fingers

We've got fingers! (In case anyone's wondering, the lovely hand model is my husband.) No mitten cap yet, and some of the stitches are in need of a little tug or lift here or there, but it really isn't hard to do. This is going on the back burner for now though, because we will not be seeing the recipient of this gift until after Christmas. Now, on to some socks!

Kureyon

Another project completed! This is the mistake rib scarf that's been posted in several places and I also think is in a book? 2 Balls of Noro Kureyon #166. This was a fairly easy scarf to knit up. Looks great too! One thing is I think I need to block and wash it.. neither of which I've ever done before. We'll see if I get around to it. Suprisingly the scarf is not very scratchy. This is a great scarf for cheap people like me who buy very few skeins of yarn, but love kureyon.

Once and for all

Ok, before I knit anything else, I decided to do a google search for cable tutorials. I found a video here at KnittingHelp that makes it all very clear. I so wish that I'd done that before. Oh well. I'm glad I'm learning it now!

The start of one Peaceful Palm

Yet another knit along...Peaceful Palms. I will actually complete this KAL three times over, if my Christmas list goes as planned. (Why did I plan so many things? I will never know.)

I've cast on for the first glove/mitten, and will be working on it through the Thanksgiving weekend. Hopefully I'll have some FO's to show at the beginning of next week!

Pattern: Urban Necessity

I must note: there is nothing like the feel of warm, honest wool running through the fingers. Oh Wool Of The Andes, how soft is your twist.

In other news, I will be ripping back the cabled rib hat entirely. It seems that I haven't gotten cables down yet. ARRRGGG! I will persevere, and I will come out on top yet. (Thank goodness I haven't been trying to do cabled sweaters, right? Now THAT would be a true disaster!)

Basic oops

Here is the basic cabled rib hat:

As you can see, it's too small even for a 2-year-old. What went wrong, you ask? Oh nothing. I just didn't check my gauge. Yes, I'd rather not talk about it.

In other news, my husband took me out on a date this weekend, and we ended up at one of our favorite stores, Barnes & Nobel. This might have followed me home:

It's hilarious, and if you haven't read it yet, you should.

Also, this came in the mail yesterday:

I'm a natural fiber kind of person, so it's almost horrific looking to me, but I couldn't really resist the offer of free fiber, novelty plastic or not. Mr A thinks it's delightful, and calls it blue hair. Blue hair is right. What do you dare me to do with it?

FOs!! (updated)

On Friday night I got back from a week in Florida. We had a great time, and I have some pics from the trip, but my Photoshop is down and I don't have time to play with it before going to church.

Here is one of the most important parts of my packing:

It's impossible to take too much yarn with you.
I finished these Socktober socks on Tuesday night (yay!):

Yes!! One Christmas gift done. These are for my mum, who's feet are the same size as mine. They fit me perfectly, which is a relief. The edges are definitely scalloped, but at least it's consistant. After wearing for a few minutes the ribbing rolls in a little, but the socks seem to be staying up in general. There are a few other minor mistakes, but I am shelving my perfectionistic ways for the sake of sanity.

Pattern: Jaywalker
Cast off: November 15th
Yarn used: Opal handpaints (reccomended yarn for pattern -- happened to have on hand)
Needles: Size #1 Boye DPNs
Other posts on this project: Knitting along, Turning Heels, First Sock!

I have one more skein in this colorway. If there is anyone who has another color of Opal Handpaints, or Socks that Rock and would like to trade, let me know! Here is what the skein looks like:

I also finally learned cables:

This is the Basic Cabled Rib hat from SnB Nation. Also, I completed Bubby in one day. So cute!! I was going to make it into a marionette, but now I realize that the arms aren't loose enough. Would have been a Christmas gifty, but I gave him to Mr. A instead, who is enjoying him thoroughly.

Bubby was completed using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, which is 100% Peruvian wool. SO soft, and it doesn't feel itchy to me at all. I'm not sure how I would feel actually wearing it, but I was very impressed by it's softness.

I'm glad that I realized how to cable now, but it sucks, since I completed my Newsies Hat with the cables twisted all wrong.

Here's a close up of Newsie. Sad. So now I need to frog the whole thing and begin again. At least it's not a hat made out of fabric! Once you cut cloth in a pattern, you're commited. Then I'd really be screwed. Oh the joys.






Added note: Thank you Mouse for your suggestion about resizing pics! Sometimes I make something bigger to show detail, and I was wondering why my sidebar was all screwed up. =)

Nearly profound

Your Birthdate: April 24

You understand people well and are a natural born therapist. A peacemaker, people always seem to get along when you are around. You tend to be a father or mother figure to friends, even to those older than you. You enjoy your role, and you find that you are close to many people. Your strength: Your devotion Your weakness: Reliance on others for happiness Your power color: Lilac Your power symbol: Heart Your power month: June

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I saw this on And Knitting and had to do it too. Strangely enough, the results this time were fairly true. What's up with the power month/color though?!

Bagged and Felted

News from the knitting front....

This is Sarah speaking and guess what? We have another completed project! Wow! Here tis...


Of course this is the finished project (and what's that? a Kureyon scarf in the corner?). I began with some bartlett yarn in blue loch 2 ply. This is a great color, very deep blue with purpley hues. Anyways, I knitted it up using the hobo bag pattern from knitty-unbiased. I knit it very loosely on big needles in the hopes that all would be well once felted.
Thankfully 4oz was just enough because I only had 1 skein and I bought it very far away.Then I moved onto the whole felting experience. First, an unsuccessful attempt by hand. Just didn't work and was just way to much effort. Then during the Bills game on Sunday I threw it in the washer (twice). Pulled it out, stretched it to where I wanted it, and let it dry. Voila! I'm excited to felt again in the future. This was a very good result for a first try. I learned several important things #1- yarn dyes may bleed (a lot) # 2- always felt inside a pillowcase #3- weave in ends good.

First sock!

I know this probably shouldn't be so exciting, but this week, I've finally finished the first Jaywalker. Yes, it really did take me way too long, but only because my life has suddenly gone full throttle. I will finish the second one. I have a few inches done, but nothing that I will photograph, since you will only think that I am reposting pics of this one in progress. So in all her glory, I present, Jaywalker 1:

The color in the photo is a little washed out. The sock itself is much richer, warmer tones, but I decided not to worry until I can take pictures of the two finished together.

Does anyone remember me swearing to a yarn fast until I've saved up to buy the spinning wheel? Did anyone believe me?

This cute little yarn family came in a big box this week. Oh, did I order that? Oh. Well, its' for Christmas gifts (well...most of it) And anyway, it's Knitpicks. Does it really count when it costs that little? (Why did I have to buy this much? Well, to get the free shipping, of course!) Notice the cream colored sock yarn to the far right. Yes, I'm going to dye my own. No, that has nothing to do with Christmas.

I ordered two of the "dancing" elastic sock yarns. "Ballet" was pretty, although I wish it was a little more subtle with the purple/pink theme, but I must say, I agree with Mouse: "Swing" is like a circus. I was going to make it into little footies for my brother, but I'm afraid he'll hate them. He said he might not, but I can't take a picture that truely captures the horror of the redbluegreenyelloworange throwing itself up at me. Maybe I'll hide it for now.

Ok, ok, since I'm airing all my dirty laundry, I might have bought this too...

It also didn't cost much. I was at Hobby Lobby, and it was calling to me. I had started a little hoody sweater for Mr A a while ago, and completely fell out of love with the colors. So I'm starting again. New blue, and no grey this time. It's a good thing that this sweater doesn't take a lot of yarn! Otherwise I'd feel bad about this switch. But I don't feel bad. (Ok, nevermind, I wouldn't have felt bad anyway.) Alright, back to that second sock here...

turning heels

I've turned the heel, and am working my way towards the toe:

You can't really tell from this shot, but the ribbing is buckling. I don't really know what I could have done to stop that action. Ah well. I assume the same will happen with the other, and then both socks will have matching wavy edges. I've decided that this will be part of my mom's Christmas gift.

I've finally decided what I'm going to knit for everyone for Christmas. Unfortunately, I only have about 7-1/2 weeks to do it all. List to follow as soon as I have a moment...