Showing posts with label mittens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mittens. Show all posts

Monday, November 25, 2013

Hello, hello!

Oh my god, so much has happened since my last post! Where do I even begin.... Oh, right:

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I GRADUATED!

And I wasn't content with that. I also got a new job and a new apartment, both in new neighborhoods. And you know what a new apartment (with a wood floor!) means?


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Say hello to my little friend.

So everything's been coming up Marlena, AND THEN!


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I got my first full-length story published! This story isn't online, though you can buy a copy of the (very good) magazine here. I also had another flash piece picked up.

AND THAT DOES NOT EVEN INCLUDE THE KNITTING, PEOPLE!

So let's talk about that. I finished that baby sweater I was working on and it turned out so cute I could hardly stand it.


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Pretty cute, right? Wait'll you see who gets to wear it:

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Not the cutest picture of me, but I'm banking on little Mia here to steal the spotlight. To review, this is the Eyelet Baby Cardigan by Looking Glass Knits. I used Berroco Comfort fingering weight for the ease of care and because of that beautiful, perfect lilac color. I looked at other purples and kept coming back to that one. I was a little hesitant to knit with a purely synthetic yarn but let me tell you, I loved every minute of it! It's soft, springy, and holds eyelets beautifully. I would not hesitate to pick this yarn up again.

Obviously with all of the graduating and new job getting and moving etc., it was awhile until I cast on my next project. While shopping my stash, I came across some Nezinscot Farm yarn I picked up a hundred Fryeburg Fairs ago. I believe the fiber is corriedale, no idea what the colorway might have been named. This yarn was amazing to knit! So squishy! And I didn't even block my mittens when they were done because I loooooove that sheepy smell!

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Oh yeah... I dyed my hair red too.

Friday, May 06, 2011

As promised...


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As I said in my last post, spring would surely arrive just as I finished my mittens. Well, there's my evidence of spring...

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...and here are my mittens! Boston has been frustratingly cold lately, so maybe I'll still get a chance to wear them (not that I want to, but you know, silver linings). Quick recap: these are the Herringbone Mittens with(out) Poms from Eliphantom Knits. I used gray and navy Cascade 220, and I would guess I didn't even use a half ball of each color. I was using partial balls to begin with, and I still have quite a bit left over. I finished these a couple of weeks ago, but still... they took an inordinate amount of time to complete by the calendar, but I'd say the total work was only a few hours. My relationship with time is off-kilter though now. "Just a few mintutes" now translates into at least fifteen, and if I say "fifteen minutes," chances are I really mean thirty. I'm still adjusting to city life.

In other news, my semester is complete, as of last night! I had a really great, productive semester, where I learned so much. Both of my professors were not only knowledgeable, but also passionate and enthusiastic and interested in helping their students succeed after their programs are complete. I got a lot of great advice from both of them regarding making a living at what I want to do. So now I've got almost two entire months off before I start a summer class. I've spent most of today thinking about all of the things I'd like to do. Would it be foolish to start a sweater?

Saturday, March 12, 2011

I Done Went to the City

Most people are surprised to learn that, at 35, I still hadn't been to New York City. That all changed last weekend!


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It was one of the greatest weekends of my life. Seriously. Every street we turned down, every block, had fourteen thousand things to do and see. I just walked around most of the time totally slack-jawed.

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I saw the view from the (almost) top of the Empire State Building. I went to Grand Central Station and imagined passing through those beautiful hallways so often I become blind to them. I got to go to a fancy restaurant and see a magnificent burlesque show.

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I even got to hang out with dinosaurs.

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The best part though was day dreaming about living there. Seeing all of the activity, watching the people going about their days, sitting on the train and feeling the lull of the smooth motion. I kept feeling confused, thinking in some spots I was in Boston. NYC is really close to Boston.

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I'd like to think I'd live there some day, for awhile. I always thought of New York City as somewhere to live when you're young, in your twenties, fresh. But now that I've been there, I see all this opportunity. Maybe someday.

