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.

Holy Cats, Christmas?!?!

Egads, where did the time go? Oh yes, to knitting and hiring people at work. Slippers were a roaring success this year. I have a bit to do on Andy's before they get shipped out but what the hell. Dad's vest is...not done yet. Mom's sweater still has to be put together (when things go wrong, it puts a serious hitch in my giddy-up) but Andy's present got done lickety-split. My Barbs' sweater has not been started yet but I have high hopes I will be able to finish it before it's too warm for sweaters anymore. We'll see.

I received a ball winder and swift for Christmas which makes me SO HAPPY. I celebrated by frogging my first sweater. THAT'S RIGHT, you heard me. It's gone. No more. Only yarn. It's new project has already been picked out and I promised myself when Mom's sweater is put together I can start on it.

Enough Slacking Off...

Ravelry is awesome. That is really all one can say on the subject without going into an hour long rave.



Pictures. I'm behind (agh!) on the Christmas knitting, but Mom's sweater is nearing completion (see the pile of orangey-brown knitting?)and all yarn has arrived/is on order for my sister's sweater and Dad's vest. I plan on working some smooth calculations to get slippers underway later today. Here also is the knitted cat made for my sister, along with my Mom. They're prepping green chile for freezing.

RAVELRY!!!!!!!!

I finally received my invitation to RAVELRY! I am beyond excited.

Finished Things!

Hooray, things are finishing! Jan's hat is done, turned out pretty snazzy, though I wish I'd used a different yarn. The slow gradation of Moda Dea's Tweedle Deeyarn in Blue Heather was not well suited to the hat I'd chosen for her, since it had a cuff knit separately that you pick up stitches on the side to make the top. Nice yarn though. The skein I got was mostly blue, with a leeeeettle bit of the purple in the middle. The skeins are more impressive in person. Unfortunately, I have no pics of this hat yet.



I do have two other hats to show, though: the emergency Cold Sister hat and Vaughn's Tychus is done ... which I plan on sending to him soon. You know, whenever I get to the post office. For some reason ... the gauge is horribly, horribly wrong somewhere between my knitting and the pattern. The pattern calls for 5 of these triangles ... I finished three and went "y'know ... this looks hat sized." Measured it ... remeasured ... and indeed, it was time to stop. So ... err ... it's a little pointier than it ought to be. Next time....I will not do it double stranded, as required by the pattern. It also says you don't have to wrap or anything on the short rows...err, hello? There's holes! Being my first short row project, I did not realize that this would happen. Well, you live, you learn.

On to the next hat. My sister has moved to Salt Lake City and with the oncoming winter, has realized she's cold. Somehow, when one becomes a knitter, one feels responsible for keeping loved ones warm. I received an emergency call for a brown hat. This was whipped up in a few hours or so, easy peasy. It's fast becoming my favorite hat pattern, modified from the Flame Head hat in Stitch'n'Bitchfor solid and now, in the round! This has two former incarnations; one for me *gasp* and the first for my Dad, which can be seen in action here.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel on Mom's sweater. Speaking of sweaters...I need to do something with my first sweater. It isn't very flattering...should I rip it out? Add a cowl/turtleneck/some sort of collar? I love the yarn...but the the whole design of the sweater is too boxy.

Still no Pics...

..but thought I'd offer an update. Mom's sweater is coming along slowly but surely. Vaughn's Tychus hat is about two triangles' worth done. Jan's hat is currently moving the fastest as my first real cable project (warmup for my sister's sweater) and I suddenly feel like I'm drowning in knitting. Did I mention I got stuff to make socks?? Oh yes. Some Trekking XXL in color #290, which has been calling to me ever since I stepped foot into The Needle's Eye, one of my local yarn stores.

Speaking of yarn stores, I also discovered Oodles Yarn & Bead Gallery today. They were super nice, even though I was just browsing, and were knitting, which made me happy. Lots of very nice yarn was to be had. Not so easy for me to get to as the Needle's Eye or Santa Fe School of Weaving/Miriam's Well, but I think it shall prove to be worth the traffic.

Lastly, the hydralisk is still in the creative processes. I have not forgotten.