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Monkeys on my Head - a FO

Pattern: Cozy Critter Cap (Ravelry Link)
Needles: US5
Yarn: Patons Decor

Comments: I don't know if it's because I've knit the Monkey socks a few times now, but I just couldn't manage to stay interested in this hat for more than 10-15 minutes at a time. I, however, love the finished product. Definitely a product over process knit for me!

Holiday FOs and Progress Photos

Today I figured I'd blog about my progress on my Holiday Knit List - especially seeing as I didn't post any photos in my last post (and now I have a few). Lets start with the "in-progress" photos that I have so far:

First we have the 9 to 9 to 9 bag:

The main body of the bag has been knit and felted (photo shows pre-felting size), and I am waiting for the yarn for the flowers to come in (which should be any day now. I have the lining fabric (black with white pin-dots), and still have to find some handles (no luck finding any online that don't come to $20+ after shipping).

Then we have the Aestlight Shawl for Julia:

The main garter triangle is done, just have to pick up the stitches around the endge, knit the lace portion, then the edging. I don't think it'll take me too long - but I haven't had the concentration for it lately.

I do have progress on other projects, I just don't have photos yet - So, onto the finished projects!

First we have socks for my Dad:


These have been done for quite some time now, and I couldn't be happier! My Dad loves plainly knit, plainly coloured socks, which are a monotonous knit. He's a hard person to shop for though, and he loves these, so they're worth it in the end!

Next we have the finished ornament set for the Ottawa Knit Nights swap:

I had been considering adding a navy blue and a variegated blue/eggplant/coppery-brown ones, but I'm happy with this colour combo, and I'm not sure that it would look like a "set" with those 2 ornaments added. I may change my mind later, but I'm happy with how these 4 look together for now :)

That's all I have for photos for now - I'll post again when I have more. Happy knitting!

Holiday Knit List '09

We all know that there's a big holiday that's 5 months (and a bit) away, and I started freaking out last month because I had absolutely *nothing* done, and by June, I'm at least 30% way finished shopping/knitting through my list. I guess you could say that it really snuck up on me this year. So, I sat down and started making a list of people that my family will gift to, and choosing which ones I think are knit-worthy - which in the end, turns out to be not that many! I think I'm safe to post my Holiday Knit List, (minus one or two projects that will be for some people who may or may not read this). So, here it is (along with project statuses):

1. My Dad (aka the man who lit the fire under my butt to knit socks): Plain ol' socks - Status: Done!
   
2. My BFF: 9 to 9 to 9 felted bag (a Noni pattern) - Status: The main part of the bag is knit and felted, and liner fabric has been chosen from my fabric stash; Waiting for the yarn for the flowers to come in, and still need to find and buy handles.
3. Julia: Aestlight Shawl (Status: Started) and a pair or two of socks (Status: Have yarn, waiting until fall to start so she doesn't outgrow them before she gets them - like last year!)
4. Seth: Petit Poisson Blanket (Status: 20% done) and a pair or 2 of socks (Status: Same as Julia's socks)
5. DH: Thuja socks (Status: ordered the yarn today) and possibly a scarf to go with the hat I knit him for last winter (Status: still contemplating!)
6. Knit night ornament swap: 5 mini-sock ornaments (Status: 2 done, 3 to go)

So, not bad progress on the list now - most of the projects are at least started, and one is done! I'll post again with photos when I have a bit more done (and actually have photos to post!).


Bye for now, and happy knitting!

Update!

I can't believe that I've gone so long without posting anything - sorry about that! While I've been away from blogging, I have managed to get a few projects done - mostly baby knitting it seems!

What I've knit (in no particular order):

1. Stash-busting Wascloths



2. Blanket for my newest nephew - Baby E (who is pictured, along with my handsome DH)



3. Soap Sock



4. Felted bowl (my first felting project)



5. Helena (from Knitty) for another Baby E (the second great-granddaughter on my DH's side) (This is actually complete - I just forgot to take a photo before sending it off. The new Mom has promised to take a photo for me when she gets a chance )



6. & 7. Daisy (from Knitty) with a matching Miss Dashwood hat (also from Knitty) for Baby K (new daughter of a family friend)

(photo with the buttons on)

8. Slipper Socks (Spa Socks from an old issue of Knit.1)



9. Lake of the Woods (while it was blocking - haven't managed to take any other photos of it yet)



I also have a few other projects on the go (mostly socks), but I don't have any photos of them - I'll post again when I do!

