the upper flower- since I'm making these for a child, my mittens will look more like the picture than the chart.

Selbu Obsession

This is the 3rd pair of Selbuvotter mittens that I've made. I don't think I've ever knit 3 patterns from a single book in a row before. But these mittens are so gorgeous and I have several more people on my Christmas list who are getting mittens (or maybe gloves), so I can indulge in this obsession.

So far, I've used Knit Picks Palette yarns. They knit up a bit smaller than the given gauges, so my mittens have all been tighter and smaller than the book, but they're okay for the recipients. While I love the black and white traditional colors, I'm low on black yarn right now- and besides which, I like mixing up the colors.

These are Annemor #2. I shortened the mitten by about 1 1/2" (my 6 year old granddaughter wouldn't want all that empty flapping at the end of her hand), and I shortened the thumb by 1 repeat.

And finally, on the 5th mitten, I got the hang of picking up the thumb stitches so that the patterns match. I needed to get that technique figured out before I tackle gloves.

Magic 28 #11

Looks like I'm going to complete that *12 pairs by Christmas* vow that I made when I joined Magic 28. This is pair #11 (cuffs Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, the rest leftover yarn from my friend Betty Clay- the same yarn I used for the Niblet Socks). The first 5 pairs went to Afghans for Afghans. The last 7 are going to CIC (Children in Common- to be sent to Russian orphanages).

My next charity knitting will be Socks for Soldiers, though that's not so much charity, as a big Thank You to our service people.

Freebie Friday will return next week

Things were just too jumbled to get a Freebie Friday pattern up and running this week. But next week, I promise. And to hold you until then, here's a hint.

For your Turkey Knitting Pleasure

Assorted links to amuse on this lovely Thanksgiving:

Knitted turkey dish cloth
http://www.knittingknonsense.com/turkeycloth.html

turkey hat
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6571282

another turkey hat (one you might actually wear)
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/fiber_arts/54084

a knitting turkey:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katknits/266052366/

a turkey tea cozy:
http://www.catirinabonetdesigns.com/index_files/page0077.htm

felt turkey hats:
http://socknitter.blogspot.com/2007/10/not-knitting-felt-turkey-hats.html

hanging knitted turkey:
http://zarzuelaknitsandcrochets.com/blog/?p=325

turkey baby hat:
http://goingcrafty.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/turkeyhat.pdf

turkey finger puppet:
http://teamknit.blogspot.com/2007/11/gobble-gobble.html

yet another turkey hat:
http://beadwhore.blogspot.com/2007/11/thanksgiving-turkey-hat.html

and a crocheted turkey afghan:
http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/AfghansThrows/WR1043+Crochet+Turkey+Talk+Afghan.htm

felted turkey:
http://mummble-jummble2.blogspot.com/2007/11/felted-thanksgiving-turkey-pattern.html

Thursday Tab on Wednesday- Saalfield #1761 Robin Hood and Maid Marian

Tomorrow is going to be busy, so I thought I'd do the Thursday Tab today. This set is Robin Hood and Maid Marian, #1761 from Saalfield. It's a lovely set, with great costumes. This is one of those very rare sets where the male doll has as many outfits as the female. Not only does Robin have plenty of clothes, they're as interesting and detailed as Marian's.

This book was also published as #2784 and #2748. I don't know if it originally had more clothes or dolls, but the original cover is a little different than mine. It was first published in 1956.

Click on pages to enlarge, right click to save as jog. Print from any graphics program, clothes on plain paper, dolls on card stock.

Can you hear me now?

The 1967 Needle Phone had great reception.

Warm Hands Holiday

I've been knitting fingerless mittens all year for all of the *girls* on my Christmas list, making them from whatever leftover yarn I have around, and tossing them in a sack. I also bought a bunch of those commercial stretchy gloves back in January (when they were 25 cents a pair). This weekend I dug the gloves and mitts out and matched them together, and counted how many I had. Lo and behold- I had enough for everyone on my list (who isn't getting socks). I wear fingerless mittens alone at my computer in the early morning or late night when it's cool in the house, but I wear them with gloves for driving and outside stuff.

Some of these have to be mailed, so I should dig out the wrapping paper and get busy.

Most of the above were knit with leftover sock yarns (fingering weight, superwash for the most part), but some were knit from worsted weight wool. The Pumpkin Mitts and the Yellow Lace ones were Freebie Friday patterns- still posted. The Watermelon mitts were knit from handspun yarn, and the blue/orange Fair Isle mitts are also handspun (from Carole Rasmussen Noble's Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves book).

So adorable

The Annemor #5 mittens from Selbuvotter came out beautifully! They're a lot smaller than I anticipated (they definitely won't fit either of my 6 year old granddaughters) , but I went through all of my gift-mittens and discovered that I needed a small pair for a 4 year old great-niece anyway, so it worked out well. For larger mittens with this chart, I think I'd just use larger needles and heavier yarn, but there are so many beautiful Selbuvotter patterns that I doubt I'll knit the same one twice anyway.

Annemor #5

Yes, I finished the front of the Neverending Sweater, so I allowed myself to cast on another pair of mittens. I chose Annemor #5 (from Selbuvotter), with the intention of making them for one of my 6 year old granddaughters. But now that the main portion of one is finished, I don't think it'll fit either girl. I do have a 4 year old Great Niece (who spent our summer vacation calling me *Uncle Kaffi*) so she might get these. I love the green and purple, and am excited to see how the thumb comes out.

