That second Noro scarf?

Ain't happenin'. I pulled out the yarn to start it today, got going and thought "um, these two colorways don't really work together." I kept going and thought "Ugh, they really don't work." Consulted with DH who agreed. So, I ripped it out. The issue is that 272 (listed as grey and lime) is a very cool grey, and there's a real teal in it too. Haven't found the lime yet. 241, the purple and green, is very warm, and the green is really olivey, so that's not going to work at all. I'll get to the LYS sometime and see if they have anything that might go with either of them. I'd like the 241 to go with something to match my new coat. The other colorway might go well with something really bright, that would really pop with, say, a black wool coat. Which I do happen to own. And since where I live seems to be a snowbelt (just far enough away from Boston), and I'll be here for the foreseeable future, I'm going to need scarves, lots of them.

And hats!!


























Sorry about the craptastic picture, it's from my Facebook page, taken with my phone (neither I nor my house are that yellow in real life).

You can't tell, really, but this is Malabrigo Chunky in Olive (which works wonderfully with the aforementioned new coat). The pattern is Foliage, and it's an awesome pattern! Super-easy and QUICK. I am a SAHM to three kids, and I did this in ONE day, so maybe 3-4 hours total? The whole pattern in the chunky is something like 42 rows. It also is long enough for me, which isn't always the case when I knit hats to pattern spec. I think it's going to be a nice warm hat too. I did my Stella in the Malabrigo Worsted and I'm unconvinced it's going to be really warm, it just feels so thin. Of course, it sleeted and poured all day today, so I haven't had a chance to test drive it. :)

I pulled out my Branching Out and then got nailed with a migraine and had to lie down in order to avoid vomiting, so I didn't get much done on that. I am obsessed with the Noro Scarf and I'm trying to figure out if I can get to the yarn store TOMORROW to find something that might work with the purple/green. I also bought Just Enough Ruffles, since I need something pretty mindless, and anything that has you start with casting on 200 stitches and doing a few rows of stockinette is about my speed right now. Just have to wind the rest of the Malabrigo Worsted Emerald. (Which doesn't go with my coat.) (Yes, I do like things matchy-matchy, though I've eased way up in the recent years.)

FO: Trinnit Scarf

Recently, one of my internets lost her fiancé to Neurofibromatosis. I felt called to knit her this scarf, and I'm hoping it can be a sort of hug for her. It sounds odd to talk about the joy I felt knitting this, but I did, and I'm hoping some of that energy is transmitted in the scarf, and might give some comfort in this painful time. Godspeed, P.

And on to the knitting. This is the same 1x1 Noro Silk Garden Scarf that is detailed by Brooklyn Tweed, that many folks around the blogosphere have knit. Here's my humble version.

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, 252 (black/blue) and 282 (green/purple).
Needles: KP Options, size 7, short cord.
Pattern: I did the pattern as set out by Jared. I'm not sure I did it the way everyone else did, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. So, I cast on 39 stitches. I slipped the first stitch purlwise with the yarn held to the back (basically, so I wasn't then bringing the yarn back to start the K stitch between the slipped stitch and the K stitch). I then started with a K stitch, and did the K1 P1 ribbing. When I got to the final two stitches, I did the same stitch twice, so on the "right side" (which starts Sl1, K1), I ended with two K stitches. I then turned the work, Sl1 (with the yarn held towards the front as if to P), P1, rib to the end, and end with two P stitches. To carry the yarn up, I would bring the yarn that I had just knit two rows with to the front, on top (if that makes sense), and sl the first stitch, and then start knitting with the other yarn. I actually would swap the two balls I was using back and forth. Of these two edging pictures, the one on top is the "right side" and the one on the bottom is the "wrong side." (Yes, I'm deliberately using scare quotes because there isn't really a right and wrong side, the right side is just the one where you're starting with the new color.) To finish it, I did the last two rows of the dark and then did the bind-off row.

