Already

Its so early in the year and already I have missed a week of posting. Oh well. I did do a lot of knitting though! I have almost finished a gift for a friend, details about that will be posted after I give it to the person, and I am almost done with my shawl for the TeaTimeKnitters shawl exchange. Its warm and cozy, I had it covering my legs while I worked on it last night because it was cold here. I really hope she likes it!

Here is a picture of the Transformers inspired washcloth I made and sent to my friend Brian in Cali. I meant to send it in time to be a Christmas present but because I got so busy and distracted I just sent it a couple weeks ago. He liked it and was able to see the picture. Yay!
In other news I finally went and bought a shorter pair of size 11 circular needles so I can get back to my bohemian tunic. Its time to start the sleeves! I can't wait to be able to wear it! Its so soft and wonderful to work on. And it makes me happy that Hilton likes the design too. :-)

Ok, off to work. But I really wish I didn't have to go to work and I cold just sit and knit all day. The new KnitPicks catalogue has me longing to knit all kinds of wonderful garmets and wishing to forsake all else to this cause. But, alas, no money = no yarn.

Not Forgotten

These are some pictures that I have been meaning to post and not gotten around to or just plain forgotten to post after the gift was gifted .
This first picture is the Skinny Scarf Exchange scarf I made for Stacy. Its using the Lion Brand dishcloth stitch pattern and a lovely angora yarn.

And here the Christmas tree models the same scarf

Next are some dishcloths knit in the car. This may have been on the way to or from Abilene. Either before or after the table runner.

And these are the fall dishcloths I made with the TeaTimeKnitters group. The pattern was sent to me by my partner and the yarn also and then I got to decide how to use both. I think they came out nice.

Since I'm running late, thats about it for now. I'm still working on the bohemian tunic, although I need to go buy a shorter pair of size 11 circular needles in order to start the sleeves so I'm kind of stuck for the moment. But I am working on a gift also, so I guess I'll just focus there until I get those needles.

And stuff

The Bohemian Tunic continues to go well. Its really working up super fast so far, but I haven't done the sleeves yet and we all know how I hate sleeves. Although I was looking at the pattern again, the sleeves might be done in the round (pattern is in the car and I ain't gonna go double check) which would save the worst part of all, the sewing it up part. Very little is sewn on this sweater, which makes it extra awesome. The ragland sleeves are knit onto the body and only the underarm has to be sewn together. Super nice. And that KnitPicks Andean Treasure is sooooooo soft. I love alpaca!

I've started thinking about next projects, although really I should finish some old projects, but I have some gift cards to Loops and I was thinking about making the brown skirt out of Cables Untangled. Its kind of a diamond cable with fringe anround the bottom of the skirt. So I might buy the yarn for that with the gift card. Also, does anyone remember the hippie dress from the Green issue of Knit.1 last spring? I really want to make that too. They made it out of Lionbrand Organic cottong, but if I can get the same gauge out of Cottontots I will use that instead because a) its cheaper and the dress requires a lot of it and b) I already know that the cottontots washes well and c)there is a much bigger selection of colors. So we'll see. And then, of course, there are all the things I want to make that I already have the yarn for. Like that thermal from knitty that Shelley gave me the yarn for.

so much I want to do, so little time.

Last Week at Loops...

...a boxing champ came in. I happened to be the only person with a camera that was not part of their phone, so I took a picture for these Loopians.

In other news, the Bohemian Tunic is going well and I have started on another top secret project that I hope to finish and get on its way to its intended recipient quickly. :-) I'm running kinda late getting ready for work today, so thats about all you get.



Happy Knitting!

Hats!

In case you were wondering, my new year's goal is to post here at least once a week. We'll see how long I'm able to keep up with that. Anyway, on with the hats!

First there is the hat I made Hilton for Christmas. Doesn't he look cute? I also made a matching scarf and I'm sure I'll have pictures to post of that eventually. It was a knit 2 purl 2 rib pattern, which makes it super stretchy and fit nicely. And I used the Bernat Denim Style yarn because its really really soft and has a nice look to it.

Next we have the hat my grandmother started for my cousin Mike but then gave me to finish. I'm not sure what yarn it is because she didn't leave the label with it, but I am guessing its either cascade tweed or Katmandu. I'm leaning more heavily towards the latter. The pattern was in the bag with it and its a simple pattern, knit flat with just a little shaping then sewn up. Most of the stretch is in the ribbed band at the bottom of the hat.

He says its super warm. The above hat is the first one I made and there was so much yarn leftover I made the one below. Because the first one was just a teensy bit big for Mike I made the second one a bit smaller, so the first one will probably go to his brother Ryan and Mike will keep the second. Or however they duke it out, as long as they each get one.

I finished that second one at a family gathering and I had lots of picture taking help and models. Notice my cousin Scott in the background.

And this is he wife Stacy modeling the finished hat in front of the fire place.

And there is Stacy again, still wearing the hat, this time sitting with my sister, Taylor.

It came really really close on the yarn, maybe 5 yards leftover after the second hat was all sewn up. But two hats is great for one ball of yarn. I didn't realize how quickly I could make hats until this past few weeks. I may actually have to make myself some. I have some hats that I crocheted over the years, but it would be cool to knit myself one. :-) I think I have more of that yummy angora laying around somewhere and that might be just the thing for it.

Ok, its bed time for me. Yay for hats!

Spa Set

But first, the puppy. Yay for Puppy! His name is Samson, isn't he adorable? He's already substantially bigger than when we brought him home, but this picture was taken the very frist day he was home. Ok, the spa set. I made a basket using the felted basket pattern I bought at Eva's last winter but I used a slip stitch basket weave pattern instead of making it solid. Here is is pre-felting.

And here is post felting all filled up with 3 knit wash cloth, 1 coaster, a candle, and 2 yummy soaps. It holds its shape pretty well.

It was Heather Arnott's Christmas present this year. I was so late in finishing the basket though that I had to put it in the dryer, on the rack that keeps it from spinning and run warm air through it all day on christmas day. The washcloths are all different shade of light blue, one in the lion brand dishcloth pattern, one in the moss rib that has been so popular with some of the TOChicksWithSticks and one in a self-striping basic grandmother's favorite.

This is the second "spa set" I've done and they always seem to go over really well. The first one was different shades of browns and cream for the basket and tan and white for the cloths with vanilla bath fizzies and a vanilla candle and soap. It had a very natural feel to it. The pictures of that set are still on my mother's camera somewhere, who knows when I'll get them.

So far the Bohemian Tunic is going well. Its very soft and so nice to work on. I was worried about having to go down 2 needle sizes to get the gauge, but it seems to be coming out the right size so far, so I'm glad I did it.

My aunt Colleen gave me some pretty homemade beaded stitch markers for christmas. I'll have to take a picture of them sometime and post it. She did a good job with them, each one is different.