Knitgirl's Stash

Fair-Isle:1, Knitgirl: 2

So, the Fair-Isle bug bit me... and hard. Yes, for all of you who guessed it was going to be the Ivy League Vest, you know me well. (Or you looked at my Ravelry notebook. Whatev.) I swatched - I even blocked it, for goodness sake - I cast on, and while I found the corrugated ribbing fiddly, it was easy. Not mindless, but still easy. I had it done in 3 nights. I started the chart. Even that was easy-ish. I knew something would have to go wrong and it would be big. I was right.

After my first decrease round, I had to figure out how to take the chart into the new stitch count. Once I confirmed with Elspeth that my hunch was correct, I continued on with the chart... to find out that I ended on a different size. Oops. I counted my stitches and found that my front had significantly less stitches than the back... the side marker was in the wrong place - hence, the side seam was in the wrong place. Grrrr... I tried to do some surgery, but that didn't help. The only option left? Well, look at that picture - the one to the right. Yup, it had to be ripped. Only back to the corrugated ribbing and after it had spent time in The Candy Bowl of Time-Out with one of Steph's projects. Need a close up?

The macro function is kinda cool, isn't it?

After painstakingly picking up all the stitches, my only goal for last night was to knit it back to where it was before the ripping. Last night once I got home from Late Night and fed myself, I finally got back through Row 7. Actually, I continued on to the next decrease row... but stopped myself before attempting it. Something told me that trying to take another decrease into a pattern row at 1 in the morning would not be a good - or smart thing to do. So it's sitting on my computer at home while I attempt to knit other things today - which is not easy. Not at all. Damn Fair-Isle bug. I'll have to knit a Fair-Isle hat now. Just to take the edge off. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Gratuitous macro shot of the pattern up to the decrease row. Hey, even the colors are pretty accurate!

I don't want anyone to die of shock, but...

it's another post! It's a short one, though...

What do you think this might be for?
It's going to be fabulous (if it doesn't kick my ass)!

Well, I *was* going to talk about the knitting... all of it.

So much to talk about, so little time! I've been trying to blog for ages now, but just haven't found the time... or when there is time, the inspiration. No matter though, I'm sure that y'all will still love me even if I just start posting pictures and write a little bit about the knitting. :) (Well, at least I hope so.)

There has been lots of knitting - mostly starting stuff - here at Chez Stash. Hmmm, where to begin? (I'd like to use the pictures in my Flickr account, but I can't figure out how to get them here. Any hints?)

Okay, what might these three pictures be? The Silk Shrug from Erika Knight's Classic Knits book. Once I got down to actually knitting the garment, it flew through my fingers. Partially because it was so easy to do, partially because the silk is quite divine to work with, and partially because America's Next Top Model just makes for great TV knitting. (Hey, we all have our guilty pleasures, don't hate!) The pattern was written using the Jaeger Silk DK, but have you really ever known me to use the yarn asked for? Nah! I had 8 hanks of the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk in stash (really 7, as one hank is in the back of another shrug I attempted to knit) which just happened to be the amount I figured out I'd need. When does that ever happen?

So, as the pictures might be able to tell you, pieces were pinned out - in shifts, as my blocking board isn't big enough for all of them at once - and partially seamed together. Why partially? Well, the shoulder seams were no problem. The sleeves, however... a different story altogether. I'm not quite sure why I didn't question the sleeve shaping, but no matter. Basically, the set in sleeves that I knit don't entirely match the armholes I knit. And yes, I knit both to pattern. I had to rip out the first sleeve seam a number of times to try to get it right. When was this? Right before MD$W. So after staying up until 3am to get it right, I flung it to the side and promptly forgot about it for over a month. Surprise, surprise. :) I picked it up yesterday and brought it to work to finish seaming it, just to get it done. With lots of encouragement from the back table (and much cursing of the sleeves from me), I got it done. I even wove in all the ends before I went to sleep.

I was a bit worried that it'd be a bit small - I only ended up using 6.5 skeins of the silk, instead of the 8 I thought I would. The surprise was that it is a great fit. A little larger than I expected, but really, just what I wanted. Of course there are no pictures yet of the finished product. Last night, the camera battery died, I charged it, thought I took it to work today, but there was no camera to be found. :( I'll try to get pictures soon - I'll use the Elspeth method, I just need to ask her for some pointers.

