The In-between Things

In my last post, I mentioned a wandering eye with knitting projects.  Well, I have to confess.  It got the better of me.  The above is a little cowl recently off the needles as a little something for myself.  I love it!  Just a simple linen stick on size 8 needles.  The yarn is Dream in Color Worsted.  It was concerning at first, how stiff this seemed, but after a soak & blocking, it really did relax has a beautiful drape & color.  I am thrilled!  Hopefully this little something will subside the desire to knit things for myself. 

A Busy Maker

Hello!  I've been quiet, but not because I have nothing to say!  I've just been in the thick of Christmas knitting and really having a great time!  There are 4 projects off the needles, two completely done (above), and 4 more on the needles, and one where the yarn is in the mail! All notes, yarns & patterns are on my Ravelry Page!

I still have the drive to finish all the chosen projects, but I can tell that a week into December, it will wear on me.  You see, I just picked up some new magazines with soooo many things I want to jump right into making.  Those urges must be held away!  Thankfully, it is a perfect fall/winter weekend here, and I have no plans except to knit those stitches!  Hope your weekends are filled with lots of the same!  Coziness, ovens baking yummy things & warming the house, and of course, lots of knitting!

Help Keep Warm

Whoops!  Almost got out of the blog groove!  Thankfully, I stumbled across a really great reason to stop in and get back in the swing of things.

 A few really great people over on the East Coast have started a Sandy Craft-A-Long to help get some cozy things to the people who are cold with out electricity in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.  You can read all about how to help here.  I dug deep into my finished item with no home stash and came up with these.  Three scarves that I knit a while ago with no reason in mind except to knit them.  I had long ago decided that they should be saved for a donation such as this, and alas, the time has come.  I tagged each scarf with the yarn content and a note of our good thoughts and will be sending them off to warm necks and hopefully hearts on the other side of the Country.  

A Sweater

You know, Fall really is the best time of year.  Really.  I get this huge urge to do nothing but knit!  And, as an added bonus, there is less light during the day, less light to stream in the windows and illuminate the HUGE dust bunnies accumulating around the house since all I do is knit!  Here is a quick and easy sweater that I started Sunday and finished today. The pattern is Annabel by Quince & Co.  I love it.  I think I need 10 more.  I want to make everything they ever have a pattern for.  Hands down my favorite brand.  This one I knit in Fisherman's Wool.  It is a solid, rustic yarn.  The next one I make though, I definitely want to use the Quince & Co.  And then Madelinetosh and then Malabrigo, and then....  I know, Possessed!! 

Back to knitting...

Side-tracked

I started 4 projects last week.  Only one was for the Christmas knitting.  Two were poor attempts at instant gratification and one was because it was cloudy yesterday and I wanted a new sweater!  Fortunately, the one for Christmas knitting was one of the bigger projects and it is coming along nicely.  I have almost a whole body and both sleeves.  Soon I will join for the yoke and fell really good about myself.  Want to see the other pretty things distracting me!?

A little baby hood in happy feet, sock yarn, which is why it is a poor attempt at instant gratification.  Oops.

A two tone cowl in some very fantastic local alpaca yarn gifted to me last Christmas by Greg's mom.  It really is delightful and I'm designing this cowl to use every inch of both skeins!!  Also, this too is fingering weight yarn, so, another poor attempt.  Double Oops!

 A sweater with these buttons!

And, Instead of adding my sweater swatches to the stash, I pulled out the swatch stash and started brainstorming what to do with them... 

Knitting with Handspun

This weekend, I took advantage of the cool weather and empty schedule.  I sat down in front of the computer (streaming Netflix is our T.V.) and made use of my small hand spun skeins. 

First, I worked up a headband.  It was 3 repeats of Diamond Medallion Panel lace pattern from this book.  Then 10 rows of 2x1 rib, then 1x1 rib.  It used all but a few yards of the yarn and I am thrilled.  I think of it as my Gypsy headband.

Then, still being fueled by instant gratification, I worked up this little hat. 

That is 80 yards of whimsical pointy hat cuteness.  I can't wait to see it on a small head!  In the mean time, The butternut squash in the kitchen makes a great model!!

