Hey team,
End of 1L and before I start my first law job is a perfect time to fill you in on what’s been in production any time I could come up for air throughout the year. A lot of this stuff was begun during Xmas break and were quick and satisfying finishes once exams were done.
These knits were both for the bf. He gets a lot of my creations for many reasons. 1) I often feel bad knitting for myself/spending the money on yarn just for me. I like giving knitstuff as gifts and it seems to propel me quicker in the process. Also, sometimes I feel like it is easier for me to pick a pattern for someone other than me. There is so much I like and I am constantly changing my mind. 2) He rows, and when you are getting up in the morning to be on a lake at 7am, you need stuff keeping you cozy. 3) He really appreciates it. Lately many people have been commenting on how difficult it is to knit for others because you don’t want to spend so much time on something they may very well not enjoy. I have never had such a fear, and this is likely because I usually knit for him, and he always loves the pattern, the usefulness and the thought.
I suppose this ended up being a somewhat matching cowl (he prefers”neckwarmer”) and mitten set. It is sort of lame picking yarns for men’s projects: Guys don’t wear colour, apparently. I am usually relegated to choice between black, navy, forest green, brown or gray. Even some of these colours are just tinted a little too purple or pink to work for a dude. Yarns in the right weight and fiber cut the choices down even more. ALAS. GRAY IT IS.
This pattern is the Classic Elite’s Morningside Cowl, the “Men’s Stand Up Collar” version. It’s made out of the Morningside stitch which is tricky to get the hang of. I would suggest a youtube tutorial because this pattern’s explanation of the basic stitch was confusing to me. Once you get the hang of it the resulting ribbing effect is classier than your usual purl-knit alternating, and slighty thicker and more wind-resistant as well. I opted to use some leftover Malabrigo single-ply worsted in “Sweet Grapes” for this project.
The mittens! They’re from Cailyn Meyer’s “Cruiser” pattern. I had to increase significantly due to the ridiculous size of Mr. wollstoneCRAFT’s hands. The pattern should have taken less than a skein of the Punta Yarns Merisoft Space-Dyed in Charcoal (305) that I chose. Instead, it took a full one, and then some. I also widened the amount of stitches I bound off to keep everything in proportion and the construction itself looks a bit more manly this way. The cable pattern is easy but keeps things interesting, and just adds something extra to the whole finished project. Boys like fancy knitting too, you know. He liked them even though they were recieved in the middle of May.
I also realized that I hadn’t posted this beaut from a few years ago: a toque for my Nonno’s 80th birthday. I used Knitting School Dropout‘s Really Warm Hat pattern, ditched the pom pom and opted for a lighter yarn: Misti Alpaca’s Tonos Chunky in Mochachino (TTC08). Despite finishing the hat the afternoon before the event, it turned out great! and apparently Nonno was still wearing it this winter while I was away. I really enjoyed giving him an extra special present on my own and he showed it off to most of the extended family. I also wanted to get him in this post since he’s not doing so well in the health department and I love celebrating how cool, hip and active he still is, despite this. Check’im out!
Wicked. Next post is about flowers!
-m.
wollstoneCRAFT 