March is here!

Happy March everyone! It's starting to feel like this year is just zooming right by!

February seems to have seen the return of my knitting mojo - 7 completed projects in February!

In February I completed:

• The Branching Out scarf I started back in January
• Gathered Scarf
• Nova Mitts
• My first short-row heel socks (for Miss J)
• Loop-through scarf
• Ribbed hat
• a very plain wash cloth

I have also started a pair of slippers, but after completing the first one - and despite getting guage - I'm thinking I might have to re-start with the next size down. I'm going to see if I can shrink/felt the first one first, so we shall see how that goes...

In other news, I recently realized that I haven't bought any yarn in over a month! Everything I've knit this year (with the exception of the Branching Out and J's socks - but J bought that yarn with her own money), has been knit with stash yarn and I'm not even on a "yarn diet". I'm just a little bit impressed with myself and can't help but wonder how long this is going to last...

Lake of the (Ninja Turtle Barf) Woods

I've wanted to knit Ilga Leja's Lake of the Woods from the moment I first saw it - same colourway (Nova Scotia) and yarn (Fleece Artist Silk Stream). When I went in search of the yarn, I was dissappointed to discover that it had been discontinued.

When looking around on Ravelry, I learned that Fleece Artist had produced a "Very Special Limited Edition" yarn for Knitty-Noddy (Merino 3/6) that would be a perfect substitution. When I went and checked it out, they had it availible in the colourway I wanted, but the photos of the yarn looked darker than those on Ilga's pattern. I went with it anyways, thinking "such is the nature of hand-dyed" and that it would still look beautiful.

Merino 3/6 in the Skein

From the time that the yarn came in, I had a bit of an uneasy feeling about this project, so I let it sit for a few months. I finally decided to get to it, and this is what I got:

3" into it - Chart A

Close-up - the blue is more vibrant/bright in person

The funny thing is, while I was knitting, all I could think was "Ninja Turtles", and when I showed this to DH...

Me: Can you come look at this? I want to see if you see the same thing I do.
*DH comes in*
Me: Is it just me, or does this look like...
DH: Yeah, it looks like Ninja Turtles

I didn't even have to say it. I don't know about you, but I don't think I want to walk around looking like the blue Ninja Turtle exploded all over me!

I will definitely knit this pattern with a different yarn, but this one is off to the frog pond!

January Knits

I really don't feel like I've knit much this month, especially when compared to how much I churned out last year. At the beginning of the month, I lost my knitting mojo - I actually went a week+ without knitting a single stitch! It was weird, but I think I just needed a bit of a break from it all to focus on some other stuff.

The break wasn't really bad - I finished unpacking the last of the boxes from our move back in July - and 7 months to unpack everything is a new record for us (by a long shot!). I also used the opportunity to go through and get rid of a lot of stuff that we weren't using and hadn't used in a looooong time! All in all, 8 large garbage bags of stuff went (or is going - there are still bags of clothes that need to be delivered to their recipients). So really, not a bad thing!

Anyways, here's what I managed to finish:

1. The Emergency Mittens
2. The un-blogged (before now) Selfish Socks (which, IMO, are kinda fugly, but comfy)
3. 11 Repeats of my Branching Out scarf
4. What was (hopefully) going to be a mini-scarf/neck warmer out of some of my handspun (but isn't long enough and needs to be frogged)
   

I suppose it's nothing to scoff at, but I still wish I had managed to get more done (like actually finishing Branching Out). Perhaps February will see more knitting time!

Emergency Mittens

I love mittens (and I mean REALLY love) - especially hand-knit ones. Last spring, I finally finished a pair that ended up being my favorite ones ever - my Mermaid Mitts. Oh, how I loved those mitts - and I didn't even manage to get a full winter of wear out of them! "Why?" you ask? Because my cute little monster of a boy flushed one down the toilet!