I didn't make it to a single yarn shop. Went with a non-knitter. I'm at the tail end of my spring break and spent this evening working on my mittens and concentrating on relaxing. As promised, I am now about half a mitten away from finishing this pair and spring is sproinging all over here. You're welcome.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Surest Way to Spring

Clearly this semester has been challenging! I love both of my classes. My workshop classmates are all so good at critiquing, and I love the format of the class. This will be the workshop against which all others will be measured. My other class is a magazine publishing class, which is what I want to do when I'm done with school. We're making a magazine as a class, which is fun. This is the first time I've had a group project where I've actually enjoyed working with everyone else in my group! I don't think I'm alone in my distaste for group work, but these girls in my group are all very organized and prepared. Love it!

Anyway, about that title. I'm convinced that the surest way to spring is to finish a project that is winter specific. Enter: mittens.


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This picture is... aged. I've since finished this mitten and actually started mitten #2! Shocking, I know. I'm itching to make a sweater but at the rate it takes me to finish an accessory, I'm afraid I wouldn't finish it until I'm 47. These are the Herringbone Mittens with Poms by Eliphantom Knits. Mine are without poms. The poms are undeniably adorable, but totally impractical. I'm sure I'd rip one off within a week. The yarn is Cascade 220 in navy and gray. I'm a big fan of gray lately (especially these Gray Chucks I keep seeing everywhere), and I had this leftover navy laying around, et voila! You can thank me later if the second I cast off the second mitten the east coast is swept with temperate weather.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Happy New Year!

I know I'm a little late with my greeting, but since this is my first time on the blog in 2011, it didn't seem right not to acknowledge the new year. I went home soon after my last post for 11 glorious days. I ate, I visited, I watched trashy TV, and I relaxed. My brother loved his hat and (HA!) didn't find it to be itchy at all! Score one for wool! I forgot my knitting at home (if you could have seen how much stuff I was lugging to Maine you'd understand how this could happen), and never got a chance to shop for a new project, or else I'm sure I'd have an FO to show you. Instead, here's a WIP:


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These are the Celtic Moonrise Mittens by Rhiannon Don in Cascade 220. Couple of things about this pattern:
1. I didn't notice that they have a flap thumb until I was too far gone to add a gusset. Surprisingly, the thumb fits fine!
2. There is an error in the chart on line 5. After the purl stitch that starts needle 1, the chart reads k2, p4, then work a cable. Instead, you should work work the k2, p1 cable, then p3 and work the next cable.
3. The top shaping calls for abandoning the cabling, but as it's quite a few rows, I continued to cable until it was time to kitchener the top.

I got most of the first mitten done hanging out at Amy's house, so I think this second mitten will go quickly. These mittens are for someone else, so I'm pretty sure my next project is going to be mittens for myself. I really need new ones! And also a cowl. And also this sweater. While I was at Amy's, I got to meet her friend Thea, the designer of the drool-worthy Dark and Stormy. Of course the next day I checked out her blog (I'm always looking for more knitting blogs to add my reader!), and fell immediately in love with White Russian. I have to do a stash dive to be sure, but I'm pretty sure I have just the right yarn to make this!

In other news, I got a pressure cooker for Christmas! I love it, and want to use it all the time. Last night, I had a stew recipe I wanted to try that wasn't written for a pressure cooker, but I made it work anyway. After sauteeing the leeks and garlic, I pressure cooked everything for six minutes. Voila! Dinner is served!

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This is Quinoa, White Bean, and Kale Stew by Isa Chandra Moskowitz via the ppk. It's hearty and delicious, and this recipe makes a TON. I have seven more (super full) containers in my freezer. Delish!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Favorite Mittens by Robin Hansen

While I have been doing some knitting, I haven't been taking a lot of pictures, so I thought I'd tell you about a book I got recently, Favorite Mittens, by Robin Hansen. I bought this book because growing up, I remember some of the girls wearing Fox and Geese mittens, and I loved them. They're not the kind of mitten you can buy in the store, and no one in my family knitted, so I always made do with store bought. Now that I'm a knitter myself, I decided it was time to make some of these mittens, and so I bought this book. I am so glad that I did!

