All Done!

The Fairy is finished. All it needs is buttons and a bit of blocking.
I'm loving it. It fits perfectly and is warm and comfy. I can't believe how fast it went. I can hardly wait for it to get colder so I can wear it, and it's definitely going to madrona with me in Feb.

Next up, I'm going back to christmas knitting. I've decided to make a felted bowl for one of my clients and fill it with sugarless mints, also, I found a cute pattern for some fingerless gloves made with one mini-mochi and I'm going to do those for another friend and client. I also have to finish up the christmas socks (pretty much there after watching movies last night), and a couple of man-socks - also christmas stuff.
The felted bag is felted and has been drying all week. It felted nicely, but it's really thick and makes the kitchen smell like a wet dog. I'll be working on the needlefelting as soon as it's dry enough, then lining it and adding the strap. I think my friend Amy will love it (she doesn't know about this blog, so it's OK).

I just have to add that I LOVE Ravelry. There were 2 happy rav incidents this week that just remind me that it's pretty cool. The first happened by accident. I stumbled on a thread that I wouldn't normally even read, but for some reason, I clicked on it. Imagine my surprise to find a person I worked with about 2 years ago, she moved to the UK, and is still living there. We friended each other and messaged back and forth a bit. It really is a small world. The other happy accident was when someone posted about a yarn sale in my town. Of course, I had to go. Bought some lovely sunny yellow sock weight yarn with no idea of what I'm going to do with it. Maybe it was the dark weather that inspired me. It's sitting on my desk right now, and I pet it regularly.

One final request, if you have a moment, drop by Bea's site and send some healing thoughts to Gus, her doggie. Seems he ate a small rubber ball. He had the surgery to remove it, but has ended up in the doggie ER. All of us pet lovers know what that's like, just sayin'.

Rockin" the fairy ring

I don't know why this project is going so quickly, but it really is.
The body of the sweater is complete as well as both the sleeves. It's mostly blocked (one sleeve left to do), and ready to start with connecting the shoulders together and picking up for the hood. It's turning out beautifully and I can hardly wait to see the finished coat.

That's pretty much been all the knitting progress this week. Worked on the christmas socks yesterday for a bit while faery was drying. Thinking about lining up the next project, but I'm just not sure what to do. I'm thinking 2-color norwegian knee socks, or, making some fingerless gloves for some of my clients. I don't know if they'd wear or like them, so I'm on the fence......


I'm already loving fall back. That extra hour just seems to make all the difference.
I also thought I'd share some pics of our visitor this week.
What's that sister? Something in the front yard?













Check out the rack. Nice little 2-point. It's amazing how they adapt. We live in a pretty busy residential area, and they seem to visit a lot - right now it's for the apples that fall from the tree.

fairy ring progress

This week has been totally devoted to fairy ring knitting-wise, and I have great progress to show for it. The bottom cable and hem is done, the garter stitch "skirt" is done, the lower cabling is done and also the left front. It went very fast and I'm extremely pleased with how it's turning out. This is my first adventure into this much cabling and this many charts. Just looking at the pattern and chart detail totally intimidated me for a long time. I finally just decided to go for it, since I'd bought the yarn back in july and I want to be able to wear it this winter instead of knitting on it next summer. Next up, the right side and the back. These kind of take a while because they require a bit of concentration since they're all cabled. I'm hoping to be able to finish the body this week, and then the sleeves next week. We'll see. It IS supposed to rain most of the week, but that bodyflow and bodypump are not going to learn themselves and I need to teach them both on friday.
Good thing next weekend is "fall back" and we get an extra hour.
I think my next project is going to be some "damensocken" - nordic 2-color knee socks. I've found some great solid color sock yarn at www.simplysockyarn.com and I may have to order it.
Next week, the classes should also be up for madrona. I've never really been interested in classes before, but sock summit gave me a whole new perspective. I'll be looking at the madrona classes closely to see if there's anything that catches my eye. Sounds like they have some great teachers lined up.

books, books, books!

Like I need any more projects......
This week brought some new books, not a lot of knitting progress.
There's some goodies here. The joy of sox (thanks Pam, you enabler, you)
The enchanted sole. I pre-ordered this one back in july. I was glad I did when I saw the "alchemest" pattern. It's gorgeous. Gotta make it. Just not right now.
The latest Vogue - some good patterns here
And a Norwegian(?) mitten, sock, and hat book. There's these amazing black and white knee socks in there. Putting them on my list. Good thing it comes with an english translation. I'm addicted to colorwork after the mittens. I don't know if I do it "right", or even well, but I'm loving it.

Speaking of mittens, they're all done, thumbs and all. Everyone that's seen them thinks they're great. They were a fun, fast, knit. I love them.