The beloved Mermaid Mittens

I had them in a bin, soaking in wool wash. I had put that bin in the bathtub, thinking that it would be a safe spot, as it has been since we moved here (seriously, neither of the kids have bothered with it before now). Plunk! Splash! Flush!

Losing my favorite.mittens.ever. is bad enough on it's own, but then there was the fact that they were my *ONLY* pair at the time (I had gotten rid of the other mittens I had at the beginning of the winter because they were ratty and old), and it was right in the middle of the ABSOLUTE FREEZING spell that we had.

I have to admit, I don't have much in the way of worsted weight yarn in my stash, so when I (somewhat frantically) went through my stash, I was lucky to find a remnant that was big enough for some mittens.

So now, I present my emergency mittens:


They're quite warm and squishy - they're rather plain, and not my Mermaids, but they'll do for now (and as a permanent back-up).

And, yes, I've learned my lesson - always have more than one pair!

Tagged

Ok, so I know that I never got around to posting about recent projects, or doing an end of year post. Quite frankly, I got quite sick in December, and wasn't up to doing much of anything (other than plurking). Then came the new year, where I haven't been able to concentrate on anything other that a massive re-organization/de-stash of our entire house (just got sick and tired of all the "stuff", ya know?). Anyways...

Today I got tagged by Michelle over at The Zen of Knitting for 5 Projects (+1), so here are my projects:

1. Knit myself a pair of Thrummed Mittens - I have a Fleece Artist kit that I got for Christmas, so all I have to do is find the time to knit it up!
   
2. Paint the rest of the rooms that I want painted - This means the bathroom, the kitchen, master bedroom, and possibly the office. This is going to take awhile!
3. Knit a blanket for the back of the couch - Pretty self-explanitory. I think I'd like to knit a blanket from Knitting Nature (the name escapes me at the moment), possibly in Cascade 220 Superwash.
4. Knit Stockings for the 4 of us - DH, Miss J, the Little Man and myself that is. Still trying to decide on patterns, but leaning towards the Cascade 220 SW again - I like the stuff!
5. Knit up either the Special Limited Edition Fleece Artist or the sweater quantity of Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light - Both of these are taking up too much room in the stash container, and are the 2 largest yarn purchases I've made to date (combined total is just above $120, IIRC). I don't like that they're just sitting there!
   

Now, I'm supposed to tag 5 other people to do this, but the few people I can think of to do this are already doing it! So, if you're reading and would like to do this too - consider yourself tagged, and leave a message in the comments to let me know!

Considering that I haven't posted any photos for awhile, I'll end this post with a photo of my lovely Thrummed Mitten kit! Ta for now!

I'm Alive!

Eep! it's been 2 months since my last post - sorry about that! My mind has been so scattered with trying to prepare for the holiday season that I haven't been able to put all of my thoughts together. I still have 2 projects (in their entirety) left to knit, so my mind is still scattered, but I'll try to get a photo-filled post up in the next few days so you can see what I've been up to! Hope you've all been well!

Falling for Brown

Autumn is my absolute favorite season. Why?

Take this for example:

(Taken from my balcony yesterday. Yes, those are cows - I live close to a farm.)

Then combine that with the cool weather, and you have one very happy me. I really do love this time of year!

That being said, since the cooler weather hit, I seem to have been drawn to the colour brown - it's showing up in just about every project that I've knit this month!

Just take a look and you'll see:

Mr.S' Hat

DH's Hat (I know, I need a better photo!)

Miss J's Hat

My fingerless Mitts

And, last but not least, brown even found it's way into Miss J's sweater

Ok, so that's not a photo of the full sweater, and while it's not completely done yet (just the button bands to go!), I need to get a better photo of it before I post one here! That is, however, the swatch for the yoke colour work. It might not be very feminine, but I know Miss J will love it (DH thinks so too).

Wanna hear something crazy? I'm almost done my Christmas knitting! For the stuff that I really wanted to get done, all I have left is Mr.S' sweater, socks for my Dad, and fingerless mitts for my BFF! I was also going to knit the kids each a toy, but I think I'm going to save those for their birthdays instead!

I especialy think that being almost done is especially great, because now I'm starting to feel the urge to knit stockings and ornaments, so I won't end up getting sidetracked by those things and ending up in a rush!