Next up is Emily. Some of you might remember the last time I knit Emily. Way back in 2005. Wrong, wrong yarn that time. This time? Well, while I'm not using the recommended yarn (Twilley's Denim Freedom) I am using a yarn that knits up to the same gauge and has the same properties of the Twilley's: Rowan Denim. It is a well established fact that unless it's 4-ply, I hate cotton with a passion. Not anymore. I LURRRRVE the Denim. While it makes my hands look like a Smurf, I love the feel of this yarn. I hated swatching it, but I love working with it. That last picture is a bit of a fib, though. I finished the back ages ago and immediately cast on for the front. I've gotten one row in. That's it. Life takes over, I guess.

I had to include that picture of the knitted fabric and that end in there. I just thought it was a beautiful contrast and really interesting how the yarn is dyed.

~~~~~~~~

Crappers! It looks like I broke Typepad's image uploading tonight... I will just have to put up a partial post for the time being. (See Rossana? I met the challenge of the pinky swear! Just a little later than expected. LOL.) I'll have to make this a "to be continued..." and I'll post tomorrow. (Even shocking things! Take your guess as to what that might be...)

Where'd I go?

Playing with Ravelry, that's where! (Okay, so that doesn't account for the huge loss in time, but whatever. Y'all still love me anyway! LOL!) I got my invite a few days ago and haven't done much (hell-o, have we met? I'm lazy sometimes!) with it until tonight. Not that what I've done tonight is something big... but I've gotten a few projects uploaded on there. Now I must go and photograph the entire stash and use up my monthly allotment for the free Flickr account in the next week! :D (I feel like such a nerd, but I'm gleeful that I got to upload two new patterns on there...)

So, if you're on Ravelry and you're reading this, look me up over there! I'm knitgirl over there - who knew that it would still be available by the time I got in? (I went through and added a bunch of people that I know and people that I admire over there tonight... I still have to go back and add in all of the Lime & Violet MBers! Eek!)

There is actual knitting to post about, but I am falling asleep as I write this... check it out over at Ravelry... and if you can't yet, well, I'll hopefully have a post with an FO or two!

Apparently, posting once a month is my new thing...

... because I just looked at the blog and realized that as of midnight it will have been exactly one month since I last blogged. *sigh* Well, the last week or so I've had the ultimate excuse - I've been moving! I just set up the computer in the apartment tonight and along with having a late night IM session with Dani (I missed those when I had no computer... for those three days. LOL), I finally uploaded pictures from my camera - and there are actual knitting pictures on there!

With all the moving stuff going on, I haven't been really motivated to work on anything I already have on the needles, but I haven't felt motivated to start brand new projects, either... until Steph brought in her almost completed Kelly Cardigan from the Classic Knits book by Erica Knight. I noticed that we didn't have a swatch of the CrackSilk KidCrack KidSilk Haze at the shop, so I quite generously volunteered to knit one. :) Which sent me on a swatch frenzy... However, upon washing and blocking said swatch for the shop... I discovered that I am NOT KNITTING TO GAUGE. I AM TOO LOOSE. This just does not happen for me. *sigh* While I could just knit a size smaller and be done with it, I decided to use some of the crack yarn I have at home to swatch on a smaller needle. Well, I hadn't gotten a chance to knit until the Comcast guy came to install my cable and cable internet... and then... well, just take a look.

The Comcast guy found it interesting that I knit and I'm sure he thought I was crazy when I pulled out my camera and took a picture of the swatch. I explained to him about the blog, which led us to talk about how big the whole crafting industry has become.

Anyhoo, yes, yes, there has been knitting at Chez Stash... at both the old and new places now! In the past few weeks I've been focused on a lot of the smaller projects that have been languishing in my knitting bag(s). I haven't really finished any, but there has been progress made. Which is something, right?

Please to ignore the really bad picture of me. If I remember correctly, this was taken at 1am and was the 4th or 5th shot. LOL.

Pattern: Calorimetry from Knitty Winter 2006
Yarn: Maybe half a skein of this gorgeous handspun cashmere, gifted to me by Ken of Jade Sapphire.
Needles: US8 24" Addi Turbos
