Category Archives: Hands

Braided Pulse Warmers

Posted on by Elka Bolhafner
Finished Pulse Warmers

Well it has been a long time and so it should come as no surprise that I completed my Braided Pulse Warmers.    In fact I finished them on the 16th of last month so a while ago.  Today I found a spot of sun and had my kid take pictures.  As you may be able to tell the pulse warmer goes up a good bit on my forearm.  The Braid is just at my wrist juncture.  It was a fun easy knit taking only a few days to complete although I spread this out.  I actually was worried about running out of my main color since I was using remnants.  I ended up with loads of yarn.  Okay not really:

Yarn Chicken…

I am currently working on a pair of socks for myself.  I came across a singleton while unpacking boxes so decided to finish up the pair.  As usual I left no notes for myself about what I was doing in regards to cast on, gusset stitches picked up and other niceties.  Thankfully, I had my handy dandy pins there counting rows and my needles were stuck in ball of yarn.  As long as my tension didn’t go too off since last winter we should be fine.  Lichen Ribbed Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks.  I have made this particular pattern at least twice that I can recall.  This version is being made in gray alpaca blend which means silky and super warm.  I hope to be finished with those this weekend so am mulling over knitting options.

yarny days and knitterly evenings to you all

~Elka

Testing (again)

Posted on by Elka Bolhafner

 

Braided Cuffs

I had an eventful year.  I was laid off in the fall of ’16 and was re-employed there this year.  I also moved this summer after about 6 years at my previous residence.  I also started working for myself as a book keeper and so I really haven’t had time for much knitting *at all*.  So little time that I have neglected Ravelry, my fellow bloggers, and everything else to do with relaxing fiber-y pursuits.

But Helen Gray Designs, aka hgd11 on Ravelry, just happened to have a new pair of wrist warmers up on the odd day that I did pop online which I hearted.  Then the next time I popped online, encouraged by the cooling weather, she had tagged me to test the pattern.  I do enjoy her little projects and have mentioned them before.  So even tho 99.99% of my my yarn is still in boxes I asked for the pattern, went through a couple of jars of shetland yarn oddments and found some promising colors.  It just so happens that the 3 colors I chose to use appear to be  part of my ever favorite Midnight Sun Tam by Sandy Blue.

Braided Cuffs against Midnight Tam

Since I am using oddments I am hoping I have enough for the mate!  The first mitt took about a weekend to complete keeping in mind I do my book keeping on the weekends and is very snug and warm.  As always clearly written and a good introduction to 2, in this case 3, colors a row knitting.  The pattern has not been released yet but should come out soon.  I will update with deets when it does.

As always yarny days and knitterly evenings

(tho this is more a wish than a reality lately)

 

 

YOP#6 Week 6

Posted on by Elka Bolhafner

YOP6_Banner_perfect_lines_slightly_larger_medium

 

Hurray!  I finished Kokkeluri.  Not much more to say about either the yarn or the pattern I haven’t said before…. tempted by the ‘blousy flower’ I had to cast these on.  I didn’t enjoy the knitting at all in part because it breaks the rules: maintaining color dominance in stranded knitting, and length of carries.  The non repetitive nature of the flower meant I was tied to my chart AND I should have strayed from my dpns to some other method of circular knitting.  I did enjoy the palm pattern, have done the braid before and always love it, and think I may prefer the i-cord cast off over the i-cord cast on.

I was surprised by how much I disliked the knitting.  I have knit neep head and enjoyed that process.  Usually if I like one thing a designer does I like everything.  Not because these designers don’t branch out of my comfort zone, they do, but because how they tend to think about and present the process works for me.

My husband and children both exclaim about how beautiful they are but my eyes zero in on the uneven knitting.  I don’t recall ever having such problems before so part of me blames the pattern although it could just be me and my rusty knitting skills.  Either way, I will rely on EZs comment on years and multiple washings curing such faults.

Anyway I finished these up Friday night.  I broke up the remaining bits into small nightly chunks.  Monday get to decrease section of mitten body, Tuesday finish decreasing mitten top, Wednesday do thumb, Thursday do i-cord finish, Friday weave in ends and soak.  The mittens are still damp and are being guarded by my mitten monster:

Mitten Monster guarding Kokkeluri while it dries

Mitten Monster guarding Kokkeluri while it dries

 

The mitten monster is also a sock monster and sweater monster and shawl monster.  He is a general all purposes blocking, drying guard.

I have cast on some socks for myself: My Cup of Tea designed by Robin Lynn.  The lotus pattern  used on front of socks remind me of dragon scales 🙂

 

yarny days and knitterly evenings

Elka

 

YOP#6 Week 2

Posted on by Elka Bolhafner

YOP6_Banner_perfect_lines_slightly_larger_medium
Today marks my eldest grandson’s 4th birthdate and tomorrow marks my youngest grandson’s 2nd birthdate so I spent most of today celebrating with family. But look I have things to report on my YOP list:

I finished a pair of socks. Plain boring socks out of Ditto yarn:

Ditto socks.

Ditto socks.

This is my favorite of the 3 pairs I have knit out of this yarn simply because of that red purple favorite color. I purchased all 3 colors at a long closed yarn shop and I believe the yarn has been discontinued since 2010 so deep stash for the win.

I also finished the first of my Kokkeluri mittens and cast on for the second. The mittens are warm and the yarn feels really nice but I am getting a bit of fuzz and it is prone to splitting. Still not sure if I am going to end up keeping the mittens but here ya go… part of my 7 skeins club bag yarns:

Kokkeluri WiP

Kokkeluri WiP

I have been working on these, of and on, for over a month now. Considering the patterns of the booklet were released to us club members weekly I guess it should have taken me much less time to finish them but at least my not feeling like knitting them has led to plenty of socks 🙂 Always a silver lining !

yarny days and knitterly evenings~

Elka