This is the first knitting book I've bought in awhile that I've wanted to make almost every pattern, and the very first one I've read cover to cover. Each pattern has a passage describing its history and origins, all of which are absolutely fascinating. Most exciting to me, they all have origins in Maine and the Maritimes. Some are quite simple, like the Chebeague Island Fisherman's Wet Mittens, which are plain mittens knit large enough that they will felt to the hands of the wearer. Most interesting to me, these mittens are intended to be worn wet, which keeps the hands of the fisherman warm. Other patterns are more complicated, like the Double-Rolled Mittens, which seem to be like thrummed mittens, but with roving held all through the inside like fair isle. I can't wait to try these!

Other patterns in the book are traditionally made in certain colors, my beloved Fox and Geese among them, but I imagine them in bright colors to bring cheer to a winter day. I have a plan in the back of my mind to go through this book front to back and make all of the patterns this fall/winter. I'm not sure if I will yet, but I will definitely be making at least one or two patterns soon!

A recurring theme throughout the book is the importance of keeping these patterns alive. Some of the patterns included took quite a bit of hunting down by Robin Hansen. Most of the time, when she found someone who knew the pattern (and this person had always learned the pattern growing up and memorized it), they couldn't believe that the pattern was in danger of falling into oblivion.

Apparently, these patterns were culled from Hansen's books Fox & Geese & Fences and Flying Geese & Partridge Feet, which I haven't seen in person, but will look out for. I saw a glimpse of a star patterned mitten I would love to make, too. If you love mittens, be sure to check out this book! Check it out even if you're not crazy about mittens, just for the fascinating history lesson.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Sweet Little Things

I finally finished the Pirate Mittens the other day, and they are now not only dry, but on their way to their intended recipient. I like these mittens, but I wish I had done a couple of things differently.


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First, as I've said before, I wish I had chosen a brighter pink to provide a more stark contrast with the cream. The skulls look washed out to me. The back and cuff, however, look fine, so I think if I had used these colors as stripes or in a simple pattern as on the palm, it would have been fine. The thing is, I chose these shades specifically because they match my friend's favorite pair of sneakers, so I'm not going to weep over it. She'll love them anyway.

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The other thing I would have done differently is the thumb. Anatomically speaking, our thumbs come out of the side of our hands, not from our palms. I have only done one other hand covering project wherein the thumb was made this way, and they were my first pair of gloves. Quickly after making that pair, I moved onto using gussets, and never looked back. Turns out, I vastly prefer a gusset thumb. If I make another pair of Pirate Mittens, and I have the yarn for it), I will substitute a gusset somehow (not sure how, yet, but I'll figure it out).

That said, I was shocked at how warm these mittens are, considering that I used a fingering weight wool (I added four stitches total to the hand). I used Dale Baby Ull, one skein of each color, and US3 needles. I'm really hoping to be able to finish and wear Anemoi a couple of times this winter, but I don't know if it'll work. We've had a few warm days here already, and even though we're due for a storm on Friday, it looks Spring is starting to muscle it's way into being. I suppose I could always finish them and dream about Fall.

I'm making a vest for my nephew right now using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in the same shade of blue as my Slimline Jacket (I bought the yarn to use with the Astrakhan in the Vogue cardigan). I almost have the back completed, but didn't take a photo yesterday when I was doing the mittens. It's very simple anyway, just ribbing and stockinette. While chatting with Amy, I referred to it as knitting valium, and I find myself turning to it for the small snatches of time I get for knitting this week. The yarn is so soft and squishy, and I love the rhythm of knitting across and purling back. Just thinking about it almost has me contentedly drooling.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

She's STILL working on that sweater?

Yes, I am still working on the Slimline Jacket. It feels like it's been a long time, I'll have to take a jaunt through the archives to see when I started. It's so close to being finished now, though, and I can't wait!


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As modeled by the charming Evelyn. Of course, the side seams aren't done, so it looks floppy, but a quick check reveals that this sweater is going to fit perfectly. I have just a few more rows on the collar, and it looks like I'll have to steam block it (you can see how the fronts are not folding back like they should). I blocked the sleeves last night, and they were dry this morning. I know what I'm doing tonight!


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I want to use pewter buttons for this. I think they'll look so pretty with this shade of blue. Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to go button shopping until this weekend! This is the last peek you'll see of the Slimline Jacket until it has buttons and I can show it off on a live person.

By the way, I'm using KnitPicks Gloss for seaming. The color matches almost perfectly, and it's doing the job well. I'm glad to have a way to use it up that won't result in another pilly garment (is a sock a garment?).


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Here's a shot of the first completed Pirate Mitten by Hello Yarn. I'm happy with it, but I do wish that I had chosen colors with higher contrast. Live and learn, right? I can't believe that mitten weather is coming to a close already! I mean, I know we have cold days in March, but to me mitten weather is when the temperature dips below twenty degrees and stays there. Otherwise, my hands get hot. I think I might need to move to Alaska.

And, just because, a picture of our snowman. Do you know how hard it is to push a sliver of carrot into snow without it crumbling?


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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Movin' Right Along


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I must admit that work stalled for a day or two on the Slimline Jacket last week. I am one of those knitters who, in the face of a potential yarn shortage, works very slowly on her project (as opposed to those who speed up... I am the same way when low on gasoline). Fortunately, I found another ball of yarn buried in my basket, and work continued anew! I am about halfway through the sleeves, and at the rather boring "knit straight for x inches" portion of the program. Boring means that it's a good project for multitasking, though! Silver linings, you know.

I finished Pirate Mitten #1, but neglected to take a picture. I'll try to do better next time. Blocking evened everything out beautifully. Last night I cast on for the second mitten and worked a couple of rows. It's so nice to have a smooth yarn project to work on as a break from the boucle!

Speaking of smooth yarn projects, I made a hat this week, too. A friend wanted to give a Kitty62 hat to a friend for his birthday, so I promised to deliver. I found suitable yarn in my stash (Cascade 220), and finished the hat in about four hours. I guess when you make something four times, your fingers just know what to do! This time, I decided to do the ears differently. I've always knitted the ears separately and sewn them on after, and I did that this time, but instead of knitting the ear pieces separately, I knit them at once with a purl column for folding the halves into one ear. Brilliant, if I do say so myself. I never liked those little fiddley pieces, or sewing them together. This new way left me with one small seam, and then I just had to sew them to the hat. I had to give her the hat after I got out of work, so here I am in my work clothes, wearing a kitty hat.


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I still have to make one of these for myself!

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Thinking Pink


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Wouldn't these be a nice Valentine's Day gift? That's what I thought, too. Except I'm not even finished with the first mitten! These are the Pirate Mittens by Hello Yarn, and I'm using Dale Falk. When the skeins are side by side, the colors look like they have much more contrast than they do when knit. Although, maybe it's just the pattern. The ribbing looks okay.


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I really like that photo, all of those uniform rows, and neat knit stitches. When I get depressed about the mitten body and its wonkiness, I look at the ribbing and think about blocking. I have two of the three skulls finished on this first mitten, and am working on the third. If I could put down the Slimline Jacket for an evening, I could probably finish the mittens quickly, but I really want to wear that sweater. I'm working on the sleeves (knitting both at once), and am about a third of the way through with them. I'm the teensiest bit concerned about yarn. I have only one ball left of the Astrakhan, and some ends. I'm hoping what I have will at least get me through the sleeves, and I can live with a different dyelot for the collar. The pattern only calls for nine balls though, and I have ten, so hopefully that won't even be necessary.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Just in time!

365_86 Well, not just in time. If I had finished the mittens two nights ago, that would have been perfect timing for the sub-zero temperatures that descended over my region this week. Great motivation though, and I finished mitten number two last night. I was oh so happy to have them, though they are covering my smile in this picture. To recap: I used Malabrigo in Pollen and US3 needles (bamboo, I'm a convert). I made two mittens and the top portion of the hat I'm wearing with them using less than one skein of yarn. I have an entire skein left, and am considering doing a little ear warmer thing for when I'm wearing a ponytail or have my hair up (most days).