The big cabled thing there is "faery ring" by Mary Scott Huff. I fell in love with this cabled sweater-coat last year at madrona. Ordered the yarn, cascade 220 doeskin heather, from WEBS last summer when it was on sale, and promptly got scared by all the cables and charts. I was looking for a new "big" project to do on a rainy day, so I dragged it all out and dug in. It's not as hard as it looks so far. We'll see what happens when I have to pick up 262 stitches and start knitting miles of cable on the body. I'd love to have it done by the next Madrona in Feb. The designer will be there again, and I can wear it and show off!
This week, more faery ring knitting, some plain socks for christmas, felting the purse, and working on the new bodypump and bodyflow, since I have to teach them soon.
It's supposed to rain....

sock summit, the gift that keeps on giving

Back in august, there was this little thing called sock summit. I took the plunge and went for the entire 4 days. I guess it's ok to say now, but I was one of the lucky ones. I got all the classes I wanted. Maybe it was just some 50th birthday mojo, maybe just good luck and a persistent husband, I don't know. When I chose my classes, I tried to focus on things that would improve my skills as a knitter. So far, that strategy is working pretty darned well. It's given me the confidence to try things I don't think I would have.

One of the classes I took was a colorwork class with Chrissy Gardiner. She's a great teacher, very patient and helpful. I did it because I wanted to make these mittens from Jorid. The ones with the dogs.
Here they are......



















I made a couple of small changes to the pattern. Since there is no special cast-on, I used an Estonian cast-on by Nancy Bush, followed by one knit row and one purl row before beginning the pattern. This cast-on is nice and stretchy. I also modified the ears on the doggie a bit. The original dog was a boston, now it's a boxer. I think it worked pretty well, don't you? Looks just like her. The second mitten is about 1/2way done, and this one still needs a thumb, but I'm pretty happy with how they're turning out.

This week I also started the second victorian christmas sock. I also need some mindless stuff to pack around with me and do between clients. Next up, I'm eyeing some sweaters. I really, really want to do "faery ring", but the charts TOTALLY intimidate me. I think I'll have to un-chart it first.
I also need to felt the purse. It's supposed to rain later in the week, so that may be my opportunity. I went to the LYS yesterday, they had a sale on, and I showed impressive restraint. All I bought was some "parakeet colored" roving to finish the needle felting on the purse.

I've been distracted by the mittens all week. Gotta get back to that christmas knitting, too.

gail, part two

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The second gail is done. I'm pretty proud of my christmas present progress.
It's all blocked and will soon be put away from meddling kitties.










The purse is also done and ready to be felted. (also a christmas present) I'll probably wait for a nice, rainy day to do that. They'll be plenty of those. Fall arrived here at EXACTLY 10 am last tuesday. One minute it was nice and sunny, the next cold, windy and rainy. Go figure.


This week brought some other goodies. A Fourth treasure of knitting (from ebay), the latest Socks that Rock kit. (love the yarn, still thinking about the pattern), and a completion of one of the victorian christmas socks. I love the victorian socks because I used several techniques that I learned at sock summit, judy's magic cast on, short row heels, and a picot edge cast off. It was really fun to put it all together in a fairly plain sock. The first one was the experimental model, so it took a lot of time and frogging. Hopefully the second one will be easier.
I'm thinking the next project will be the doggie mittens. I have a perfect brown color in the knitpicks pallette. It looks just like sister.


On friday night, we went to arts walk downtown. We were just starting to have fun, when it started pouring. Sister does NOT like to be wet, so we boogied for the car.




This was some of the best art there......

progress, purchases, and a MAJOR yard sale score!

First the progress. The North Pole christmas sock is coming along nicely, after the third try, you know, it's a charm. It kept coming out too big. I've finally figured out where the foot should end and the heel should begin, so I think it's going to work perfectly. Now it's just knit, knit, knit. It's a good, I have 10 minutes between clients project, even though it's not too stimulating.











Next, purchases, like I need more yarn. I stopped by the LYS on friday to get the 2 small needles there. Judy's magic cast on is so much easier on those kind of needles as opposed to straights. Well, they had a bunch of the zauerballs. Had to have one.
This one a a pretty cool berry color. I'm pretty sure I'm going to use it to make the shawl I saw on ravelry. Don't really care for it as socks, and I already have so many.
Speaking of socks, I'm expecting my socks that rock sept shipment any minute. I have to admit, I already peeked at some of the spoilers, and I'm sure I'm going to love it.

Now for the major score.....
I stopped by a yard sale this morning and bought a couple of knitting books for 50 cents. I pretty much always buy knitting books if I see them and they're cheap, just because. Well, and I still can't believe this one, the Alice Starmore book is a special one. It's out of print, has been for some time, will probably not ever be printed again, and it's kind of a cool book. It sells on Amazon for somewhere between $200-300. Yes, that's TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS! Not too bad for my 50 cent investment. Now, I have to think, do I want to sell it on ravelry for a couple hundred bucks, (that would buy a lot of projects), or, would I rather keep it. Tough call. I'll have to let you know, keeping it for now. Oh, by the way, the yarn was free. I really have to go to more yard sales!











We will now return you to your regularly scheduled nap.