Ketchup

I really have been knitting! Need proof?


Pattern: My generic 72 st sock with heel flap and gusset.
Needles: Chiagoo sz 2.25 mm DPNs
Yarn: Scout's Swag in Zuluknitty.
Dates: Um, September 2007-February 1, 2008.
Mods: none
Thoughts: I love these socks. I love the colors. I love how they sort-of stripe. I LOVE the base yarn. I've worn them twice and it'd be more if I did more laundry. Love. Go get some yarn people. Run! Now I really want to knit up my other two skeins of Scouty-goodness. Yum.



Pattern: Improvised hat - basic hat pattern with garter border.
Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Superwash wool in the new tricolor.
Needles: Sz 7 or 8 Clover bamboo DPNs
Dates: January 2008-February 1, 2008.
Mods: Hubby really wanted an earflap hat, so that was the original intent. However, after I'd finished the hat part, and was going to go back and add the flaps, he decided he liked it the way it was. Voila!
Thoughts: Love this yarn too - so squishy!



Pattern: Fingerless gloves from Weekend Knitting - Ann Budd
Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Mist - about 1.5 skeins
Needles: Sz 7 or 8 Clover bamboo circulars
Dates: January 2008-February 1, 2008
Mods: None!
Thoughts: He seems to really like them and has worn them on the few cold days we've had.


Pattern: 1x1 ribbed scarf, inspired by all the other ones in the world.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, and I can't remember the two colors.
Needles: Sz 8 Clover Bamboo
Dates: October 2007-February 25, 2008
Mods: None
Thoughts: Don't know why it took me so long to finish, but I love it. My only complaint was with one ball of Silk Garden that kept pulling apart, leaving me with way too many extra ends. Wore it today and got tons of compliments. It really is pretty.


OK! Now that I'm all caught up with FOs, I wanted to share some fun with you. My LYS is having a retreat this weekend. All knitting, all the time. I'm really hoping to come home with some more finished objects. But a little wager has arisen. Apparently there is a pool to see how many projects I will bring. Funny, right?

In keeping with all fairness, I think y'all should get a shot at a prize too. So, you are invited to take your own guess, and the winner will receive a little goodie from the stash. To keep it fair, let me tell you that I currently have 40 WIPs. I hope to finish up two of those before we leave, but no promises. However, there is always the possibility that I will start new projects (at least I can admit this, right?).

TO PLAY:
EMAIL your guess to knitnlit AT gmail DOT com, with the subject line CONTEST. I will not open those emails until I get home on Sunday night. The contest will close at 4 pm CDT Sunday afternoon. Please do not leave guesses in the comments - I will see those, and I don't want to be swayed! :) And, if you know me IRL, you are welcome to play along too.

I think this post is long enough, perhaps I'll be back tomorrow to show you some of the new projects I've started recently, but it'll more likely be next week. Until then, happy guessing!

Time Machine Tuesday

Look! It's a real, live Jenn! With an actual post! With pictures! I'll allow you a moment to recover.

Apologies for my absence - a number of factors have been contributing to my absence, not the least of which is my computer's need to tell me that my hard drive is full (even though I've deleted a number of things), and, as a result, it won't let me upload pictures. However, lucky for you, I found these lurking in my iphoto, just waiting for their moment of glory.

Project: Feather and Fan socks in Yarn Pirate Merino/Tencel. Completed in June of last year, they haven't seen too much wear (what with it being summer and all). However, I did wear them a handful of times this winter, and while the yarn is holding up well, the color is not.



Then



Now


They bled like the dickens in the water (and I handwash all of my socks in cold water with Euculan.) And they keep bleeding (I know I should put some vinegar in the water, but I just keep forgetting).

The worst part? I can't get them on my foot. The tencel has ZERO "give" and unless I stretch them on my sock blockers, I can't get them over my heel (and even after the sock blockers it's a struggle. I have to sit down and pull really hard). They also leave a lovely little pattern on my instep, since they fit so tightly.

Lesson learned? Go up a needle size the next time I knit tencel socks. But in all honesty, I probably won't use a yarn like this again. It is lovely, and shiny, but I'm not thinking it's best for socks. I think it would make a lovely shawl.

I try to keep religion and politics off of the blog. But I have to share this story. We're big Obama supporters. And since the campaign is finally here, hubby went down to our local office today and picked up some yard signs and signed up to help out. He's making phone calls to people in our precinct. The list of callers is very specialized through some system I'm sure I don't understand (since we don't register as "democrats" or "republicans" here in Texas). It is comprised of people who are likely Obama supporters.

The second person on his list of 292 registered voters? Me. The fourth? Him. We're just waiting for his mom and brother to show up (they also live in our precinct.) Too funny.

I do have some FOs to share, as soon as I can convince my computer to let me upload pictures. I'll try not to be gone two weeks again!

February goals

Well, I didn't manage to finish any more projects in January. We had quite a week with some state field testing, very strong winds (which blew the satellite dish out of whack twice - thank goodness hubby could fix it or we would still be without TV and be paying $80 to have it fixed), fires nearby, and cold. But I did make some good progress, so I'll have some FOs soon.

Let's recap January goals:
January Goals:
Finish Wicked (already done!) DONE
Seam Bow-knot cardigan DONE
Finish Hedgehog DONE
Finish Snowy Triangle Scarf DONE
Finish Noro Scarf NOT done
Finish Monkey Socks DONE
Finish Zuluknitty socks almost - need to knit the toe.
Knit 8 panels of Log Cabin Blanket 1 PANEL DONE
Finish back of Bristow, start fronts. BACK DONE, FRONT STARTED
Finish back of Cambridge jacket, start fronts. BACK DONE, FRONT STARTED
Finish back of Salina, start front or sleeve. BACK DONE Front Started
Finish 2 mystery knits. ONE DONE
Knit hat for hubbo almost done
Knit hat for hubbo's friend DONE
Knit fingerless gloves for hubbo need to be seamed
Start Rogue STARTED
Finish one Embossed Leaves sock 3/4 DONE
Finish one Child's First sock nearly done
Finish one of hubbo's ribbed socks 3/4 DONE

I managed to complete 10 goals, which isn't too shabby. I also knit one thing (the ladybug) that wasn't on the list, and worked on another project that is nearly finished that wasn't on the list. I'm pretty proud of myself, and glad I went back to the goal list. It helped keep me focused, without feeling pressured. And I did work on some other things, and I didn't finish everything, and that's OK. So, what's on deck?

February Goals:
Knit at least 8 panels of Log Cabin Blanket (take on retreat)
Finish fingerless gloves for hubbo
Finish hat for hubbo
Finish Zuluknitty socks
Finish Embossed Leaves socks
Finish Child's First socks
Finish at least one peppermint sock
Finish Devon
Work on Icarus (get through the repeats of chart 1)
Work on Rogue (up to the armholes?)
Finish one front of Bristow
Finish one front of Cambridge Jacket
Finish front of Salina
Work on Buttony
Finish Noro Scarf
Work on Isobel
Finish half of mystery knit
Finish one Solstice Slip sock

Hopefully I can get a lot of this done, especially as the LYS is hosting a retreat at the end of the month (a weekend of knitting! Woo Hoo!).

I also want to do something for Project Spectrum, so I'm going to try to finish my Solstice Slip socks in February and March for the "Fire" months.

I didn't finish up my first book yet (The Knitter's Book of Yarn), but I'm close. More on that when I'm done.

If I'm going to get all this done, I'd better get moving! Pictures soon!