All I need now is a rocking chair

The weather is changing and I need to keep my shoulders room while I work both at work and it home.  I didn't want to follow a pattern, I'm trying to learn to make my own creations as much as possible.
I started a shawl using my stitchionary books to add texture and a few guidelines to help me get started.  I totally love the results I have. I ran out of the gray yarn so I'm finishing up with some burgundy. This is yarn left over from my $5 in Paris top.

I finish up the last rows and bind off tonight. Next, some light blocking since it's acrylic and then it's done.

Keep stitchin'

Persimmon nearly done

Just a bit more to go and it's done.  The only thing I really have left is the buttons and any embellishments I decide to add.  I like the fit and love the color. Simply Soft always has a wonderfully soft feel and is perfect for Fall temperatures.

Keep stitchin'

Persimmon

Getting back into blogging seems to be a bit difficult for me but I'm trying.
My latest project is a top-down cardi in garter stitch.  I using the seamless method that Britt Schmiesing teaches with her cardi Seelie.   The instructions are very easy to follow and several have been made by ravelry members.  I found Britt when I went on a hunt for a top-down cardi that creates the button band along with the sweater rather than picking up stitches afterwards.  So was born Persimmon which is the name of the colorway of the yarn,  it's Caron Simply Soft.
The knit work was going pretty fast until I got to the sleeves.  I've ripped them several times trying to get the perfect fit.  The real problem came in when I decided that I should be knitting them in the round rather than back and forth like the body.  Mind you, this is after I got about an inch past the elbow!  The first sleeve was almost done. Once I started knitting in the round I noticed the stitches didn't look the same, I hated the look.  I finally realized its because the sleeve must be knit back and forth in order to blend with rest of the sweater.other than that the body is finished.  I remembered to mark the button band side so that I won't end up with buttons and holes that don't line up evenly.
This  is going to be a nice Fall sweater.

Keep stitchin'

Thumbless Baby Mitts

I guess I must be one of Santa's helpers because I'm still making gifts. I'm becoming addicted to hats of all things. They quick and easy enough to make on a whim. Since I was off today and certainly got bored, or rather suffered from withdrawal, I had to find something to make. So I came up with Thumbless Mitts for one of my nieces. She's just 6 months so thumbs really are not necessary yet. I combined info from toe up socks, hats and top down socks and mittens to come up with these little cuties. It's a really versitile that can use pretty much any stitch but I wanted fpdc to match the Reversible Strands Hat for Men pattern by Nancy Smith.

I think just about any yarn weight will work for these mitts as well but you may have to do a few more rows of increases. I haven't tried it yet but I think that it would be as simple as this:

inc every 4th st, inc every 5th st and so forth. Then reduce back down to for the wrist. I eyeballed this all thing so my niece hasn't even tried these on yet but it looks like they will fit. If they're too big, no problem.

Thumbless Baby Mitts
Materials:

I used a very small amount Caron Rainbow Tones (Country Rose) but any worsted weight yarn will do. Experiment with other yarn weights!

H crochet hook

Yarn needles for weaving in ends

Notes: Work first stich in same stitch where you joined when working sc rows.

Mitt
Chain 4
Rnd 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and each across (3sc). Working on opposite side of chain, sc in next 3sc for a total of 6sc, join with a sl st and ch 1.
Rnd 2: work 2 fpdc in each sc. join with a sl st and ch 1 (12 dc)
Rnd 3: Work even, join with a sl st and ch 1
Rnd 4: *dc in the 1st st, 2dc in the next st. Rep from * around. join with a sl st and ch 1 (18 dc)
Rnd 5: Work even, join with a sl st and ch 1
Rnd 6: Work dc in the 1st dc, 2 dc in the next. Work 2 dc in every 3rd st around. Dc in the last st. join with a sl st and ch 1 (24dc)
Rnd 7-13: Work even (24dc)

Wrist
Rnd 14-15: Sc in each stitch.
Rnd 16: Dec 3 sts evenly spaced (21 dc)
Rnd 17: Hdc in each st (21 hdc)
Rnd 18-20: Work fphdc in each sts around (21 fphdc)
Finish off.

I'm not a designer so I can't guarantee that this pattern is perfect but I hope it is.

Keep stitchin'