Wool, glorious wool!

I haven't posted in a long time because I haven't been knitting or blogging very much lately. But then the weather started to turn, my life settled into a schedule, and people started getting pregnant, so...you know, time to knit.

I never did finish the sweater I started for step-nephew #2, but I don't feel too bad about it. I got him some lovely other gifts, and maybe eventually I'll knit something for him. It's not like I knit much for my own kid, the one who's just 5 months older than he is. I might just finish the sweater and put it away, in case any of the imminent babies in my life turn out to be boys.

I did finish a baby blanket for Charlotte. She's no longer a baby, she's full-on toddler, but she still likes it to snuggle. And I loved making it, and it was a sentimental yarn choice.

I am currently actively working on three projects - I'm knitting a pair of booties, a baby blanket, and a sweater for Charlotte. I'll (hopefully) be updating Ravelry soon, too. The favorite project of those three is the Op Art baby blanket from Knitty.com. I'm making the smaller size in the suggested black and white colorway, out of the recommended yarn. Which is all very unusual for me - usually I break free and adjust many, many things. But I loved the idea of black and white, Knit Picks superwash merino is really nice, and I just didn't want to have to think too hard about anything. Lord knows that if I had a reason to procrastinate, I would, and this baby shower is January 11th!

I don't technically have any Christmas knitting this year, which is a) kind of depressing and b) probably the first time in 9 years that I don't have any Christmas knitting planned. Though I would like to knock out a pair of booties for one of the pregnant women on my list.

I'm knitting entirely with wool right now - two superwash merinos and an old skein of something that I'm pretty sure is Artyarns Supermerino. I'm totally loving it, after knitting with lots of blends recently. Isn't it funny how you can start to crave wool? I even briefly fantasized about knitting myself a black DK weight cardigan, since I can never find one my size in stores in a natural fiber, but I think I've put that out of my mind for now. 3x on size 3s? No thanks.

Still knitting. Really. Bullet points:

* have to move again, might actually get my own craft space this time.

* saw yarn harlot when she came to Webs. Yay!

* got compliment on my Baby Norgi by a stranger while I was there. So flattered.

* not yet finished with baby sweater for nephew. oops.

Where is that book?

We moved not too long ago, and now a lot of my knitting stuff is in storage. We also had to get rid of a lot of stuff, due to moths (I know! So depressing!). Now the only thing I really want is to make Charlotte a striped raglan sweater like I made for Hunter when he was born, but I don't remember where the book is. I *think* I lent it to someone a while ago, because it's the Dale book with the striped raglan sweater and also the hoodie with the zipper up the back. But I don't remember the cover and I don't remember the number, and I really want to replace it.

My next stop is to search Ravelry and see if anyone else has made that striped sweater and maybe mentions the book.

Wish me luck.

ETA: Found it!!! Hooray, Ravelry! Dalegarn # 142 has the pattern I'm looking for. And it looks like so does #135. Given the familiarity of other patterns I'm seeing from #135, I think that's the one I had. I'm off to ebay and Patternworks.

Being born third sucks.

Quick, picture-less update. I just cast on for a baby sweater for my upcoming nephew, my stepsister's third child. I have absolutely no time to be doing this, but I knit stuff for the other two, so I feel like it's only right that I knit something for this baby. He can't help that he's born third. He's due February 21st, but my stepsister's last two kids were born exactly two weeks early, so we expect him around the 7th. Considering that Hunter's 3rd birthday is the 9th, there could be some really interesting sibling rivalry for new baby boy P.

I finished the clogs for Bob, but they have yet to be felted.

I also found a purple kimono sweater that I started knitting for Charlotte, and I'm still trying to finish a little gray stockinette hat for her. Luckily hats are less of on issue right now, because Jackie found some in the attic at the house. She also found a couple sweaters that Charlotte can wear, too. One was Matt's, one was Heidi's.

The current project for me is that I'm midway through a knitpicks shawl in Gossamer Carribean, I think. I am hoping to get back to it soon, though my priorities really are to finish up some stuff for Charlotte.

I hope to take some pictures soon, and get this stuff into Ravelry.

Resurrecting this blog from the dead.

