This says it all

I saw this on yarnball boogie's blog. xoxoxo

Alpaca for your Neck

The yarn is so very yummy, and the pattern is deceptively easy. While I just knit and purled through this brioche stitch, it is totally unforgiving---miss a yarnover, drop a stitch (which is easy to do since the yarn is so slippy), and what I thought was fixed properly ends up appearing twisted and/or noticeable in the pattern. Unfortunately, I counted 4 such mistakes----and I was really trying to be careful. I noticed this same phenomenom when working on the Roza socks, but for some reason, thought it was the yarn . . . yeah, right! And should I want to continue with true confessions: towards the end, I knit row 1 twice in a row . . . so it looks a bit funky. But bunched up, it will not be noticeable . . . so much.

Booking Through Tuesday

It has been raining for two days, and I have alternated between reading and knitting.
Currently . . .

As a little "let's get out of the house before we kill each other" jaunt, we ended up at Border's, where these 2 tombs happened to come home with me . . .


I must have been thinking about how I don't read enough non-fiction.

Finish . . . and start

Well, it certainly took me long enough. These were fun and interesting and look far more impressive (and difficult) than they were to knit. The fans are knit flat, and it is only the cuff and thumb that are knitted in the round. I knit the pattern as written, with the only change being the cuff: I did a k3, p2 rib instead of the k2, p2 stated.

chocolate covered cherries--a pair

Fanning the Flame Mittens
Brooklyn Handspun--chocolate covered cherries
size 1 bamboos

So in the continuing "itch" for fall, we now have mittens. And the itch continues. Last night, with a bit of unexpected time on my hands, I dug through my stash and cast-on for IK's Brioche Gaiter (appearing in last year's Holiday Knits issue). This is Blue Sky Alpacas in petal pink. I think it is a perfect gift!


Okay, and if that isn't enough, here's the beginning of another pair of mittens: same pattern, on Opal Magic . . . sort of reminds me of Halloween!

itchy

Well . . . you might say, I've got the "itch"----the itch for cooler weather, and a cute cardigan to wear on a cool morning to the Farmer's Market or a soccer game. So I frogged last fall's Jawbreaker (IK, winter/2006) which just didn't do the trick, and cast-on for Flair. By my calculations, I am almost sure I will have enough yarn, but I am still a little worried.

Araucania Nature Chunky Wool (lavender-ish)

size 10 addis

Come out of the closet!

This:

is the lovely Granny Smith Cardigan, which I had absolutely no rest in my a__ until I bought the pattern and cast-on last July (that would be July 2006, not last month). I went to this crazy yarn shop a few miles away, found this yarn (reminding me of a clementine, hence the name!), that I don't even remember the name of and went to town on this thing. I found it in the closet yesterday: 2 sleeves, a back, a left front and a right front . . . and the shoulders are seamed. The only thing left to do: both button bands, and the collar. And then re-block the entire thing and hope that it will look cute on.

Things to do:

1. Find the remainder of the yarn.
2. Finish button band #1.
3. Finish button band #2.
4. Finish collar.
5. Seam sweater sides and sleeves.
6. Find buttons.
7. Pray that it looks good enough to wear.
   

One down

Sometimes I just love the way a sock and a pattern work together. Actually, I always love when yarn and a pattern work together!!!!

Perambulate Sock Pattern, from Zen String
Pink Punk sock yarn from Scout
Size 1's

Booking Through Tuesday

Currently reading . . .and taking a visit through the French Riviera and Europe with Dick, Nicole and Rosemary. While at the same time, I am also visiting the middle east . . .

A Quickie

It went quick--knit, knit, knit--and it was finished, packed up and sent off. However, I am afraid the weekend inhibited the most speedy delivery to the next person who is it!

Garterlac Dish Cloth
Sugar'n Cream's summerset
size 6 needles

I am IT!!!!!!

More details later . . . must cast-on, because I am playing dish rag tag and I am IT!

PS: Thank you so much Amy!

WInging It

I am still knitting away on the mystery shawl, and last week's clue revealed the theme, Swan Lake. In addition, last week's clue (of which I am about 60 + rows from) provided for a "wing" to extend from the shawl. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm . . .

May I tell you that I love symmetry? May I also tell you that I am not opposed to assymetrical designs in some things (not jewelry, but sometimes sweaters). Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Not sure about a wing on the shawl. Not sure at all.

My shawl looks so lovely, even though I am far behind the wonder-knitters, who seem to be able to knit a clue in a day. And I loved knitting and wondering about the theme (I guessed Phantom of the Opera). But now that the jig-is-up, and I know the theme, I am now left to obsess over how-in-the-world-is-this-wing-going-to-look?

I am thinking that I will just trudge forward, knit the wing, and hope that I am a wing kind of girl.

You are too Cute!

It started on Friday, as a baby kimono sweater, inspired by the Baby Yoda pattern I saw on Ravelry. I loved the pattern, but as I knit, I felt like it was looking a bit big, and I really wanted something for a newborn. So, I frogged, and cast-on the Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono Sweater from Mason-Dixon Knitting. This pattern is so easy and smart, and cute, I cannot stand it. Knit in one piece, it flies off your needles, and is a perfect baby gift. I think the ribbon through the eyelet border adds a whimsical touch. I have another one planned for another friend with a baby on the way!

Booking Through Tuesday

I finished this last week . . . those who haven't read it, are missing something really special.

I am almost finished with this . . . I have no idea why I have never had the opportunity to read this sooner.

Dancing Kimono

As if there's not plenty of knitting projects going on, I cast on for a baby sweater. A friend of mine is due in October, but I have my doubts as to if she (and baby) will hold on quite that long. So last night, while watching the movie, Shall We Dance? I started a kimono sweater. I am working it out of Mission Falls Cotton, and knocked out 2 sleeves and cast-on for the back before nodding off!
The pattern may turn out to be a hodge-podge of a few different patterns . . . I'm keeping good notes, which I will detail at some point!

I took a break and . . .

. . . what a difference a week (o-kay, perhaps more than a week!) makes! I haven't picked up the mystery shawl since clue #4 was released. I was feeling a bit obsessive over it, and found myself re-knitting a few rows, and generally becoming miserable. I put it down, knit a few other things, and finally picked it back up last night. I knit from row 171 right through the end of clue #3, and I am ready for clue #4 (all 100 rows of it). Now this is just in time for the release of tomorrow's clue! I am a bit behind! But I made some sock progress, as well as some clementine progress.