Project Specs
Pattern: Malabrigo Loafers designed by Julie Weisenberger
Pattern Source: Coco Knits
Yarn: Pair #1: 121 g (252 yds) Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Frank Ochre; Pair #2: 121 g (252 yds) Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Dark Earth, with small amounts Shocking Pink and Lettuce embroidery
Needles: US 10 Clover bamboo DPNs
Date Started: 12/13/08
Date Finished: 1/5/10
Size: Medium for both pairs
See Si's Pair and Grace's Pair on Ravelry!

Well today I thought I'd continue the slipper theme here and show you the loafers I made for Grace and Si for Christmas. I started these way back in 2008, but didn't finish them up and add the soles until just last month. There was no reason to put it off so long because these are an easy and quick knit.

The pattern comes in three sizes, ranging from Women's 6 through Men's 12. The slippers are ultra cozy knit in double stranded Malabrigo. For easier care, you could deifnitely use something like Cascade 220 Superwash, though you might sacrifice a bit of comfort. This pattern would be a great stash buster for any worsted weight yarn, since you can always used a different color for the soles. Also, you can substitute a bulky yarn for the double stranded worsted as well!

Si's favorite color is yellow, so I decided to use one of my Malabrigo favorites, Frank Ochre. I love how even when holding this yarn double stranded you can still see the subtle color variations. I originally added the penny loafer band on Si's pair but decided I liked them better without them. I also added loops to the back of his slippers, which come in really handy for pulling them on and hanging them up after wearing. There are a couple other embellishment options in the pattern including little acorns and puffs.

On Grace's loafers I added some simple embroidery. I'm just learning the basics, but it's something I want to attempt more often on my knits. It's definitely an easy way to customize these for any recipient you have in mind. I also think they'd be cute with some felt patches added to the tops. Really you could keep these simple or dress them up as much as you'd like and they'd look great either way.

To make sure I got the right size, I actually blocked these slippers over a pair of my shoes! First I covered each of my shoes in a plastic bag and inserted them into the slipper. I found this really helps even out the stitches and give them a nice shape. Before blocking my stitches looked pretty sloppy, I admit. This probably won't work when I make a pair for myself but since I was going for a larger size, using my shoes as an insert turned out great. I also imagine a rolled up hand towel would work just as well!

One final thing I added to both pairs of slippers were some Fibertrends 2-piece slipper bottoms. Grace and Si's home has wood floors throughout so I didn't want them slipping and sliding all over the place. From what I've heard, the suede soles have been great for traction, especially when they're running up and down the stairs.

I'm so glad Grace and Si both liked their gifts and are already getting lots of use of them so far this winter. I definitely see this being one of my go-to last minute gift patterns because who couldn't use a warm and cozy pair of slippers?

Project Specs
Pattern: Felted Moccasins
Pattern Source: Felted Knits by Beverly Galeskas
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool in Old Gold 108g (240 yards)
Needles: Denise Circular Needles size US13
Date Started: 12/30/2009
Date Finished: 1/16/2010
Finished Size: Childrens Small (to fit childs shoe size of about 10), 7" long
Extras: 1 yard blue suede for laces, 7" Fiber Trends suede slipper soles, DMC embroidery thread in color 422

I've received several requests for these moccasins after knitting a pair for my dad for Christmas two years ago. They were a huge hit and he brings them with him every time he comes to visit. Now my niece Jojo has her own tiny pair and they couldn't look any cuter on her! She wore them around all night when she first got them and calls them her "slipperies". The suede soles give them extra traction so her parents won't have to worry about her slipping and sliding around plus they'll keep her feet extra warm until spring comes. They fit her perfectly right now but should grow with her a bit and will hopefully last to next year too.

A pair of moccasins this size can easily be knit in an afternoon. The construction is simple and the finishing doesn't take long at all either (you also don't have to worry about being too neat since felting them will hide just about everything!). Although these knit up really quickly, don't consider this pattern for a quick gift. The time it takes to felt in the washer isn't long, but because this pattern creates a fairly dense fabric, you'll need at least 3 days for them to fully dry.

The only real annoyance I had when knitting this pattern was that I ran out of yarn with one more row to knit on the outer sole of the second slipper. Moccasins this size take about 10 to 15 more yards of yarn than is convenient, forcing you to use just a tiny bit of a second skein of Patons or Cascade 220. Fortunately Alice had an extra skein of the color I needed laying around her house. She is a real life saver!! If you're knitting from your stash like I was, and don't have two skeins of the same color, maybe try knitting the inner sole in a contrasting color. It won't be visible from the outside of the slipper and might make these a little more useful for stash busting.

This was my first time using slipper soles and I was surprised at how easy they were to attach. Your slipper doesn't have to be the exact size of the suede sole, in fact I think that it is better if the slipper sole is a little bigger than the actual slipper since they will stretch out a with wear. To sew on the soles, I first pinned them in place and used embroidery thread in a matching color to whip stitch them on. I kept all 6 strands of the embroidery thread together to make it extra sturdy and they should be able to hold up to all of the wear and tear Jojo puts them through!

Project Specs
Pattern: Gnomey Child's Hat designed by Adrian Bizilia
Pattern Source: Available as a free Ravelry download from Adrian's Ravelry Shop
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky color #16006 Lt. Blue
Needles: US 11 Clover Bamboo DPNs
Date Started and Finished: Way too long ago to remember, sometime in 2007
Modifications: Knitted on larger needles and a bigger gauge. Has grown with Cam over the years.
See it on Ravelry!

