Handling Things

I have been trying to knit on three different projects at once and they are all coming together but just not fast enough. Over Thanksgiving weekend I did make some progress on two of the projects. I like to challenge myself and this project is really doing that!

I am making a pair of Convertible Mittens. Mind you have I have never done gloves or anything with a finger but hey why should that stop me?? I got the idea from Ravelry and actually found the pattern there. The only problem was I had to order a book to get the pattern. So I did. Well, I got two books by the same woman. I am excited about the other patterns but the Convertible Mittens pattern was the main reason I got one of the books by Sandi Rosner. Here is one of the books I ordered. Here is the other. They are small books but I have found plenty of patterns that will get used sooner or later...mostly later because I am running out of time.

The Convertible Mittens are pretty cool. They are wrist warmers with finger holes for four fingers but the thumb is knit completely.

Then there is the "hat" of the gloves that covers up the fingers when you aren't using them to pick up something.
The "hat" is attached to the body of the glove it self so that you don't lose it when it's not being used.

There is a button attached to hold the "hat" in place when you need to use your fingers. I don't know who came up with this idea, but it's practical and cute at the same time.

I finally finished the gloves and they will be on the hands of a really nice person that I have met over this past year.

I hope that she likes them. I will be finding out this week because we are going to surprise some of the workers at Borjo Cafe with handmade gifts for them. My favorite group of knitting friends go there once maybe twice a month to knit and sip on coffee and listen to live music. A nice surprise for good service, conversations about our knitting and loads of laughs are rewarded with a gift. 'Tis the season, right.

I was hoping that before post time tomorrow that I would have picture of the happy person who was gifted the Convertible Mittens. Sadly our weather was horrible and I am not going to see that person so when I do see them, I will post her picture. Love the snow, blast the bad timing!

It's a Guy Thing

It's a guy thing!

I have been knitting with a friend for over two years now and have gotten to know more about her and her family as I sit and knit with her. I have made several things for her over the years as gifts but have never done anything for her husband. John is a very nice man and it frankly never occurred to me to give him anything that was knitted. His wife knits so I just figure she would knit things for him.

Recently, well a wee bit ago, I made some felted bowls. Do you remember these? I gave them both away to different friends and I am happy to report, they both get used. During a conversation on a knit day John's wife commented to me that after they bought some new furniture and did some rearranging, there was a territorial felted bowl conflict. The felted bowl that she received for her birthday seemed to be collecting male "stuff" when it was moved to another table in the den. My friend said that John needed his own bowl. I know it was just a comment made in passing while lamenting over the guy "stuff" being in her bowl where her knitting "stuff" usually sat.

So the light bulb went off in my head and I began plotting. John would need HIS own felted bowl for his man "stuff". In the passing conversation about brown bowl, a favorite color was mentioned. Bingo! I had a secret project and I set off to get it done and done it is. As a matter of fact, it's been done for a very long time but our schedules have not been great lately and we have had little time knitting together so the gift has been sitting on my cluttered dining room table forever! As much as I love how the bowl turned out, I need to see the table for Thanksgiving dinner and the bowl has got to go!

So here is the bowl already knitted, felted and being dried. It is not a color I love so there was some purchasing done at the LYS.

It's a bit hairy but some of my friends said they wouldn't shave it because it adds to the charm. Seriously? Hairy has charm? Uhmm...okay...

Here is the finished unshaven, very charming hairy guy bowl. Since it has no design, I had to give it some character with some plastic apples I usually have on my dining room table. Nice contrast right? So I hope that my friend will be happy when I gift this " guy thing" to her husband. I am hoping it will add to the marital bowl bliss at their house.