Nantucket Knitter

Just a reminder that this Blog can now be found here: www.nantucketknitter.com. Both of my Blog have been merged. You should be directed there automatically! <3

Giveaway!

Good news everyone! I am having a huge winter giveaway at my other Blog, and I've just published a new pattern!
http://www.nantucketknitter.com Go to Smiles are Contagious at www.nantucketknitter.com to check it out. Hopefully you will be redirected shortly!

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Moving!

Hi there everyone.
I have decided that there is no reason for me to have two Blogs, when I talk about knitting so much in my other Blog, Smiles are Contagious, which is my main blog. Hopefully, this will automatically redirect over there soon, but if not, please visit www.nantucketknitter.com from now on!
See you over there!

Friday Finishes

This week, I finished a couple of commissioned hats:

I love these hats. I love the angora/merino wool they're made out of, it's super soft and yummy. Maybe someday I'll add an adult size to the pattern!
Ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/aebth3

Also, I made some Knucks:
I have been knitting my fingers off for a very long time now, with commissions (which I love that I am getting!) plus I've been renting tables at markets for my wares. And I enjoy knitting to no end, but for the past week or so, I've been feeling burned out. So, I decided it was time to make something for myself:

KNUCKS! I ran into this pattern on knitty.com when it first came out, and always meant to make it. My favorite kind of glove is the one with the half fingers, but I've never attempted them. (Well, I did once, but never finished the second glove.)
This pattern is great. The fingers are knit first, so the fiddliest bit is out of the way. Not that the fingers are really fiddly at all - they probably took me half an hour start to finish.
These are knit in DK weight, so they're super quick. (By the way, the coloring in the photo with just the fingers done it the most accurate. It's a real pretty pale blue.)
Ravelled here: http://ravel.me/NataliesKnits/k1

And I made a pair of Vehnän Mitts.

Another super quick knit, using Dk weight yarn and size five needles.
Ravelled here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vehnan-mitts

Linking up to Friday Finishes, join in the fun at Smiles are Contagious!

Flaunt it Fridays.

Vehnän Mitts - a free pattern

Recently, I was trolling the web for funky ribbing stitches to finish off my Knucks. When I found the prefect ribbing, I kept noticing a beautiful stitch being displayed in the sidebar. The website had dubbed it the "Wind in the Wheat" stitch.
I loved it so much, I had to make some mitts out of it. And, since I have some unexplainable obsession with all things Finnish, I decided to name them Vehnän Mitts; Vehnän being Finnish for wheat. (Well, really, it means "common wheat"). Vehnän Lapaset is roughly translated to Wheat Mitts, but I thought that may be a bit unwieldy on the tongue.

You can knit these mitts in a weekend and they take less than a skein.

What you need
Yarn: Any DK weight. Shown in Gloss DK yarn by KnitPicks, in cream; number 24985
Needles: A Set of US number Five DPNS or circular long enough for Magic Loop method.
Notions Tapestry needle, stitch marker
Note: If you’re making these gloves with only two DPNs or using the Magic Loop method, the stitches will rearrange themselves on the needles. I recommend arranging the stitches back to an even amount on each needle every time you work round 12.

Wheat in the Wind stitch adapted from the instructions found here: http://www.craftcookie.com/knitting-stitches/eyelet-lace-stitches/162-wheat-in-the-wind

Wheat in the Wind stitch
Rounds 1 & 3: p1, k11; repeat from *
Round 2 & all other even rounds: Knit all sts
Round 5: * p1, k1, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k4; repeat from *
Round 7: * p1, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k3; repeat from *
Round 9: * p1, k3, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k2; repeat from *
Round 11: * p1, k4, yo, k1, yo, k2tog, k1, sl1kw, k1, psso, k1; repeat from *
Round 12: Knit all sts
These rounds form the Wheat in the Wind stitch.

- Instructions
Arm/Wrist
CO 36 sts on three DPNs. Join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.
Work one inch of k1, p1 ribbing. K one row.
Work Wheat in the Wind rounds 1 – 12 three times. A total of 36 rows worked.
Work Wheat in the wind rounds one and two.

Place Thumb
Work 18 sts in patt, knit next six sts with scrap yarn. Move the six sts worked back to the right needle. With working yarn, resume in patt until the end of the round.

Hand
Finish working remaining Winds in the Wheat rounds.
K 3 rounds straight.
Work one inch in K1, P1 ribbing.
Bind off in patt.

Thumb
Carefully remove waste yarn and place resulting live sts on needles; there will be 6 sts below the opening and 5 sts above. Attach yarn and k 6 sts below the opening; pick up and k 2 sts in space between below and above. K 5 sts from above opening; pick up and k 2 sts in space between this needle and lower needle. 15 sts.
K one row.
Next row: K6, K2tog, K to end of round. 14 sts.
Work K1, P1 ribbing for three rounds.
Bind off in patt.

Finishing
Weave in all ends. Enjoy!

Abbreviations
Sl1kw: Slip one stitch knit-wise
PSSO: Pass slipped stitch over
YO: Yarn over
K2Tog: Knit two stitches together

Pattern copyright 2012 Natalie Gonzalez. Please do not make these to sell, unless for charity.

We have some winners!

Wow, I can't believe how many entries there were for the skein giveaway! That is a record for me, thanks everyone for checking my Blog out!
Yeah yeah, you're all just waiting for the winners, I know...Well, firstly, here's the soap winner:

Using the random number generator from the super cool awesome folks at random.org, I have the winner! It's comment number 10, which is...

Well thank YOU, mamagiff, for entering! I am messaging you on Ravelry as I type (yes I am that talented, and have four hands) to find out where to ship your booty!
Now for the giveaway I think you've all been waiting for...Do I hear a drum roll? No? Just choose a winner already? Yes!
The mini skein giveaway winner is...

Which is:

Yay congrats you winners! I will be messaging you for addresses.
(TA Noonan please e-mail me within 48 hours of this post at natalie@nantucketknitter.com with your mailing address!)
Now, this giveaway was successful. Like, way beyond what I thought it would be. I sold enough patterns through the exposure to the site to pay for shipping both giveaways, which makes it all worthwhile for me.
For now, it's going to be a monthly thing - at least, I am going to have a Christmas themed giveaway next month. It may have to be moved to bi-monthly, depending on how it goes, but I for one am keeping my finger's crossed that it can be every month!
Now, I am excited for next month's giveaway. Not sure quite when it's going to start yet, but it'll probably be around the 15th of November and run 'til the 30th.
Want a hint about what it's going to include? Yes? Well, how about some Bonbons? And not just any Bonbons, but sparkly ones! Thus far, I know that next month will include two packs of Bonbons mini skeins, one is celebrate and one in sparkle!
Which other colorways caught your eye? Let me know in the comments!
Oh, another thing. Next month's giveaway may just be hosted on my other Blog, Smiles are Contagious, as it's going to include some things maybe not directly related to knitting, and I try to keep things on here just for knitting. But, again, we'll see!
Oh, almost forgot. I've also got something in next month's giveaway for any small knitters in your life. 'Cause I am all about starting them onto this particular addiction as early as possible!

If I do not hear from the winner(s) within 48 hours of this post I will pick an alternate winner(s).

Hey everyone, remember to check out my other Blog this Friday for my very first Linky Blog Party: