Finally, in 2009

My how time flies! I've picked up my needlework again. Here's what I've been up to since last fall:

I finished the Farrow Rib Cardigan:

It's from Interweave Knits, and it was a nice pattern to work up. My cardigan is 100% alpaca--a female named Jewel, with whom I'm personally acquainted. :o) For Christmas, I made Chris's dad this Meg Swansen vest:

It was hard to know exactly the size to make, so after completing it and Bruce trying it on, I had to steek and reknit the facings.

For Chris's mom, I made Pearls of Wisdom by Brenda Patipa.

This is unblocked. I forgot to take a photo of the piece after blocking, but it turned out beautifully, and Anne-Marie loved it.

For Helena, I made these mittens by Jared Flood in Vogue Knitting:

It's a great pattern and lots of fun to knit.

I made a pair of mitts for Judy. This photo shows us both wearing our mitts, which are made from the same pattern with the same yarn, but with the color work reversed.

Some Canadian friends invited us to watch President Obama's inauguration from the Canadian embassy, so to thank them, I knitted Denis a scarf and Louise a pair of cashmere mitts:

For Cindy for her birthday, I made her a pair of bed socks:

I also made a couple scarves and a hat, and I finished my spring cardigan (finally), but I still need to take photos of the latter.

And I just finished this scarf for Mary for her birthday:

To needlework!

Pat's Huswife, which will be a way to store and carry needlework tools:

The photo on the left is a photo of a photo of the finished product. The photo on the right is my work in progress. The outline on the right is where the scissors will be kept, and it is done in hardanger.

This is Venetian Delight:

Again, a photo of the what the project will be and a photo of my progress. This is canvaswork designed by Jean Hilton and Ro Pace. I took this class from them at a national seminar for the American Needlepoint Guild.

I've started on a group correspondence course with the Embroiderers' Guild of America. It's a drawn thread piece called Angelina. This is a photo of the project since mine at this stage just looks like a piece of white linen with barely visible basting lines:

And lastly, I've started on a piece of counted work on 40-count silk gauze. The needle is placed for scale.

Update

I have more finished projects!
I finished the second shawl from VLT: the scarf or shawl with center panel. I gave it to Auntie Pat (my husband's aunt) when we visited her in Cornwall, England, in September.

While in Cornwall, I almost finished my Transition Gloves and the Farrow-Rib Cardigan:

WWMD?

I'm just back from Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp I. Camp was fantastic, the knitting was fantastic, and Meg is fantastic. And my head is about to explode it's so stuffed with knitting.

I discovered Meg Swansen several years ago. Then I discovered Elizabeth Zimmerman, and then I discovered they are daughter and mother. Meg always looks as though she's a really nice person in her photos (her eyes always seem to smile), and after being in her class, I know she is one of the most gracious people on the planet, not to mention one of the most talented knitters and designers.

There was show-and-tell every day of camp. I showed-and-told on day two. The following day, Meg actually remembered my pathetic knitting and asked to see it more closely. It blew me away that someone of her renown and talent would be interested in and would be troubled to remember such a detail.

I would say Meg is a real lady (the word "lady" is used far too indiscriminately these days), and Helena would say Meg is a class act.

So one of my new mottos to live by is "What would Meg do?" (WWMD?), which applies not just in knitting scenarios. :o)

Here are some photos from camp:


Meg at the white board.


Meg showing us something really useful.


The Wall o' Sweaters


A portion of the Wall, which includes my two faves.


Turkish Maple


A detail of the Turkish Maple. Meg signs her work--what a great idea!


The Phoenix is even more impressive in person!


Me and Meg


Me and Joyce.


Joyce in one of her incredible sweaters. Joyce is such a doll! She's friendly, helpful, and charming, to say nothing of her knitting.


Me and Amy. Not only is Amy extremely talented, knowledgeable, and helpful, she's also the comic relief! Amy got me over my steeking hump.


This is the swatch sweater I knit in camp. It's Meg's spiral yoke sweater. I can't wait to make one that will fit me!

Anyhoo, here's what I've been working on these days:


Michael Kors cabled cape in Fall 2007 Vogue Knitting


Transition Gloves from Shibui


Scarf or Shawl with a Center Pattern from Victorian Lace Today


Norwegian cardigan from Dale knit in Kolibri cotton. Amy and Joyce helped me steek and cut this at camp. Holy Toledo! The finishing will take as long as the knitting did. But I love it!


Farrow Rib Cardigan in Jewel the alpaca in Winter 2007 Interweave Knits. Almost done!