Winter woolies, just in time for... summer

I absolutely cannot help knitting out of season. In my over planning way, this is a good thing, because then I am ready for the next time the cold/warm/holiday season rolls around. The knitter in me that wants to 'WEAR IT NOW' thinks I'm crazy. Crazy I might be, but I did manage to finish two out of season projects this weekend.

Name: Kauni Mittens
Pattern: Mitten 21 from Mostly Mittens; Ethnic Knitting Designs from Russia
Yarn: Kauni Wool 8/2 Effektgarn and Paton's Kroy 3 ply
Needle: Knitpicks fixed circs size 2
Notes: I bought this book for several reasons.

1. book lust. I haz it.
2. research. the opening chapters about the history of the people and the textiles they produce is both interesting and totally work related for me. Little details make the costume!
3. I love color work. LOVE. Am I ever going to make 35 pairs of Russian mittens? Most likely not, but i will make a few. I guarantee it.

I was not disappointed with this book at all! The charts are awesome, all the patterns are in two sizes, the book has one easy to follow "how to use my charts" instruction section, the pictures are fantastic, and the projects aren't yarn specific. You don't have to buy special Russian yarn that only comes from one village, is mailed by carrier pigeon, and can only be purchased by staying up strange hours and sacrificing a chipmunk during the third phase of the red moon. Nope. Pretty much and fingering or sport weight yarn will do.

I popped my Kauni cherry with these mittens. They will forever hold a special place in my virgin-less heart. It really is as awesome as it is made out to be. The color change is so pretty, it isn't splitty, it is smooth on the hands, but still a good grabby for color work. LURVE people. LURVE.

I should maybe explain the green thumbs.... So pretty pretty Kauni, blending away, making my sexy mittens..... then I realize that my thumbs aren't going to be all sexy blendy. Hmm... I could wind off the the same point of color in the skein. Ok. good plan. I'll knit mitten 2, then wind off to the thumb colors for both thumbs. I finished the hand of mitten two, and the Laziness kicked it. I deemed it "too much work", and decided, "It'll mess up the colors for the next project!" (It's called justification.) If they weren't going to match anyway, then they should really NOT MATCH. I used the outside of the ball and made my weird green thumbs. Ta DA!!

whatever. they are for me, and I like them.

My second out of season project came about as a little something to do before the Thursday night SnB shawl a long commences tomorrow. I needed an easy project that I could do while watching movies, and drinking tea, with my friends. A quick look at the "yet to be knit from book list" and a quick stash hunt and we have:

Name: Ridiculous hat of Rhinebeckedness

Pattern: Fat Hats from Hip to Knit

Yarn: Farmhouse Fat Sheep

Needles: Knit Picks Options size 11 and 13

Notes: I love left over/ re-purposed yarn. This was originally for my Cactus Blossom sweater contrast color work. It wasn't right for that project at all, so it was restashed. I opened the yarn chest yesterday to find some yarn for this hat, it was on top, it was (you guessed it) wound. It is now a hat.

I threw the yarn, needles, and book in my bag, and off I went. I stopped to get a pedicure, and cast on. I read the instructions. It wanted me to knit it flat them seam it on the side and the top. Not gonna happen. I don't like seaming. Instead, I modified it for in the round, and three needle bound off the top. Sometimes lazy works to your advantage...

I don't cable often, but these were ok. Right over left are my favorite, since they flow better. If they had been left over right I would have changed that too. Just sayin'. When all was said and done, I put on the hat. A chorus of laughing ensued. Yes, it is not the most elegant hat, but it is a lot of fun to wear, and tassel swinging just cannot be considered anything less than awesome. Evad, D and B think I should make it my new official fiber festival hat. They also think we should all knit them in different colors and wear them so we can find each other in crowds. I can hear it now, "Oh great. here come those loud ass tassel hat people!"