{annual summer knitting}

Every year, as it gets hot, I'm overcome by the illogical impulse to knit a thick and woolly blanket. In 2010, it was a little faded pink, basket-weave project for Tilly. Last year, it was a gigantic patchwork throw for my sister, Alice, to take to university. And this year, I bring you the grey stripes -- a baby blanket for our forthcoming little winter elf.

Though the knitting is now all finished -- happily, it worked out that I could cosy up with it while in chilly England this May -- all those stripes means a few dozen ends to weave in. And end-weaving-in is top of my list of unexciting projects. But hopefully by December, it'll be ready to wrap around a new little person... you know, if Texas temperatures ever decide to drop down to blanket-wearing weather!

Feeling Stitchy

Though you might be thinking that RedRed has fallen silent, I just wanted to assure you that there's plenty of noise around here... just less of the words, and more of the rat-a-tat-tat of Grendel, the mean green sewing machine. Stripes, scraps, and insulated batting galore.

Back soon with some very exciting news...

On the Needles

I'm really working hard on Christmas gifts at the moment, and have decided that warm and cosy fingerless mittens are the way to go this year!

Right now, I'm finishing up a pair for my brother, (who never reads this, so I'm safe!) in the colours of his favourite English football team: Newcastle United.

As he's quite a tall guy, I changed my normal pattern a bit. I found that ribbing the mittens all the way from wrist to fingers looked a bit strange when stretched over big hands, so I simply did the cuff in rib stitch, and then stocking stitched the rest.

A very easy pattern for these 'Man Mitts':

I used two colours (A: black, B: grey), and size 9 needles

Cast on 36 stitches

Rows 1-4: Use colour A, rib stitch (knit 2, purl 2, repeat)

Rows 5-6: Use B, rib stitch

Rows 7-8: Use A, rib stitch

Rows 9-12: Use B, rib stitch

Rows 13-14: Use A, rib stitch

Rows 15-16: Use B, rib stitch (B can be cut as it won't be used again)

Rows 17-18: Use A, rib stitch

Rows 19-40: Use A, stocking stitch (knit one row, purl the next row, repeat)

Cast off!

How easy? So really, you just make a big patterned rectangle, and then take the two sides together and sew it up with mattress stitch (leaving room just above the last stripe of B for the thumb).

Enjoy!

xo

Off the Needles

My vertical stripy scarf is now off the needles... and onto the dog!

What a little fox.

She wouldn't go outside this morning because it was raining, so I might just have to make her a little raincoat and some rain boots as well!

It's just the perfect length for me, or for a fencepost.

And much softer than bark...

Can you tell that I like living somewhere where there's trees and grass and doggies and backyards? :)

On the Needles

If you recall, I bought some beautiful yarn three weeks ago, in three lovely colours. The colours weren't officially named, but I call them "Peanut Shell", "Santa Fe Adobe" and, um, "Dark Blue".

I've been knitting it up into a scarf... a slightly unusual vertically striped scarf, so I'm using circular needles for the first time.

Just the dark blue stripe to do, then it's done!

It's all garter stitch, which is lovely and easy, and twelve rows of each colour. But... I cast on 250 stitches, and had a bit of a tail left still, so I kept casting on a little longer, and I'm not sure exactly how many stitches I ended up with.

More than 250.

Less than 500.

I know that much!

Anyhow, I'm liking the colours together, and am very excited to see how it'll look off the needles, and how long it'll end up being! But, in my mind, a scarf can never be too long, (you just keep wrapping it round your neck, right?!) so I'm hopeful it'll be a success!