This was such a fun knit. It was easy enough that I didn't need a pattern, but had enough going on that I had to think a tad, but not so much that I got confused. Yes, my life is such that a 1x1 ribbing scarf really is the right level of complexity for me. I really really hope she likes the colors, as it's so personal, picking out colors for someone, especially when you know them more on-line. I've never understood before what people meant about something just flying off the needles but this did.

I won't mention the fact that I have four more balls in different colors to make one for myself.

Courage

When I think about what knitting teaches me, the word courage keeps coming to my mind. It seems a bit of an odd thing, really. I mean, courage? Why would one need courage for knitting? My need for courage stems in part from my overdeveloped need for control in life. If you've ever heard of the Myers-Briggs, I'm a J. I really like control, I really like knowing how things are going to work, I tend (perhaps) towards anxiety. It all fits. So a craft like knitting can be a tad scary for someone like me.

Seriously, you take some sticks and some string, put in a lot of time and effort, and you might get something amazing, or you might get something that doesn't work at all. Yes, there are things you can do to minimize your chances of failure, but I am not convinced you really have complete control. Well, some knitters might, but I am not that good. For someone like me, a control freak and recovering perfectionist, this might cause some...anxiety.

For me, every new project takes the courage to try something, to put myself out there. You can't hide, you know? You can't say "well, gosh, you know, if it all works out, wouldn't it be great to have some new socks." When I start a new project, I am announcing my intention to the universe around me that, gosh darn it, not only would I like some new socks, but I'm going to make them myself! It might not work out. I might not finish them (this is always a real possibility, especially with a project where you make one, and then you have to make another just like it!). I might finish them but have utterly screwed them up. I might have done them well but just not like the way the yarn pooled. Really, anything can happen when you cast on.

The nice thing is that the stakes aren't really all that high. Suppose I do mess up those socks entirely? What's the loss? Some of my time, maybe some money. I'm sure to have learned something along the way, and hopefully enjoyed the process, even if the product fails. So, knitting gives me a place to practice the courage I need in the rest of my life. It takes courage to live authentically and honestly, to open your heart to love. It takes courage to commit to something or someone, to get married, to have kids. Some days, it takes courage just to leave the house. When you truly and deeply love, you open yourself to hurt. When you truly make yourself known, you face the possibility of rejection. But you also have the potential for something really glorious - the possibility of being truly known and loved, the possibility of truly knowing and loving other people, which is, I believe, pretty much the whole point.

So, when I knit, I am opening myself up to the possibility that I might fail. But I'm also taking the risk that I might not! Sure, I might have to start the same project two three four times. Sure, I might get most of the way into a hat and realize that it's just not going to fit the intended recipient. Sure, trying something new can be hard, it takes time to learn. But in the end, I do learn, I do get better, and sometimes I even get some really beautiful objects. Things I can give away, or wear with joy. And it really doesn't get much better than that.

FOs!

Or perhaps this post would be better titled HATS HATS HATS!! (I gotta make this quick as my poor little boo is sick and just getting up from her nap.) So, I've been making hats. It IS winter, so this isn't too crazy. All of these were knit in the round on my Denise Interchangeables, and then Magic Looped on my Options.

In this picture, the top hat is for my dad. This is knit from the Marsan Watchcap pattern. I really like this pattern, but I'm perplexed by her gauge. I used a bulky wool, (Araucania Azapa), and cast on 88 stitches, and this hat will definitely fit a very large man's head with no trouble. The yarn is just delicious! I love it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I'm clearly in a kettle-dyed place right now. :) I didn't follow her row counts, exactly, because my row gauge was different from hers, but the essentials are the same. This is a clever pattern, where you do the cuff in the twisted rib, and then turn it inside out (and switch your needles, which I didn't realize at first because it wasn't written in the pattern but I figured it out!), and knit the rest of the hat, so your cuff is in pattern with the rest of the hat. I really like the pattern. I am really excited to send this one off to my dad. Oh, I am not sure how much of the skein I used, maybe two-thirds?

