So much to report, so little time!
Hmmm...what's new?
I have new yarn. Yup, the yarn diet has been over for a looong time, and I'm make use of my freedom. On the Lamb yarn shop had a sale a week ago, and my friend, J, and I went along, with J's friend, C. The sale was great, even though were there on the last day (Sunday). I couldn't help myself--I bought more than I'd meant to buy, but how could I help it when things were 30% off. I discovered a yarn brand I'd never seen (30% off!): Sublime. Boy, is it ever! I bought 2 different types, both in a beautiful watermelon/candy apple red. One is fuzzy, the other is not, but they are both sooooooooooo soft! I can't remember the fiber content right now, but suffice it to say that they're super-duper soft.
I also fell in love with Louisa Harding's Kimono Angora. Sigh. This is an example of the way marketing works on me--it was discounted; it was in pretty colors (variegated pinks/purples); it's super soft (angora--duh); AND the store had a swatch available for fondling (er, I mean touching). The swatch was so soft, I wanted to sneak it into my pocket. So, I got 2 balls of it, and plan to make something like a dainty scarf that will sit right next to my neck. Sigh.
I also found, in the $3/ball bin some lovely Cash Vero from Cascade in a bright blue. That has already been made into a shawlette from Clara Parkes's Book of Yarn. I didn't take a photo before I gave it away, so just imagine it being lovely. The pattern had a few typos that I found frustrating, but then again, I never went online to see if there were any error announcements.
So that was a week ago...meanwhile, I've been working and working on the Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater for Nerdy Hubby. Look--a blob of green knitting! The area with the seed stitches is the steek because this will someday be a cardigan. I'm using Knit Picks Telemark, a Peruvian wool, and US5 needles. I currently have 15.5" on the body, and about 10" on the sleeve. I had to redo the sleeve because the percentage given in the book was not quite right for Nerdy Hubby's wrist, so I had to undo it and add some more stitches to the ribbing. It fits just right now. Phew! The only other detail of interest is an area of 22 stitches running up each side "seam" that's 2x2 ribbing. I stole that from Jarred's "Big Blue" (see 12/24 entry).
But in the middle of that, our friends announced the birth of their son, Jake. Well--I had to stop and make something for the little guy (no, this is not just rationalization for taking a break from the endless knitting that is Nerdy Hubby's sweater!). What did I make? Well, I already had a bunny in the wings (so to speak), so I made these little things to add to the package:
They are from a free pattern by
Saartje. Aren't they cuter than cute?! The color is a bit distorted--the two-color yarn is purple plied with blue. The two-color yarn is the same yarn I used for the blanket I made for the same baby. But back to the booties--I love them, and they were done in probably 4 hours, at the most. They are going to the post office tomorrow, with the hopes that Jake will have them on his feet by the middle of next week. If they're late getting to him, he might outgrow them before he has a chance to try them on. They're sooo teeny! So, in the past week, I've gotten up to 15.5" of the body of a sweater, 10" (twice) on a sleeve, made a shawlette, and a pair of booties. See what having no homework in one's drawing class can do? We'll see what happens after the next class, when I assume we'll have some homework. And on the home front, we have some pooch news: Henry has to have a tooth extracted! Yup--he cracked a two-root tooth in half, but the half that fell out didn't include any root, so both roots are still stuck in his jaw, along with half of the tooth. That needs to come out or we run the risk of infection. But the good news is, the vet says we don't have to stop Henry from chewing on his bone! We were concerned about that possibility because he loves his bone so much. The vet said Henry's teeth are gorgeous, actually, and that he wouldn't want us to do anything different. He figures it's just a one-time deal with this tooth. Phew! So, the poor little guy goes "under the knife" (so to speak) in 3 weeks. He won't know what hit 'im! Meanwhile, he's not in any pain--he's chewing/gnawing, eating, and playing like nothing's wrong. He's a strong critter, our boy!
And voila--finished objects!
Here's a really easy way to look productive: let your hubby borrow your camera, then post all of the long-overdue photos all at once. It's not a patented idea--you, too, can use it. Go ahead--it'll make you feel really good, honest.