IMG_2744.JPG So now that my mittens are done, I can move on to other projects. I was thinking today about what I should knit, and realized that I haven't done a big project in a long time. You know how, sometimes, you feel like reading some books you've read before, or some fluffy bestsellers, and after about two or three of those in a row you have a need to pick up something with substance again? That's how I'm feeling with my knitting. This photo is of my knitting basket. Most of the yarn on top is from recent purchases for specific projects. I used the flash so I could share the deep recesses with you. See that hint of blue? That's the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan that's been marinating for over a year, taking up precious space in my basket. I made a goal, a pact with myself, that I will knit this basket empty. I don't have a time frame set, but I want to knit exclusively from the basket until it's empty (excluding a couple of single skeins purchased for swatching). The basket's contents include materials for the second Hedera, Anamoi mittens, Pirate Mittens, a pair of socks, and the Astrakhan cardigan from Vogue Knitting Fall 2005. I swatched for it tonight! Funny thing, US5 needles are still too big, and yet the pattern suggests US7 and 8 needles. I can't frog my swatch any more, the yarn is starting to lose its boucle properties.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Year! Have a mitten.

IMG_2690.JPG I didn't get to do much knitting this weekend, I spent most of my time cleaning and putting away Christmas. I did manage to start and finish this mitten yesterday, though! You know what this means? It means that half of this pair was finished in 2006, and the other half will be a 2007 fo! So maybe it's a little nerdy of me to be so tickled by that, but I am. I'm hoping to work my single day mitten magic again today and have a pair to wear tomorrow. The Malabrigo makes an awesome mitten. It's soft, but feels surprisingly tough. I'm using my new US3 bamboo needles, and I am really liking them. I do think it's a little weird that the company etches in their name and needle size on each dpn (Clover), and I could see how that might cause issues with very fine or hairy yarn.

I'm getting pretty excited about that Astrakhan cardigan again, but will I be excited enough to actually make that swatch? Stay tuned!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Something Cool

I've been meaning to post this for days! I found a nice new online knitting magazine called knitonthenet. In particular, I was quite taken with this little number. I'm not sure how practical it is, but it looks like something that could get a lot of wear in spring and fall, when a sweater alone is enough. Or even something I could keep at work, where I am always cold. I'll have to keep my eye on this magazine.

IMG_2307.JPGAnother cool thing: frogged corrugated ribbing! I guess I should have known that this would happen, but I was surprised when the pink yarn just started unravelling without my having to do the white at the same time. Saved a lot on tangles. I also frogged the hair scarf. My progress was pitiful, though I did take a photo (haven't taken it off the camera yet). In the words of a very wise knitter, "Life's too short to knit something you hate." Her reward for showing me the light is the ball of Kidsilk Night I've come to despise. I'm sure she will do something much better with it.

So that means that holiday knitting is complete. I think my first order of business will be a hat for myself, as it's getting cold here, and I could use one. I also need a new pair of mittens. All I have now is a crappy fleece pair (good for fall but useless in winter), and a heavy-duty thrummed pair (more suitable for brutally frigid February). I'm envisioning Malabrigo for both. I'll have a date with the ballwinder and swift tonight! I have a knit date tomorrow, and need to start a project!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Another lesson in gauge.

IMG_2282.JPG What you see in this picture is a tragic lesson in gauge. You'd think that after the many, many lessons in gauge I've learned over the years, I would know better, but no. This tragedy could have been averted by two things: better organization and less laziness. Unfortunately, these two things work in tandem, or I may have had a fighting chance. See, the pattern I'm working suggests a US3 needle for gauge. I know I've used US3 double points recently, but I couldn't find them anywhere. I have about ten sets of US1 and US2 dpn, but only one pair of US3. I still can't find them. Now, don't be fooled by this narrative into thinking I looked very hard. I handily convinced myself that, since I routinely use at least one needle size smaller than recommended in any pattern, I could use the set of US2 dpn conveniently in my hand, and that searching for the US3 set would be pointless because I wouldn't get gauge with them anyway. Yeah, the ribbing seemed kind of snug, but I deluded myself with the magic of blocking and continued. Only when I actually got into the meat of the project did I see the folly in all of my thinking up to that point. The silver lining to this whole sad tale is I rekindled my love of bamboo, and today I purchased another set of US3 needles in bamboo. Also, the knitting will go faster with the larger needles. Perhaps this is my penance for putting down the tangled hair scarf. I hereby promise to do four whole repeats as compensation.

