Not Another Dishcloth, Towel or Scarf!

I have been so busy with all the cloths and cowls and scarves and towels that now, with no particular thing in mind, I am at the moment when I think "What the heck am I going to knit now."
The door is wide open, I don't HAVE to knit anything specific. It's kind of a weird feeling. And at this moment I don't think I care for it.
Not enough structure.
Too many want to knits bouncing around in my head.

So after all those cloths and cowls and scarves and towels, I decided I wanted to knit something, anything that wasn't flat or linen stitch.
Don't get me wrong, I am still in love with the linen stitch and for t.v. knitting I still have a few more cloths to get on the needles to fill requests from the "non-recipients"
I want to knit something that doesn't wash a dish, or hide inside a jacket.  Something that can bee seen and appreciated right out there in public.
A sweater!
But OMG it takes so long to finish an adult sized sweater. I would eventually get bored and it would end up in the wip pile for months and months. The answer?
Baby sweaters!
I have two new grandsons who I haven't knit anything for yet. And it is actually, finally, getting cold here on the Gulf Coast.
I went messing around on the net and found this cute little sweater from Tricksy Knitter
WALA! My  next project! No linen stitch, a little bit more involved then my last two months of mindless knitting without being so complicated that I have to lock myself in the bedroom to concentrate on what I am doing.
I actually have the perfect yarn in mind for this project. KnitPicks Swish and I think the colors are and exact match to the picture. ;0)

Click on the picture to get the pattern

Crunchtime Knitting. Bookmarks For When The End Is Nigh

                                                     Jumbo Stitch Cowls  

Boxy Cozy

Chunky Seed Stitch Rug 

Dropped Stitch Soap Sack

Gift Card-igans

Irish Coffee Cozy

Moleskine Cozy

Nae 

Quick Knit Baby Shrug  

Rolled Brim Hat

Seed Stitch Cowl

Tea Toter

Pattern Hunt: Kitchen Items

I have been blazing through my gift knitting list. I suppose mainly because most of the knitted items are not huge like blankets. No, this year it is all smaller knitted items. Cloths, scarves, cowls, most of which I can get through with a couple of nights of  intense t.v. shows. Ok, maybe the scarves and towels, four nights. But not much longer than that.
I do have to get some hats finished. I think my total count at the time is 5 (at the moment) I am so far ahead of the gift knitting game right now, I am sure that number will grow.
The hats are, for the most part, going to be basic beanies. Maybe with the exception of the one for my Mom, I think her's will be a slouchy.
But that's down to the wire knitting. I still have time for those.

So, I was knitting away on the red and white gift that I posted over at the KnittinFun Facebook Page  and it got the brain juices flowing. I love the way the pattern with that particular stitch looks. I'm sure if you look at the picture you can figure out exactly what that stitch is. And it got me thinking about hand towels. Old fashioned two stripe kitchen towels.

Well crap! I am half way through my Mom's cowl and my mind goes finding something else for me to want to do. Now it's a mad rush to finish her gift so I can get started.

I think I am going to grab some white cotton and do a couple of decent sized kitchen towels for my Mother In Law.

All I keep picturing in my head is white with two broad red stripes at the bottom. I already know the pattern I am going to use and trust me, you will like it.

So, on that note I decided to look up some more kitchen knitting patterns that I might need after I finish the MIL towel.
I am sure you have seen most of these before but here are some I like:

Bubble Up Towel

Christmas Joy Hanging Towel

Clean/Dirty Dishwasher Sign

Cloth and Towel Set

Not The Paper Towel

Simply Striped Kitchen Hanging Towel

One of  my 'go to' faves (basically all her patterns)
Columns Hanging Towel

Basket Rib Hand Towel

Every kitchen should have one
Grip Reaper Kitchen Towel

Knit Gridded Towel

If you have the patience to make 4 of the same thing (don't even ask)
Alexa's Placemats

And never forget the instructions right here on the blog for turning any dishcloth into a double ended hand towel
Frogs 
 


This should keep me busy a few days anyway.
That is after I get those nagging hand towels done that won't leave my brain alone.

Pattern Hunt: Slouchy Hats

Great pattern for a beginner
Simple Slouch Hat

And for some variety
Striped and Slouchy Hat

Just a little slouchy (like my kids)
Slightly Slouchy Cabled Hat

Slighted again (without cables)
Slightly Slouchy

I love the clean lines of this cabled hat
Slouchy Cabled Beret

Just....awwwww
My Slouchy Valentine

And because there is always "the perfect...."
The Perfect Knit Slouch

If anyone should know a good pattern it should be a wool shop
Easy Slouch Hat

A twofer. With matching Mitts
Prism Slouchy Hat

I like the name as much as the pattern
Nutty Irishman's Hat Pattern


I made the hat in the picture above for myself last year before the fair but ended up giving it to a sweet girl who came to visit me from Miami for Thanksgiving.
It is one of my favorites, but I don't have anymore of that yarn, nor can I remember how I did it.
I have a basic idea. I guess I will have to make one the same way I did this one.

