Santa was good to me..

I hope everyone had a marvelous holiday, and the New Year is approaching so quickly! I still have a tiny bit of Christmas knitting to finish, but I will admit to swatching some of my Jamieson’s Spindrift and a delicious naturally dyed merino by Swan’s Island. I have decided on my first project, but no peeking for you, lovely reader, until January 1st!

This is that beautiful Swan’s Island in the colorway Sky Blue. A Christmas present to myself, Merry Christmas to me! Thanks, me! You’re so welcome, me! 

Santa also brought me some other wonderful goodies that will enhance my 2013 vintage knitting. I have 9 skeins of Excelana Yarn 4-ply coming my way! Eeekk! I peek outside for the post man in hopes that he is carrying a large box of Nile Green Excelana every day.

Isn’t that gorgeous? Can’t wait can’t wait!

I also have something else coming..

something very special..

something that every knitter can’t help but day dream about……..

Signature. Needles.

Oh what? Huh? Did she really say that? YES.

Size 2 fourteen-inch straight needles to accompany all my jumper knitting.

So luxurious.

You can find them here if you want a pair for yourself!

I can’t wait until I get to use them.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year’s and I will see you next year!

xoxo

Sydney

Meet the Contenders

Yarn.

What a wonderful word.

I have been building up a Shetland stash for the last few months, and I know there is still much more to buy, but this is what I have so far for my 2013 challenge. It was all obtained in a variety of different places, which will make it even more fun to knit up.

This is O-Wool Classic 2-ply. I got a bag of 10 from Little Knits in Seattle for a steal. It is not Shetland, but a lovely organic merino. It is a gorgeous grassy green color that yet to has a pattern to go along with it.

This is Elemental Affects Natural Shetland Fingering, so many colors! I picked the colors because they reminded me of the movie Brave. 🙂 I bought these at Stash, the yarn shop that I work at!

JAMIESON! I think I am going to use the natural color with with the Elemental Affects for a fair-isle something-or-other. I got this over on the Oregon Coast in a cute little yarn shop!

This Shetland is so soft. I got it in Boston, and I only wish I bought more!

This is only a sneak peek at all the yarn I have lined up for next year, and I am sure I will be buying much more.

I love buying yarn, don’t you?

xoxo

Sydney

Dashing Through the Christmas Knitting

Well, I’m not actually dashing. More like drudging.

Every year I tell myself I am going to cut down my list. That I will only knit for my close friends, and select members of my immediate family. But for some mystical reason, my list GROWS every year! This year, I am knitting for 15 people. Yes, 15. How does that happen? After (and during) every project, every hat, mitten, legwarmer, and cowl, I find myself staring at my jumper yarns, my sweater’s worth skeins, nearly drooling at the idea of knitting a sweater. I am definitely a big project type of knitter. Instant gratification knitting does nothing for me. Curse you whoever decided that knitted headbands were “in” this year!! They’re lovely, but now I have six to make. Please, make it stop! 

I am halfway done with Christmas Knitting, and now it is crunch time. I have six more people to knit for. A hat, 3 pairs of gloves, six headbands (sigh), and half a cowl to finish. Then of course there is Christmas sewing, but I can’t even think about that right now. 15 days. Can it be done? Possibly. Will I be able to sleep? Probably not.

Here is what I have to show for!

Tinyowlknit’s Some Cloudy Day legwarmers for Emily!

Janice Kang’s Team Zissou Hat for Tyler!

A ski hat for Uncle Ryan! (Pattern my own design)

Tinyowlknit’s Bedknobs & Broomsticks for Deirdre!

Tinyowlknit’s Meow Mitts for Taylor (personalized as her two cats)

Can you tell that I love miss Tinyowlknits? She is amazing.

I also finished two other hats, a cowl, and a pair of mitts that are not pictured. If you want more information on these patterns, you can find them all here on my ravelry project page!

MUST. RESIST. SWEATER. KNITTING.

xoxo

Sydney

Day Dreaming

Good day, sweet peas!

I have been queuing up designs and taking mental notes of vintage patterns I want to knit, and now that January is coming so soon, I must start planning! There are oodles upon oodles of patterns that I have said “Oh yes, I must, oh I must knit that!” But there are a few that I am certain you will see in 2013. Many of these are by the talented and amazing Susan Crawford, co-author of A Stitch in Time, Volume 1 & 2, who has re-created over 100 vintage knitting patterns and accommodating them to different body shapes, which is so helpful. She is a godsend. If you have not discovered her yet, here is a link to her ravelry page! Miss Susan Crawford.

Without further ado, here are a few that you will be seeing in 2013! ❤

This is probably my favorite re-creation of Susan’s. I am a sucker for stripes and flower motifs. It can be found here on ravelry. This may even be my first project of the New Year!

I. love. this. cardigan!! I bought some lovely Shetland wool in Boston that has been eyeing me from my yarn shelf, begging to be this cardigan. Found here on ravelry.

My final Susan Crawford masterpiece is this beautiful jumper. I don’t have yarn for it yet, but I am thinking some type of robin’s egg blue or burgundy. So lovely. Found here.

Did I mention I love stripes? Well, I love stripes. This is from an old Australian Women’s Weekly, and many of the patterns can be found here on ravelry for free! Yes, cupcake, free!! If you love vintage patterns just as much as I do and have not seen these, I would highly recommend to check them out.

I hope you all are having a marvelous day!

xoxo

Sydney

Welcome, Kittens!

Hello my darlings!

Welcome, welcome, pull up a chair, let me get you some tea.

Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Sydney, and I am a compulsive knitter and vintage collector.

Oh, and lover of sheep.

This blog is going to follow me and my New Year’s Knitting Resolution of only knitting from vintage patterns in 2013. Something I have wanted to do for a long time, but always found myself eagerly browsing vintage patterns and never casting on. Cast on starts January 1st, 2013, and I won’t look back. I had developed a fairly substantial pattern collection and hoarding of Jamison’s 4-ply Shetland yarns, so I am ready to go! I will be photo- documenting my process and patterns that I am working from. My next blog will be lots of fun, so stick around!

You can also find me lurking ravelry as Squidneyknits.

Toodle-oo!

xoxo