I did modify the pattern just a bit- I could tell immediately that 40 sts wasn't going to be big enough (with Knit Picks Palette yarn), so I cast on 48. And though I know that this pattern is based on actual old mittens, changing the color of the decreases halfway through looked *wrong* to me, so I kept all of the decreases in the MC. And there was a bit of errata on this chart (listed on the website). I'm glad I remembered to check.

I think this chart and pattern would work for the Grandgirls if I used sportweight yarn and size 3 needles.

by the way...

!!!!!

REVISION Freebie Friday- Picot Hem Snowflake Hat

Alert Knitter Debbie pointed out that the pictured hat did not match the chart on the pattern page, and that the gauge would be wrong for the listed length. She is absolutely correct, so here is a revised chart, with 64 rows.

I am very sorry for the error.

This hat was inspried by the snowflake mittens in the book Small Sweaters, by Lise Kolstead and Tone Takle). I knitted it with handspun yarn, but you can substitute heavier fingering weight or lighter sport weight commercial yarns (whatever will give you the right gauge). The hat should fit most ladies (depending on the elasticity of your yarn), but you can make it wider by adding another stitch or two to the vertical borders (there are 6 repeats, 2 more sts per vertical border will add just under an inch to the circumference). If you want the hat longer, you can work more rounds of the lower border before beginning the snowflake.

Click on page to enlarge, right click to save as a jpg.

NHM#9

My first finished Selbuvotter mitten! I love this mitten- stranded knitting is my favorite, and I love intricate patterns. I did have a little trouble with setting up the thumb- figuring out where to begin the front pattern, and centering the back pattern (which you can see from the scan, didn't line up perfectly). I already have the lower border knit on the mate, but I must work on a Christmas sweater today (which I can't show because the recipient peeks at the blog once in awhile).

I'm only uploading the palm (the back of the mitten looks the same as it did in yesterday's posts), and the inside of the thumb.

I'll probably make gloves next, and maybe I'll use more colors. I want to knit them all.

btw- does anyone know how to pronounce Selbuvotter?

Thursday Tab- Merry Mermaids

I wish I had some info about this book, but I don't. The front and back covers were identical, so I only scanned the back (so silly of me. Didn't I know I was going to want to know that stuff from the files alone?), which doesn't carry the publisher info, so I don't even know who produced this book. It's obviously a reprint, since the dolls are numbered 2 and 4 (and there are only 2 dolls in the book). It looks to me like the dolls have been redrawn with 50's style hair, but the clothes are early 40's. My guess is that it's a Saalfield book, but that's just a guess.

Whoever published it, it's lovely.

My paper doll friend Debbie forwarded this scan of the cover of the Merry Mermaids book to upload with the rest of the set. It's nearly identical to the back cover, except for the background colors. As far as I can tell, there is no publisher information on the front cover either.

Thanks to Debbie for the scan!

Click on the images to enlarge, right click to save. Print from any graphics program, clothes on plain paper, covers on card stock.

Carolyn K tells me that Merry Mermaids was published by Reuben H. Lilja. It doesn't seem to be a reprint, but that leaves the mystery of the missing Dolls 1 and 3. Thanks for the info, Carolyn!

More info on this set- Peggy E and Carolyn K say that Merry Mermaids is a reprint of #903 Jaunty Juniors, which was published in 1946. Dolls 2 & 4 from that set were redrawn, but the clothes stayed the same. There is no word on what date Merry Mermaids was printed, but my guess is very early 50's. Thanks Peggy and Carolyn.

And no other accomplishments either...

Well, I did make chili for supper, but otherwise, I've done nothing this afternoon but Selbuvot. And grand mittens these will be. I've finished the hand of the first mitten and will likely get the thumb done tonight. This is a wonderful design- not easy to follow, but not terribly difficult either (I need to enlarge the chart for the right mitten- I think that will help). It looks black and white, but it really is cream and green.

Side note: these will fit me just fine, but there is no extra room in them. If I knit mittens for someone with bigger hands, I'll make the side borders a couple of sts larger (or I'll use bigger yarn and size 3 needles).

No willpower whatsoever

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

This is NHM #9 from Selbuvotter. It's a mitten pattern (though it has been long enough that I have forgotten why I didn't want to knit gloves any more). I wasn't sure I had enough black yarn on hand for the pair, so I'm using Knit Picks Palette Cream and Calypso Heather (a heathered dark green).

So far, so good.

oops-it's Rainforest Heather, not Calypso Heather. Still dark green, though.

Selbuvotter!!!!

I need another distraction like I need a hole in the head, but I've been eyeing those wonderful, amazing, gorgeous Selbuvotter mittens and gloves for awhile, and I succumbed. I ordered Selbuvotter (http://www.selbuvotter.com/book.htm) directly from the author, Terri Shea (it's also available from Knit Picks), and it arrived in no time flat, to complicate my life. This book is amazing- over 30 charted traditional mitten and glove designs, and I want to knit every single one of them. The traditional colors are black and white, but I feel no compunction about colorizing things up. However, my good coat is black, so maybe I will knit a b/w pair. And maybe I will cast on today. Maybe.