Works in Progress

Remember how I was knitting a sweater?  But then I got distracted?  Well, you see, knitting isn't always a linear progression - sometimes it's a big ball of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey...socks.  (Ha - you see what I did there?)

It's day 34 now, and I thought I was really rocking it and only had an inch to go before starting the ribbing when I tried them on and realized that, due to my shapely and seriously ripped calves (not that I'm tooting my own horn here, or anything), 13 inches of leg off my leg = 11 inches of leg on my leg.  So, looks like I have a little farther to go than anticipated.

Also, I recently decided to start another sweater (yes, even though the first isn't done yet).  It's coming along quite nicely despite the fact that the collar isn't as wide as it looks like it should be.  Maybe that comes with the blocking.  (The pattern is Bonaparte by fallmasche) 

Oh, yeah - Christmas!

Hey there, blog!  Long time no... blog.

Here's the promised Christmas update - I made my brother the very coziest sweater in the whole wide world.  I LOVE this pattern!  My favorite part is the super wide raglan increases for the sleeves.  As I mentioned before, though, apparently you're supposed to wash your gauge swatches... hmmm... so it grew like a monster.  Also, this holiday season was particularly hectic, so there are only candid shots of him wearing it.  But, here you go!

Pattern: Ranger, by Jared Flood
Yarn: random yarn from the G-ma stash, DK-ish weight
Needles:  US size 7 & 8
Ravelry link

 

The Husband, the Brother and me in our Christmas sweaters

 

Paul looking classy by the fireplace.

My BFF texted me pictures all year of various Muppet and sock-monkey themed hats.  My BFF and I are serious Muppet fans.  Like, seriously.  We make involuntary Muppet noises when discussing the Muppets.  (Don't get me started on the new movie - OH MY GOODNESS.  PERFECTION.)  She did a project on Jim Henson when she was in elementary school, and my brother and I starred in her video.  So, anyway... I decided she needed a Fozzie hat.  (Did I mention she also says "wokka wokka" in casual conversation?  Truth.) 

While  I was crocheting the details for this hat, I kept involuntarily giggling.  Seriously, you can ask my husband.  Especially when I got to the hat.  I amuse myself so much.

Pattern: improvised
Yarn: random from G-ma's stash
Hook: K?  I think? 
No Ravelry link yet... I should get on that.

Pictures!

 

 She's wearing an apron because of reasons.  (Those reasons being that I gave her an apron for Christmas.  It's not a repressed women thing; it's an apron with a BEER POCKET and ATTACHED BOTTLE OPENER thing. You can find them here.)

 This is her Foozie face (seriously, have you SEEN the Muppets yet?  Best movie of the year.)

And one final picture from right after I made it.  LOVE!

The magic of socks

Things that made me irrationally angry this evening:
1. The blatant disregard for organization of any kind at my local grocery store.  Seriously, the sodas are in THREE SEPARATE AISLES.
2. People who leave their grocery carts in parking spots, even when the cart return is 10 feet from the abandoned cart.
3.  That uber-annoying Nadia G lady on the Cooking Channel.

Thing that made it all better:
Sock knitting.

 

(That's Knit Picks Felici self-striping sock yarn in the colorway Time Traveler.  It's super soft.  And the stitch definition is incredible.  And that's a TARDIS project bag by Jessa Lu - find her on Etsy.  She hasn't yet figured out how to make the bag bigger on the inside, but it's darling nonetheless.)

A super-secret Christmas knitting (and crocheting) post will follow once the super secret crocheting is done.  I realize that Christmas was five days ago, but this project won't meet its recipient until New Year's Day. 

My existential crisis

The secret Christmas knitting is finished. 

See?  Many pieces of yarn from the bajillion ends I had to weave in.

Now, the problem is, the beast grew like a mo-fo when I blocked it.  Apparently you're supposed to wash your gauge swatch, too?  I digress.

I've been sitting here wondering if I should throw it in the dryer, for like, a minute. 

I've decided, finally, that that is far too risky, and I will just hope the recipient wants a big, cozy, sweater.  (He'd better.)

Get in the TARDIS, Professor.

I made a friend yesterday. 

I've decided he's from Gallifrey, given how firey he is, and his name is the Professor. 

Some may say I could have been a tad more productive on my Tuesday at home.  To them I say, "Yes, you're probably right.   But this was far more fun."

Plus, when I was done, I got to have a photo-shoot.

Pattern: Baby Hedgehog and her Mommy by Ana Paula Rimoli
Ravelry link

On my lens cap, for size comparison

Sometimes, Gwen crochets things.

So, the massive Christmas knitting project is coming along nicely, but you know me (okay, or maybe you don't) - I get bored with long projects and have to take a break for some instant gratification. 
One of my friends on the facebooks posted some hats she'd crocheted recently (for children, mind you), and I thought I should see if I could find a penguin pattern.  Oh, did I ever.  And it required bulky yarn.  And I bought the yarn this afternoon.  And took a break for a few hours to go to a hockey game.  And the hat is still done and on my head.

Crocheting is magically fast!!

Anyway, here's the ridiculous awesome hat.

Pattern: Penguin Bomber Hat, by Micah York
Hook size: K and G
Yarn: Bernat Softee chunky
Ravelry link

As you can see, the pets were not as impressed as they should have been.  And after the addition of tassels to tie the ear flaps up, I deem this hat complete.  And awesome.

In which someone pays me to knit something...

One of my former co-workers/current facebook pals/fellow crazy sighthound person recently sent me a message asking if she could give me money in exchange for a pair of knit handwarmers.  Not being the type of person who can turn down the chance to knit handwarmers (money, I mean, turn down MONEY), I gladly accepted. 

This Evangeline pattern is super fast and super fun (and looks super awesome).  I added a pattern repeat to the short version, and reversed the cables on the right hand so that the two mirror each other.

The yarn is very soft and also very washable, which is good because these are going to a vet hospital employee.  :)

The cable pattern was super easy to memorize, easy to do with the cabling-without-a-needle method, and each only took me a day.

Pattern: Evangeline by Michelle Szeghalmi-Shirley
Yarn: Lion Brand Superwash Merino Cashmere in Wine
Needles: Size 7/4.5mm bamboo DPNs
Ravelry link

 

Meanwhile, on the couch, I've started a massive Christmas project for someone who shall remain nameless.  But is a dude.  The only other hint is that it is made with this yarn from Holland that cost 10c a skein back in the long-long ago.