Thinking Ahead

I started this pair of mittens on Saturday night after I finished the Imogen Tee.  I have big dreams of making everyone in my immediate family a really killer gift this year.  In year's past, I have made many of the gifts, but not all and they were mostly scarves, iPod cozies, etc.  This year, I'm aiming high. I'm loving this pattern so much that it is a good possibility that multiple pairs are made, but lets just say that this particular pair has specific intentions...

I did it! Lambtown

Horray, horray!  I finished in time!

Friday, I was knitting furiously while watching This, and this. Both Fantastic films.  Around 11 o'clock with less than 20 rounds, I realize that I don't own the 16" size 6 circular needles needed to decrease up to the neck!  Oh NO!  I went to bed, woke up and drank coffee while weaving in ends and watching The Andy Griffith Show until the yarn shop opened at 10.  Sadly they did not have my side.  WHAT!?  They really didn't have any sizes.  Pressing my luck, I headed over to the chain craft store with little hope that they would have what I needed.  They did!  I rushed home, finished knitting & blocked that baby, then let it rest on the craft room floor under the fan on high all night so it would be dry enough to wear.  Sunday morning was like waking up on Christmas!  I ran in to see if it was dry and it was.  I had actually pulled it off!  The sweater fit perfectly too and felt sooo soft!

Lambtown was really cool.  There weren't very many sheep though, in fact, these were the only two I saw.  I think Saturday was the big event day, Sheep dog trials, Beatles tribute band, etc.  But Sunday had fun stuff too.  World record knitting attempt (failed and very hot), lawnmower races, and best spinner competition!  There were also quite a few vendors who brought fleeces and fiber to sell from a variety of animals.  Very cool and I cannot wait for next year!

World Record attempt.  We were about 1040 knitters short, but I do think it was the most sweaty knitters knitting in the same place at the same time!

And at last, there was this guy.  There was a raffle to win that fantastic rainbow fleece. 

It's Growing

Well, I might actually make my Imogen Tee one week deadline.  XX crossing my fingers, i'll be joining the sleeves tonight and working the yoke tomorrow & Friday.  Soak/block on Saturday, and, dare I say it, wear it to Lambtown on Sunday.  I think I can, I think I can.....

Best Shop Ever & Seam Allowance

A few weeks ago, Greg and I took a day trip up to Berkeley.  We had plans to meet up with friends for dinner and the Wilco show later in the day, but we decided to head up early and hit a few other spots. My destination of choice? A Verb for Keeping Warm. I had no idea about this shop until recently and had to check it out.   Man, that place is glorious! Yarn, fiber, and fabric.  Holy crap!  That's a dreamland!!

I got some yarn to knit a birthday bandana,

And some fiber for spinning,

And then when the VW didn't start, I went next door, had a Molly Ringwald cupcake, bought more yarn, and waited for the tow truck.  Well, when the driver arrived, Eureka!  The car starts.  I guess I was supposed to linger at the shop a littler longer.  Boo whoo!

The next day, inspired by the shop and show, I lurked around on the Verb website and stumbled across their Seam Allowance group.  A club that members pledge to make (at least) 25% of their wardrobe.  Spin, weave, sew, or knit!  Cool, right?  Then it hit me, I should join!  DUH.  I'm not in the bay area, so i'll be a member at heart, but it made perfect sense to me.  I LOVE making things.  I HATE shopping for clothes. 

So, along with starting the Imogen tee, I gathered a few patterns and fabric and decided to make some clothes.  I'll show you tomorrow!

Startitus

Well, it happened.  Every fall, when the weather cools down (although not right now), I go through a fit of startitus.  Knitting, crochet, sewing.  It must be instinct to make warm things for the winter.  And, without fail, on the last day of September, I came down with it.  I would say it's not as bad as it has been before, becasue I only started 1 sweater, but I did spend a fair amount of time on Ravelry queuing things.  This is the pattern I started and Here is the yarn!    I've had it in mind ever since I made the baby version. 

Ahh Cranberry, ahh lace!

Best of all, We are going to the Dixon Lambtown Festival this Sunday and i've decided that this little Tee will be the perfect thing to wear.  Only 1 week to knit.  I sure hope this was just a mild case of Startitus!