by the way

I forgot to mention in the last post: I finished the stripey sweater, and it blocked beautifully and is kind of awesome. Of course I have no photos, but believe me, it's pretty sweet. Sure, the body could be a little narrower, and I really wish I had enough green for long sleeves (there is a chance I will see if I have enough yarn for long sleeves by knitting the forearms and grafting them on) but on the whole I like it a lot.

I'll take pictures soon, because I do wear it a lot. Maybe I'll even wear it today! We'll see if I have a decent long-sleeved shirt to wear under it.

And now I need to think of a new Big Project to make, even though, yeah, have not finished any of the things I'm supposed to finish. We're having a bit of Family Health Drama, so I am a bit distracted.

stuff I am knitting!

Do I win a prize for the Most Imaginative Post Title Ever? My apologies.

Anyway, here's what I'm working on now!

I'm test-knitting a pattern for the lovely Greenethumb (oh hey, if you scroll down a bit at that link, you just might see some items you'll recognize!) and here is the toe:



There's some v. pretty lace going on on the rest of the sock.

And here are some stripey mitts I'm making. Just your basic mitt pattern, made awesome by some striping action and Patons Kroy FX. I've had the idea for these mitts in my head since before Christmas, and I'm quite pleased to say that they look just like they looked in my head. This doesn't happen all that often.



These mitts are a Yay Chemo Is Over! present for a friend of mine.

Ugh, and I really, really need to finish the Goldfish Mittens before winter is over, but for some reason I can't gin up any enthusiasm for doing those wee thumbs, even though I very much enjoy the 'magic' of an afterthought thumb.

Finishing-Up Time?

I am so almost done with my stripey sweater. I'm still unsure of the length, and maybe some of the shaping, but I'm going to block it tomorrow and see if that helps it any. This blocking will commence tomorrow because the temperature is supposed to be around 50, so perhaps it will not take the sweater a week to dry.

So that will be finished, and my awesome grey shawl is finished--at the party on Sunday my friends decided that I was the person they most wanted to be stranded with on a desert island, because I could make useful items including fishing nets and hammocks--and next I need to put the thumbs on my poor wee languishing goldfish mittens, and then I think--I hope--it will be on to the poor wee projects languishing about in bags. If I can finish at least one or two of those, I will feel better about life. (I'm feeling rather crappy about life today, but that's another story.)

Oooh, I am also test-knitting a pair of socks. They are red and they have lace. I'll be finishing those up, too. And then what? Perhaps a pair of orange felted slippers? Perhaps another wrap? I definitely want to make another big flashy wrap, but so far I can't decide on a pattern or a color.

I am also determined to get some potential Christmas gifts done early this year. Now that I know my knittings are v. popular amongst the relatives, I'm thinking I'll do something local-sports-related for the main gift swap, and then maybe something lacy for the handmade one. (Part of me wants to bust out some sort of other craft entirely for the handmade swap, just to freak people out, but let's face it, I am A) good at knitting, and B) lazy, so I probably will just stick with the yarn.)

And who knows what all else? I also want to do a pair of full-fingered Thanos Gloves + Infinity Gauntlet. Because that would be hilarious.

Now I'm just blathering! More soon, hopefully with pictures of a lovely, comfy, dry, striped sweater.

IT'S SO PRETTY!

I finished my crochet edging around 3:30 this afternoon, and was going to wait to block the shawl until tomorrow, but then I couldn't help myself. Pinned it out on my bed, and this being winter with the furnace on and my bed being a loft, the shawl was dry in no time. I unpinned it about ten minutes ago, and have spent those ten minutes preening in front of a mirror, completely unable to say anything but "IT'S SO PRETTY!"

It really is very pretty. I love it to bits.



In case you want to make your own, it's a Vernal Equinox Shawl.



Designed by Lankakomero.



Knit out of yarn that was once a Gap turtleneck. On US 6 needles. It was super fun to knit: the only thing I found slightly awkward, clearly, was the crocheted edging, but I even got pretty good at that towards the end.

YAY I CAN'T WAIT TO WEAR IT TO MY PARTY THIS WEEKEND!

IT'S SO PRETTY!

remember my grey shawl?

My Vernal Equinox Shawl that I knit last fall and that has sat in a lump on my desk since November because the crochet edging is slower than Christmas?

Well, I've picked it up again, and though the crocheting of the edging is not going any faster than it did the first time I tried it, I've at least figured out where the various stitches are supposed to go, so I know when I've lost count. I lose count frequently.

Anyway, I'm about a third done with the edging (FOREVER, I tell you, FOREVER) but I know I will slog on because I would like to wear it to a party this Sunday. I figure as long as I have it done by Saturday morning (which I totally will) I will have time to block it.

Dude. It took me less time to knit a whole damn shawl than it did to convince myself I wanted to do the edging. On the plus side, I had built it up to be such a horrific chore that I've been pleasantly surprised at how not-horrific it is. Well done, me!

it's a sweater!

Half a sweater, anyway.



I need to knit several more rows at the hem, because it's rolling up too much, and then I'll have to figure out what kind of sleeves to do--I kind of like the idea of short sleeves, but they might be impractical--and then I will have a nice warm recycled sweater! Yay!

And then I can knit something else! Yay!

And I will have more room for yarn, but less room in my closet. I'm not sure this is a good tradeoff.