Hat

Before I get to the hat stuff, first I just have to say that I can't believe I forgot to mention in my last post the way my Feathery Lace Wrap ended. I was so close to the end, and I managed to screw it up! I was dumbfounded...I had knitted the entire thing just fine...it had been on a couple of plane trips, various car trips, worked on in front of the TV, while holding conversations...and yet, right at the end? I worked row 1 instead of row 2....ugh! So I backtracked that row...but somehow forgot all of the psso's and managed to screw it up even more, gaining stitches, dropping stitches...it was not pretty. At least the fuzzies kept those dropped stitches from going anywhere. At first I fixed it in a "good enough" sort of way and since I was so close to the end of the yarn it would have been a perfectly acceptable place to stop...but this is me we're dealing with and that bothered me too much so I then was forced (by myself) to go back even further to really fix it...and finally got it together. It's not particularly fun or easy to tink that fuzzy stuff!

Now back to the hat business. I finally have a WIP photo to share of that hat I'm making for my husband for Christmas. I hadn't wanted to take a photo for fear that he'd spot it on the camera, but I am thinking he's not going to notice what it is even if he does spot it. He's just not all that detail-oriented when it comes to my knitting. Anyway, this is making rather slow progress because of having to work on it in little bits when I get home from work before he does. I work on it upstairs sitting on the bed because I can hear him when he gets home and is on his way up the stairs, so I have time to stuff it in the bag!



I originally had worked out a "manly" design using fair isle but I wasn't liking it. First there was too much stranding, and also I was just using the dark gray and the two blues (those are the colors in his winter coat) but it just wasn't showing up well enough. So I ripped back to before the colorwork, and then started a simple stripe pattern, adding in some light gray between the blue and the dark gray, which really makes the blues pop nicely. So I am pleased with it now. I am of course getting the little "jog" where I change colors at the end of my round, but when I go to weave in ends I'll see what magic I can come up with to make that less apparent. Anyway, I like this so far so we'll see how it ends up!

Okay, so I know I said I would do seven hats for Christmas. We'll see about that. More on that soon, I think. I need to come up with a plan. It's not that I'm backing out...I just don't know that this is the Christmas for this particular gift theme. We'll see.

Feathery Lace Wrap

Well, surprise of surprises, I have an unexpected F.O. to share!

I took my Feathery Wrap along on our road trip for Thanksgiving, more as a secondary project and I never expected to finish it! But I just got into a groove with it and then realized that I was actually nearing the end. It was one of those projects that as much as I was enjoying knitting it (I was enjoying it so much that I almost didn't want to end!) I thought I was never going to finish it, and had resigned myself to knitting it in little bits here and there, and never really feeling like I was ever going to get to the end, but just enjoying the knitting process and not concerning myself with the end result as much.

But I was marching along on it and suddenly I realized I was making great strides and decided to just finish it. Now I can wear it for the holidays!

So without further ado, here is my Feathery Lace Wrap (also known as the Feathery Lace Stole, from Exquisite Little Knits).



I used Rowan Kidsilk Spray yarn, 2 whole balls. This is the yarn the pattern calls for, except that it calls for Kidsilk Haze, which is the solid color version of the yarn I used. I liked this though...it was a subtle enough color shift that added to the overall look. These aren't the greatest photos for showing the color, although you can see the changes, but it shows the pattern well. (These photos make the color look like it's dark red and hot pink...which I suppose if you look closely it sort of is...but it just looks more blended in real life, somehow. I love it.)



I really liked this pattern. It was a simple, two-row repeat that was very easily memorized, even for me, a novice lace knitter. And since the yarn is so light and fluffy, it was the perfect project for travel, since it took up zero space. I just put it all into a ziploc baggie, squeezed out all the air, and was all set. And until I started on the second ball of yarn, I even used the small size of baggie!

Some patterns I love but wouldn't make again...this is not one of them. I'd love to make this again, and am thinking that perhaps I'll find some black yarn, since even though knitting a wrap in black might be tough, at least with this pattern it would be familiar. If I was making a black wrap, I might make it a little longer and wider. Oh, and this yarn did bleed on my fingers while knitting it. Doesn't bother me though. I haven't washed this yet but I am sure it'll bleed some when i do.

More details on this project can be found here.

I gots nuthin'

Hi. Just checking in to say hi, since I know I haven't posted in a while. I've got nuthin' for you today, other than a wordy edition of my current WIP status, and some potential plans for Christmas knitting.

First, the WIPs. I have updated my sidebar with my current projects. The observant among you might notice I've snuck yet another thing in there. I had mentioned a while back that I was tempted by this blanket I'd seen the pattern for. Well one night we were out for dinner at a tex mex place in a shopping center with a Michael's, and my sweet husband agreed to follow me in to look for this yarn while we waited for our table to be ready. I decided that if I was able to find at least some of the ten different colors needed that I'd consider getting them and making the blanket. Well, much to my surprise, I found all ten!! So, I got them. Anyway, I started it and, no photos because I am a loser, but I'm on the third block. It's constructed in four vertical panels of five blocks each. The solid colors are done in a pretty star pattern stitch and the stripes are stockinette. So far I really like it, perfect for TV knitting and it's nice and soft. This is the pattern:



Ahem. Yes. Like I needed to start another project. But at least I'm admitting to it, right?! I mean, I could just not mention it here, and you guys wouldn't be any the wiser. ;o) Anyway, the reason I wanted to start it sooner rather than later is because of Moose. See, I have a lovely afghan I'd made last winter which I adore, but, it has fringe. And Moose likes fringe. But I don't like that Moose likes fringe. So it's a hassle to try and tuck the fringe in when you use it. So I thought, why not go for a fringeless blanket to have around? So that's the plan.