Well, then. I have decide for Ravelry purposes, and for my own fun, I'm going to start keeping a knitting blog again. I've gone back and forth for a while - I used Typepad when it first came around and really enjoyed it, but once I had to pay for it was was less excited about it. Blogger is so much more exciting again, since it has commenting capability now, which it didn't when I started, and it's easier to edit the templates and add photos. With all those features, I think I'll have no problem getting started again. I kind of wanted to keep this blog the way it was, as a 5 years ago kind of snapshot, but I also want it to be more usable, too. I will be editing and updating as the weeks go on.

Just in case anyone still checks this, I've started updating over at my Typepad blog, http://hippygoth.typepad.com, so if you want to see anything new, check over there!

I have a ton of yarn coming over the next couple weeks. I went a little crazy, and ordered FAR MORE yarn than I really should have. And a swift, to boot. But I'm really excited about it. Tonight I'm considering casting on for a few sample stitches of MY wedding shawl. Once I'm unemployed I need to really, really work on Jenn's wedding shawl, and the one I had HOPED to wear to her wedding. The first of November is creeping up faster and faster....

I started a new kureyon diagonal scarf, possibly for another stepsister or something. I may keep it myself, but then, maybe I should make one to match the Rosedale I'm planning...I asked the guys at threadbear to let me know when they get their Noro in, so that I can order what I need for Rosedale.

I am hoping to start the wave and shell shawl for Matt's grammy soon. I have some mohair yarn that I thought of using, but I may get something else, something synthetic, so that it isn't really a high maintenance thing.

I'm also really curious to know when the mouseathon raffle is going to happen...I have bad luck with winning things, so I kinda doubt I'll win something, but I am really curious.

Alright, another slack, no pictures entry, but I hope to fix that soon!

I'm getting full in the swing of holiday knitting. At least in my head, I am.

too busy for more of an entry, just some links.


blog:
keyboard biologist

other links:
gorgeous brooches
knitter's symbol fonts - link thanks to creative soul confessions
apple laine handpaints...i want some!

potential christmas presents to knit:
* blackberry ridge's a week in the life of a knitter's cat scarves, made out of silk or mohair blend yarn
* heritage cotton rayon yarn and silk rayon...possibly the landscape shawl?
* cherry tree hill laceweight merino

Mad, crazy knitting weekend, yo! I'm pretty happy. On Saturday I finally got around to felting the water bottle holder and the Kureyon Booga Bag I just finished. I was not originally happy with the Kureyon...it seemed to me like there was still too much stitch definition, but it dried pretty dense, so I'm okay with that. I'll post pictures, soon! As for the water bottle holder, well, the strap was just an eensy bit too long, because, as I figured but didn't compensate for, double knitting doesn't quite felt down as small as regular knitting. I do like the double knit strap, though. Thick and strong. The water bottle part itself is just a tiny bit too long, more of a liter bottle of water sized than nalgene bottle of water sized. But it came out pretty good for the first pattern I ever came up with, and with some tweaking it should be ready to be posted soon. Hoorah!

I made a couple more mousies this weekend, bringing my total to 5. I have 4 Kool-Aid dyed mousies, and one leftover Kureyon mousie. I had 2 purple Lamb's Pride mousies, but they have disappeared into the ether. Just as well. Virgil is pretty darn jealous of all the mousies and catnip that are NOT for him. If I find the other 2, I can stuff them for him!


Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! (purls before swine)

Lifelong Knitter

My Glass House

finished 2 scarves on saturday. the 80's fuzzy scarf and the silk garden diagonal scarf. the 80's scarf has already gone to live with my friend kelly, and the silk garden scarf needs ends woven in. i think this will be going to a stepsister or stepmother. virgil (the cat) has been trying to eat the ends that i haven't woven in yet.

i realized that i need to get the mousies stuffed and mailed out, like, right pronto, as well as the baby hat and socks i knit for my cousin rachelle's baby aurelia, who was born (yikes!) a whole month ago. i doubt the hat will fit the baby, but the socks still might!

i've been working on the booga j noro bag for my mom's christmas present. i'm calling the color "the great pumpkin." it's black, brown, orange, teal, and burgundy. the bright orange stripes are what are the most noticable, and the other colors are just so autumnal. i'll tell you what...i'm not looking forward to making 6 feet of i-cord! i have another 3 skeins in another colorway that may end up being a bag for me, or the start of rosedale, or for someone else. haven't decided yet.