Knitting Progression Part 1

Originally posted 3/21/12:

This post will be a bit longer than the previous one, as knitting has caused me to churn out project after project with a speed I had not previously considered possible, especially with crochet. I will endeavor to be thorough. My friend Anki taught me to knit at the beginning of August 2011 (yes, that recently) in exchange for me teaching her how to crochet. She bought me a delightful pile of gifts, too.

The Knitter's Handbook: Essential Skills and Helpful Hints from Knitter's Magazine, darning needles, a needle size gauge, twelve cards for tablet weaving (AWESOME), two sets of stitch markers (so. bleeding. useful.), and then the bandanna it all came wrapped in.

We then trooped down to the awesomest yarn store ever and selected the needles and yarn for my first project, a simple beret, using this pattern.

I fell in love with the Classic Shades yarn in Wine, a machine washable yarn (still haven't tested this, mostly for my own piece of mind--I don't want this project felted). This is the leftovers from two skeins and is used in a project later in this post.

I made it, and got to blocking it, like so:

 And then I realized something. It wasn't deep enough. It was perhaps the depth of a beanie hat. I decided I was not satisfied with such results, frogged it, and--after having to buy another skein of yarn--now have the completed beret you now see before you:

May I just say that I adore this hat? I've never been much for wearing hats, but now I wear this and my teal beret Anki made me a year or so ago all the time, especially to work. They look so nice with my clothes!

Fern Handspun in Vivid Green. 

Evie Handspun in Light Green.

Handspun I bought from an SCA event from the same vendor. They were named after the sheep they were pulled from and hand sheered, carded, spun, and dyed by the vendors. So yummy. These two yarns became this beanie hat for my brother:

A beanie in his favorite color made of hand gathered, handspun, hand dyed wool yarn. Made with my own little white hands. I used up all of the light green yarn and added in the brighter, deeper green on top. It was felted to fit better and he apparently wears it everywhere. The rest of the Fern is used in a later project you already have a hint of, but I will show you it shortly.

Lily's Sugar'n Cream Stripes in 21114. I used this to make this:

My friends, Douglas and his beautiful wife Nicole, have had a baby, but Rosslyn and I anticipated this. She bought me the washable cotton yarn, and I fell to. The yarn itself striped that way. I have a teensy bit left of this as well.  This was the first project I didn't have to frog and redo since I had begun knitting.

Lion Brand Amazing in Rainforest. This is the remaining bits from two skeins used to make this!

I haven't posted this before because it is a gift that still has yet to be sent. I hope it fits the recipient. It's quite large and the recipient has a large head.

The remnant of the Fern Handspun and the remains of the Lion Brand Amazing just now used created this Twill pattern cowl for my brother! So cute. My mother told me he would not take it off long enough for her to wash it for a nearly a month.

The rest is to follow!