The bottom two hats are both from Stella's Hat, and are both in Malabrigo Worsted. I believe that the Blue is Azul Bolita, which will be perfect for my sister. The green is Emerald, and is for me. Each hat took just over 1/2 of the 100g skein. There are two more skeins of that which are destined to become the Just Enough Ruffles scarf. I knit the blue hat first. I made it a bit longer than I should have, so on the top decreases, I took out the four knit-all-around rows, and I think the length should be perfect! On the green one, I made it a bit shorter and put the knit-all-around rows, and I think if I make it again, I'd actually do knit-all-around rows in between all the decrease rows to get the top bigger. It pulls more than I'd like. I think I also knit these on two different needle sizes...I am thinking I knit the blue one on 7s and the green one on 8s, as it feels looser on my head. This is a wonderful hat, the yarn is beyond lovely, and the colors are just gorgeous. I just love how it looks! No, I'm not posting a picture, I need a haircut. My only issue is that I finished this and immediately went out and bought a new winter coat, which is in a completely different green, so I'm going to need another hat. This one will go wonderfully with my black wool coat, and since it's definitely a lighter-weight hat, that's fine, and the scarf will look cute with that coat too. You know, the scarf that I haven't even started yet. Gonna look so cute.

Okay, with this hat below, this was knit for my BIL (my husband's sister's husband). He also has a large noggin, so this took some work. This is also the Marsan watchcap, but the yarn is totally different, it's Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in Ash. This comes in 50g balls, and I used about 1.5 balls. So, the pattern calls for 80 stitches for a smaller hat, and 88 for a men's large. Now, I knit my BIL a hat last year that fit my husband (who also has a huge head, huh, this is a theme amongst the men in my family), but was too small for him, so he's definitely got a HUGE head. I cast on 96 stitches and worked about 4 inches and tried it on my husband and it was just too small. So, I frogged it, and tried again with 108 stitches. Yes, 20 more stitches than the pattern calls for! I was so worried it was also going to be too small, but when I finished it, it fit him perfectly, and goes over his ears, which he wanted! I think this is a really nice hat (err, am I allowed to say that about my own work?!). The yarn is really gorgeous, it's not as soft as the Araucania or the Malabrigo, but it's pretty darn soft, and hopefully, it'll be warm for him. They live in Philly, so it doesn't get as cold as it does here (I think, others can correct me if I'm wrong). The other change I made in this pattern is that I decreased on a 6-count instead of on the 4-count that the pattern calls for.


So, now I'm still chugging on the Noro scarf (I'll post a bunch of pictures and tell how I do the edges in a different post). I don't know if I'm doing it "correctly" but it looks good to me. I've also got one skein of Malabrigo Chunky in Olive, which will look awesome with my new coat, but I'm worried it's not enough length. I was thinking of doing a simple ribbed beanie or something, since I don't think I have the length to do anything fancy. I'm pattern-hunting right now. I also got some more Noro Silk Garden to do a scarf for me too. I can totally understand the obsession with this scarf, it's such an awesome knit. Pictures to come.

Then maybe I'll get back to my Falling Leaves and my sock. And all my other projects.

I have a fairly large sum of birthday money, and while it's far more than even I could spend on yarn, I think I'm going to get a blocking mat, and possible a hat shaper, as I'm still dying to do some felted hats. I emailed them and they said these work really well for blocking knit and knit/felted hats. I think I'll get the Bell Cloche. I was lucky enough to receive blocking wires and pins for Christmas, so I'm really set in the gear department! It might be jumping the gun a bit to get some tools for items I haven't made yet...but I do love tools!

Happy New Year (almost!)

I am still "on vacation" with my in-laws. As most parents of young children know, going away with your small kids isn't actually a vacation really, it's more just a change of location. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but it's not sitting on a beach with a margarita either. :)

I've been doing a ton of knitting! I finished BIL's hat and it fit him, and as far as I can tell, he likes it! SIL seems pleased that he has a hat that actually fits him (he does have a fairly large noggin). I then knit a Stella's Hat for myself in some gorgeous Malabrigo, emerald. It's lovely, but then of course, I promptly went out and bought a new coat (yay for sales!) in an entirely different green. It doesn't match AT ALL. So today I also bought some Malabrigo chunky in an olive green that does coordinate with the new coat very nicely. I'm thinking of a really simple winter hat.

I also got some Noro Silk Garden for the ubiquitous 1x1 rib striped scarf that everyone's going. I've been dying to make this, and I got enough for two scarves. The first is for a friend who's fiance just passed away. It's so sad, and she's such an amazing person, and I just want to wrap her up in warmth, you know? So I'm working on that, and really enjoying it.

I did about 3 rows on my second sock-in-progress, before I got distracted. I've totally got my knitter ADD going on right now.

I haven't disappeared. We've been utterly swamped, what with the ice storm and no power for 4 days, and then we got dumped on with about 2 feet of snow, and there was this small holiday we had some work to do for as well. Life, it sure does get in the way of knitting and blogging. :)

You know, I never appreciated how much work went into Christmas until the last couple of years, when my kids have gotten old enough to get it. I think it was really last year (when my oldest was 4), that I really understood that if we want to have family traditions like a Christmas feast, and presents, and a lovely brunch, and stockings and all that stuff, someone has to DO it. So, we did. I often feel like I'm pretending to be a grown up, and this was one of those occasions. It was all lovely, and the kids had a really great time, but dude, I am tired.

Anyway, I'm off to my in-laws for a week tomorrow, hoping to get some fun knitting in. I've got my BIL's hat to finish (I'm scared it's going to be too small AGAIN), and then some fun things for me to knit for ME. I'll get pictures of all the gift hats up when I return. And maybe some WIP pictures too.

Back in Business

Thursday afternoon of last week, it was pouring rain. This turned to a bit of snow, then to ice. We were awakened by a sound at around 2:30 am or so Friday morning. "Was that lightening?" I asked my husband, very confused. No, no, it was the transformer exploding. The power went out. We spent the rest of the night listening to the sound of trees and branches falling (did I mention that we now live right next to conservation woods?), as the house got colder and colder. In the morning, the trees were still coated with ice, and every few seconds another branch would go. I went out on the front porch and witnessed a large branch come down in our driveway, which thankfully missed the car. We ended up spending the next 3 nights a wonderful friend's house in a suburb that wasn't hammered by the ice storm, and just got power back last night. I'm feeling very discombobulated and off my schedule.

When we figured out we were getting power back on Friday, it was late enough that the sun was going down and my husband was encouraging me to leave before the wet roads turned to black ice. I threw some things together and headed off. Thankfully, I already had a knitting bag packed, so I tossed some more projects in (because, you know, when you're hanging out with five kids under the age 5.5, including two infants, you have SO much time for knitting). I did end up getting my dad's hat finished.

I pulled out my sister's cable hat, it just wasn't doing it for me and it was too small. I'm now planning on Stella's Hat. I started it once but didn't trust the pattern, so I cast on 88 stitches, which turned out to be HUGE. So I restated with 80 stitches. I started Magic Loop, but even though I didn't twist my stitches in the join, I somehow kerfuffled my cable so the thing got twisted, so I pulled it out. I did two rows on straight needles then switched to round. It's funny, in doing these hats, I've rediscovered my love of my Denise kit. It had fallen into disfavor when my sexy KnitPick Options set showed up, but I've found the love, since KP doesn't have a 16" cable for the Options set. (At least they didn't the last time I looked.) So, I'm working on this hat too, hoping to get it done soon so I can send these off to Vermont.

I'm planning a couple of felted hats for myself, but have no idea how one would block them. Any suggestions?

