charity
I did it! I finished all my KYH (the Finnish KAL where you cast on 26 items in June and finish them all by the end oh July) knits!
Here's what I knit:
Ok, I've cast on 26 things in June, all because I'm participating in the Finnish KAL I mentioned a few weeks ago, where you - starting from the 1st oh June - cast on something new every day until Midsummer, and you finish everything my the end of July. It's a challenge, but so much fun! Here's what I have ready (or almost done) by now (& since the last posting)
From up left clockwards: a shawl from the top of my head (it's the better version of my Tierheim bamboo shawl) with self-dyed yarn; the Twilight Gloaming (Rav link) shawl made with a Zauberball (I'll post more on these shawls later); seven mice that just need to be felted, filled and sewn close to finish these cat toys from Kitty Knits.
You might remember I volunteer for my local animal shelter by knitting things for sale and helping during open doors days, working at the sales booth. The shelter just had their big summer open doors day a few days ago, and to try out something new I decided to knit two little triangular shawlettes for sale.
That worked amazingly well! They were up for about an hour before a lady came and bought them both. Not for very much money, but still way more we usually get from socks or other knits that use the same amount of yarn! I was very happy about that and and plan to knit more simple shawls for the shelter in the future.
Once in a while my attention gets drawn to the misccellaneous bags in my stash closet, the ones with yarn ends and half balls, the leftover yarns from bigger projects and maybe a few full balls with yarn I don't really know what to do with. To be honest, my attention is actually drawn to the fact that the bags are packed if not overflowing. This is usually the time I take out the bags, take a look at the yarns inside and decide to start a stashbusting project.
This time I decided to knit some simple striped scarves. I've knit stashbusting scarves before (examples here and here), but none in the last year or so. So even though the summer is coming, I picked up my woolen yarns and cast on.
I'm heading to my local animal shelter's Easter Bazar tomorrow morning, and have some knits ready for it.
I've made some bulky hats:
Pattern - Chunky Button Hat
Yarn - Filati Funky, a really bulky wool / acrylic mix. This happens to be the first yarn I ever knit in my "new knitter life" in 2006!
Needles - 10 mm dpns (!)
Modifications - I did change the crown of some of these hats, plus I attached no buttons, but made pom poms instead.
Two of these I can count to my Hamster month total - the annual Finnish knit from stash exclusively KAL.
I might be able to count the lovely, lovely Esel as well. Esel means Donkey in German, and that's the name of this pattern. I received it as a copy from a book - I have no idea who the designer is and from which book the pattern is copied from!
This is my 2009 tally für preemies. You might know that I support the German knit for preemies charity Frühchenstricken, who collect preemie knits and distribute them to the hospitals who request them. I usually send one packet a year, and this is the one for 2009 (they asked me to wait over Christmas to send it, so I only sent it last week).
What I made:
2 cotton blankets, ca 55x60 cm big
5 pairs of preemie socks
5 preemie hats
OK, it's not so much, but hey, every little helps and I know these items will beused by those who need them. Plus preemie knits are so great for quick stashbusting projects!
PS. What do you think about the new background Nick made for me?
Greetings from the Mouse Factory!
Well, not quite, but I have been making lots of mice lately, as I was trying to get as many as possible done for Ompelukerho (a Finnish women's action group I am a member of) stand at the Christmas market. The market is today, and I hope they sell well! They did last year, anyway, and because these mice are smaller than the ones last year, they might even sell better (as last year's mice were more like rats...)
I've knit some small things last month and I thought I'd show them to you, as they came out nicely, I think!
First we have the Grown-up bootees. The pattern is by Ysolda Teague, and it's a part of the Whimsical Little Knits 1 collection. I've knit them with vintage superwash wool held double on 5mm needles. This pair fits me, so the size is ca. European 39. They took approximately 100 grams of yarn. I'll be making more as Christmas presents!
Next I have two more pairs of preemie socks for the Sukkasato-KAL. Again 28 stitches around, made on 2,5mm dpns. The yarn is of unknown quality, but I did dye it myself (except for the toe of one sock, as I ran out of the self-dyed yarn). The KAL is finished now, my total: five pairs of preemie socks, and the grown-up bootees. Not bad!
Just two more pairs of little preemie socks for charity. I'm also counting them in the Sukkasato sock KAL.
The yarn is a nameless sock yarn I received from a friend a while back. The socks are made on 2,5mm dpns, and have 28 stitches around. The cuff is 1x1 rib and the foot is plain. As simple as it gets!
Sukkasato has started again, the Finnish 2-month sock KAL in which I also participated last year.
Like last year, I'll be making small socks for charity. Here's the first pair of preemie socks. Made on 4mm needles using 24 stitches around, the yarn is Hjerte Sock held double.
I have more pairs on the needles and will post them throughout the KAL. They are so sweet and quick!
