It's a Festivus miracle!

My husband pointed out that today is Festivus, so I had to quote from that particular Seinfeld. I could say that we've had a bit of Festivus miracle because look how much I've gotten done.
1. All my Christmas knitting is done with two days to spare.
2. Rolls and two pies have finished baking right now. Cookies have decoratively packaged.
3. Only one more load of laundry to do which is non essential.
4. Bags are half packed and I still have a couple more hours to finish that.
5. All Christmas presents are purchased and I only have to wrap one more.
That brings us to "That little scarf" from Anne Hanson. I knit one out of alpaca silk (Color 114 which is an icy light purple) for my grandmother and I liked it so much it hasn't been wrapped yet. Hold onto your hats for the photo montage.

Down to the wire

List of tasks to complete before Christmas
1. Knit three more 24 row lace repeats to finish present for Grandmother (pictured above)
2. Knit hat for Dad, only 2 inches done
3. Buy two additional presents
4. Wrap 50% of already purchased presents
5. Package gift cookies (At least they are already baked)
6. Buy ingredients for Christmas dinner which I will be cooking (not at my house though)
7. Bake 2 pies, bread, cinnamon rolls
8. Do laundry, pack luggage, groceries, kitchen utensils, etc
And I need to do all minus gainful employment 6am-6pm (there is some knitting time during the commute) the Friday night and Saturday that will be spent at my In-laws and the drive to Maryland to my mothers.

Where's my clone to help me with this!

That's OK let us enjoy some old fashioned Christmas ornaments made by someone in my family. This reminds me that I have to make my own kitschy Christmas ornaments for my future children to teasure.

Wool girl sock club yippie yippie yippe!

I receive my “surprise” woolgirl sock club shipment and I lovvvvvve it. (A surprise only because I forgot and am off blogs as I try to finish Christmas knitting) I’m definitely signing up for next year’s club. Each package I get is full of lovely yarn and fun surprises.

Frog is very taken with all the happy Christmas greenness and has plopped himself into the picture.
Off to do more knitting!

It's all unbloggable

I just finished a Christmas present that I can't show pictures of right now. I've started my loopy ewe swap project, but I can't show that either since my swap partner does know about my blog. Today I've worked all day on a knit 2, purl 2 ribbed hat in black for my husband. I could show you a picture of that but it looks like nothing in particular.
I think I just wanted to trot out photo I've been saving.

A bird in the nest

Friday night my husband wanted to get some Thai food and do a little Christmas shopping in downtown Media. We have excellent stores and restaurants in town so I was most pleased with this idea. After a tasty meal and the Noodi Bar (heh heh not making that up) we went to my favorite store Earth and State. My husband is very careful decision maker so I had plenty of time to fondle pottery, giggle at the sparkly snowmen, and figure out which Christmas tree ornament I was going to buy for myself. I have a weakness for pottery and Christmas ornaments and one is more easily justifiable. Let's just not talk about the size of the box of Christmas ornaments sitting in the basement. I also did some careful decision making and bought this little bird. It seems fitting that I bought a knitted animal for the first Christmas I will be a knitter. And more importantly he's squishy.

My new friend is sitting next to the last Booty club shipment (ha haa more booty references). My address was one that paypal ate so it came while I was away for the holidays. Do I like purple and blue? Yes I do! This one is staying outside the stash with the Sheepaint bamboolaine and the Funky Carolina sock yarn.

While I was making dinner my husband found a little nest for the new bird. I wonder if he will lay little heel darning eggs.

You know what they say about De-Nile

Deep in my heart I knew that rowan cocoon was no substitute for a 3 ply non mohair yarn. But I had been drooling over the colors for months, fondling a skein or two when I made the drive to Woolgathering. It seemed like the perfect idea to buy a skein of it rather than another expensive skein of yak down. Then my honorary brother would get a nice brown hat, I would get to fulfill a desire and save some bucks.

As I went to take the ball band off the skein I heard the little voice in my head say, "This is a bad idea. Just leave that ball band on and we'll exchange it for something else." My Tarueen stubbornness kicked in and I screamed, "No everything will be fine! Cocoon and I will have a love affair of epic proportions and together we will make the most beautiful of hats. My honorary brother will let of a squeal of glee when I give the hat to him and then we will celebrate by eating donuts." (Note: the eating of donuts was the only thing based in reality) So I cast on for another Koolhaus and everything was find and dandy except for the really annoying splittiness of the yarn. This did not sour my enthusiasm though, because the ribbing looked fine and the color still lovely. I got to the lattice pattern and puttered along so well my husband was impressed with the progress I'd made. Then on a Monday (of course) I was sure I'd made a mistake and knitted a row of the chart twice. I checked three times and then ripped out a good two inches. As I picked up my stitches I looked at my knitting again and realized that I hadn't made a mistake. Two inches had just been ripped out for no reason, not to mention it was really hard to get this yarn back on the needles.