If I remember right, I made about six of these, in various yarns trying to get to the right size for me. All were given away for Christmas, so it all worked out in the end ;0)



                                               

More Gift Patterns: Fingerless Mitts

I never know if I am going to get through all of the gift knitting that I plan every year. I chose all these wonderful patterns, line them up with who I want to make what for and start usually about......ummmm...November.
You see where this is going right? It never gets completed in time and I usually end up with my 'winter' knitting being done in January. I mean come on, that's when it gets cold where I live! Then by the time that Christmas rolls around the next year, everything has already been scooped up by kids, grandkids, friends, other family members. So I start gift knitting again in November with all these wonderful patterns I have lined up.............you see the circle here?
Well this year I am going simple.
Simple patterns that take not so much time. Let's face it, with new babies and weddings and so forth this summer, the number of immediate family members has grown.
Seven kids
Soon to be seven grandkids
Mom
In-Laws
Alabama Mimi's two boys in Vermont (who I think need it more than most living up there in all that snow, that starts falling in, like, July, I don't know)
As you can see, it's a long list and usually most of it goes un-knitted.
So the theme this year? Simple patterns, ww yarn where applicable. Smaller projects. (sorry, no blankets or socks for anyone this year).
I mean really, you spend hours and days and months on these great complicated, intricate patterns and most people don't know the difference in effort or project time between that or a simple knit and purl rib pattern. Out of all the work I have put time into and given away, not one person has ever looked at me and went "WOW! That looks like it was a lot of work!" No. Not one time in my whole knitting career. So......

Hats, mitts, scarves. All quick knit projects.
On that note, here is my list of usable fingerless mitt patterns:

For the little guys and gals
Adorable Kids Fingerless Mitts 

Basically Adorable
Maggie's Mitts 

This one's for the guys (I so heard Martina McBride sing that line in my head)
 Man Paws

Another guy pattern
Manhandlers

Fancy without too much work involved
Margarete Fingerless Gloves

Easy Eyelets
Montgomery Fingerless Mitts

Cool thumb pattern and stripes to boot
Nein Mitts

Cute but not complicated
Optimistic Mitts

Clever idea
Clapmoitaines

With fingers
Codename Wintergreen

I am sure Ravelry is loaded with great patterns also. These are some of the oldies but goodies.

I'm going as fast as I can

Infinity? Cowl? Scarf? What's the best?

I was over at the Kittinfun Facebook Page and asked the question, cowls or scarves or infinities? Which do you like best?
I have the Myra Cowl that I knit about two years ago, and let me tell you when the temps dropped below 20 degrees here on the Gulf Coast (IKR!) last winter, I wore that thing like a pro. Tucked inside the collar of my nice warm wool coat. It made a huge difference keeping the wind and cold from creeping down the back of my neck every time I moved. I liked it much better than a scarf that, it never fails, comes unwrapped or untucked or untied or, worse, inadvertently gets pulled tighter around your throat.
But it was too tight feeling, like I kept grabbing it and trying to stretch it out some to stop the feeling of having toasty warm hands wrapping slowly around my throat.
So I went on a pattern hunt and found a few that I think I might like to wear.
Tho some would have to be made bigger than the directions, they are all adorable!

I really like this one. It has a hood built in. I would think this would come in very handy if we hit those low temps again this year.
The Hooded Simon

Ok, this is just too damn cute not to share.
January Cowl

Sweet and simple
Jenny From The Block Circle Scarf

Big and snuggly
A Hint of Snow Cowl

Touch of lace
Bridger Cowl

I'm seeing one of these in some team colors
Broken Stripes Moebius

Longer cowl pattern
Cowl A La Mode

A little more complicated, but I love it!
Vampire Style

And as always, you can find anything and everything you ever wanted on Ravelry


Sometimes I feel like this....

Help! I don't know what iI want to knit..

The scarves have went to the wayside. For now.
I have plenty of time, and I don't feel like knitting a scarf right now.
But now I have a dilemma, usually by the time I am half way through with a project, I know what my next one will be, and I have no clue this time.
I am on a hunt.......what do I want to knit next, dishcloths.....kitchen towels.....socks for my baby sis......hats and sweaters for the grand girls........sleeping shorts for the grand boys........I don't know.
I guess I will scour the Internet and see what strikes my fancy. It's Friday, I will have all four grand babies in a few hours, and I have nothing I want otn. The horror of it all...........please, give me some ideas! leah@knititnfun.com