August FO's and other such things...

This "no real set goals" thing really seems to have worked this month!

What have I knit?

• Matching socks for Miss J & Mr.S (2 pairs total)
• Creamsicle socks
• Finshed up the Bleue et Noir socks
• "Autumn is Coming" anklet-ish socks
• Evangeline
• the teal Barbie dress
• Finished one sock of my Whitewater Monkeys

And, I'll likely have another pair of socks done by Sunday. Oh - the coolest part of the pair I'm almost done? They're pair #12 for this year (and pair #7 of the 52 pair plunge II)! I will have actually finished one of my resolutions (to knit 12 pairs of socks this year)! I'm so excited about this - especially because it was starting to look like I might not make it for awhile! And here I am with plenty of time to spare!


I also came *thisclose* to finishing Mr.S' hat - in fact, I did finish it - but then discovered that I need to add 1-2" in length to it! I'll get back to that as soon as I finish the sock I'm on as there's no huge rush for it yet (need the socks for the chilly evenings/mornings, where the hat can't really be used yet).

Ok, so now it's time to move on to September...

I know that I didn't really set any *real* goals for August, and that really seemed to work well, but I feel that I need to get back to goals for September. Why? Have you looked at the calendar lately?! It's (almost) September, and I still have gift-knits that still need to be tended to!!!

So, for September, I'd ideally like to knit:

1. Finish Miss J's sweater (I've started it, but I want to write a separate post about it)
2. Finish my Whitewater Monkeys
3. Finish Mr.S' hat
4. DH's hat
5. Miss J's hat
6. My hat
7. The second pair of Evangeline mitts
8. Re-start Dad's socks

Doesn't seem too bad - now if only I can keep focused!

Procrastination?

Apparently, it's not for me this month. Seriously. I've been ridiculously productive with my knitting so far this month.

In no particular order:

Barbie Dress #1 (of 3)

Big Sister & Little Brother Patina Socks

Bleue & Noir

Evangeline

Isn't that crazy? I don't know what's gotten into me, but my knitting speed has picked up drastically! Those 2 pairs of socks? 4 days total to knit *both* pairs! I'm amazed, and I have to credit Magic Loop and Knit Picks circulars - they seem to have cut my knitting time drastically (for producing FOs that is).Oh, and it's not pictured, but I also finished sock 1 of the Creamsicle socks.

The best part of this knitting productivity? All of the above pictured projects (with the exception of Bleue & Noir) are Christmas gifts! Yay!

Out The Window... and Christmas Crafting!

It's not the end of the month, but I can tell you that this month's goals are out the window!

Sure I finished Mr.S' socks, started a pair of socks for myself, and I did knit one sock of Miss J's pair - but that's about all that I'm likely to get done off that list.

The Jaywalkers, Leyburns, and Creamsicles are all on hold - the reason? I snapped back into reality and took a good look at what I intend to have done for Christmas gifts this year. It's a lot, and I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be at this point in the game - especially seeing as I want to be done by the end of November so I'm not stressing in December!

What I have done:

• 4 washcloths (plus 3 others that ended up going of to other uses, so no longer count towards that total :/)
• A pair of Fetchings

What's left to be done:

• 3 (possibly 4) pairs of socks (knit)
• 2 kid-sized, and one Cabbage Patch sized sweater(s) (knit)
• 2 pairs of cabled fingerless mitts (knit)
• A few Barbie Dresses (knit)
• 4 hats (knit)
• 2 tote bags (sewn)
• 3 crayon rolls (sewn)
• 3 “I Spy” bags (sewn)
• At least one batch of melt pour soap (quick & easy!)
• 2 quilts (sewn)
• A robot toy (knit), and possibly one other knit toy (also knit)
• 2 more washcloths
  

Oh, and we also have friends who are expecting their first baby in December, so I'd like to be able to knit something for them as well!

Oh, and those 4 hats? They aren't really gifts - just things to keep the 4 of our heads warm in the cold weather... But they'll definitely need to be done by November 30th!!

I have broken down the projects, sorting them into months - and it looks like it should be manageable. I hope I can manage it anyways!