This was the turning point in my relationship with cocoon. I realized that this was a high maintenance, willful yarn that would not do my bidding. The mohair fuzzed out obscuring the lattice pattern, making me ask myself if it was worth doing a whole row of cable crosses if you couldn't see the gosh darn pattern. The hat sat for a week or two while I canvased ravelry for a different pattern. The solution seemed to be to rip back to the ribbing and knit a ribbed hat with a few cable twists. It was a classic look that should be simple enough for the mohair.

So I ripped (ya the mohair make that reallllll fun) and started re-knitting, making it up as I went. I worked on this for several days this week, enlisting my husband as my head model. Flat the hat looked no so great, but I told myself this was fine because it looked much better on my husbands head. Yesterday I finished it and threw it on my husband for a final fitting. He said, "Oh I like this," and sounded sincere. I asked if the hat felt like it was pulling up on his head. He hesitated and then agreed that it did feel like it was a bit short and that the bottom ribbing was too loose. I popped the hat on my head went to the mirror and said, "Oh crap."" Yes the scales fell from my eyes and I realized that this yarn was not going to make the kind of hat I wanted to give to my honorary brother. It was not the beautiful love child of a torrid yarn affair. It was a knitted turd. Sighhhhhhh

Socks in Trees

Lots of free time because your in-laws are feeding you = almost two full socks knitted in 4 days. Now for the Parade of socks in trees. heeheee!!!!

Woolgirl sock club shipment number two. Yarn is Spunky Eclectic in Irish dreams. The sock pattern Irish dreams has lots of little knots that slowly drive you crazy. They look very pretty though so you keep doing it.
























This sock was finished up today after my train ride. Now it will hang around look for it's mate. Brown sock is knit in Hazel Knits Artisan sock yarn and the Pattern in Freya.























Look at the pretty cables!

And one last picture just for fun.

When Irish eyes are smiling

The next shipment of the Woolgirl sock club has been here for over a week and I have not blogged. Bad bad bad. All this great sock yarn in yesterday's post showed up in the mail in the same week and I got distracted.

This particular yarn I would not have bought myself but it that's one of the fun things about a sock club. Yarn that smells of lavender is always a plus. Lots of fun goodies also inside, sheep magnet, tea (not pictured) lavender soap and stitch marker. Jen's club is so much fun! I want to join the seven deadly spins club but I don't think the budget can take it.

While I'm occupied with all this crab appears to be knitting me a Charade sock. Good Fluffy, you could teach frog a thing or two.

Get 'er done

One little red baby sweater for my very nice non knitting friend. Just in time to since their little girl was born last Wednesday. She's very cute with lots of hair.
A couple of weeks back I had a big knitting push it get this done but ran out of yarn with only one side of the button band to go. Lucky the baby decided to be overdue a week which gave me enough time to order more. This sweater got finished off with pretty looking vintage buttons from my grandma's stash (Boy does she have a stash!) The knit picks Swish yarn needs a good steam pressing after blocking. But it does look very nice after that. I still don't think I can knit with it again, the hand just feels nasty. Too bad since the price is inexpensive and the colors very pretty.

Let's talk about yarn I really like instead. This month I got two new skeins of sock yarn that were not club packages. They both rock! Frog has graciously agreed to be our sock yarn Vanna White and show off the new purchase. The gray color was dyed by Funky Carolina and is called Platinum. It is that shiny. Love love love me some gray yarn. The brown color is by Hazel knits and she gets her base yarn specially milled for her. I don't know what they do, but that yarn feels great. The color Chocolatier is much nicer in person. Some non knitters drooled over it, so you know it looks good. Hazel Knits has many many pretty colors so go buy some on Etsy.
These two aren't getting put in the stash drawer. Frog and I will snuggle with them while watching TV and think about the beautiful socks we are going to make.
Tonight's "How I met your mother," is called Slapsgiving. I can hardly wait.

Socks Socks Socks

Two Christmas gifts done now. :) Mom's Christmas socks are finally done. Only look me months and months of knitting different patterns to get here. These rock and I want my own pair. I think natures palette is my new favorite solid sock yarn. Look how nice those cables look on. Drool Drool....

Then I got tired of Christmas knitting and decided to finish my woolgirl club socks. Knitting sport socks is crazy fast, only took two days to crank the second one out.

They keep my feet nice and cozy now that the apartment is cold. Hooray for the Woolgirl sock club.

So what's going on with you?

I'm back baby and I've got FO's all over the place. And yarn and a book! Let's start with the book because it's so precious that I almost started squealing in the middle of Borders. You must have your own copy of Itty-Bitty Nursery. Why? I'll tell you why! You need your own Mouse Mobil. There are more mouse close ups in the book which is why you must at least go to your local book store and page through it.


















