Springtime in Portland

Spring in Portland is beautiful. There is green grass, lush trees and blooming flowers everywhere. But this beauty (as all good things do) comes at a price. Rain. Lots and lots of rain. I'm sure you have gathered from previous posts that I love the rain and that was one of the things I missed most about living in Dubai. I love the sound of rain, the smell and the way is cleans the dust off of everything.

Of course in my memories of rain while sitting in the 100 degree weather in Dubai I had completely neglected to think about the down sides to rain. The traffic, the way it makes your car all dirty and the fact that there are so many things you cant do when it's raining (like go to the Zoo)...

Portland is known for their rainy days and I remember joking with people back in UAE about how we get rain in Portland the way they get sun in Dubai. hehehe. But we finally got a break in the rain and we were able to go for a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy some of the beauty that the rain brings us...

FO: Hats - Part 3

After I finished the groovy cable hat for my husband he immediately said "I want a green hat now" and me being a person that will never pass up the opportunity to go to the local LYS agreed...

So we headed back over to For Yarn's Sake to see if whe could find anything he liked...

We found this gorgeous green Malabrigo worsted appropreiately named Olive.

I had been wanting to work will Mally worsted weight for a while so this was a treat fro me

Somehow this Handmaiden Fine Yarn Cabash Sock yarn also ended up in my bag... But that's for another day

When I started knitting with the Mally it was like a dream! I mean it really was a pleasure to work with. So soft and so yummy.

In fact I enjoyed knitting with it so much that I ended up finishing the hat in no time at all

Pattern Details

Pattern: A Hat Fit for a Boyfriend by Stephanie Nicole
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted in Olive
Needles: US 8 circs
Mods: None except to knit it using magic loop

FO: Hats - Part 2

The second hat I started was for my mom... She had been wanting a slouchy hat found the perfect pattern when we were visiting a new LYS in the area, For Yarn's Sake. This is a fantastic new shop that has loads of selection and the owners are super friendly and Duck Fans! Which you know always earns bonus points in my book!

So after picking out a pattern my mom picked out a yarn...


And then I got knitting!

It was a super fast knit that came in three degrees of slouchyness so we went for the highest degree - Super Slouchy!



So here are the pattern details..

Pattern: Rosalie by megi
Yarn: Louet Gems Worsted in Pewter
Needles: US 5 & 8 knit in magic loop
Mods: None

I love the way the decreases look at the top of this hat... It's just beautiful. But here's a tip from me to you: Read the directions before you decide that you know what they are telling you to do because I couldn't figure out for the life of me why my decreases were looking different than the picture until I went back and read the directions! But to get that look it was worth ripping out the top and re-knitting it correctly again.

FO: Hats - Part 1

I have had some extra knitting time on my hands lately and while I have been making progress on my super-secret-never-to-talk-about project I have also been working on hats... lots and lots of hats

This is going to be in parts because 1 I don't have that much to tell you so I cant use everything up in one post. 2 It's 1 am right now and I don't have the brain power to get it all in one post even if I wanted to. 3. It would be a ridiculously long post

So... Part 1

First up my husband requested a hat. Yeah I know it's March and Spring in the States but remember for us desertaties this is COLD! So he said "hey wanna go to a yarn store?" and I was running out the door with my purse and the car was already started before he even finished what he was saying...

When we were well on our way to the shop he finally finished saying "Remember that orange hat you knit for your BIL a while back?"

and I was all "Uhh of course! Hello!"

So we went to the shop and he picked out this beautiful Berroco Vintage in a heather brown

When we got home I immediately got to knitting... It took longer than a hat usually would because of all the cables but they are totally worth it in the end.


So here are the pattern details

Pattern: Groovy Cable Tuque by Mimi Fautley
Yarn: Berroco Vintage worsted in a brown heather
Needles: US 6 circs using a magic loop
Mods: None

The only bummer was I had to do the top of this hat three times!! The first time the hat was too short. The second time it was too long and the third was just right. Husband likes it and that's what's important... right?

FO: Ducky Socks!

I finally have an FO to show everyone! It feels like it had been forever - when really I guess it's only been a couple week. Although it might also just feel like a long time because I cast on for these socks on Dec 31st! So it has taken me two months to knit a pair of socks... my excuse: Ravelympics

I started these socks to show my obvious support for the Oregon Ducks (as embarrassing as they are at the moment)... In case wearing a t-shirt, hoodie and sweats weren't enough I thought my feet should show my allegiance as well.... not to mention I love love love the vibrant colors of this yarn!

Pattern Details
Pattern: Duckies by Samantha Hayes
Yarn: flydesigns Monarch, Colorway - Spring
Needles: US 2’s Addi circs
Mods: I knit these two at a time using magic loop. The pattern calls for DPNs so the only modifications I had to make was the math in my head to convert the pattern to magic loop.

This was my first top down sock and my first time knitting two at a time. I love the two at a time process it feels great when they are done at the same time not to mention I love that I don’t have to remember for the second sock when I turned the heel or when I started on the toe – the two socks just come out the exact same!

I also, under normal circumstances, wouldn’t pair this bright vibrant yarn with this pattern only because I think a softer colorway would do this pattern more justice however how could I pass up making my Oregon Duck sock in a pattern named duckies? Just not possible.

The more socks I knit the more I like them and the more I come to the conclusion that I am going to have to get shoes that show them off better!