So um, I've been a little absent. *Ahem.* Ok, a lot absent.
While I don't want to make excuses, I have got a couple of reasons. (Which are really glorified excuses, let's be honest.) My computer was one of them. It died early November and I got it fixed over Thanksgiving weekend. Yay! It was just a fried power supply, nothing major.
Another reason was getting ready for Thanksgiving itself. We had hubby's family up and it was not only my first Thanksgiving that I hosted, but my first actual Thanksgiving dinner that I've prepared. So I was a little nervous. I don't know if I mentioned here, but I'm not that big on cooking. I can, I just don't enjoy it. My husband does most of the cooking in our house. So when I took on Thanksgiving, I was very preoccupied with making sure I got everything just right. (Which it was.)
I also think I just needed a break from blogging. After more than a year and a half, I think that's ok.
But I have been knitting. A lot. And I've got some things to show you.
These will be a Christmas gift for my mother in law. This is the 2nd incarnation of socks for her. I started some earlier this year out of Lorna's Laces and uggh. I just don't get it. There are so many knitters who just go crazy over that yarn, but its appeal is completely lost on me. I hated knitting with it, I hated the colors, I hated the fabric it was producing, and I just didn't think they would be socks that I'd want to give to someone, much less have them actually wear. So those have been frogged.
These are made with Schaefer Anne, one of my favorite sock yarns. This yarn has actually been overdyed by me twice. I posted an after shot the first time I overdyed it, but forgot to shoot another.
You can see in this post what the yarn originally looked like and what colors I overdyed the first time. A few weeks after that, I thought how much prettier it would be if it was 90% one color, with the other ones peeking through. So into the crock pot it went again, this time with a couple of packs of grape Kool Aid and some purple food coloring. Since my MIL's favorite color is purple, I thought this yarn needed to be for her socks.
The pattern I'm using is based on Cookie A's Monkey. I modified the pattern rows to accomodate 8 more stitches around and I'm eliminating the lacy holes by knitting the yarn overs through the back loop. MIL is diabetic and I want these to be warm and practical, while still being pretty.
This is also my first foray into knitting socks toe-up. I did these this way because if they're not long enough on her or if the cuff doesn't fit right, I can just undo the bind off and make adjustments. (Theoretically, anyway. I hope it will be that easy if necessary. Actually what I really hope is that they'll be perfect right out of the wrapping. But I digress.)
This will be a hat and mittens (gloves? I haven't decided yet) set.
One of my coworkers at the stop designed these some time ago and they are just the cutest things ever. They're called Lori's Fabulous Fuzzies and are they ever fabulous. Sock yarn and a silk/kid mohair blend run together make these warm, soft, and colorful.
I'm knitting mine out of Austermann Step in Grass and Rowan KidSilk Haze in Ice Cream.
Now, which to do? Mittens or gloves? I have never been a big mitten fan. My mother forced me to wear them when I was little (while my brother got to wear gloves) and I hated them.
I've never had a pair of gloves that fit or kept my fingers warm. (Not that my mittens did, either.) Granted, here, I can make them fit my fingers exactly, which will be lovely, but will they keep my hands and fingers warm?
I guess I can finish them one way or the other and if I'm not happy I can frog back and knit the other option. It's only knitting, right?
Here's a close up of the hat to show detail in the texture and that wonderful fuzzy halo.
I *love* Lori's pattern. The hat flew off my needles and the mitten/glove is going quickly as well. I'd love to make these for my sons. At least the hats, anyway.
I did make a few changes to it, though (because I can never knit a pattern as written.) I did my favorite twisted rib cuff because it makes the knits very tidy and I did the decreases at the top differently, too.
I just love the way the top came out! Those perfectly straight decrease lines intersecting with the hexagons of color make an interesting star pattern.
I wore it last night when we went to get our Christmas Tree and it was just as warm as I'd hoped. (Our tree, by the way, is gi-nor-mous.)
Here's a little something I've been meaning to blog about for quite some time.
Brandy was so sweet to me! She sent me a belated birthday package in November and inside was this GORGEOUS alpaca. And not just any alpaca. Handspun alpaca but Brandy herself. The yarn is beautiful and so silky soft.
I've started the Eiffel sweater from Knitty with it, and I think it will be just beautiful.
Also in the package were the 2008 Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar, a cute as a button needle satchel, a sweet little book about knitting and spinning tales, and bare silk hankies to dye and spin!
Thank you so much, Brandy - as always you are too kind and it was a lovely birthday gift!!
I'm finally knitting myself my Onduleux Cables scarf - the one I designed for work back in early summer.
I managed to get my hands on the hard to find white of the Elsebeth Lavold Angora late summer and I cast on for this a couple of weeks ago. It's stalled at the moment because I've been doing other things lately, but I expect this to be finished within the week.
Here's the matching hat I designed to go with my scarf, modeled by my older son, T.
There are a few ladies in my knitting group that are also working on the scarf and hat, too. (Which is super flattering.)
Speaking of them, I'd just like to say how much I enjoy going there and knitting with them. I'd been looking for a knitting group and when I was invited to join this one, I jumped on it. I'm so glad I did!
Look, ma! No purls! (I saw that on a blog once, but can't remember where.)
These are another pair of Monkeys but without the purl stitches. On me, these fit much better. They don't fall down my leg anymore, which I like.
The yarn is Schaefer Anne (told you it was a favorite) in blues and greens. Can't remember exactly when I started and finished them, but I think it was late October.
After these and my MIL's Monkeys, I'm pretty good on that pattern for a while. ;)
Lastly, this is going to be a sample for the shop I work at. It's a shawl jacket, easy peasy construction and stitch.
The yarns are Tilli Tomas silk and Grignasco mohair. I'm almost halfway through this. I was booking through it, but I've got holiday knitting right now that is taking up my time. (Some of those aren't pictured because I don't know who might be reading this.)
Other than that, things have been good here. We got a *lot* of snow last Saturday, we're getting more today, and are supposed to get more throughout the week.
If you're still here at the end of this long and photo-filled post, I thank you! If not, well, I can't say you missed out on a whole lot.
I promise to be back more regularly again.
I also made myself my Onduleux Cables Cloche. This one is in a burgundy red angora yarn that really shows the pattern well and it's so next to the skin soft.