So, what does this say about me?

Yesterday was my birthday, and it was a lovely day. Filled with both my ADLs ("activities of daily living", in group home speak), and with what felt like an outpouring of happy energy to me, and some wonderful gifts. I am amused that my parents gave me money specifically to spend on yarn. Yes, they know me well...I am also amused that I am thinking about blowing the whole thing at The Loopy Ewe, in sock yarn. Because, you know, I don't have enough??? I just love sock yarn. Especially hand dyed sock yarn. I don't knit enough socks...but they have some brands I want to try!

The Gift of Time and other Thoughts

My darling husband gave me an hour and a half to myself this morning. :) And told me I was absolutely NOT to clean the house (which needs it, especially because we're having 3 families over for dinner tomorrow night!!). I headed off to Starbucks and knit for a while. I did another 2 pattern repeats for Branching Out, and I'm just really liking how it looks. I then did some more work on my sister's cabled hat. I went down a size for needles because she (and I) have small yet long heads. Unfortunately, no gauge was provided with the pattern, so I'm not sure how big it was supposed to be. I'm concerned that it's going to be too small. I'd like to think I should trust my intuition, but honestly, it's not all that good. I almost always have some sort of nagging concerns about my projects, and sometimes they're utterly justified and sometimes they're just completely baseless. I guess it shows me how much I have still to learn about this craft. I'd love to get this thing done soon, but I am not sure how much time I'll have tomorrow to work on it. The color is so pretty and the yarn is SO lovely and soft!

My Fickle, Fickle Heart

So, the problem with the way my life works is that I have all these children, and, well, they take up a lot of my time. So I both don't get to knit as much as I'd like, and I only get to really do my blogging in the evening, at which point I'm dead tired. I'd love to post more pictures, I think knitting blogs without pictures aren't actually all that interesting, but to get the energy to take the pictures (at which I sort of suck, anyway), get them from the camera, cropped and scaled down, and up into a blog post is often beyond me these days. And to get them loaded onto Flickr so I can rav them? Apparently that's just not happening.

But, all that aside. I have a new love, and that love is...Malabrigo. My sister requested a hat, so I thought I'd find something soft. I found a cool pattern that I think will look really pretty. I can't find the ball band, but I think it's closest to the Indigo color, it's a lovely rich blue that will look really nice on her. This yarn is so deliciously soft, I'd love to just roll around in it half-clothed. Of course, I'm so tired that I'd probably end up going to sleep pretty quickly, but I'd enjoy it for about 30 to 47 seconds, I'm sure! SHOCKINGLY, some in the Emerald colorway LEPT into my basket to come home with me (I'll be making this scarf and this hat for myself in it). What can I say? I had a giftcard. It is odd, isn't it, how often I get bombarded with yarn and knitting needles and whatnot when I go into a yarn store. Things just throw themselves at me and insist I bring them home! Strange. Anyway, I've started my sister's hat and it's so soft. I have been doing so much work with cotton, I'd sort of gotten used to how hard cotton is on the hands! This is just lovely.

I also got a random skein of light green yarn with which to make my son's stuffed tiger, named Cracker, a hat, mittens, and a scarf. My son has also requested that I make Cracker a sweater, a snow suit and some snow boots, but I think I've convinced him that tigers have fur and the boots, at least, are overkill. I may do the sweater, just because I think it would be really cute! I suggested putting slits for Cracker's ears in the hat, and my son just gave me a look as if I were insane, and said "No, his EAR will get cold! NO SLITS!" *sigh* Okay. So now I have to design the perfect tiger sweater. DS insisted that he wanted the LIGHT green. The woman at the store thought this was hysterical and said "You can tell he's the child of a fiber enthusiast!"

I have major startitis right now...all I want to do is start new projects, but I know that leads to not finishing them. I also owe my BIL a hat from last Christmas (the one I made was too small for his enormous head), so I need to find some yarn for that. Maybe more Malabrigo?!? I should definitely get the Christmas knitting done before anything else.

