Back on the Needles

I'm knitting again - Yay! And I have a few presents for people who don't read my blog that I can show...

This hat is a variation of my top down one-skein hat. The yarn is Swan Island Worsted in Natural Grey and Robin's Egg Blue (a bit that was left over from my Mr. Woodhouse's Scarf). I improvised a Greek Key design around the brim (it's easy) in stranded knitting. I confess I did have to sketch it out at first and then after the first try, I frogged it and made it shorter.



The design is a little odd, because to get the visual effect I wanted, it's not symmetrical. It's 4 stitches high, but on the downward bar its 4 stitches across and on the upward bar its only 3 stitches across. Odd, but I like it a lot. And besides, 4, 3, and 7 are magical numbers so this will be a lucky hat for its recipient!

The other Finished Object is a hooded sweater for the little guy. I do have other sweaters planned for him, but this was quick and fast and I needed that right now - and he needs sweaters!! The sweaters I made for him a few months ago are now two inches up his arm! He's growing so fast, the little deer. (Hmmm.... maybe I should make a deer sweater....)

I'm calling this the Jungle Sweater because it features some incredible handmade buttons that my friend Marky in Australia sent to me:





I have one button from the series left, that I'm saving for another design that's percolating in my little brain.

Currently on the needles is a silk and cashmere neck scarf for my bf's mother: the Oslo Walk Shawl from the recent Winter Interweave Knits. The yarn is a skein I got at the Sheep and Wool fair two years ago specifically for her. My plan was to use it with Ball & Skein's Beach Glass Shawl, but now I don't have time.



The Oslo Walk Shawl is going very quickly, especially since I put lace stitchmarkers at every pattern repeat of 16 stitches. I'll move them when I get to the next section and the pattern repeat changes, but they are definitely a life-saver for this pattern!


picture from Interweave Knits - used for review purposes

Today was meant to be a good day to stay in and finish these projects, but we didn't' get the expected snow. It's spitting cold rain just a tiny bit, so the bf and I are going out to breakfast. After that I hope to do a little Christmas treat creating. This is one of the things I'm making:

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

You need baking chocolate (I use dark chocolate - bittersweet), salted pretzel rods, and a variety of sprinkles.

Melt the chocolate and don't over-heat it or it will clump.

Roll the top half of the pretzel rod in the melted chocolate

Then, roll it in various sprinkles. I am using chocolate jimmies (because you can never have enough chocolate), gold flakes, and chopped blanched almonds (I love almonds!).

Carefully set them on wax paper or parchment paper to firm up. Some people put them in the refrigerator. Store them loosely, 3 at a time, in plastic or cellophane bags, tied with pretty ribbon.

I'll come back with a photo of these if they turn out at all. Time for some happy holiday cooking!