Sorry for the bit of a break. At the end of last month we were lucky enough to have all our family together for a couple weeks here in Las Vegas and we had a great time. One of the things we did was head out to Red Rock Canyon National Preserve for hiking and exploration, and were surprised to see lots of snow up there--and only ten miles from our house. Before the trip I pulled out a very old FO (along with the Prickle Cowl Grace gave to Camdyn). This little hat was made so long ago I don't really remember much about it, but it's grown with Camdyn for a couple years and is totally adorable!

The original pattern makes an infant sized hat and I upsized it for Camdyn by knitting it at a larger gauge with larger needles. The pattern just flies by and would make a great last minute gift for a baby shower or any little one in your life. I left off the pompom ear flaps in the original pattern; I've seen many of these hats made and they look darling with or without them!

I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky (which I also used for my Super Mittens) and it has held up very well over the past couple of years. There is some pilling, but it's still so soft! Admittedly, this hat hasn't been worn tons, but when it is it's thrown all over the place so I'm pretty impressed with the minimal amount of wear. I'm pretty sure this hat will stretch to fit Camdyn another year!

Project Specs
Pattern: Ripley designed by Ysolda Teague
Pattern Source: Ysolda's Ravelry Shop available for purchase singularly or as part of the Whimsical Little Knits 2 e-book
Yarn: 58g (125 yards) Tahki Sedona in Black (008)
Needles: US 10 Clover Bamboo DPNs
Date Started: 12/22/09
Date Finished: 12/26/09
Size knit: Slouchy, garter band version in size Large... but it didn't turn out that way!
Modifications: My gauge was off (16st/4" rather than 12st/4") and ended up with a tiny hat
See it on Ravelry!

Okay, so I really need to add another New Year's Resolution--start checking gauge! You see, this hat was supposed to be a last minute gift for my husband for Christmas but instead it ended up almost perfectly Camdyn sized! Kenny had been wanting a slouchy style beanie, and I bought this yarn with a hat for him in mind. I cast on thinking I'd have an easy gift but instead it was a bit of disaster!

I admit I should have stopped when I noticed how small the hat was looking--I could basically tell after knitting the band that it wasn't right--but I'm going to blame my mistake on holiday craziness and total denial in thinking my gauge wasn't that off. During blocking I tried my hardest to stretch out the brim but didn't have any luck. When it was dry, poor Kenny even tried to put it on his head to appease me, but of course it was a lost cause.

Other than the sizing issues resulting from my own ignorance to gauge, the pattern was an easy knit. First the band is knit and stitches are picked up to knit the rest of the hat. There are two band options--lacy and garter stitch--which makes this a great unisex pattern. The pattern also has instructions for both slouchy and less slouchy hats so even if you've knit the pattern once, there's always another combo you can try!

One of the good things about having a little one in the house is they look cute in pretty much everything, so this hat isn't a total failure since it at least fits someone around here! I am thinking of adding something to girl it up though since when she put it on, Kenny said she looked like she was off to rob a bank!

The yarn, Tahki Sedona, which I picked up on closeout at WEBS was a pleasant surprise. It is very soft and was a real pleasure to knit with. The silk content creates a but of nubby tweedy texture which adds interest to the basic black. I picked up a couple skeins in other colors too so I'm looking forward to finding the right pattern for those as well.

Project Specs
Pattern: Icarus Shawl designed by Miriam L. Felton
Pattern Source: Interweave Knits, Summer 2006; also available for download on Ravelry
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Sealing Wax 86g (810 yds)
Needles: US 3 24" Addi circular needle
Date Started: 8/25/2007
Date Finished: 5/20/2009
Date Blocked: 12/24/2009
Finished Size: 65" across top, 31" down spine
See it on Ravelry!

The Icarus Shawl has to be one of my longest standing UFOs. I started this shawl way back in 2007, excitedly casting on with a friend who was also knitting the pattern at the same time. I got pretty damn near close to being finished with it too before realizing I had a tiny flaw in one of the yarn over columns and set it aside. I forgot a single k2tog, and that's all it took! I didn't notice my mistake until I was quite a few rows in and I hadn't placed any lifelines. I ended up frogging the whole thing, though I really did love how it was working out. It took me about a year and a half to cast on again, this time finishing it relatively quickly despite my compulsive counting of stitches and close examination of my work until the end.

Despite my troubles while knitting this pattern, I loved it! My mistake and the amount of time it took me to finish my shawl definitely wasn't the pattern's fault (chalk it up to inexperience in knitting lace I guess). I love how the shawl turned out and I can see myself knitting another one someday. The design is simple, perfect for showing off the beautiful Malabrigo color variation or more variegated colorways or yarns. It's also easily sized up or down so you could make it the perfect size for you.

I love that I finally got a chance to use Malabrigo Lace. This yarn is heavenly soft and the colors are vibrant. The gauge of this shawl is just right; Malabrigo Lace knit on size US 3 needles creates the perfect fabric in my opinion. I look forward to using this yarn again for one or maybe even several of my shawls for the 10 in 2010 KAL. I'm definitely going to knit a Swallowtail Shawl in this yarn, maybe with some beads, which will be a new experience!

For me, the worst part of knitting a shawl is always blocking it. I don't necessarily mind pinning the whole thing out (blocking wires are a tremendous help on this front). However, the only place I have to pin them out is on my bed. This means that I will always have to spend at least one night on the air mattress whenever I block any fairly large knits (making me feel particularly bad for my husband). Recently I bought two packs of foam rubber floor mats from Lowes and used them for blocking my Icarus Shawl. They worked great! The t-pins I use along with the lace wires stick easily into the mats while holding firm. I placed a sheet over the mats before placing my shawl on it to help absorb some of the extra water and I was amazed at how quickly the shawl dried. Best of all I was also able to get a great night's sleep in my bed!