Ugh.

100_0050
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

I am so incredibly not into Mondays. That is all.

Done & Done

I've finished a lot of knitting lately but haven't got up the gumption to, you know, post about it. But I've fallen in love with this one, it's for my younger brother (19-ish) for Christmas. The pattern is free from Hello Yarn, available in the French for all of you bilingual folk. It took about a week to complete and most of that was just putting off knitting up the lining and tacking it down. I used Rowan Cashsoft in black and cream for the outside and used up the rest of the ball of black for the lining. Needles #3 & #1 just like the pattern calls for but instead of a provisional cast on (I didn't like fiddling with knitting into that) I used a cable cast on and knit my way up and then picked up from the purl bumps on the inside and knit the lining which gave a really pretty finished edge. Phew. I'm pretty darn sure I'm done with this knitting for other people crap for right now and to reinforce that point I cast on for the Tangled Yoke Cardigan. For me. It feels really strange to knit something on a larger scale than, say, mittens or hats. The yarn is beautiful and I'm totally digging the color which is helpful when you're hoping to get a whole darn sweater done before the seasons change.

Covet! Wednesday

Drops design. Oh yes, I love it and best of all the patterns are FREE! Yay! They've got some beautiful stuff and lots and lots of stuff in general. Socks, purses, felted items, and awesome sweater patterns like the one pictured (pattern # 103-1). If you're on Ravelry you can queue them up like nobody's business and get knitting tout-suite.
The Winter edition of Knitty is chock full of pretty little things. I'm especially fond of Ice Queen. I haven't knit with Kidsilk Haze yet but it looks great with the little sparkly beads. I've also got an urge to knit Sally the eco fairy just because she's so darn cute. I suppose it's a little late to get a couple done for my nieces but it's not too early to start for next year, right? Am I totally insane? Pretty much.

In the best of the best wonderful knitting news I'm practically done with the Holiday knitting just in time to ship off to various homes. I'm finishing up the hem for We Call them Pirates and trying to bust out the Citrine Socklets. It's liberating (and not just for my needles) to be practically done and able to knit for me. I've got three sweaters worth of yarn ready to knit up as soon as I'm really truly done, not to mention the cornucopia of socks.

Take Another Dip

Back to the FO Sea for yet another dip. I'm only moderately pleased with the outcome of this one since I screwed up somewhere right before the crown shaping. Do I care? Kinda. I'm going to chalk up the non-tinking to the fact that this is going to my older brother who is a non–knitter and won't even notice the mistake. But he will be incredibly excited about a hat made just for him and the bald glory that is his noggin. Specs: Koolhaas Hat from Holiday Interweave Knits in Cascade 220 Superwash on #8 needles.
In other knitting news I cast on We Call Them Pirates as soon as the aforementioned hat was finished and am already past the first skull repeat. I love stranded colorwork, I would lick it to death if it weren't fuzzy and I would get some crazy yarn hairball thing happening. Even better is that the yarn is Rowan Cashsoft and it is by no means difficult to work with. In fact as soon as I'm finished gabbing it up with y'all I'm going to retire to a brightly lit room and have some one on one time with it. Best knitting wishes to everyone this week and may you make your holiday knitting deadlines.

So Close, So Far

Hiram H Chittenden Locks
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

Today I turned in my last homework assignment this quarter. All that is left to me is to study study study for my final next Wednesday. It'll help that we have two days of review scheduled and then about 4 days off of class (weekend included) to practice. I've got just under two months to get my admissions for UW ready to go and one more quarter at North, then I'm hopefully, finally, at last ready to move on. I feel ready.

On a knitting note I received two packages in the mail yesterday and am only waiting for better (read: not night time at 5pm) lighting to take pictures. I'll just tease you with one word: Sundara.

Covet! Wednesday

The new winter Knitty is out. I've been trying to actually take a gander and the server keeps failing. Looks like everybody else is trying not to work as well. Last week I posted about those Acorn socks from Knitspot. I did indeed go back to Fearless Fibers and she had put more up on her site so I snatched that up before I could blink. I should get it this week depending on the crazy Seattle weather. Last weekend I hit the craft fair and really wanted to pick up some of the beautiful yarn from Spincycle up in Bellingham - then the snow started and I decided getting home safely was probably more important. How could I? So now I'm contemplating hitting up the Bellingham Farmer's Market to gorge myself on handspun. So pretty and the ladies at the booth were so very very nice. Definitely on my wish list. I think that's about it for this week, my holiday knitting is ramped up to warp speed and my final is next week. So much knitting time in my future over this Holiday break I can't wait.

Let it snow!

It is indeed snowing in Seattle. We were out and about planning on lunch in Queen Anne and maybe some record shopping when it started. I'm from California. I'm not really confident in my snow-driving abilities and according to what I saw driving (sloooowly) home Seattleites shouldn't be so confident either. So we're hunkered down with movies and food to make for the family gathering tomorrow and my knitting and we're good. Cozy and safe in our little nest and I can finally admit to myself that Christmas is coming and that I think I'm excited for it. So, let it snow!