Monday, October 20, 2008

Knitting in Halves

I finished Simurgh--two weeks ahead of schedule. It was not a difficult knit, but I did have to pay attention to what I was doing. I'm not so used to that. Photos will come when I block it, hopefully this week.

This stole is knit in two halves, with a provisional cast-on in the first half. Once you finish the first half you unzip the cast on, slip the stitches on to the needle, and begin the second half. It's a great design, but I was kind of miffed as I started the second half. I felt like I had already finished the pattern--and now I have to do it again.

I have no explanation why I had such a negative reaction to the second half of that stole. I knit pairs of socks all the time without resenting the second sock. I often feel that the first sock is a bit of a practice knit, and I can perfect it with the second sock. I'll have to keep this in mind when choosing future patterns.

Another project halfway done is this pair of Mitts:

The pattern is Monica Jines' Fingerless Lace Mitts, and you can buy it here at The Loopy Ewe. The yarn is special--numma-numma's Toastyboo in colorway Elvis. The base yarn has been discontinued, and this skein was a one of a kind, gifted to me by Allen. I was thrilled to receive this yarn, and now I'm more than pleased that I turned it into something so pretty. This is one of my proudest pieces. You can buy Allen's yarn here and here.

Next up is a pair of socks, and a recycled sweater!

Book #41 Mediterranean Summer
Book #42 Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper
Ravelry Stash Count: 88

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

The Clap is Back!


This will be year 5 with my old friend Clapotis. It was 37 degrees on the playground this morning, but I was toasty warm.

Book #39 Bread Alone
Book #40 The Light of Evening
Ravelry Stash Count 80