Cast On/Off: One Wednesday evening in early February. I started it at Late Night and finished it at home.
Mods: None really. But lots needed to be made...
Fun Factor: Once I figured out how she was constructing her short-rows, it was a breeze!
Thoughts: I loved this yarn. I want more of it. However, my Calorimetry is WAY too big and loose for me. I don't have a tiny head, but I can almost stretch it 1.5 times around. I didn't do a gauge swatch, so that was a big issue with it. (I know, BAD Knitgirl!) The yarn is probably a Light Worsted to DK weight yarn... however, the pattern would still be too big. I actually made another with some Jade Sapphire 8 ply cashmere I had in stash... I went down to US7s and cast on 80 or so stitches. Much better fit. I even used just under a half a skein.

Pattern: My own - it's a garter rib
Yarn: 2 balls Rowan Plaid
Needles: US10.5 24" Addi Turbos
Cast On/Off: I cast on for this sometime around Superbowl Sunday - I was working on this at the fiesta... I cast off a couple weeks later.
Mods: Well, I originally planned on doing a modified scarf pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, but couldn't remember if you needed to knit or purl across the second row, so I made a decision and it became my own!
Fun Factor: Well, I wouldn't call it fun... but it was a great mindless knit!
Thoughts: While I'm not a fan of knitting scarves, I love wearing them! This is WARM and I *heart* it.

Oh, the STR Pebble Beach socks... the first one is finally done! I finished it on a visit to my gynecologist. (TMI, I'm sure.) While sitting in the waiting room forever and sitting in her office forever I managed to finish them. I was binding off as she walked in. Come to think of it, the last STR pair I worked on I finished the first sock in her office too... hmmm... maybe I need to go to see her more often. NOT. (Actually, she's quite fabulous and she's the only doctor I don't mind waiting for. And that's saying something.) Unlike the last pair, I didn't cast on for the the second sock that same day. Bad blogger. I still haven't cast on for it. But the yarn goes everywhere with me in my knitting bag or in the passenger seat of my car - just in case.

Oh the pretty Schaefer Miss Priss yarn! When we got it into the shop, I immediately cast on for a Le Slouch... and after 3.5 inches of seed stitch, I set it aside. It also travels in the knitting bag, just waiting for me to pick it up. Unfortunately, unlike Aimee and Michelle, I do not have the love of kintting the seed stitch. I do, however, have the love of wearing the seed stitch...

Then I decided that I needed to try the entrelac socks in the recent IK... I *heart* Eunny. I want to knit like Eunny when I grow up. When we got the Claudia's sock yarn in the shop, I immediately started to choose colors that would go together... Unfortunately, the Butter Pecan and the Honey colors go together a little too well for entrelac. *sigh* Oh well, I'll frog these and make a pair of knee highs with them a la Cara, I think. So I decided to buy some more yarn... this time more contrasty:

Rowan 4ply Soft in Clover and Sandalwood. So pretty. (Yes, you do see double points in those socks. No, your eyes aren't fooling you. Don't ask.)

And in Frog Pond News

I knit this at the beginning of last year for Michael's book. It was the sweater that eventually ended up on the cover, worn backwards. I had a few issues with the publishers (again, don't ask...) so it wasn't the happiest knit, despite the beautiful yarn... (Mountain Colors Weavers Quarters... so nice.) Michael (as his wonderful self) made sure I got the sweater back last week. I knew that I would never wear the sweater as it was, so I decided to frog it and make it into something that had less angst knit into it. So around 5.30 this evening, it became this:

Yup, 4 largish balls and 2 teeny balls, with only a yard or so sacrificed to my perfectionist finishing. (Note to self: If you start to rip out a sweater, find ALL the seams and woven in ends and unweave them BEFORE you start to rip it on the ball winder.) And I still have an entire ball of it left in my stash... somewhere.

So that's the latest. Blogging will still be intermittent while I get the new place straightened up - who knew I had so much crap?? I'm heading to NYC on Sunday to catch a couple shows, so there will be some fab knitting time to be had on the train! Now the question is: what to take?

In which I admit I haven't posted in forever and a day

Who knew that forever and a day could pass and I still would have no pictures of any FO's? Or that I really wouldn't have any FO's to brag about? Hmmm... Actually, lately I've been having problems with my hands, arms, and shoulders. I just can't knit for very long periods these days. (For any of those out there who have taken my Beginning Knitting class at the shop, no, I haven't taken my own advice of stopping when I feel the pain. Hence the aching and shorter knitting times. I should listen to me, huh?)