I'm really liking the Branching Out in the STR Lightweight. I think the colors work, I don't think it obscures the lace pattern too badly. I don't know how warm it'll be but it sure is pretty!

So, that's about it! Oh, one small frustration...I've attempted several times now to post comments of the Yarn Harlot's blog, and for some reason her blog doesn't like me. My comments get "held for the moderator" and never show up. It doesn't seem like others have that problem, so I should probably take it personally, right? Ah well, I guess I won't be able to tell her how much her work inspires me!

Surfacing

It doesn't *feel* like it's been almost a week since posting. The long weekend has thrown me off, I think. Not to mention that my daughter is sleeping like C.R.A.P. and I am exhausted. She's got a terrible cold, and she's teething and having all these developmental leaps (sitting, crawling, waving). Hopefully she'll settle down soon. It's a good thing she's cute.

I've been working away on a few different projects. I just picked up the baby blanket for a friend, I really do want to get this done and sent off. I love the fleece, it's really cute! I hope the edging works. I'm working my way through Riverbend sock #2. (Hah, I just typed sock #3 by accident, my god, imagine if you had three feet, I would *never* get socks done...though if I had three feet, I'd wear different socks on each of them and only ever have to knit one sock of any pattern...) Anyway. Yes, Riverbend 2 is chugging along. I've got the plain part of the foot done, and I'm almost to the point of starting the increases. I would love to get this done this week, so I could have a new pair of socks to wear. Then, I SWEAR, I am starting Falling Leaves #2. Promise. I'm also working on Branching Out. I'm doing it in this, and the colors are quite different than they appear on my monitor, they're much darker (and the green is muddier). All of my yarn, in fact, is much darker than on my monitor. It's all good, just different than what I thought I was getting. Anyway, the Grandma's Flower Garden doesn't look at all spring-like to me, in fact, it seems much more like Autumn colors. I think it works in the lace. I'll post some pictures one of these days. I'm hoping I have enough leftover to do a hat. I'll use much smaller needles to get a denser fabric, but I think a simple cap would be really pretty too. I think that's about it for the moment.

Knitter, Know Thyself

[Okay, I was just totally distracted by the sight of my older son running by in an orange pajama shirt and pants with fire trucks on them. Daddy dressed him for bed tonight.]

Anyway. What was I saying? Oh yes. So, I've heard it said that there are two kinds of knitters: those who stash, and those who plan projects. I am totally in the latter camp. Not to say I don't have a stash, I certainly do. It's not really huge, but I wouldn't call it, you know, tiny.

But, I buy yarn for specific projects, and because I am compulsively rigid consistent, I don't usually deviate from my plan. Yeah, I do love me a good plan. So, anyway, I bought this STR and had the bright idea to take a skein and knit something other than socks. I tried that drop stitch pattern, didn't work. I got about 40 rows into the Alix shawl and thought "You know, this pattern just isn't doing it for me." Nothing against the pattern, at all, it's just not my style! So I frogged it.

I am now doing Branching Out. I am not convinced the yarn is right for this pattern either, but I want to do a bit more and see. I'm doing it on fairly big needles, 8s, to get a more lacy effect. The yarn is so gorgeous and smooshy and sproingy, maybe I should just do socks with it. I've done 1.5 pattern repeats, but because it's going to need blocking, it's hard to tell if it really works. This is where I just don't have the confidence as a knitter, that I can make a good call for swapping a very different yarn into a pattern. And because the yarn is so pricey, I really would hate to make something that I won't enjoy and wear, you know?

I know, fascinating, isn't it? ;)

One down...

