So, last year didn’t end quite as well as I had hoped. I was in a flare of my autoimmune diseases (systemic sclerosis and Sjogren’s Syndrome), drowning in fatigue and befuddled with brain fog. Ugh. Not the best for knitting or anything else come to think of it. Christmas shopping was a challenge, Christmas cooking didn’t happen (expect for a cheesecake!), and I took almost a month to do one knitting projects (ahem… the Turkish Hell Socks).
This, however, is a new year. As in, my energy is coming back, I rediscovered my special cache of “yarns I love beyond all reason” (seriously, that is the label that I put on the storage bin…), and I started casting on with abandon. I have had these projects waiting to go for weeks and weeks, my needles were empty, and… knitting happened!!
My niece in Virginia contacted me right at the end of the year to ask if I could make her some fingerless mitts and a pair of the ones with dragon scales for her to gift to her own niece. Wow. Time flies. This is a sort-of grandniece who is now an adult. How did I get here so quickly? Anyway, you know I bought the supplies the weekend before New Years and here are the finished mitts.
I also have two pairs of socks and a couple of shawls on the needles. Crazy, right. The socks are for simple knitting while doing errands, and the shawls are for binge television watching and long evening knitting. I don’t want to bore you with all the pictures of knitting bits on needles, but this Marfa shawl is totally worth a picture.
I have to admit, I have already started digging in the stash to put together the yarns for another of these brioche shawls. I need to seriously cruise Ravelry to see what else is there. Brioche love. Who knew?
Finally, I have had a sweater all knitted up and stored in a plastic bin waiting to get finished. For weeks. Kind of embarrassing as this sweater was knit from the neck down and needed very little finishing. In my defense, I was hunting for the perfect buttons. Feeling pretty good about myself after I completed the hat I took it out one afternoon and finished it up just in time for a weekend snow storm.
You know what they say, start out as you mean to go. I’m feeling pretty good now, I’m catching up on chores, and the knitting is just jumping off of my needles. Way to go, 2018.
We’re having snow here tomorrow. I’m ready, winter. Bring it on!
Yarn, Books & Roses 
Good to see you back on form. Great sweater
Thanks. I’m back in gear and picking up speed. 🙂
I’m so glad you’re feeling better:)
Your sweater is lovely! As are the mitts and hat. I have never done brioche. Your shawl looks so soft and squishy!
Brioche was a learning curve. I did some YouTube videos to help, but by following the directions I managed and then eventually I realized what was going on. So squishy and comfy to wear.
So, your flare may have hit with a vengeance, but your knitting is back with a vengeance too! I love your second drijfhout! It was your first that inspired mine, and I said as soon as I was done that I could easily knit another. It’s lovely!
That’s what happened to me. Such a comfy sweater, and the fit and small details really make it nice. Isabell Kraemer is now my go to sweater designer.
Wow! You are hittin’ it out of the ballpark. Those gloves are freakin’ awesome. Yay for a girl likin’ dragons. Did you tack each scale down one by one or in rows?
The scales were easy to attach; they are just knitted on through the hole at the top of the scale! They are attached while working the wrong side. You put the needle through the stitch to knit, slip the scale onto the needle with the right side facing out, and then knit the yarn through the scale and stitch together. Ta-daa!
There is SO MUCH TO LOVE here, Marilyn!!! Your dragon scale mitts are crazy amazing! And your hat! I’m working on a cabled, pompom hat out of Malabrigo Rios in English Rose that is going to have a very similar look I think. Cactus Flower is one of my favs! Lovely sweater and buttons as well! I still need to try brioche. What a great start to the new year!!
Thank you. It was really rewarding to race through some fast projects like the hat and mitts. Project gratification in just a few days!
I have a cowl that I knit in English rose that pretty much matches the hat. Love that rosy pink!!
This is incredible pretty and productive! I a stuck in bed by a flare and feeling useless, looking for ways to be creative with brainfog and not able to use hands
Thank you. I totally understand. One of my biggest fears is that I’ll lose the use of my hands, I’m so sorry you are dealing with that. 😹 I hope your flare improves soon. Hugs!
Thanks. It’s good to be able to talk to other spoonies! People who don’t have health issues don’t really understand what being able to pick up my knitting needles mean to me!!
Oh, it is everything for me. I think it helps reduce anxiety while at the same time I’m actually producing something useful and beautiful. When I’m in a bad flare I sometimes even lose my ability to read. Sad days! Hope you can pick up your needles again soon!!
I miss them dearly! Can’t read and just looking at screens is exhausting so it’s a lot of staring at the ceiling in silence in the dark.
WOW those warmers are freakin’ awesome.
I sure hope the person who is being gifted them feels the same way. 🙂
For sure!!! Awesome!