Bliss kimono

I am rather suspicious of Debbie Bliss patterns (see double-breasted pullovers 1 & 2), though I still make them because they are cute, simple, and hip. The yarn for this kimono has been around forever - the pink was something I made into a sweater for myself long ago and hated, and the brown trim remains from a vest I made for an evil boyfriend who preceded my husband by at least a couple relationships. So, this was a stash-buster. I am not a big fan of the blocking process (all that waiting...) but this sweater really fell into place as a result: it developed a whole new soft texture and even appearance in the process, and the bottom edging finally lay straight after I pinned it to the towel as it dried. I couldn't bear to knit the ties (Directions: knit 6 stitches for 18 inches - agh! This is where I find Bliss truly lame) so I sewed on some flowery ribbon instead. I don't like the way knitted fabric ties, anyways.

Aran pullover

Nikhil does a lovely job modeling this pattern from Falick & Nicholas' Knitting for Baby! I knit this with four balls of Jaeger Baby Merino DK in a pleasing shade of pumpkin-y orange. A matching seed stitch cap accompanies it. His mom loved the color orange when we were roommates in college so I'm hoping it will appeal to her, too.

EZ Norwegian Mittens

I made these mittens for my sister for Christmas. What an ordeal! I used the extremely vague directions found in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac, which required a lot of creative extrapolation and guesswork. Mitten #1 thus took four weeks, while Mitten #2 took only one. I used leftover Jamieson & Smith shetland yarn which knit up at 9 st./inch (about one skein of each color). The mittens came out too long from wrist to thumb (they look almost like socks or legwarmers), but I still like the intricacy of the pattern and the lacy cuff (which I took from a Knitty pattern called Tiffany).