One to go. I finished the first of the Riverbend socks today. It fits very well in the foot, it's a tad baggy around the ankle, but all in all, I'm quite pleased with it. Not pleased enough to start the next one, I think I need a small break. If I were a good and diligent knitter, I would also start my 2nd Falling Leaves sock. These are so pretty, and they've been languishing! No, I didn't do that either. I did start an enormously hard complicated project that scares the hell out of me, more on that when I get enough done to think that I'll be able to actually complete it (it's probably not really all that hard, but it's complex).

So, now my thoughts are turning to....SOCKS THAT ROCK! I actually want to turn one of the skeins into a scarf, because I need a scarf and it's getting damn chilly around these parts. Especially inside my house because heating is expensive. I was thinking about doing a small Alix's Prayer Shawl, but I'm not sure I *love* the pattern, and I'm not sure how a small one would look, or how one might wear it. Maybe this pattern (ravelry link)?

Okay, since writing that, I tried the drop stitch pattern and I'm not sure if the yarn was not right or the needles were too small but I didn't love it (I wonder if that would work for that Berroco BoHo that's been nagging me for a long time now?). So I started the Alix Prayer shawl, and it'll be a small shoulder shawl. I'll do something else for a scarf...

And this is why I love Magic Loop for socks.

Because you can try on your socks as you make them!!

Yarn: Regia Cotton Color
Needles: KP Fixed Circs, 32" length, 2.5 mm
Pattern: Riverbend Master pattern from Cat Bordhi's New Pathways...

It fits very well - very fitted. So far, I'm diggin' it! I had some confusion at the heel, but it turns out I was just misreading her diagrams, not that I'd made a mistake. I did what I thought was right, even though it didn't fit with what I *thought* the pattern was saying, but it turns out it *was* what the pattern was saying so I was right even thought I thought I was wrong. Or something.

I am desparate need of socks, and one pair of handmades is wearing out! The Yarn Harlot has the perspective that sock knitters are the ultimate optimists because you make something you pretty much guarantee is going to wear out, if you use it as intended. So, basically it means I can knit as many pairs of socks as I can stand (and dude, I can stand A LOT OF SOCK KNITTING), and they'll all be used!

In other knitting news, I got the preschool basket off today, hooray! When this sock is done, I've got a couple more crochet projects to finish and then I think I'm going to do a sock blitz.

That Past and The Future

aka FOs plus pictures and stash acquisition!

So, I finished the things I'm making for the auction for the boys' preschool. Which is good, because the auction is SATURDAY NIGHT! I just have to make the basket all pretty now and we'll see what it goes for!

Item #1 is another Starghan. :) You make recognize the color scheme. I had lots of the yarn (Bernat Cottontots) left over, so it went to this! I did 20 rounds of light pink, 1 round of the variegated, 10 rounds of purple, 1 round of variegated, and then 5 rounds of pink. It's all double crochet, and then I finsihed it with 1 more round of pink, single crochet. It's not huge, but I'm envisioning it as a "tuck around the newborn in her baby bucket carseat" kind of blanket, so I really didn't want it to be huge. I used a large hook, H maybe? It went quite quickly. I think it's pretty cute! It does buckle a bit. I did a sort-of steam blocking, which helped somewhat. I figure it's going to be getting tossed into the wash, so I'm not too worried about it. I used Beth's pattern, and she was gracious enough to give me permission to donate it for the auction.

The second item for the auction is this hat. This is another item which did, I believe, make me squeal like a bit of a girly girl. It's delicious, it looks like a cupcake and as soon as I get more yarn, I'm making one for my girl (in the bigger size as this is too small for her). This is a Debby Ware pattern, and she also very graciously gave me permission to donate it to be auctioned off. This was made in my perennial favorite, Takhi Cotton Classic, using my KnitPicks Options set, size 4 needle.

These will be packeged in a basket together with a bunch of Burt's Bees baby products.

In other exciting news, my STR arrived!!

Huh.

I appear to have gotten right on the first try.
This doesn't usually happen to me.

Procrastinating...

I need to go cast on 321 stitches for the Gumdrop Hat and I'm not looking forward to it. Casting on isn't my favorite thing to do, and dude? That's a lot of stitches. AND, it's being knit in the round, of course, so there is (especially with that many stitches) a very real likelihood that I'll twist the join, necessitating ripping out and starting over. Not excited about that.

I did finish the Starghan, and many thanks to Beth for giving me permission to make this for my kids' preschool fund raiser. (To anyone in the area, the auction is going to have good stuff...Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics tix, among other things, and for $10, lots of snacks and drinks.) It turned out quite cute (cutely? Is that even a word?), it's very cute, but a bit bumpy. I'm pondering the whole blocking process. It's made from cotton, so I'll probably try to steam block it later. We'll see how that works out for me. I'll take pictures soon.

I am obsessed with all things sock right now, but not actually doing any sock knitting, due to the fact that my fundraiser knitting/crocheting was due, like a week ago.

OH. I also finally called a different Project Linus contact who actually answered her phone (what is the world coming to?!?), and she's sending me info and we had a nice chat and there's a real need for what I want to do, which is edge fleece baby blankets and make little hats. So yay! I can reconnect to the service part of my life.

That's about it. Life is very busy, which seems odd to me. Oh, and it looks like there's a chance I may become a SOCCER MOM this spring. Who woulda thunk it. ME. I really do need to dye my hair green or purple. Purple's in this season, right?

Gotta make this quick...

Because baby girl is waking up from her (far, far too short) morning nap.

My lovely sister has given me a gift certificate to Blue Moon Fiber Arts. !!!!! I have always wanted to try the STR (well, always for as long as I've known about them) because I hear the colors are amazing. I love me some colorful variegated yarn! But, I cannot decided between lightweight and medium weight! Maybe I'll get one of each? I'm also drooling over the Laci yarn, but since I *actually* knit socks and I only dream of knitting lace at the moment (and I have yarn and a lace project all set to go), I think the sock yarn is the way to go. Of course, picking a color or two is going to be challenging too!!

In other news...I'm crocheting up a storm for this auction thing, and need to cast on the baby hat today as well. We've got a lot planned so I'm not sure if it it's all going to get done. Well, actually, I am sure that it's NOT all going to get done by tonight, but it will be done for the auction.

I love tools.

I really do. I'm a gear-head and tool-head, I always have been.

So, I was getting some yarn to make a hat for this gift basket I'm putting together, (this pattern but I don't have the little flowers or buttons for it at the moment), and SOMEHOW a couple of Addi Lace needles just LEAPED into my bag and came home with me. What's that you say? They're inanimate objects and don't leap on their own? Well, you obviously don't know Addi Lace needles, my friend, that's all I can say.

The lace needles are for a lace shawl. I'm hoping there are many lace shawls that call for a size 5 needle. I got the 24" and the 40" - it's a circular shawl, so I'll start with Magic Loop, then move to knitting in the round, and then back onto the 40". If I need it, I can get the 60" later.

I haven't made as much progress on my blankie for the basket as I'd like. I'm pondering turning it into a towel instead, and making some washcloths. I dunno. That would go with the rest of the stuff I'm putting in (Burt's Bees products).

I'll make this quick...

...because I should have been in the shower 10 minutes ago to get out the door on time. Oh well.

I am exhausted today because I stayed up for the election results. It's probably no surprise, but I am *thrilled* with the results. I am hopeful and inspired to do my part for our country, and I haven't felt that way in a long time. We're got a lot of work ahead of us.

Also, I'm a tad...panicked is not quite the right word, but slightly worried because I agreed to donate a baby shower basket (with handmade stuff) for our preschool's auction and it turns out it was due, well, a while ago, and it's not, you know, done. Or started, really.

I am hoping to whip out (HA HA!) a star afghan and this adorable baby hat that I got the pattern for, by Monday. So picture me frantically DC-ing my way through the weekend, huh? Send some completion mojo my way, if you got it.

Pictures to follow.