And more importantly for all the frog lovers out there a frog pacifier clip. Ohhh so cute, I just want squeeze him! This books also has several cute sweaters, hats and blankets. Next time I have a baby to gift knit for I know what book I'll be reaching for.

Real knitting content tomorrow because all these pictures are messing with blogger.

Raw material and FO's

This is me being good and buying supplies for Christmas presents.

This is me being a bit naughty buying old issues with patterns I want to knit. I was using the rationalization that I'm helping my "localish" yarn store.




















This is me being very bad buying fabric because it's pretty and because the corduroy haunted me last time I didn't get it. And I didn't have to buy any of it from JoAnns.





























Frog approves of my green purchases


I have one Christmas present finished, Hooray! I give you the Koohaaus Hat in Shokay Shambala Yak down, which does feel divine. Everyone at work rubbed the hat on their faces as I watched in horror. Didn't know I have to tell people, "Please don't rub this on your face since it's a gift." The hat is soaking right now and turning the water into a nice Caribbean blue. Now I see why people like to knit hats as gifts. They go so fast. This one was done in four days. I plan on knitting a few more of this pattern in various other yarns.

Mom's Christmas socks would also be done today if I didn't, gasp, run out of yarn. My gauge seemed to get a little looser on the second sock and it sucked the yarn for the toe right up. Gonna have to buy another skein , or maybe two so I could make some short socks for myself with the left overs. Heee hee socks for me what a concept.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Froggies, Ghostie and the Great Pumpkin!

There will be knitting content tomorrow since my brain made me read words that were not in the KoolHaas pattern. All the damage is fixed but my hat will not be finished tonight as planned.

Eat lots of chocolate!

I think my yarn drawer is full

The box of "I can't believe I'm working while I'm sick" yarn arrived from two swans yarns on Thursday. Frog enjoys helping unpack the boxes. Two Swans was having a sale on black or orange yarns so I got enough Naturally Merino et Soie to make a sweater. I also got some felted tweed since I could not resist it anymore. The Naturally Merino will probably become a V neck sweater and the Felted Tweed a Tangled Yoke Cardigan. We all have to jump on the band wagon some time.

All this is waiting while I knit baby sweater number two for another friend who is the prefect non-knitter. She always is interested in what I'm making and is really impressed that I taught myself how to knit. People like that need to be rewarded with hand knits. While the knit picks Swish is really lovely color red I don't care for the hand at all. It's crunchy or something and it makes me crabby to knit with it. I was very good for several days and only knit on the baby sweater, but finally broke down and cast on some yak yarn for a KoolHaas hat.

















Oh Shokay Shambala, you are so fuzzy and wonderful and you match my splint.

There was an accidental crushing of my finger in a car door this weekend. My boyscout husband assures me that it will heal up fine if I keep it splinted. My brother-in-law said I just need to get a really big finger puppet to wear over the splint. That sounds totally awesome. I'd like another monster please.

Two socks but not a pair

I've finished two socks in the last few days. On the left side is my woolgirl sock club in Miss Bab's sport weight. The one on the right is Mom's Christmas sock in natures palette fingerling, "Now with more length!" They both have perfectly kitchenered toes thanks to directions on Kitty. Yeah! The Miss Bab's waterfall colorway has a little bit of purple in it so we'll pretend they go together for now. Many thanks to my husband for providing me with additional lighting, even if he thinks I'm crazy. Look at the cables.... so yummy.

Today is mess up your knitting day. I've knit the turn of the heel on the companion Mom's Christmas sock twice. And ripped it out twice. I cast on all the stitches for the second Miss Bab's sock and immediately made a large error on the first row and just took the needles out and ripped.

This is why I'm working on a sock I have no business working on. Charade done in Pigeon Roof Studios Bohemian. And I hate knitting through the back loop. But I want to knit these anyway. So I will while watching "How I meet your Mother" on DVD. Delightful.

IK holiday issue has not arrived but I can go on their website and see a preview of the Winter issue which will not be delivered to my house anywhere around November 13th.

Are you going outside in that?

Hey look I finished two things in October!
When I asked my husband to take pictures of of the completed cable sweater out in the back yard he did say, "Are you going outside in that?" So we know his opinion of my completed project. The finished sweater is a bit frumpy, which is a bit of a downer since I really enjoyed knitting it. The upper arms of the sleeve are much too big so when your arms are down all this extra fabric gets wadded up into your arm pit (pattern's fault, not mine) Looking at Rowan model on the pattern, her sweater appears to be wide in the upper arms but her long flowing hair is cleverly concealing most of this area. Rowan you sneaky dog you. Lastly it might not be a good idea for naturally zaftig girls to wear lightly colored heavily cabled sweaters. I wonder if I should knit the Urban Aran after all. All that being said I've already worn my new sweater for several hours today and it feels warm and cozy. When our apartment is like ice in January, I will reach for it instead of my husband's sweat shirt. (Then I don't have to hear his complaints that I'm getting hair all over his sweat shirt.) I also did a little safety pin experiment and with a little tailoring to the side seam I could get rid of the excess fabric under the arms. Got to think on how I want to do that without causing the whole thing to unravel into a pile of wool. A frumpy sweater is a better than no sweater at all.

