Dry Spell

Eek. Four months. The days passed and I was doing things, I was knitting, I was even occasionally taking pictures of my knit things. And yet, I failed to blog. I don't know why. I simply didn't do it. I was recently hanging out with my cousin and he said to me, "Do you blog?" I said no. He meant that I should blog about legal stuff, which, really, I have no interest in doing. I have enough trouble blogging about the knitting, which requires only the emotional connection and no research or substantiated opinions.

So. In the past four months, since the slouchy beret (I will take pictures, but I think I may be frogging it in favor of making a lacy scarf), I made a blanket for my cousin for her graduation party, a blanket for my secretary's son and his wife for their new baby, a scarf, hat and mittens set for the grand-daughter of one of the women at work, a pair of mittens for my friend, and sixty (yes, sixty) sachets for my friend's bridal shower favors. I have loved each and every project in its own way. I especially love these favors, though I will admit that I was exceptionally bored with making them by the end.

The favors:

Spring Star Crossed Slouchy Beret

I started the spring star-crossed slouchy beret. The yarn is yummy, the pattern not too difficult (although I think I may have made a mistake). I didn't have 24" size 11 circulars, so I used size 13s. I think I may have to rip it and make it on 11s. But I think I will finish it first to see if I like it.

This hat will either look amazingly dumb on me, or will be really cute.

Knitting Dreams

So last night, I had a dream that I was supposed to have brunch with my friend at 10 am. I called her to tell her that I was going to be a few minutes late, that I just had to stop into the knitting store. I went into my LYS (which was in a different place and looked completely different, but the owner was still herself) and I stayed there until 7 pm knitting and hanging out with the other people in the yarn shop. I just kept calling my friend and telling her that I was going to be a little later, and a little later. I just didn't want to leave. It was a great feeling. But a weird dream.

February's Charity Project

My February charity project was not very big. Merely six inches by six inches. But it makes me feel really good. It restores my faith in the future, and encourages me that we will be in good hands when the next generation comes along.

Reiley is a 12 year old from New Mexico. For her school's Pay it Forward project, she started a group on Ravelry to collect 6x6 inch squares to be combined into blankets. She has had great success and has collected dozens and dozens of squares and has completed lots and lots of blankets.

Check out her blog here: http://thehookiepookie.typepad.com/

This is the square that I contributed (this is Reiley's picture of it -- I forgot to take one before I sent it off).

And that's the stationery behind it, that I used to write Reiley a note when I sent her my square.

If I had been more on the ball, I would have made more. But I was glad to at least be able to complete one. Thanks Reiley for doing this project!

Sunday Market Shawl

I started the Sunday Market Shawl with the Rowan Cashsoft yarn. I love working with this yarn. It's so smooth and soft. I am a little worried because the shawl says that it should be 65 inches after blocking. Right now, I'm two skeins into the project and I'm at about 44 inches. I am hopeful that I'll be able to get another 20 inches or so out of the last part of this third skein. And then I hope that it will get a little bit longer when I do the drop stitch part and then I may still be able to block it to be a little bit longer.

The knitting itself is getting a little bit frustrating. I feel like I've been working on it forever, although I know that it hasn't really been all that long. I'll be happy when it's all done.

Wow, this sounds like a really griping post... Guess some days are like that. Even when we're doing what we like to do.

Working Down the Stash

As always, a goal is working down my stash... I don't know how I acquired quite so much yarn, and so I am trying to get down to the point where I mostly just buy what I need for projects and then only have a few skeins lying around in case I need to quickly make a gift or something.

Today, I started a blanket for project linus (it will be my January charity project, as per my goals in the Busting Up The Stash Group on Ravelry). Because someone mentioned that crochet takes up more yarn than knitting, and because I don't particularly like having to border blankets in knitting, I decided to crochet this one. I'm using a size J hook, and crocheting six rows of red, two rows of white, and on and on until I am finished. There is something about it that reminds me of Little Orphan Annie, but what I like about the bright red is that it is appropriate for either boys or girls. Of course, now I am worried that I won't have enough yarn to finish it, but I don't mind buying a skein or two to get 10 out of my house. The logic is slightly fuzzy, yes, but I am not only the princess of yarn, I am also a princess of rationalization. I can rationalize almost anything -- especially yarn purchases....