IMG_2265.JPGIn other news, we have a new friend here! Meet Baxter! We adopted him from the shelter on Friday. Mrs. Cooper met him at the shelter with conficting results, so we brought him home to begin the bonding process. The initial meeting at home was less than stellar, but we're trying another approach that seems to be working. Since Cooper doesn't have a cage, we put a baby gate up between the room where Baxter's cage is and Cooper's area, and they interact through the gate. At first they constantly batted at each other through the cage, but now they've been witnessed laying next to the gate occasionally in short cease-fires. Things are looking up!

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Baby's First Corrugated Ribbing!

IMG_2255.JPG I've been sitting on this pattern for awhile, and decided to try to pull it off for a Christmas gift. Unfortunately for you, the intended recipient reads this blog occasionally, so I can't say what it is. I can't resist showing off my first ever corrugated ribbing, though! This project was supposed to be the one I turned to as a break from my other project (more on that later), but it was the only thing I worked on tonight. I'm using Dale of Norway Falk, which I love already. It's wonderfully soft and has beautiful stitch definition. I want to make a sweater out of it.

IMG_2252.JPG Now on to the more difficult of my projects. First of all, is it just me, or does this look like a giant tangle of hair? Maybe it's because it resembles the hair I pull from my hairbrush (I dye my hair black). It's actually Kidsilk Night, and the beginnings of a lace scarf (Knotted Openwork Scarf). Now, if you've been reading my blog for a little while, you probably know that I have issues with mohair. Between the slipperiness of the yarn and my own sensitivity, I can only pull off maybe two or three repeats a night. I'm using plastic needles, and I'm thinking of picking up a pair of wood or bamboo needles for the extra grip. Right now, itchiness and sneezing aside, I don't understand why this yarn has such a devoted following. It's made me as careful and precise as a new knitter, watching every stitch, holding the needles with an iron grip. Which, now that I think of it, is kind of nice. I guess we all need some humbling sometimes.

Lastly, and only tenuously related to knitting, does anyone else have the total, crazed addiction to Beverly Hills, 90210 that I have? I drew blood once in a remote war to watch it, and am in absolute heaven that season 1 is on DVD. It's been my constant knitting companion. I only wish they'd hurry up and release more seasons!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Pictureless

Well, I have one more square finished (only three to go!), but no photo of it. I hope you'll be content with some blathering, because I feel like talking about knitting, but no one with whom to talk about knitting.

First, I saw a pattern today that made my heart skip a beat. Here's a picture of Hello Yarns' version. Look at those adorable squirrels! (Here's a link to the .pdf of the pattern.) I'm feeling a little squirrel crazy because of the latest girl to join our clan.



Meet Fats!

Judging from the shape of her belly and nipples, she just had some babies. We're hoping that if we leave food out for her, she'll bring the babies around when they're bigger. What can I say? I like small fuzzies.

Speaking of patterns (in other words, bringing this back around to topic), I have been daydreaming of knitting something besides off-white Encore for the last week or so. This post by Amelia Raitte convinced me that I need to jump on that Jaywalker bandwagon and make a pair using my Tiger striped Opal.

I purchased the Leaf Edged Bolero pattern some time ago, and am now thinking it would just the thing to carry around when the A/C gets too arctic. The big question is, do I buy some KnitPicks Shine, or do I use the Cascade Pima Tencel I picked up during the WEBS sale?

I still haven't forgotten about the Astrakhan cardigan either. That Astrakhan taunts me daily from my knitting basket. I also still have to swatch some yarn for two different gift sweaters (planning ahead for Fall gifts), and also envision giving everyone on my Christmas gift list a hat or pair of mittens. Probably a pipe dream, but I'd at least like to give something to those I've not yet given something handknit.

Looks like my break is over, and there's a big storm brewing. I'd hate for a lightening bolt to erase all of my daydreaming!