Anyways, by the end of August, I hope to have completed:

1. Dad's socks (Hareton)
2. The 2 pair of fingerless mitts (Evangeline and Fetching)
3. One of the 2 quilts (Miss J's)
4. One or two knit Barbie dresses

And by the end of September:

1. Miss J's sweater
2. 3 of the 4 hats
3. 2 washcloths
4. Miss J's socks
   

October:

1. "I spy" bags
2. Totes
3. Crayon Rolls
4. The remaining hat
5. Mr.S' socks
6. Mr.S' Quilt

And hopefully, for November:

1. Soap
2. Mr.S' sweater
3. Knit robot & the other knit toy (if there's time)
   
4. Cabbie sweater (this one may end up getting the Ax, depending on how everything else goes)

The sewing (except for Mr.S' quilt) and soapmaking, thankfully, won't take too much time, so I should have no problems getting those projects done - it's the knitting that has me slightly worried. Most of what I'm knitting this year is for the kids, so it'll be "stealth knitting", and most of it will have to be done when their in bed (especially Miss J's as she always asks me what I'm knitting, and if its for her!) - I think that's what's got me the most "concerned" (for lack of a better word). Ah well, I'm fairly confident that I can get it all done!

I'll likely use part of my December "Me Time" knitting for the baby knits, but I don't have a problem with that :) Besides, the mom-to-be's favorite colour is the same as mine - green! So I should really be able to enjoy that knitting quite a bit :)

Hmm...Looks like I may fall slightly short of my 12 pair (socks) goal for '08...I hope not!

I'm back!

And well, I actually have been for about a week - but I've been too busy to post before now!

Other than moving, this is what I've been up to:

1. Finished Mr.S' socks
2. Started Miss J's socks (and finished one)
3. Started another pair of socks

I like how Mr.S' socks turned out, and I'm really liking Miss J's (can you believe that's *not* a self striping yarn? Pretty cool if you ask me!), but I'm not sure how much I'm liking my new socks - especially since I ended up ripping the entire heel out by mistake (it was only supposed to be 2 rows of the heel turn, but the *entire heel flap* ended up biting the dust).

One thing I'm now noticing - I'm getting tired of socks! Don't get me wrong, I love knitting them - but it seems that all it's been lately is socks and washcloths! I need something else to shake things up a bit! Perhaps something in a worsted weight - maybe in lace weight... I'm not sure! All I know is that I need something new in the mix!

June Progress and July Goals

So, tomorrow is my last full day with internet until July 7th (because of the move), so I thought I'd go ahead and post now while I have a bit of time to relax before getting back to packing up the last little bits!

So, as a recap, my June goals were:

1. Finish at least one of the Leyburn Socks
2. Finish at least one of the Jaywalkers
   
3. Start the Mystery Shawl
   
4. Finish Mr.S' Caterpillar wash cloth

And I managed:

1. No. Short-row heel kicked my butt. However, I did manage to find some mods on Ravelry that should solve that problem (with a non-short-row-heel). I'll work on these again when my head isn't spinning anymore.
2. Yep! Then I had to rip out the kitchenered toes, and ended up pulling out half of the toe. I'll finish the toe on that one once I finish the second one (which I do happen to have OTN right now ;) )
3. Yeah. I tried. I don't know that circular shawls are my thing. I'm going to wait to see some finished products before deciding to go back to it or not. I *did* start it though!
4. Finito! It didn't turn out as clearly as I would hoped it would on the dark green, but I think Mr. S will love it all the same!

I also went and started another pair of socks, this time for Mr.S. Here is sock #1 (#2 is currently 1/4th of the way done - should be completely finished by the next time I get to post):

I also finished another plain 'ol washcloth this month (it can be seen here on Ravelry), and started a patterned one. Not bad progress this month I suppose.

Anyways, for July I would like to:

1. Finish Mr.S' socks
2. Start Miss J's socks
3. Finish the Jaywalkers
4. Conquer the heel on the Leyburns - hopefully finish the first sock and start on the second one.
5. Knit MIL's Christmas gift
6. Knit another 1-2 washcloths

And on the non-knitting (but maybe with some yarn thrown in) part, I should also:

1. Track down the polybead thingers I need for 3 Christmas gift projects
2. Track down fabric for 2 of the 3 projects mentioned above
3. Buy yarn for my sister's Christmas gift

Well, that's all for now folks! See you after our move!

