The Tale of Iro the Hero

These days its all about stash busting and making something new out of something old. I set to clean up stash for projects and found some skeins of a lovely shade of Noro Iro (#40).
It just jumped on the needles and knit itself! Twice!

Therapeutic Magic Ball Log Cabin/Miter Noro Afghan

Noro Kureyon, in many colorways.

Left overs and purchased on sale, at random.

Addi circs US6 (4.00mm)

Based on Log Cabin and Miter techniques.

Have some Noro left overs? Make a magic ball.

Start with a log cabin.

Keep going until you have the width you like.

Try to weave in the ends as you go.

Knit one row of miter squares on two ends.

Knit two rows garter. BO

Knit a row of miter rectangles on top of the squares.

Knit two rows garter. BO.

Pick a neutral solid color (Lambs Pride Worsted pairs well with Kureyon since it is also a single-spun.) and do a 3 stitch applied iCord. Sure its tedious, but its worth it!

Get some tea and snuggle on the couch.

You can see some more detailed photos of the progress here

The Mahawk

Using the NK86 Ladies Hat

Needle 7.0 mm
Noro Kureyon and Silk Garden magic ball. Never throw your Noro bits of yarn away.....

Just can't stop.......

I am running out of Noro scraps, and went Noro shopping.....

When the going gets tough

The tough go to the living room and start a mindless/ log cabin/ magic ball/ not sure what I'll be when I grow up/ project. Lovely bag to keep the run away magic ball, by Tomo.
Noro scraps (Kureyon and Silk Garden). Addi US 6. Just keep going till you feel better.

Care for a Cozy?

Yes, thank you very much, don't mind if I do! It must be all this cold weather that is driving me to keep knitting tea cozies..... This one uses an old Noro hat pattern that spirals, and magic ball from Noro scraps. I am not sure how to finish this yet.

And then there where three.....

I think I can feel my groove back. It took "a bit" of Noro in the stash to kick some mojo into this knitter, but by the end of January, I think I'm BACK!
Noro Kureyon 165 (almost 2 skeins)
Addi circ US7
Pattern from Saartje Knits
One extra rep from what the pattern calls for since I like hats to sit low on the ears.
One happy knitter- priceless!

The tale of the two tea cozies.

In honor of Ravelry's Global tea party on Sunday, 1/24/2010, I have decided to knit a tea cozy for my Brown Betty teapot. Not sure how I ended up with two..... I shopped the stash. I got a bag of this Noro on sale, a while back, and it was just there, to play with. Ya'!
Mistake Rib Noro Tea Cozy, knit in 24 hrs.
US 8 / 5.0 mm Noro Kureyon 1 skeins Colorway 165

Simple Noro Tea Cozy, knit in 24 hrs.
US 8 / 5.0 mm Noro Kureyon 1 skeins Colorway 165

Gentlemen's Fancy Leg Warmers

It can now be revealed that the Noro magic has not only made me feel better, (you are welcome Jo....) but also created this fun pair of leg warmers. The stitch pattern is one of my favorites, (as can be seen here, here here,). It is Nancy Bush's Gentlemen's Fancy Socks, and combined with Noro Kureyon color magic, = instant gratification!
I knit this to fit my legs, as I went, so I am not sure if I can give general directions, but I can give a tip that if you make your increases and decreases on the second row of just knit around, it will be smoother. Also, I started with US7, later for the wider part I used the size US8 and at the top, US 6 to make it a tighter rib.

The Specs:
Noro Kureyon, 2 skeins of color 165, plus some bits of Kureyon from other projects for the last few rows. (Never get rid of your Noro odds and ends; for you never know when you will need them…..)
Addi circs US 6, 7 & 8, knit in the round, two at a time, to ensure identical shaping.
Nancy Bush's Gentlemen's Fancy.

If you are feeling blue-

Take 2 Noros and call me in the morning!

The beginning of a new project... full of mystery...

Magic Ball leg warmers

When my friend Elena was visiting over the holidays, I gave her my striped leg warmers to keep. (She was cold.) That meant I needed to knit another pair. (Ya'!) In came lots of scraps I had all over the knitting baskets area, which I have been saving for the past lots of years. You got some Noro, some Malabrigo, some of my own hand-spun, some unknown variegated from long ago, and some Cascade 220 leftovers. Generally, worsted weight. I made the 2 magic balls by diving each scraps into 2, by using my scale. It was a good way to do this, with the exception of my hand-spun, when some of the same weight proved to be very different yardage. Oh well, its just magic ball. CO 54 stitches per leg warmer, on 2 Addi US 6 circs, (on 6 cause I wanted it more dense) K1P1 rib, and went for it. Fun and warm. Used it today during the brief snow we had. it will be great to block the up-your-leg draft when I ride my bike.

The Hats of 08

2008 was the year of the hats. it was all I could do later in the year, when the global crisis was taking shape. Some hats I loved so much, I repeated more than once... I gave most of them to "needy" heads. Lots of knitting from my stash. Alpaca stash, Noro stash. Lots of soft Malabrigo, and behold, my own handspun!

There are still a few days left, will I knit any more hats this year??????

2007 was the year of the socks.
I wonder what 2009 shall inspire?
Maybe Cowls?

Comfort Knits

Based on the Child's Rainbow Scarf. Its a really easy pattern.
Noro, silk garden sock S84, 2 skeins.
Addi circ lace us4

The yarn feels lush and the fabric drapes beautifully. Softer on the neck than Kureyon.

Modification:
I CO75
I slipped the first stitch of every row, to give a nicer edge.
I used 2 skeins of the same colorway, in stripes.
This is a fun pattern and the surprise of the yarn keeps you going! Its what I call "comfort knits." Knitting projects with yarn and pattern familiar and easy. You slip into it with very little thought, and it is immediately satisfying.