Here goes:
1. Here's the pair of socks I made to repay a coworker for his help on our Bathroom Renovation Saga (pattern Wendy's generic toe-up; yarn some mystery wool found in my LYS's 40% off bin; needles, US 7, I think):
And here is my headless body wearing my new sweater (pattern a
Garn Studio pattern; yarn, Elann alpaca and Elann cotton; needle size...can't remember):
And here is the cute-as-a-button bunny I made last night (
Kate Gilbert pattern; yarn: Sidar "Snuggly Confetti"; needles: US 10; size: "Momma"):
And, saving the best-looking for last, here is my niece in her Cabled Newsboy Cap:
As you can see, I've been a little distracted of late, and haven't started the Elizabeth Zimmerman sweater for Nerdy Hubby...it's percolating in my brain as I continue to read Knitting Without Tears, honest. I need time to digest everything, and to get a clear picture of what I'm planning before I jump in and start.
Plus the bunny was just too cute to put off for even one day--I bought the yarn yesterday, made the whole thing in one shot yesterday afternoon/evening, and started the "baby" size this morning. So cute and cuddly!
And, just because I can, I have another photo for you--this is what I saw when I went walking yesterday:
Yup, those are cows...loose, wandering on the road. They were kneeling on either side of the road when I drove by earlier, and didn't budge when my car passed between them, but as soon as I, harmless little Nerdy Knitter, walked by, they got up & left. Hmph!
And because I can't sign off without a cute photo of my pooch, here's the Beast looking cute as can be at Nerdy Parents' house last month:
Henry says, "Happy Monday, everyone!"
Happy 2008!
Hi everyone--well, the holiday season hit with a bang, and I was away for quite a bit of time, meaning no posts, which I'm sure left you all bereft and befuddled. NOT!
My time off from work (close to 3 weeks--a first!) was lovely and relaxing...at first. I did nothing but knit, watch tv, read, and help Nerdy Hubby with our never-ending bathroom repair project (too long a story, but suffice it to say we had black mold on sheetrock behind the shower, which led to another discovery, and another...you get the idea). I went to Philadelphia to see my college roommate, Boop.
Boop is a veterinarian who works with the
Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, which is affiliated with the Philadelphia Animal Control agency. We went to the PAWS shelter for some critter time, and I fell in love with one of the skin-and-bones strays they'd just brought in. Sigh. So if you live in Pennsylvania, and want a wonderful dog who needs some TLC, ask about
Merlin--he's just such a sweet thing. He was a stray in a bad area of Philly, and was as thin a dog as I've ever seen in real life, yet he was sweet & lovey when we took him into the socialization area. He rolled on his back & got belly rubs, he rested his big head on my knee. He's soooo sweet. He's in foster care now, and needs surgery due to an eye condition--I'm sure he's going to be a wonderful pet for some loving person/family...
Anyway--that was the beginning of my vacation--fun time in Philly with Boop. Then we went to NYS to see our friends and families for Christmas. Fun? You bet. Long drive? Yup.
Believe it or not, I didn't knit once while in my parents' house, even with my mom, knitter extraordinaire there for consults! We looked at knitting-related material, don't get me wrong--I just never sat & knit. Funny how that happens.
We spent 2 days in Williamsburg with Nerdy Hubby's family members--the nephews got a Wii game for Christmas, so we all got to try our hands at bowling, golfing, carnival games, etc. Boxing was a great workout--phew!
I don't have any photos because Nerdy Hubby has the camera with him while's he's in Orlando for The Golf Trip of His Life (gift from his friend).
But, the biggest knitting update I have is that I finished the sweater I started just a few weeks ago--I even wove in the ends, blocked it, and everything! I wore it yesterday, and am quite pleased with it, except i need to find a better pin to use for a clasp. Photos will follow this week, I hope.
I also started/finished a seed-stitch scarf in baby-pink alpaca (Bernat, I think) for my boss's 90-something mother. Now I'm working on a pair of socks for a man I work with who generously gave up his free time to come to our house to consult on the bathroom repair project. I usually dislike making socks, but I chose a fairly bulky weight yarn (5 sts/inch), and am already halfway through 1 sock! I'm using
Wendy's toe-up pattern, and it's working just fine. The gauge is tighter than the one recommended on the label--I did that in the hopes of making a tighter fabric because the wool isn't very tightly twisted. I hope my friend likes them. I tried the foot on his foot today, and the length is just right--yahoo!
Why all of this productivity, you ask? Because my NEXT project is burning a hole in my knitting bag (so to speak): I'm going to use Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Without Tears to make a cardigan for Nerdy Hubby. Nerdy Mommy ordered the wrong color of KnitPicks
Telemark, and it's perfect for Nerdy Hubby. So, a sweater he will get. I'm excited about trying to make it fit him "just so." We'll see how it goes. But first--I have 1.5 socks left to go...