Other WIPs are either sitting quietly and patiently waiting for me to return to them, or are being worked on in fits and starts. I have been doing a little work on the Feathery Lace Stole here and there.

However...there's more. I may have to set aside all of these projects in favor of some Christmas knitting. I don't normally do a ton of Christmas knitting, but I came up with an idea this year. I probably shouldn't admit to this one here or I'll feel committed to it, but this morning an idea came to me. Do you think I can make 7 rather simple hats by Christmas? I'm sure I can. Right? I am thinking of these for my in-laws...mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, and then our two nieces and nephew. As you know I'm already making a hat for my husband (more on that soon...I revamped my colorwork design and I like it better now) so I could have one for everyone who'll be there. My husband has two other siblings but a) they live in California and don't really need winter hats, and b) they won't be here for Christmas because that's the sister-in-law who's having the baby soon for whom I made the sweater and booties. We'll just be sending their gifts this year. But a frequent theme with the family is, say, all the girls get the same thing, all the guys get the same thing, or every couple gets the same little gift, and it's fun that way. So I thought, everyone could get a hat. We'll see. Like I said, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it here yet!

That's it from here for now. If I don't post again before Thursday, I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Solstice Slip Complete

Check it out! I actually finished something!! Bet you thought I'd never do that, huh? It was getting a little out of hand here for a while.

But here we are, completed Solstice Slip socks:







And, to prove I really did finish both socks, here's both of them (I ought to make another sock blocker):



Yay! I'm so excited to finally finish them. When I realized how close I was this morning to finishing them, I just kept on going until I got them done.

I was so excited to post about these that I haven't done my little spec page for these yet. In fact, I have other such pages to catch up on. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled for a new list of links in my sidebar. But, in case anyone doesn't know what these are, this is the June kit from Rockin' Sock Club 2007, the yarn is Socks That Rock Lightweight in Firebird, and the pattern is Solstice Slip. (Currently only available to club members, but I believe they eventually offer them to everyone.)

A fun knit, and my sluggishness doesn't mean I didn't like knitting them! :o)

Startitis, but no Finishitis

Lately I haven't had any FOs to report on because...I haven't finished anything. HA! Imagine that. I have certainly had a rash of Startitis, and while as we all know it is exciting and fun to start new things, it's also bringing me down a little because I am not finishing anything. Yes, I am aware this is of my own doing. And also because I am not finding oodles of time to knit, so when I do knit, I only get a row or two done on something which gets me practically nowhere, or at least it feels like it.

The other day I started yet another project. I know, I know, I should be smacked. But, the idea came to me when I was driving home one day, and since it involved yarn I already had, I figured what's the harm? Plus (because I need another excuse...) it is the only non-patterned knitting I have going right now. This is mindless stockinette...well, mindless to a point. Teeny tiny yarn does need a bit of attention. But still.

Here are some not-very-informative WIP shots. The yarn is KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud in Peppermint.



It's hard to see what this is going to be in these photos, but I am imagining a big, soft, light and airy circular scarf thing that can be worn once around my neck and hanging down, or wrapped twice for added fluff and warmth. We'll see if this comes out at all close to what I am imagining.

Here I've tried to spread out what knitting I've done so you can see the lacy stockinette it is. I like it. Oh, and I did a really loose cast-on on larger needles so that it's not restricting in any way when it's done. So it looks a little loose now but I think that's for the best.



It'll take me a while to do this one...so don't expect frequent post updates on it!! hehe.

So back to the lack of Finishitis...I really have been trying to concentrate mostly on my Solstice Slip socks, since they're the closest to being done of all my WIPs...and while I'm not tired of knitting them, I am tired of mentioning how I still haven't finished them, and I'm sure you're probably tired of hearing about these by now! ;o)

However...

In keeping with my latest trend, I now need to start yet another project. Notice there I said "need"? There's a valid reason for this one, I swear. See, it's a Christmas present for DH and I need to sneak knitting time in on this one whenever he's not around to catch me working on it. I am making him a hat and mittens that will go with his ski coat. I had made him some black mittens a while back which he wears all the time (I love that he loves them!) but I think he needs another pair. And his coat is blue so I figured, there's my plan.

This is the yarn I dug up from my stash (just some Lion Brand Wool-Ease) that goes well with his coat. I'm going to do mostly gray, with some patterning in the two blues. (And for the record, I think there's very little chance he will ever read this blog, so I'm safe mentioning it here!)



Off to swatch and cast on for the hat!

Turkey Lurkey

Isn't he great? We got the kit with the turkey parts at an apple festival a few weeks ago, and then picked up a pumpkin last week. He makes me laugh!