Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving

The turkey is in the oven, and I have only the potatoes to peel.



I've finished %$#%^ Syncopated Cap number 3.




It finally fits Da Man. I've cast on number 4, and I'm so thankful it will be the last of these colors for a while.




Also finished are the homecoming socks, and I'm wearing them now.



Next up is Syncopated Cap #5 (the last one, yay). Also some socks in jingle bell rock, unless the final installment of Chewy Spaghetti's Happy Holidays sock club gets here first.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Book #52 Remembrance of Things Paris

Book #53 A Charmed Life

Sunday, November 18, 2007

I'm Falling Behind

Even though I've finished a few projects, I still feel like I'm way behind. The Little Gems Mitts are finished. They look great, but my fingers freeze in them. They'll have to be relegated to early fall/spring.

The final scarf is done--My So-Called Scarf III. Thank god. I loathe this pattern after 4 scarves. I figure I've knit 25-30 feet of it.

Also finished yesterday was Syncopated Cap II. This is a puzzler. The first one I made in the women's size was too big for Da Man's Manly head. So I made the women's size, and it's too small. I think I used the wrong needle size on the first one. I've cast on a third version, size Manly, with the proper needle size, in the same colors as below except reversed. Hopefully it will fit someone's head.


Also finished was the first of my Thanksgiving sock from Chewy Spaghetti's Happy Holidays Sock Club. I was intending to do some modified ribbing pattern of Charlene Schurch, but I liked the k2 p2 ribbing so much I just continued it through the whole sock. I cast on 56 stitches on size 2.75 mm and they are a perfect fit. Couldn't ask for more.


I wrote last time that I had ordered some yarn. Here's one--Schaefer Heather in Julia Child colorway. I had been looking for this yarn for a while to make some matching socks for my Mr. Greenjeans, and it turned up at www.yarn4socks.com. woohoo!


Then I got the new Webs Catalog and absolutely fell in love with Nora Gaughan's Lotus cardigan. I ordered the yarn immediately from Webs, but it was a bit of a crapshoot whether I would get it or not. I don't get an email confirmation from them, so you basically just have to wait and see if the yarn shows up on your doorstep. I picked the same color on the model--Rosso Asiago.
I have a little beef with this yarn. It's put up in 98 yard skeins. My size called for 18 skeins. EIGHTEEN! That means winding 18 cakes, and weaving in at least 18 ends. Don't like that. Nope, don't like that at all. Bit it is nice yarn.

I ignored the last sneakup on the Loopy Ewe, but went back and ordered some patterns, including 3 for fingerless mitts. I thought it would make a nice departure from knitting socks. I'm still in denial about the freezing fingers thing, I guess.

And then yesterday I ran across this site. What a neat little shop! Take a look at their sock kits.
I had to have the Bird Foot kit. Had too. And I added a few more patterns too. They've got some unique patterns. And patterns don't count as stash, right?

Friday, November 09, 2007

Proud Moment

I finished the first Little Gems Mitts:




I was quite pleased with it, and then turned it inside out to weave in the ends:



It looks almost professional, doesn't it? I hope to finish the mate this weekend. Also off the needles is Lenore:



This pattern was wonderful, but I've decided that the finished product just isn't me. So they're going to my mom (she who wears black. lots of black.)

The Loopy Ewe had a sneakup on tuesday, and while I had every intention of passing, four skeins just hopped in my cart. From left to right, Yarn Nerd Love and Peace or Else, and Dot Matrix, Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Stone, and Numma Numma Toasty in Olive Tapenade. Yarn Nerd and Toasty have very similar base yarns--they might even be the same. The Sea Wool I'm not so crazy about. Apparently I already had a skein in my stash, but it was packaged differently and I didn't make the connection. I might have to offer this up for a swap. Although the colors might work for my mom...



Also in the mail this week was the Thanksgiving package from Chewy Spaghetti's Holiday sock club:



It's called Thankful '07. I think it's very varsity!

Blue Moon has unveiled their Raven collection, and although I like the colors a lot, I haven't ordered any yet. They look so similar on the screen I'm going to wait and see how they look knit up. Thank goodness for Ravelry.

I've made a few other purchases this week, but they haven't arrived yet. Next week...

Thursday, November 01, 2007

White Meat or Dark?

Hooray! Halloween is over and that means it's a straight shot through three weeks to Thanksgiving, and another month until Christmas. These are my two favorite holidays.


Let's tie up some loose ends.


My So Called Scarf II was finished last weekend:



My So Called Scarf III is about 4 feet long and I hope to finish it this weekend. It looks just like the one above, only shorter. Lord, I am tired of this stitch pattern but there's only a couple of more days left of if before I can move on.


I finished the first Lenore sock, and have turned the heel on the second.
I've got no complaints with this pattern. Extremely well written with notes to accommodate a wide range of sizes. I hope to have this finished this weekend too. Two big toes up for this one. I've also received my 2008 Rockin Sock Club confirmation, so no worries that I'll miss anything next year. The Club is open to new members today, so be sure to check the Blue Moon website.

In the mail this week was this:


That's Schafer Miss Priss in colorway Julia Child. I had to exercise a lot of patience with this yarn--it took 6 weeks to arrive but now that I've seen it, it's well worth the wait. I've got 5 skeins ready for Mr. Greenjeans. I'm wondering if I can finish it in time for Thanksgiving. Probably not. I love the colors. I might just have to get some matching socks in Heather!


Also in the mail was my ill-gotten-gains from the latest Loopy Ewe sneakup. I wasn't intending to order anything, but I did have a $25 credit to use, so I picked up a few patterns, and one skein of Sheepaints Bamboolaine. The colorway is...interesting. I'm not even quite sure why I bought it--it was labeled Turqey, but after looking around her website, I found that it was actually called Turkey. And then it all made sense to me. You can see a photo of the color on her website here. Now I ask you, doesn't that make you want to go baste something?


Book #51--Hungry Hill