No Rhinebeck for me

Everyone is up at the New York Sheep and Wool festival this weekend. I'm very jealous but I didn't feel like driving four hours each way alone. The festival was mentioned to my husband and he says he's been to Rhinebeck (but not the festival) a couple of times because they have some historic airplanes there. Hmmm maybe I could talk him into going with me another year.

Instead I'm going to be pleased with simple things like my new loopy project keeper. Best 9 dollars spent ever. Big enough to put a regular sized book and a couple of socks in there. And really important things like you're new finger puppet. My honorary brother mailed me the pink monkey. It's a good friend who buys you toys when you're almost 30. When I look at the monkey I just think, "Pink monkey, pink monkey, ooo ooo, pink monkey." My husband has just watched 28 weeks later and keeps stealing and hiding him saying the monkey has the rage virus. I think he just wants to play with the monkey himself.

The mail just came. No Interweave Knits grrrrrrr!

All I want to do is sleep

I have my annual fall head cold, probably the first of many until the weather decides to stay cold. I tried to keep going to work but the cold got to the point where I was getting dizzy and almost falling down stairs. Time to stay home for a day. The plan was to go to bed early, call in sick in the morning, nap to 12 then eat and watch movies/knit. What actually happened was that I laid in bed wide awake for an hour thinking about the Tapestry stitch pattern that was on the Rainy sisters blog. Then I got up for an hour, stared at the picture and started inking it out on some graph paper. Some sleep was gotten until 6 when my husbands work alarm went off. Laid awake for another hour, finally got up and transferred Tapestry into excel and mocked up a repeat. Tried to sleep again but the neighbor was using power tools 2 feet from my window. The other neighbor could be heard loudly talking on her cell phone. When my landlord showed up beating on my door I gave up on sleep for the day. After a few unsuccessful attempts we have a nice printout of my Tapestry grid. Yeah that's good. My original plan didn't swatch well so this will be put away for later use. In happy news a new booty club shipment arrived a little earlier then I was expecting. The colorway is killer bees which makes me laugh for some reason. I feel like this yarn is the crazy relative that amuses you because they are so crazy. Socks out of this yarn would really freak out some non knitters and that would be very entertaining to me. Maybe I need to get out more.

Where the Heck is my IK

Shambala Yak yarn in Turquoise, check.
Big ass size 8 double points, check.
Interweave Knits Holiday Issue with pattern for Koolhass hat ummmm no.

Silly me, I thought a subscription meant I would receive my copy before some regular goober off the street could go to Borders and buy it. If the Holiday mag shows up TWO WEEKS after the book stand date, like the last issue did, I will be pissed.

Oh and the evil baby set was finished on Monday. The hat is finally all dried from it's blocking. Look at it, looking all sweet and pink on my kitchen counter. You'd never know how evil it's been. Actually I kind of miss working with the yarn, Sublime Baby cashmere merino silk dk. (Let's put all the fibers in the Name!) I might be tempted by Webs volume discount and buy enough for an adult sweater. I hope the yarn wears well. I did snag it a couple of times but only with the big pointy prongs on my engagement ring. As far as needles and fingernails it held up very nicely. Well evil baby sweater, I'll have to get the address of your owner and mail it off. Kisses and ummm be nice. A little button detail for your pleasure.

Can't knit... baking

I've gotten hardly any knitting done this weekend which is sad, but things needed to be taken out of storage for the cooler weather. Those space bags work really well if the only place you have to store anything is a damp basement. However your clothes come out recking of plastic and they must be washed with baking soda before wearing. I also managed to stuff a comforter into a regular sized washing and dryer. You just have to keep taking it out of the dryer and rearranging it so all the bits get dried up. But enough about house keeping I have something much more interesting, A Finished Object! Buttons on the baby sweater were purchased today and sewed on. No people or cars were damaged as I tried to get in and out of the crazy JoAnn's parking lot. All my attempts at a nice detail photo come out blurry so you can't really see how pretty the little flower buttons are. The booties have matching buttons in a smaller size, Hooray! I still have to knit a hat which will have the lighter color pink on the edge and the darker as the main color. Then the shoes being dark pink won't be so weird. Instead of actually knitting the hat up today and heaving a sigh of relief, I'm baking cookies. It appears that wool socks are attracted to warm ovens full of cookies. I also know someone else that is attracted by cookies. Little stinker.