Really, the only things I've been actively working on lately - other than knitting for the shop - are a pair of socks, a scarf, and Wicked from those fabulous Zephyr Style girls! Of course the only thing I actually have pictures of would be Wicked...

Please to ignore the crappy picture of me in the bathroom mirror...

The color in the picture is definitely not the true color of the yarn. I'm using up some Brooks Farm Four-Play I bought at Maryland Sheep & Wool last year and it is in a divine teal colorway! (I bought all that Brooks Farm had on that first day... LOL!) The colors go from teals to deep blues - but it's mostly teal. Which makes it okay for me to wear with jeans. Yes, I'm weird and won't wear blues with jeans. Everyone's got a weird thing like that... I'm sure of it. :)  I figure that if I knit up at least one of my purchases from the Sheeps and the Wools (as Kel calls it), then I'm free and clear to buy more. I did this last year, too. I can justify just about anything.

There's Just Nothing Like Being Late to the Party

Yes, I know that I'm the last blogger in the world to blog about the Stash Swap hosted by Sarah and Lara... but when I uploaded pictures tonight from the camera, I realized I had taken a TON of pictures, just begging to be published! (Hang on... from here on out, it's a picture-heavy post.)

Look at all the patient knitters, just waiting for the go-ahead to dive in... Ready, set...

...and go! While this may look like chaos, we were all quite polite in what we took.

There was quite a bit of "What did you get? Would you like this? This would be great with the other yarn you got!" going around... if only knitters could solve all the world's issues.


Everyone was so darn polite about what we took - there was this much left after Round 1!


Of course, I had to post a couple of pictures of people with their loot! ;)


And for a finale, Kel picked up a pattern in progress that had landed in the pile on the table... and we told her to model it, of course. How it is that Kel can rock a partially knitted sweater, I'll never know. Look at her working it!

And a Small Pictorial On How Knitters Celebrate Superbowl Sunday

I spent Sunday night in the company of some fabulous knitters at Steph's place. Some great chili was had, much wine and chocolate were consumed... and we had fun watching the game. Michelle brought some cupcakes to help cheer on her Bears, which didn't help them too much. I guess bears just don't fancy cupcakes. ;)

In which I discuss the last FO's of 2006

While the end of 2006 has royally sucked for me, it's made for some great knitting time! I've managed to get a few things done - of course they were almost all things that distracted me from the items listed on my sidebar, but whatever. A FO is a FO.

Yes, that would be the completed Endpaper Mitts! I love these things - even if they are tight. Actually, that was a good thing today: I somehow twisted my wrist in my sleep (don't ask, I have no clue how those things happen) and couldn't find a brace for it. So I pulled on a mitt and discovered that it gives the right amount of support to allow me to knit without discomfort. Maybe Eunny should put that on her blog as an alternate use! LOL!

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Koigu KPM (the semi-solids) - just one hank of each color and loads left over!
Cast On: Friday, 17 November (immediately after this post)
Cast Off: Friday, 29 December at about 1.30 in the morning. :)
Needles: Clover US0 & US2 DPNs for part of the first mitt and 2 24" Addi Turbos in US0 & US2 for the rest
Mods: Instead of the Italian Tubular Cast-On recommended, I used a regular Tubular Cast-On on the second mitt. I really needed to see where the waste yarn was to pull it out.
Fun Factor: Oh.My.Gawd.Fun. If I hadn't had to stop in the middle of them to knit some holiday things, I would have had them done in a matter of days, that's how much I loved working on them. Even if mitt #2 misbehaved a bit. And even if mitt #1 has a bit of a mistake in it. Now I want to do more fair isle! Damn that Eunny for getting me hooked on this! ;)

Pattern: Moss Stitch Beanie by Debbie Bliss (in her Pure Cashmere book)
Yarn: 2 hanks of Jade Sapphire 4-ply Cashmere, held doubled
Needles: 24" US7 Addi Turbos
Cast On/Off: Saturday, 23 December
Mods: Well, the yarn was a big one!
Fun Factor: While I wouldn't term it as "fun," it is a quick, easy pattern that requires almost no thought to it. Which is good for a last minute gift for your best friend. I'm just sayin'.

Pattern: My own basic toe-up sock pattern. (I hate provisional cast-ons, so I developed this... I'm sure there are tons of the same pattern out there somewhere.)
Yarn: 1 skein Socks That Rock, Farmhouse colorway.
Cast On: Around 8 December or so - the first sock was done on the 11th in the drs office! I immediately cast on for the second one, so I'd have something to knit on when I went to the movies that night.
Cast Off: Around the 18th of December, I think?
Mods: Well, since it was my own pattern, there were none. :)
Fun Factor: Generally, I hate knitting stockinette in the round. However, these socks kept me enthralled. Mostly, it was the colorway - I loved how the orange seemed to migrate on one side and the green on the other. Plus, the socks almost stripe exactly! I didn't even try. I love it when that happens.
Bonus: I had some yarn left over and didn't know what I'd do with it - there wasn't enough to knit a socklette, so I was stumped. My mother decided to help herself to the leftovers and created a pair of these:

A wrister knit completely in sock yarn. Of her own pattern. (My hand is in there since she didn't want to show hers on the internets, lol.) She rocks. Don't ask for the pattern, though. She never writes anything down and won't let me have them for long enough to try and figure it out. If I can find them, I'll figure it out and post it. :D

Now for some fun stuff

Ann brought in some fab sock yarn from Brooks Farm a couple of Wednesdays ago (which just happened to be Aimee's birthday!) and it immediately got passed around from person to person... Elspeth is just giving it the "cuddle test" - it passed and Ann almost didn't get it back!

Speaking of Ann... I absolutely love her. When she and her hubby decided to go to 'Bama to spend time with his family this Christmas, they asked me to housesit. Which I love to do. When I got there the first night, I was greeted with this:

Fab pressies! 2 yards of 3 different fabrics, a journal and notecards with a Parisian theme... Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Not that I had any excuse to not pull out the sewing machine before, but now I really have no excuse! :)

Just in case you missed getting to the shop to see the fab holiday window designed and executed by none other than Kel, here's a look. Click on it to see the detail. It's freakin' fabulous. Sadly, we took it down Saturday night - while the crowds gathered along Washington Street to see the funeral motorcade for President Ford go by. We had the best view of it all, since we were in the window. We didn't put up the new window that night. Kel went in yesterday to create the New Year's window... she wanted to surprise us. So, I'll be sure to take a picture of that to post!

Michelle knows how much I adore gingerbread. I mean, how could she not, knowing that I get Gingerbread Lattes every morning for as long as they're available?! So, she ordered these to be sent to the shop. Oh.My.Gawd. So.good. They didn't last too long.

Of course I had to include a picture of one of my favorite Christmas babies and me celebrating her birthday last Thursday... (The bunny ears are courtesy of Stick, who drove all the way from Georgia for the festivities... and a few others later that weekend.) There are quite a few more and I will eventually upload them to the other blog. Just because not all of the internets need to see them, just a select few. LOL!!

Now, onto the 2007 knitting! If only my other wrist would cooperate now, I'd be happy. I'll just put the other mitt on... and contemplate winding the yarn I have for Eunny's Anemoi Mitten pattern... and maybe print out another copy...

Damnit.

I wasn't casting on for anything new. Really, I wasn't. Well, I wasn't going to cast on for anything new after the sock I cast on for yesterday. (But that was for the shop - someone had to be knitting with our newest sock yarn line... and of course, I had to take one for the team.) Then I check my Bloglines tonight. What did I see?

Damnit. I saw these on Jess's blog and then saw Eunny's update below that. Damnit. I really worship that woman. She even posted the pattern in the post.  (Go ahead, click on the last link. I dare you.) I *heart* Eunny. What did I do? I started rooting around in my sock yarn stash, looking for the perfect combination. Apparently, I have a massive amount of Koigu that works. Damnit.

Yup, those are my color choices. Both are Koigu KPM (the semi-solids) that I purchased in hopes of someday doing solid color socks. (I found some pretty blues in there as well...) I know myself well enough to know that I'm not gonna knit solid socks (of course that silvery-grey would look lovely as the Snicket socks from one of the last issues of Magknits).

Okay, you would think that I'd have enough sense to realize that I don't have all the time in the world to knit! I mean, have we looked at the active projects on the needles these days?

My So-Called Scarf just keeps getting longer and my attention span for it gets shorter and shorter. I know that this will look fab and will feel great when it's done, it's just taking forever and a freakin day to get there. *sigh* I think that a solid movie day (maybe with a pedicure thrown in) will help get this one finished...

Inishbeg (from the Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed book). Oh my gawd, she's beautiful. I love working on this sweater because it knits up so quickly, however, I can't knit for extended periods of time on this. Why? Well, it's not all the moss stitch (this is really starting to convince me that I love the look of the moss stitch), it's the fact that it feels like I'm knitting on logs! I'm used to working on US1s for socks lately... the US10.5s feel GINORMOUS!

Speaking of socks... these were the ones I cast on for last night. I am using Mama E's C*Eye*Ber Fiber sock yarn in the Ember colorway - the cool thing was that I got to help name it for the shop! (*whisper* I actually got to help name a few of the colorways for the shop. I feel like a rockstar. :D) The pattern? Well, it's an adaptation of a pattern I found in an old Interweave Knits. It's an easy 8 row cable-y pattern, which will make it great for the portability. I mean, would you have been able to resist such a beautiful colorway?

I thought not. Damnit.

Now for the silliness...

Late Night at the shop was full of the usual suspects and we were in rare form... There were a few of us who were completely exhausted from the Great Yarn Move of 2006 we had at the shop, there were a few of us whom life has just kicked in the ass a few times over, and just a few who just needed to knit. :)

Nurse Laura came in and showed off the almost finished Hokie clogs for The Daughter. As they need to be felted, they were HUGE, however, some of us seemed to have come up with a better use for them...

Jasmine decided to show us what the next new trend in hair accessories is:

Well, it's one way to not misplace a DPN... if you use those. Then again, I have been known to wear circular needles around my neck, a la a necklace. Hee.

Before anyone asks, no, I didn't get any pictures of me in Cyd last night. That would have required me to find and pull out the camera before 20 minutes to close. I'll get pictures, I promise! Tequila might be involved to make me comfortable in front of the camera, but I'll get pictures!

Damnit.

I'm a little late to the party...

...but I know y'all will forgive me. :) I finally finished one of the pairs of socks I was determined to finish for Socktoberfest! (Yes, that said "pair" - a finished pair of socks!) Granted it wasn't the guilt of not finishing during October that spurred me to finish the second sock... the knowledge that I was less than 2" from finishing, realizing I had no clean socks with me, and a night of election returns to watch, well, that's what prompted me. :D

Pattern: Nautilus by Anna Bell - available as part of a sockset I purchased from her ages ago
Cast On/Cast Off: I cast on around the beginning of July... I know I blogged about it on 12 July - when I finished Claude. I finished the first sock in a couple of weeks, if I remember correctly. I didn't cast on for the second one until Dani and I got back from Europe. I just couldn't get in the groove of the second sock on this one.
Yarn: Fleece Artist 2/6 Merino in a colorway we named Indian Summer
Needles: 24" US1 Addi Turbos on the first sock and 24" US1 Knitpicks needles on the second. Which did I prefer? The Addi's. While the larger sizes are great in the Knitpicks needles, the smaller sizes are just WAY too freakin sharp.
Mods: None that I can remember. This actually-doing-the-pattern-as-written thing is getting damn old. LOL!
Fun Factor: Definitely fun. The pattern is easy to commit to memory - even after putting it down for months at a time!

Okay, I love this yarn! It is by far my favorite sock yarn to knit with. It's got the sproinginess of Koigu with the weight of Lorna's Laces. I love the short color repeats - they make working with the socks fun b/c every so often a color would shoot through that I wasn't expecting... My one BIG complaint? Well, click on the picture to enlarge it. I'll wait. Can you see it? They look like they were knit from two different skeins - they weren't. I divided the ball of Fleece Artist (which has about 360 yards - info not on the label) into two balls and knit from those... I didn't realize how different they were! I kinda like 'em though. I've never been one for having identically knit socks. The majority of the second sock was knit on the train up to NYC last weekend... I was still about 4-5" from finishing though. (And I was not about to knit while I was up there... I'm just sayin'.)

Speaking of FOs... can anyone tell me what this might be?

It looks familiar? Can't place it yet? Well, how about this?

Yup, Cyd is finally finished! The vest I wanted to knit for the Europe trip is finally done - almost two months after I left. *rolling eyes*

I tried her on immediately after I sewed up the sides and wove in my ends. (Yes, sometimes I'm a good girl...) She fit perfectly - which made me worry about how she'll fit after a bath and block. I'm still a bit worried... Regardless, I'll be wearing her at Late Night on Wednesday - where I might be able to convince a friend of mine to take a flattering pic of me in Cyd! (Who knows, I might even dress like a girl... LOL!) I'll post project info and such when I post the pic of me in it.

So long, October

Really, I don't think that I've ever been happier to see a month end. It seems that October has been a crap month for everyone - not only did I have blogging ennui (which is nothing new, I know), but I had a bad case of knitting ennui. I know I'm not the only one out there who experienced this...

I had joined Socktoberfest in hopes that it would get me off my ass and finish something. Lord knows that the Anna and Nautilus socks have been on the needles for long enough... but no. I did, however, enhance the sock yarn stash during October, does that count? :D

Lest you think the knitting ennui took over completely, I do have some FOs to share. Yes, I know that I told y'all (when, last week? the week before?) that I'd post a picture of a completed Jemima, then life got weird. So, here you go:

Pattern: Jemima by Anna Bell
Cast On: Somewhere around the beginning of July 2006
Cast Off: Monday, 23 October 2006 (although the ends were woven in and pictures taken the next day)
Yarn: I actually used the called for yarn - RYC Cashsoft DK in Bloom (main color) and Lime (contrast)
Needles: US6 & 8 24" Addi Turbos
Mods: I shortened the sleeves by 1" and I actually knit a functioning button placket... that I then sewed shut to make it lie flat. Yes, I'm that stupid. LOL. In doing that, I needed to add a fourth button, which led to the sewing down of the button placket.
Fun Factor: Definitely fun, however, it was a bit boring since it's miles of stockinette. It goes quickly, though and while finishing it, I got really focused! :) I can see myself making another one of these in my future...

I love this sweater. Period. It's gorgeous, comfy, and flattering (just not in that picture). I debuted it at Late Night that week and got quite a few compliments. (I love y'all!) I wore it up to NYC this weekend and it was perfect - the weather was chilly and Jemima was a perfect layer - not too hot, not too cold. Plus, I *heart* Cashsoft. About as much as Cashmerino Aran. I can wear it next to my skin and not be bothered by it. I didn't want to take it off to change and I'm constantly looking for excuses to wear it.

Pattern: Mist from Rowan's A Yorkshire Fable (or is it Tale? I never remember)
Cast On: Saturday, 28 October
Cast Off: Friday, 3 November
Yarn: A collection of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4-ply and Rowan Scottish Tweed 4-ply
Needles: Knitpicks' 24" US2s and Addi Turbo's 24" US3s
Mods: Really, there were no mods other than changing the colors.
Fun Factor: This was SO much fun! It was my first true fair isle and I found that I could not put it down.

I loved working on this hat. The one thing I'd change? I'd take out one or two of the fair isle repeats and make it smaller. It's just too big for my head. I am surprised that the yarn is so soft once knitted up. I have not tried to wash and block the hat and it could rest against my forehead with no issues. I wouldn't try to seam with it again, but I would most definitely use the yarn again for another one. I even got to improve my Continental knitting skills with the colorwork.

Pattern: Fetching from Knitty Spring 2006
Time to Complete: About 2 days in mid-October
Yarn: 1.5 skeins Jade Sapphire Cashmere
Needles: Clover Bamboo US6 DPNs (I know, I actually used DPNs!)
Mods: I made them a bit longer and used a slightly thicker worsted than called for.
Fun Factor: Very! (Even if I used DPNs)

These are for my mom - they were for Christmas, but she saw them early and insisted on having them now. Damn. :)

What's up next? Well, I may have cast on for a sweater... however, I might be reconsidering the colors. So, I may just take some of that cormo I bought at MDS&W last May and cast on for Maeve's Ireland Cardi... Maybe. Probably. Okay, definitely. Of course, I have none of that wound right now, so that's a project for tonight. Hee!