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Thank you card

"Skating" Slippers ...

A certain young man, who is 3, declared that he needed new slippers so he could practice skating in the house. Besides skating, his current favourite thing is Spiderman, hence the colour combination choice. "Please can you make me some new slippers, Grandma?" (Insert big, pleading, brown eyes with long lashes, here.)

I had used this pattern previously and quite liked it, although all the m1's were a little hard on the wrists. Also, since the time I last made this pattern, we now have a front load washer/dryer set, which as you all know, makes felting something intentionally, a little more challenging. (Although the handwash cycle managed it perfectly on my Tea Leaves Cardigan, unintentionally :P****)

I set the machine to 'hot wash' and then added some more boiling water from the Kettle. Added a drop of "SOAK", put the slippers in a lingerie bag and let it run, until just before the spin cycle. Took at look at it, decided it needed more and canceled the current cycle and reset to 'hot wash' and repeated. Did this 4-5 times, before I was satisfied that it was as felted as it was going to get and the stitch definition was blurred. Needless to say, not much else got done during the HOUR it took to do this, as I was standing in the middle of the laundry room with a cup of tea, ready to pounce on the door.

Turned out just the right size, with a 1/2" of grow room. Said child has been threatened :) that these are for inside use only and not for touring the garage or new property (1 acre on greenbelt, overlooking a ravine with a creek). Yah, right? At least I don't have to watch him do it.

Pattern: Fiber Trends Felted Clogs for Children
Yarn: Cascade 220 - 1 ball each of red and blue (Spiderman colours!)
Needle: 9mm
Size: 8"

Opened bag and tried them on immediately! Don't you just love it when folks are excited to receive the knits you make them?

They fit!

Practicing skating on our tile, in front of the mirrors. Thumbs up, all the way around!

Another Meret!

***Updated 11/23 with photo 'stolen' from recipients Facebook, to show her wearing it at school, with many covetous comments from her friends ... :)



"Grandma, I need another hat please, in purple", was the plea. This, after having worn last year's cream coloured beret nearly on a daily basis. How could I refuse?

Pattern: Meret
Yarn: 1 ball Cascade 200, in 'Amethyst'
Modifications: made size L, with 2 extra repeats of lace for added slouch.
Finishing: Lightly blocked over a dinner plate, taking care not to stretch the ribbing.


Having recently coloured her hair much darker than intended, it was actually perfect with the purple!

I'm not sure how I feel about the way it's worn here, dangling off the back of the head. I'd prefer to see it worn a bit further forward, but it's all about the hair and not about the warmth, right?

SPARK

I'm test knitting a new child's cardigan for knitting designer Samantha Roshak. It's really a child sized version of her Flint cardigan design and will be available on Ravelry November 21st.

This is a top down cardigan, with easy lace detailing on the sleeves and hem. The tie closure can readily be replaced with a button, or even a zipper, for ease.

More details and pictures to follow!

Strawberry Tea Leaves Cardigan

Details:

Pattern: Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan
Size: 2
Yarn: Artyarns Supermerino ( 3 skeins)
Needles: 4.0mm & 4.5mm

First time using this yarn and I absolutely loved it! Soft, squooshy, perfect stitch definition -- all of the superlatives. I'll definitely be looking for it again. It was on sale and looked a bit garish on the skein (as some variegated yarns can do) but I decided to chance it and was very pleasantly surprised how softly the colours blended.

The buttons were absolutely perfect -- hand carved -- sigh! They were found at a yarn store in Pt. Moody called Black Sheep Yarns. It's about a 1/2 hr. drive from my place in a beautiful spot and is filled with one treasure after another. Sometimes I go into places that are so crammed full of yarn that all I see is a blur and I walk out with nothing. Not so, here! I don't think I've ever left empty handed :)

The pattern was a joy and I've already made another larger, longer sleeved version in a different, equally fabulous yarn that I'll tell you all about later!