Ravelympics & I'm Off!

The Ravelympics (aka the Knitting Olympics) started last Friday during the Opening Ceremonies. For those out of the know, Ravelry hosts the Knitting Olympics in which you choose a project or projects to complete during the 2+ weeks that the Olympics are happening. You can join teams and enter your project in events to win Gold Medals if you finish by the closing ceremonies. It's fun and slightly silly and this is my first year as an active knitter. I chose to knit a cabled vest from Snow Day out of Cascade Pure Alpaca. Things are moving along nicely. I've got the bulk of the body done and should split for the neckline sometime today. I can't say enough good things about the yarn - it's squishy and soft and has excellent stitch definition. I'm pretty sure I can finish by the 28th.

In other news, I'm off to California tomorrow to hang with my family and attend Stitches West for the first time ever. I've got a list of things ready to buy yarn for and some comfy shoes ready to slip on. Exciting!

February Baby Sweater

My first ever February Baby Sweater! Hooray! I love this pattern and can't believe that I haven't knit it before. This puppy flew off my needles in a record three days. Don't let the Little One's sad face fool you. She loves this sweater and dragged it around the house with her until I put it on. The picture was taken very very shortly before a nap.

Pattern: February Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann from The Knitter's Almanac
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Blue Lagoon (approx 1.1 skeins)
Needles: Size 7 & 8 Harmony Circs
Mods: I used heavier yarn to upsize the sweater to fit Little One. I used #7 needles for the garter yoke and #8 needles for the lace since garter stretches a bit. There are 3 buttonholes added at the yoke instead of all down the front of the sweater. The body is knit to 10 inches before adding the garter at the bottom but I kept the sleeves 4-ish inches long before adding the garter so they're a little bit cropped.

The Short & Short of It

I ran out of yarn on the damn shawl. 15 edging repeats short out of 84! BLAR! More yarn has been ordered but the damn shawl is on a serious time out while I knit on other things. Damn shawl.

Dear Mold,

This letter is to advise you, once and for all, that our relationship is over. You have been my constant companion for the past 5 years and I just can't take it anymore. You have until the end of the week to get your stuff and your friends and vacate the premises. I understand that appearances change over time but the additional girth and the change in your complexion is sickening. I asked you to keep your belongings contained and tidy. You ran rampant all over my grout and spread across my window sills. Your friends aren't any better and I'm tired of cleaning up after them and you. I'll be sanitizing your living space over the next few days which means that you'll be meeting the business end of a clorox-covered toothbrush. There will be no mediation, we're past all that. Don't leave any of your crap behind, it won't be here for you if you try to return. Any future contact will be responded to with violent washing and scrubbing. It's over. Deal with it.

-E