Winter is Coming!

Thank whatever you like to thank for the fact that Summer has broken and it's becoming cooler. This has prompted a few things from me:

1.) More knitting. Barbara's BEAUTIFUL sweater is whipping along. I have almost half a sleeve done. Then it's just another sleeve and it's done. Pretty neat for not knitting on it all summer, eh? (and no...it is not the Pewter Coat. We don't speak of that anymore.)

2.) I have planned knitting up to my ears. This is the time of year when I get hyped up about knitting lots of sweaters (not that this isn't the case any other time of year, but right about now, all my common sense regarding what can and cannot get done in a certain amount of time goes right out the window. Three more sweaters by Christmas? No problem!)

3.) Dreams about alpaca sweaters knit in the round. If there was any doubt that I was a knitter, I think it's gone now.

4.) Washing sweaters. I am currently handwashing all my delicious wool sweaters (all store-bought, by the way, since I only have one I've made for myself and it's already clean) so they'll be ready for wearing. I am having an inordinate amount of fun doing this. This is perhaps due to my recent purchase of some Eucalan wool wash which DOESN'T NEED TO BE RINSED. Need I say more?


Speaking of sweaters, most especially sweaters for ME, I have started a Wisteria after seeing the gal over at sock pr0n knitting one with her own HANDSPUN YARN. Color me jealous. Anyway, not only did the cables appeal to me, but it's knit top down, in the round. Just like my last sweater for me. It's going to be great. I'm enjoying it immensely already.

Still speaking of sweaters, I purchased two books recently: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting without Tears and Barbara G. Walker's Knitting from the Top. Now, previously, I had scorned the former because knitting did not make me cry. I am more the kind of person that needs a book titled Knitting without Violence. Well, this was before I discovered what a GENIUS that woman was and now after my dream of a seamless hybrid sweater (that alpaca one, remember?) I felt the need to purchase it so I could start planning my alpaca sweater. This is where my delusions of getting lots of sweaters done comes in: I would like to have this sweater to wear this year. HAH! Did I mention I still haven't purchased yarn for my father's sweater?

So...sweaters are on the mind, as you can tell. This may be due to the fact that all I remember of last winter was COLD. MIND NUMBING COLD.

Spring Knitting Update

Much has been accomplished since my last post in the throes of Christmas Knitting Panic. Dad's vest turned out beautifully and I should have pictures of it whenever the parents get around to taking some. Mom's sweater (pictured, though she hates this picture) was a success though the fronts seem to stretch longer than the back (or I knit them that way. Who knows.) Nothing blocking won't fix, right? I still have to knit up the belt for it but that seems like such a boring project compared to the vastness of the sweater I'm having trouble starting it. Barbara's Pewter Coat is dead in the water, as they say. We have reconciled by picking a new sweater (the Placed Cable Aran) which is already chugging along at a good pace.

I frogged my first sweater once my BALL WINDER AND SWIFT (woohoo!) were gifted to me, and have since knit it into the Citrus Yoke pullover. I love it. I've even gotten to wear it a few times since it was finished. Plans for my next sweater for me are already in the works.

My yarn stash is growing. I remember when I used to say I wasn't going to have a stash. Silly me.

I am also participating in Sock Wars III to provide motivation for my first pair of socks and let me tell you, I hate knitting socks. Thankfully, I will be put out of my misery shortly.

So, things on the needles: Barbara's sweater (which is GORGEOUS!), Detonator socks.

Soon to be on the needles: Dad's Uber Hat, more sweaters. (Did I mention knitting in the round is where it's at?)

I hope this satisfies some of you for a bit. Now that I've started my own business, blogging is towards the bottom of my list, especially now I have Ravelry to help me keep track of my projects, but I'll try to at least update quarterly. More pictures coming soon, I hope.