Birthday Yarn

Last week was my birthday. All of the people from work chipped in and got me two skeins of yarn. One is the Misti Alpaca handpainted chunky in a color called delphinium (I have always wanted to try Misti Alpaca) and one is a Jo Sharp Kid Lustre Alpaca in a bright fuchsia. I love them both. Of course, I returned to Modern Yarn in Morristown to purchase the rest of the Jo Sharp that they had in that dye lot because really, how much can one do with one skein of it? Not much. So now I have four of them. I want to make something other than a scarf or a shawl, because I feel like that is all that I do, but I don't have enough to make a sweater with it. I am thinking maybe fingerless gloves, but it's always like a hundred degrees in my office.

With the Misti Alpaca, I am making the Sunday Market Shawl, but I did 30 across and there wasn't enough yarn. I'm now trying 15 across. And if that doesn't work, I will probably give up on this pattern and seek to make something else. Today I had to convince one of the givers of the yarn that it's really okay that I started something and ripped it (I didn't confess that I got all the way through the ball of yarn).

Today, I also had to entertain questions about my row counter. It's a question I get more than just about any other. I get asked how it knows to switch. I have to say, "Um, because I move it." People don't get that. They assume that it's going to move all on its own, and I have to explain that no, what I'm doing is actually making the creation process less automated by knitting by hand. People are funny.

Whackadoodle

One of the women at work keeps calling other people in our office “whackadoodles.” I’d never heard of it before, but I want to make her a whackadoodle. What do you think one would look like? Post your pattern links here or in response to my post on Ravelry. The winning pattern suggester will win a prize (to be determined – I have to decide on the prize yet…)

Seedy Stockinette Baby Blanket

My friend is having a baby, so I made a hat, booties, and wanted to make a simple blanket. I didn't find any pattern that I liked, so I created this one:

Seedy Stockinette Baby Blanket

Finished Size: About 36" wide and 40" long

Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver, 7 oz Soft White, 7 oz Light Blue, 7 oz Dark Blue

Needles: Size 6 (4mm). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Gauge: 18 sts and 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) in St st

Skill Level: Easy

Cast on 130 stitches.

Rows 1-14, Soft White, seed stitch.

Rows 15-28, Do 10 stitches in Soft White in Seed Stitch. On stitch 11, switch to Dark Blue, work in stockinette stitch until last 10 stitches. Switch back to Soft White, work in seed stitch until end.

Rows 29-42, Soft White. Work first ten stitches in seed stitch, work in stockinette until last 10 stitches. Work last 10 stitches in seed stitch.

Rows 42-56, Do 10 stitches in Soft White in Seed Stitch. On stitch 11, switch to Light Blue, work in stockinette stitch until last 10 stitches. Switch back to Soft White, work in seed stitch until end.

Rows 57-70, Soft White. Work first ten stitches in seed stitch, work in stockinette until last 10 stitches. Work last 10 stitches in seed stitch.

Repeat Rows 15-70 until blanket reaches about 38" or desired length. End with 14 rows of seed stitch in soft white.

Knitting for the Office Christmas Party

I finished my knitting for the Office Christmas Luncheon. I put the scarves in these absolutely adorable bags. I fluffed them all with tissue paper. I gave them to their recipients. Only one person even opened hers, although I will say, she loved hers. I was very happy with the way they all came out, and I hope that when the other four people open theirs that they like them. I may be joining the "Selfish Knitters Group" on Ravelry. I really worked hard on the scarves, and it was a little disappointing that no one even cared to see what I gave them. A big part of giving gifts, for me, is the joy in seeing someone open the gift, the joy in knowing that they appreciate the gift and will use it. I'm trying not to feel too snubbed with my gifts...

These are the scarves that I made:

For JC:

For DA:

For MLB:
For DJV:
For TB:
And these are the bags for them: