done in time for fall

I love knitting because you can create something that will keep you warm out of a simple piece of string.  I love the juxtaposition of simple and meditative motions that can be challenging and complex.  I love it's portability. And, most of all, I love it when I finish something that I can wear!

This summer I knit my second sweater.  It's called the Shalom sweater (pattern on Ravelry for free).  I made some modifications which was brave considering I'm new to sweater making.  I added 3/4 sleeves and didn't do the waist shaping.  It took me a while to figure out the modifications and I had to get some online help from a couple ravelry folks.  Luckily for me, it turned out perfect.  Well, of course, there are a few mistakes here and there but overall, I love this sweater.  No, I really love this sweater.  I love it so much that I am considering making another one in a different color.

 photos by rowan

warm feet

I just finished up this pair of felted wool slippers and boy, are they fantastic.  Warm, soft, quiet, cozy and a perfect fit.  The pattern is from French Press Knits and is fairly simple.  I have to say, these were not my favorite thing to make.  I didn't enjoy using the big metal needles - clink, clank, clink, clank.  Nor did I like how you really had to keep track of which row you were on.  It made it so I actually had to pay attention rather than just zoning out.  Luckily, it was a fairly quick knit because it wasn't quite as relaxing for me as knitting typically is.


Here is what they looked like before felting.  It's not obvious in the photo, but they were HUGE!  It was hard to believe that they would actually get small enough to fit my feet - though, it did take 4 runs through the top loader washer before they got to the right size.

And here they are keeping my feet cozy warm.  The pattern calls for buttons on the sides but since I didn't have any and didn't want to go to the store, I decided to use felted wool pieces.