Christmas Capelet

This is my Christmas Capelet and it raises in my mind the specter of dress style for today's couples. Do you have a mate who's idea of getting dressed up is to wear dress shoes with jeans? I do. But I've take the view that one must dress to please one's self. Steve, bless his heart, is just not happy getting dressed up. But, what he lacks in dress style he more than recommences with wit and good company!

I'm calling this my Christmas Capelet because I knit it to wear this Christmas. I wanted something special to wear on Christmas day but not one of those gaudy Christmas sweaters that one finds in the stores. It is unfortunate that Christmas has become so commercialized because the real beauty of the holiday can get lost in all the trappings. About ten years ago we spent our Christmas holiday in South America (Chile). I was struck by the absence of a jolly red Santa on every corner. Instead there were nativity scenes and decorations made from greenery and candles. I think I like it best if there is a balance. Decorations are nice but the spirit and essence of the holiday shouldn't be lost.

I remember we spent Christmas Eve in Puerto Montt, Chile and it was cold and drizzling out. Despite the weather the streets were filled with families all dressed up milling about and the air was filled with excitement and happiness. I asked our hotel if there was an event taking place. But no. Apparently it simply is the tradition in that town to dress up and walk as a family downtown Christmas Eve. I loved being there and feeling a part of their celebration and enjoying the quiet beauty of the nativity scene, the focus of the town's decorations. It felt very special.


It has always been our tradition to take a family walk on Christmas Day. Once the turkey is in the oven we all bundle up and go for a walk on the beach. It's a nice time of togetherness. Coming home we are greeted by the smell of roasting turkey and the beautifully decorated tree. Below is a picture of me and sister walking on the beach on a Christmas morning that has long since past. Yet I still return home and walk on the beach with my parents every year.


Knitting for me is a means of self expression and defining who I am and that's really why I chose to knit this capelet for Christmas.



Particulars: Antonia Shawlette/Capelet a pattern from the Family Trunk Project a collaborative effort explained here. I used Tosh Sock yarn (malachite colorway) by Madelinetosh, US 3 circular needles. My only modification was to add decorative leaf ties as I thought a caplet ought to have a tie closure. You could easily use a satin ribbon instead.


How to Knit Leaf Ties

To emphasize the "caplet" nature of this shawl I added leaf ties reminiscent of what might adorn a cloak. My leaf ties are modeled after the leaf ties on the Cropped Cardigan a free pattern published in Knitty an on-line knitting magazine. I simply adjusted the pattern to a fingering weight yarn and to create a more rounded leaf shape.



Using a fingering weight yarn and using US 2 needles:

Cast on 2 stitches. Knit a 2 stitch i-cord to desired length. My i-cords for this shawl are 15" and 16" respectively. When your i-cord is desired length, form the leaf as follows:

Using a seed stitch pattern throughout:
Row 1: K1, M1, K1 (3 stitches)
Row 2: Increase (knit into front and back) 1 stitch at the beginning and end of the row (5 stitches)
Row 3: Repeat Row 2 (7 stitches)
Row 4: work even in seed stitch
Row 5: K2, M1, K1, M1 K2 (7 stitches)
Row 6 - 9: work even in seed stitch
Row 10: Decrease 1 stitch at beginning of the row using ssk decrease. Continue decreasing (via ssk) the first stitch of each row until 1 stitch remains. Bind off last stitch. Attached your I-cord by twisting into an "S" shape and sew to shawl using a button on the back to anchor the tie as shown in the picture below. The button will help provide some stability.


However, I caution that because shawls are knit into a fine/thin fabric, the tie is largely decorative and for light wear only.

Away for Christmas

We will be away for Christmas and the week following so no Christmas tree for us this year. But still spots of holiday cheer are to be found here and there. This year I've enjoyed making yarn ornaments fashioned after pine cones inspired by Ressurection Fern who has provided a link to all of her tutorials for this and other handmade crafts here.

These yarn ornaments add a festive touch to most everything, or any outing, as Mr Puffy can attest! I simply used odds and ends from partially used skeins of yarn and added a festive ribbon from my wrapping supplies. The yarn ball pictured above is made with Noro's Silk Garden and the one Mr Puffy is wearing in made with Rowan's Kid Classic. These are basically updated pom poms which are a quick and easy yarn project that both kids and adults will enjoy making!


Mr Puffy, Steve, and I wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy Christmas and hope that the New Year will bring good tidings to you and your family. We will be taking a brief break from all things technical here on Mr Puffy's Knitting blog for the next few weeks but shall look forward to seeing you once again in 2010!

It's a Vintage Thing

I've just returned from a couple of fun days visiting my parents in Santa Barbara where we shared lots of laughs and cups of tea and even a roaring afternoon fire to chase away the chilly afternoon weather!

Fortunately, despite the coolness to the air the days were sunny and perfect for picture taking!


This is my Mom wearing her newly finished vintage cardigan. She used Rowan Classic Cashsoft and has nothing but good things to say about this yarn and, considering the number of froggings (i..e. unraveling and starting over) I must say, I too, was impressed with how well this yarn held up. Bearing in mind the multiple albeit minor frogging episodes it should come as no surprise that I can not tell you the name of this pattern as, apparently, my mother felt it was not well written and has thrown it away....

I also took this opportunity to snap a few pictures of the Coromandel Capelet that I gave to my Mom. It is a pattern written by Mel Clark who used to own a LYS in Santa Monica, CA (the same Mel Clark who wrote Knit2Together a pattern book from which I have knit several patterns including the Rowena Cardigan ravelry link and the felted House Slippers ravelry link both of which I am very happy with).

For the Capelet I used Jaeger Extra Fine Merino which is now discontinued, much to my disappointment. If you find any on the clearance shelves snap it up! This pattern was designed for Rowan Wool Cotton (US 5 needles/5 skeins) and I think might actually be nicer in that yarn using a bright shade with a tie closure - similar to the store sample that sold me on the pattern to begin with. As an aside, that's one reason I really enjoy visiting a knitting store as often I find that the store samples are so cute I have to knit them for myself!

Notice the copious quantities of oranges in the background. My Dad grows the most juicy and sweet oranges in the whole wide world and I came home with a whole sack full!

But so much for vintage - my mother is ready for a something easier to follow more modern. She has settled on this Sirdar pattern which I think is a good choice. So, sitting amidst her 12 balls of Debbie Bliss DK yarn she is happily starting on another sweater. I'm sure it will look beautiful on her.