Finished Mavis hat, Align mitts, and Creativity check, February 2020

Since I wrote my post about my creative plans for 2020, I've made some progress on projects, finishing a few and starting two new works in progress. I knit a bit here and there in the evenings, but also on car rides and when we visit family on the weekends. And bit by bit, progress is made.

Finished

A Mavis (baby) hat. I've knit this pattern once before and the result is so sweet. A dear friend of mine had a little girl two months after Cooper was born, and I hadn't yet had a chance to knit her something. Together, we decided on a sweet little hat. I've listed a few details, but more notes on the pattern can be found on my ravelry page.

Details:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Valley Superwash DK in the color fawn
• Pattern: the hat from the Mavis pattern trio by Oomieknits
• Needles: US size 5, sized down, as is my usual for my loose tension.
• Specifics/modifications: The pattern (from what I can tell) often confuses instructions for RS and WS. More notes on this on my ravelry page. I knit the size 6-9 months. It fits her little girl well and it also fit Cooper when I tried it on for size.

Finished

A third set of fingerless mitts for my mom. My family lives in MN and my mom loves to wear these mitts when she's around home, and even sometimes when she sleeps. Having knit the pattern three times, I can testify that it's an excellent (free!) pattern and they hug the hand so well. I seem to knit a pair every two years, or so. My previous two versions are here and here. I've listed a few details on this pair below, but more notes on the pattern can be found on my ravelry page.

Details:

• Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in the blueberry colorway, leftover from Nicholas' Christmas hat
• Pattern: Align mitts by Courtney Spainhower (free!)
• Needles: US size 2, sized down, as is my usual for my loose tension.
• Specifics/modifications: The specificed length to knit the hand is far too long for my mom's hands (or mine), so I made the length of the palm much shorter before beginning the ribbing for the cuff on the palm.

Current works-in-progress

• Garter snake cowl — I'm still knitting on this here and there, when I'm in the mood. Juggling two skeins of yarn always take a tiny bit more mental energy for me, but the knitting process is so enjoyable. Once the sweater is finished, I want to make this my primary project.
• a Mavis hat for Cooper — Once I tried the finished version (above) on Cooper, I knew I needed to knit him one. It fits so well, and unlike the beanie style of hat, it doesn't fall down over his eyes (problematic/annoying for him if he's in the carseat and we can't simply reach back to fix it). It's knit in a super soft charcoal grey yarn. I'm working on the short row shaping, so this should be finished very soon, so he can still wear it on cold days.
• A Tundra jumper — I cast this on shortly after my previous post, and it's been such a satisfying (and fast!) knit so far. I'm nearly done with the body of the sweater. Knit bottom-up, I will stop at the underarms, then knit the sleeves, and then join all of it together for the patterned yoke. I've never knit with Lettlopi before, but I love it! It's toothy and enjoyable to work with and I can knit on it without looking, which makes it a versatile project.

On deck

• I suppose my gauge has loosened, but the ribbed Christmas hat I knit for Nicholas this year is simply too long. Since it's knit bottom-up and the crown decreases are a marathon-type of knitting, I'm going to insert a lifeline and frog some from the middle of the hat, and then graft (in ribbing) the edges together, after removing at least an inch or more. It shouldn't be too difficult, but I'm anticipating needing a quiet, uninterrupted space to do it, since I haven't grafted 2x2 rib before.
• A pair of socks for Nicholas
• the Atmen shawl, knit in yarn from the Faroe islands that my brother bought for me. I want to knit with this woolier yarn before spring arrives.

And that's where I'm at, creatively-speaking. I've been feeling very excited about both current and future projects, and very motivated to be knitting from stash yarn. As in other areas of my life, I anticipate my mood and interests within knitting to shift with the seasons, but for now, I'm soaking up all the wooly-wool in this mid-winter season.