It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like X-mas…

At least it is around here. I ordered the yarn for several X-mas gifts that I am knitting this year. The two shawls that are being knit are pretty big for me to tackle, so I want to get started right away. One of the shawls is the Luna Moth Shawl in Calista yarn and the other is the Camila Flower Petal Shawl made with Camila; I’m such a follower, using the yarn called for. It’s my first time knitting lace, I figure I should make it as simple as possible the first time.

I’ve also ordered some mohair for the Acorn and Leaf Scarf pattern. I got a few other things, but I can’t think of them right this second. LOL I’m really enjoying getting ready for X-Mas this early. it will be a lot of worrying about what to get for certain people off of our minds. I had thought of giving the “older” generation knitted gifts and buying things for the “younger” generation, but I think that some of the things I made would be just as appreciated by a “Younger” person, like Kate for example. She seems to like my work and I like knitting for her.

I have to finish John’s stripped hat that matches Jake’s as well.

Gotta run before Jake destroys the entertainment center…LOL

Technorati tags: Christmas Knitting, Luna Flame Shawl, Acorn and Leaves scarf

Ever Changing projects…

Not that long ago, I talked about how I was paring down to a few projects that I was going to keep at until I finished (The MD Scarf, squares for projects etc.) Then I added the Vickie Howell fingerless mitts because I HAD to use the Noro Kureyon that I got. I’ve been hit by my knitting ADD again and all of those are on hold. LOL
New projects include: Booga Bag using the Kureyon in 153 which is apparently called Purple-Teal, I frogged the fingerless mitts b/c I wanted to make sure I had enough of that color. I love this bag; I’ve never picked up stitches in the round before, I was a little nervous about it but it turned out to be easy. I’m also working on a lace (my first time) scarf with a leaf pattern who’s name I can’t remember now, something about I can’t believe I knitted it or…I don’t know and I’m too lazy to get up and check the pattern. I’ll post the name next time, if I remember…I’ll do it eventually, I promise.
I signed up for some classes at my LYS. I’m looking forward to it. I’m taking some sock knitting classes, on two circs, toe up and toe down. I’m also taking some short 1 lesson mini-classes: Cables, different toes for toe up and different heels for toe up. Finally I have a dyeing class and a moebius capelet class (which I’m really excited about). I can’t wait for the first class. Have to check my calender, but I think it’s mid-July. I’m also signed up for three classes (all sock knitting) at the other LYS. This is apparently the summer of socks.
Great segway for talking about my plans to knit for X-mas this year. This will be my first year knitting gifts for 2 reasons:

1. This is the first year I feel like I have the skills to make something that is worthy of giving as a gift rather than buying something.
2. Even though I tried to plan some things, my laziness prevented me from getting things done and some of those things are still on stitch holders…oops. Maybe it’s time to just frog them?!?!

I’m knitting a lace shawl for my MIL, haven’t decided on the pattern yet, but something challenging and pretty. I’m also making her the Trellis and Vine scarf/shawl for her as well as a pair of socks (everyone on my gift list is getting socks this year – they should all get to experience the wonder of hand knit socks – yummy!!!). I’m going to make scarves (either lacy or with cables or maybe both) for “the aunts” and a shawl and scarf or maybe hat for Fran. I think that covers the people I’m knitting for, oh, my mother as well – I got a kit for a cardigan from Philosopher’s Wool to make for her and I’m hoping to have it done before X-mas. It’s the biggest project I’ll have taken on to date and I’m excited and nervous about how it will come out all at the same time.
Finally, I’m also a part of a KAL – another first for me, but I’m excited about this as well. The group is The Sexy Knitters Club
and this time around the pattern is Fifi, an adorable cabled t-shirt made with Calmer, which I love. Can’t wait to start swatching for this project!! I just need the pattern to be available.

Wish me luck

Later y’all!!!

Need a project suggestion

My girlfriend Brooke is in love with this yarn:
It’s called Fresco by Sirdar, and it’s pretty and it’s soft and I’m not sure at all what to do with it. I have 9 skeins of it and she wants a bag, but I’m not sure what kind of bag it lends itself to. I’m thinking a shawl of some sort. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Can you love a website?!?!

This will be a quick post, as I should have been asleep hours ago, but the sleeping pill is finally kicking in. Go Lunesta…come get me neon green butterfly…I’m waiting. I just wanted to say that Ravelry is THE MOST amazingly wonderful site that I’ve had the privileged to be a part of the beta team for. OMG, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this site!!! That’s it, just a quick and pretty pointless post re: a website being the new love of my life…:)

Technorati tags: Ravely, Lunesta, in love with a website

Fingerless Mitt ala Yarn Harlot

I finally found a good use for my Noro Kureyon. I’ve got 12 skeins of it, 4 skeins each of three colors, and I’ve been hoarding it b/c I don’t know what I want to make, it’s not enough for a huge project, like a sweater or anything substantial, it’s too thick for socks etc. I’m thinking about a shawl that’s small enough to only use 4 skeins or less. I want to play with lace but am afraid of all the concentration. How do you concentrate with a two year old running around all day? LOL

Anyway, I busted out one of my skeins (it’s purple, teal, pink/brown) not sure what the color is, I’ll look it up at some point, and made the first of a pair of Yarn Harlot’s fingerless mitts. Great pattern, easy to follow, the only problem I had was with picking up the stitches for the thumb and knitting around, but it didn’t come out too bad. It was a little snug at the cast on edge, but not bad. Unfortunately, I bound off WAY too tightly and while everything else fit beautifully, if a little snugly, the bind off edge was too tight. I got it on, but I couldn’t move my fingers. I thought about just keeping it since it was the first one I made and the Noro made it absolutely gorgeous, but I ripped it out and I’m going up a needle size (the pattern called for size 8 DPNs but I usually knit tightly so I used 7s) and using the 8’s that the pattern calls for. It will be a little looser and it will make up for the way I bind off.

I’m also thinking of joining a toe-up sock KAL, but I think I want to wait until after I take my sock making class (July is SO far away) to work on socks. I know it’s silly, but I feel like I want to go into the class completely fresh,with no pre-conceived notions about how to knit socks to color my learning. That’s me, anal to the bone about things like that. I’m also thinking about knitting some dishcloths for the charity thing that I Rabbitch is doing. Great cause. Through that I found a washcloth KAL and exchange that sounds fun, but I know that I’ll end up getting in over my head and having not enough time for any of the things that I commit to and not finishing any of them. So I’m just going to keep knitting along. I still have my MD Scarf unfinished, and I do want to finish that and move on to the zigzag scarf that was the beginning of my MD knitting to begin with. I have a bit of knitting ADD, I find so many things I want to knit but never finish then b/c I end up finding something else that looks good or I get some new yarn that looks good and I loose track of what I was doing. Right now I have more things on the needles than I care to mention. The one thing I’m bummed about is that I didn’t make the deadline for the Hokie Hope donations. If anyone knows of anyone else that’s doing something with blankets for the families of Virginia Tech, let me know, otherwise, I’ll look for more info. about donations for blankets for the victims of the disaster in Kansas.

Enough for now, going to finish watching Shrek 2 with Jacob and then I’m off to bed…after Jake goes down that is…yes, I have a 2 year old who is still up at 11 pm watching a movie. He does sleep in a bit in the mornings though…:)

Night, y’all.

Technorati tags: Yarn Harlot, fingerless mitts, Noro Kureyon, dpn, charity knitting, Hokie Hope

New Books and Yarn

I got new books in the mail today, 3 of which are knitting books. I got One Skein Wonders, which I love b/c they divide the patterns up into yarn weights rather than just throwing everything together and not worrying about it, The Knitter’s Bible: Knitted Accessories, lots of mittens, hats and scarves and finally Family Knits by Debbie Bliss, whose patterns I just adore. This is the second book of hers I’ve gotten, the other one’s name escapes me, though. There are lots of great pillows, scarves (an incredible braided scarf that I really like), a pair of luxury socks etc. I’ll come up with the name of the book as soon as I send this. LOL I also got a couple of decorating for small spaces books to help give me some ideas for the smaller rooms in the house.

As excited as I am about the new books and the new patterns to try (I’ve been quite obsessed with the thought of knitting small things like fingerless gloves, socks etc. I’m putting all sock projects I’ve started or contemplated on hold until after I take the classes at my LYS this year. I had already started the gauge swatch for the Jaywalkers but I’m just going keep working on it and call it practice for using size 0 DPN’s (they’re so small). I also started working on some little sample swatches practicing some cabling (I’ve never done it before). I’m really excited about it; it’s a little bit of a pain in the ass to work with the cable needle, I don’t like the one I have, but I’m going to persevere and keep at it; I want to be able to work cable patterns. Lace will be the next challenge that I tackle.

So the yarn I got today: 12 skeins of Noro Kureyon, 4 skeins each of three different colorways. OMG, I’m in love with this yarn! I can’t wait to use it, am thinking about doing the fingerless mitts that is up on Wendy’s blog. I’ve been wanting to knit a pair and they will look great in Noro. I also got a “mystery box” of yarn from EBay and it was a great buy. Lots of yarn in it, mostly novelty, but I haven’t seen most of it ever before and I love it. I’m already trying to think of ways to use them with the single skeins that I have.

Gotta run now!!! Night y’all.