Crazy for Sock Yarn...

I've noticed lately, that all I've been buying is sock yarn (except for two purchases). Over May and June, I acquired enough to make 6 pairs of socks!

First, I had an order from The Yarn and Fiber Company (somewhat of a favorite, thanks to their free shipping - no min. purchase & includes Canada!):

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Caribou Creek

and



Dream in Color Smooshy in November Muse

Then I discovered the wonderfulness that is ThankEwe!:

Superwash Sock in Lollipop

and

Superwash Sock in Cherry Wood

And then, of course, are my Yarn Pirate shipments:

Merino/Tencel in Patina

and

June's Shipment, which has yet to arrive. I have, however, sneaked a peek at spoilers. From what I've seen, it's not really to my taste, but the base (BFL) is something that I've been anxious to try, so I may just knit it up anyways (likely a pair of plain stockinette socks - that or socks for the kids).


As for non-sock yarn, I bought some lovely lace weight from handpaintedyarn.com, which had been intended for Goddess Knits' Anniversary Shawl, but then I thought about the likelyhood of myself ever using a circular shawl, and changed my mind. Well, that's not really the entire reason! The new Knitty came out, and I fell in love with Seascape, and think that this gorgeous stuff was destined for it:

What do you think?

The things I've learned (so far) this month...

I honestly feel like I'm not getting *anything* done with knitting this month! I've been running into problems with my socks, which has had me ripping out far more work than usual, and it's starting to drive me a bit crazy!

Alas, I have learned some things:

1. Do not attempt to kitchener when in a rush. The results will be fugly, and you will have to rip it out.
2. Do not attempt to rip out above mentioned kitchener stitches during OR after consuming alcoholic beverages. It also, will not be pretty - in fact, you will likely end up ripping out more (i.e - half a toe or worse) than you would have had to if you just would have waited .
3. Put down your knitting before you get so mad as to rip out half a sock (I, luckily, knew this one already, and did follow it, or I would have no more Leyburn socks)
   
4. Sometimes - just sometimes, you might need to ask someone for help in learning/figuring out a technique (I think I need to do this, in regards to short-row heels. They don't like me.)
5. Buying yarn when you're stressed really *does* help you feel better. But...
   
6. Sometimes, just sometimes, buying yarn is somewhat stress inducing.
7. Sometimes, the cure to everything, is knitting something for someone who is little, cute, and thinks you are the most awesome person ever.
8. Magic Loop is awesome. I need more circs in sock sizes.

That's all for now...

Oi! Sorry this post it so late! So much has been going on around here - it's been crazy! First, Mr.S got really sick with a tummy bug, then DH caught something, then Miss J, then me. On top of that, there was the kids' birthday party, Miss J turned 4 (and had the worst of her sickness on her birthday - poor girl!), and to cap it all off - we're moving June 30th! Blah!

Anyways, let's recap what May's goals were:

1. SockWars III!!!! Hopefully finish one pair!
2. Finish Dad's socks before SockWars starts (9 days should be more than enough time - as long as I don't start procrastinating again!)
3. Acquire yarn for Evangeline (Putting a "?" on this for now)
   
4. 2-3 washcloths/soap socks
5. Start a pair of socks for myself!

And let's see how I did:

1. We're not going there. I don't feel like ranting.
2. Didn't finish them by the goal, but...umm... I finished them yesterday! The absolute longest it has taken me to knit a pair of socks! I had to force myself to knit on them though - Lang Jawoll Cotton isn't really the softest stuff - rather scratchy actually. I just hope that they soften a bit with washing!
   
3. No - I bought sock yarn instead :P (52 Pair Plunge II and all that...)
   
4. Yes!
5. I started 2 pairs! The Leyburns and the Jaywalkers.

With us moving, and the insanity of that (19 days left!!!! AHHHHHH!!!), I'm not sure exactly how much I'll manage to finish, but here's the list:

1. Finish at least one of the Leyburn Socks
2. Finish at least one of the Jaywalkers
   
3. Start the Mystery Shawl
   
4. Finish Mr.S' Caterpillar wash cloth

Wish me luck!