Last post of the year?

Maybe!

UPDATED TO ADD PICTURES

Though I have been making some progress :)
Finished my Argosy scarf...here it is pinned, blocking

this you have to see - I ran out of yarn mid way through the decreases...so I substituted some other pinkish sock yarn - v obvious I'm afraid. I considered ripping out and making the whole thing shorter, and then decided instead to just finish and block it and see. So after all that blocking and pinning, I discovered some left over original-coloured sock yarn (see there to the left of the orangey bit?)(still with me? Am not explaining this very well). So now I have the option of ripping out and redoing my blocked scarf (still pinned), or wearing it with a big un-matchy bit at the bottom. Hmm. TBD...

Babette is coming along well! I have about 20 4-round squares to go, they are quick in themselves but that's still a lot...an evening or two should knock that out then 'just' sewing and weaving in ends...am determined to finish before baby makes an appearance*. The nursery is shades of blue/lilac, so this blanket would go a long way to 'girling up' the place, if it turns out to be a wee girl.

And seeing as it's coming into frigid season here in Merrilen, I cast on for a hat last night - haven't the patience (or probably time) to make one of those cool slouchy berets, but I thought the Beaufort would be both pretty and quick, dug out some dark red Paton's classic wool Merino, and hope to be done by the weekend. UPDATE - knit this up in a day - and the lace pattern stretches out really nicely :)

*No more false labor scares - am getting tons of exercise walking to and from bathroom and eating loads. Heartburn - check. Bloated - check. Stretch marks - check. Excited - check! Here I am:

fun

Only 9 days til Christmas!

Cookie swap was lots of fun last week, like I knew it would be. Made my 200 cookies, that's my baking over for another year. And brought loads home, have a couple of bags enticingly lining my freezer, yum.

Here is diastelo's Irish Potato Candy - not strictly a cookie but I forgive her -


KnitRedSox loitering by the chocolate fountain...

Table o' goodies, mmm

Pheelya and Knitty showing off their knitted finery!

There was even a rare appearance by Twiceknit, in between her travels round the world. Great minty cookies too, yummm...

Here's my Argosy scarf, which I am working on between Babette and wee sweaters. Just love the colours. And yes, it's for me. I really am embracing this whole 'Selfish Knitter' ethos...

On the home front - getting ready for Christmas by dropping many dollars at the post office. I always have a helper when I go:

Cheriwan got her swap package and I think she was pleased :) This is one of the best swaps I've been in. Thanks for organizing Pheelya and TulaBug!!

Paddy and Jamie also join in the festivities. Not willingly, necessarily. You know I had to hold out some serious treats to get this picture...

more knitting-related stuff you don't need - and scarfapalooza

Been trolling on Zazzle (who have a 10%-off coupon if you use Paypal - woohoo!)

Wouldn't I look smart showing up to S&K with these: knitting themed keds! Might be the only way I'd ever wear a pair - us height-challenged folks need a bit more assistance in the heel department than Keds offer.

Rory got a belated b'day gift from my friend J all the way in sunny (?) Belfast:

And this will be winging its way to her little girl shortly:

I even crocheted little flowers on there - to use up the yarn - see I do crochet sometimes still: this blanket was the first ambitious project I worked on - red heart yarn all the way but hey: Jamie likes it...
She is such a good model.

Here is is showing off my entrelac scarf:

(here it is folded in half - love this pattern)

Here's the clapotis, still not blocked...
Oh, and here's some sweaters I've knit - photo taken from 50ft up obviously...
And finally, the Grandiflora sock. I am now past the heel and into the gusset, but may have to rip waay back as I didn't center the heel in the pattern and so the lacey holes aren't even across the top of the foot. Grrr. The colours are totally mad too. I think these will have to be a keeper, can't see anyone else wanting them ;)

all quiet

Not a lot to report - am on my 5th scarf in a row - a blue stripey one for the brother, birthday in less than two weeks, and seeing as he is in Ireland and I left it in Panera's last week (thanks Sarah for minding it for me!) it may end up being a Christmas gift. It's a very simple pattern, 2x2 ribbing in Lion Brand wool, simpler the better if you actually expect a guy to wear something knitted I have found.

I've picked up the second Grandiflora sock, looking good. Plus it's coming into sock-wearing weather here. Thing is, am getting so pregnant - now weigh more than Himself - that normal sizes don't fit me and I have a lovely case of the cankles! Maybe will wear them in Spring.
Scored some lovely Sheila Rovelstad yarn for the Winter Wonderland Swap. Won't post a picture in case the swapee reads this :) (And I will also spare you a picture of my cankles).

A year already?

Yayyy been blathering on here (intermittently) for a year now. And I still have stuff to say!

Well - the knitting is going good - deep into scarf season, my favourite. I recently finished a skinny clapotis and a short entrelac scarf for my friend's 5 year old - and am on my second entrelac scarf, all looking lovely and - thankfully - not boring to knit. I am using Noro matsuri for the scarf on the needles now and it's a lot of fun to see the colours developing. It's a cotton/wool blend - so no wispy bits to stick to my winter-chapped lips. (Note: I have been listening to this on audiobook while knitting this scarf, so will probably always have some weird associations with this particular garment...)

In sad knitting news - Himself washed and tumble-dried the purple cardi :(

let's just say it is now a wee bit snug...It may be stretchable, or maybe I'll have to wait to wear it when I drop some of the baby blubber. Speaking of, am now nearly 7 months along.

I tested presumptive for gestational diabetes though, have to do the follow-up this weekend. My major in college was Human Nutrition, I should know better*(she says, still scarfing down Halloween candy).

In other sad knitting news - the hat and scarf I donated to the school's fund riaser? They were put on sale for $2 each! I nearly bought them back in annoyance. I should have added labels saying they were handmade especially, washing instruction etc. But didn't. Ah well. Last I checked they were gone. No update on this accursed item...

In other sad news, my Tivo died :( And even though I have 18 months service paid up, the only option to access it is to buy a whole new Tivo box. Ranging from $150 to $350. Grr. And I had loads of stuff saved on there that I was going to watch sometime. Am a big fan of 'Murder TV' as himself calls it. I particularly like the Oxygen show "Snapped" where some long suffering women off their men. Usually following laundry-related mishaps...

Rare trip to the movies last weekend, to see Zack and Miri make a porno. I really liked it, Seth Rogen always cracks me up. The only reason I mention it here, though, is for the surprising amount of knitted and crocheted items on view - it's set in wintertime Pennsylvania so afghans/scarves/hats/sweaters are in nearly every scene. Good a reason as any to check it out :)

The Columbia Sip n Knit celebrated 2 years and counting last Wednesday, still going strong. I've been a member just over a year, and I love it. A nicer bunch of ladies (and Textillian!) you couldn't hope to meet. Lynn even had cake for us - and surprises from her trip to China!

Last night I experimented with a new cookie recipe for the 2nd annual cookie swap at Stacey's house next month: Cherry chocolate Yumsters, I think I'll call them. Himself thought I was having a 'craving' he should know by now that I kind of always crave cookies, and now I have an excuse to eat them (see*!!)

Another clapotis

After a hiccup-y start (this yarn gets tangled very easily) I am motoring away on my clapotis/scarf. Jamie happily modeled for me (rather - she wouldn't get up so had to drape knitting over her). It's 47 st. wide, and very portable for commute-knitting.

I kind of wish I had made it maybe one repeat wider, because I have a lot more of this yarn. Also, am not loving the colour - it seemed more red in the skein, orange has never been my favourite...may well be an xmas gift for somebody.

I also went to visit the Celtic-Knot yarn store in Ellicott City, up for sale and maybe soon to close :( and got the pink/purple Karaoke yarn you see here:

I tried out the intarsia using the King Cole yarn on top - not a great idea, the yarn is waaay too variegated and that colourway is not for me... But the Karaoke yarn is coming along great - I plan to make 2 skeins of it into a scarf, felt it, and send to my friend's 5-year old. That's the plan anyway...

Some FO pics

I already put these up on Ravelry but am nothing is not a showoff ;P

Here's my Grandiflora sock,

Made from the Opal Harry Potter Tonks Yarn - here she is on the label, cute eh:

And donated some knits to charity (daycare 'yard sale' for Make-a-Wish):

this scarf, that was languishing half finshed for over a year...

it started existence as a trial-run for this.

This hat - too big for any normal headed person

And (blush) the beleagured Baby surprise jacket!

Neat things

I have all kinds of neat things I'd like to show you - and have finally uploaded pictures.
The blue&green flat feet socks are blocked and ready, hopefully my friend's legs are as slim as I think they are...and if time permits this weekend I may even break out the bead stash and make her earrings to match. Sure all the best-dressed folks have socks that match their earrings nowadays.

The pink/red lacy scarf for a friends birthday (already a week overdue, and she lives in Europe) s done done done, scarves are so boring to make, even when pretty. But for this one, one skein made a nice-length scarf (about 5 ft). I read somewhere the optimum scarf length is approximately equal to the height of the wearer...so if she hunches over a bit while wearing 'twill be perfect.

A couple of Friday's ago I got that serious burning-wallet feeling and ordered myself some yarn from Little Knits and from Webs. Little Knits should be arriving today (I should have paid for expedited shipping, I have nowhere near the amount of patience required for online shopping) and (most of) the Webs order arrived last week. Lovely lovely sock yarn, including the Opal Harry Potter yarn in Tonks, that are on their way to becoming the Grandiflora socks as we sit here. yay!

I think my knitting blah period is well and truly over for the year. I love the Autumn.
So what are you working on? Don't send me to Ravelry - comments please!

a few FOs and a newbie

I finally finished and blocked Talia: Ta dah!!




Flat feet knee socks are blocking...



and a lacy scarf is slowly growing.

Knitting progress is slow though, as a wonderful book has me captivated. And will be busy bonding with the dogs on Saturday at the Walk for Paws. Both the dogs have birthdays in October, so they deserve a day out.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Pregnant head, I suppose...

This is not going to turn into a pregnancy blog, but I am going to use my 'delicate condition' to explain away my actions today. On my way home I got on the green line train, as usual, plugged in iPod, pulled out (awesome) book, and settled in for the ride, having timed it, as ever, so I'd arrive at daycare in plenty of time.

Looked up around 10 minutes before my stop - I have this ride down, I mean, I've been taking it for 6+ years...what the? Got on the line going the wrong way. Was about 7 stops away from where I usually start. feckingfeckingfeck.

Go to daycare 15 minutes late, and now owe them $40. Little man not a bit upset so suppose that's all that matters. Ahhhhhh

In happier news, look at the progress I'm making on "Hey Teach!". I even did gauge swatches!

Am half done with the red scarf. Getting to the boring repetitive part now though. Doesn't help that the yarn for both ongoing projects is very similar...

Red scarf progress

Almost 1 skein thru my 3-skein red scarf. Am getting fed up with the pattern now - don't have a whole lot of patience when it comes to the middle boring part of a long and skinny scarf. In fact, this may end up being a 2-skein scarf...

Here's the patterned bit at the bottom - maybe I should have continued this all the way up? It curls a lot, which will come out with blocking, but makes for unimpressive-looking progress.

Also finished another pair of my 48-stitch-around fingerless gloves , in about 3 days of commuting. Love these. Now I know what to do with all that left over sock yarn, yay!

So good to myself...

Finished the Olympic scarf a few days early at Wednesday's Sip n Knit: blocking now. I folded it over to block (didn't have enough spare space that I could guarantee would remain unvisited by dogs). I really like it, and the pattern is easy to memorize and it looks so good :)
(Note: helper at top left)

So what next? Well, I discovered a partially made sock in the knitting bag: even though the colorway is a little '1970's living room' I decided it was too pretty for a sock:

Love these! Great way to show off sock yarn, esp when all bundled up in dark winter colours (I'm ready!).


Haven't I been good at using my stash yarn? Of course, this leaves quite a void...

On Friday took the day off and we went across the Bay and visited a couple of little towns. So pretty and peaceful over there. And guess what - found two yarn stores!

One was a teeny tiny place, Fibre Cafe run by Bonnie and Fiberetta, where I picked up 3 skeins of bright red cotton (on sale) for the Red Scarf yarn project. And, Bonnie gave me a couple of her own knitting mags she was done with, including the Winter 2007 Interweave Knits (yay!) It is a very small store, so restraint wasn't too difficult.

But then...in the next town ran across Frivolous Fibers...where I couldn't resist these:
which I am planning to use for what will be a vay vibrant (and soft) scarf;

this:

which will make a gorgeous shawl (assuming I ever get it wind it up...)
and this:

which is already half knit - more later.


So the stash is well and truly plumped up again. And all is well...