From the Mail Lady

It's always exciting when the mail lady brings goodies. Actually, sometimes it's the library's delivery guy (his name is Ron), since I have a fair amount of mail delivered to work instead of home. Either way, whether it's Ron or the anonymous Mail Lady who delivers my home mail, it's always exciting.

There have been some undocumented knitting-related deliveries lately.

Here's the February shipment of the Mean Girls Yarn Club.

Both times that I have joined yarn clubs, I've told myself that it would force me to consider yarn not within my usual colorways. However, not surprisingly, this month's shipment is my favorite, because it's definitely within my colorway comfort zone!

The shipment also included a heart-shaped lollypop and a tiny key-shaped stitch marker.

Speaking of stitch markers:

That's two sets of stitch markers from Lynette's Etsy shop, Passionknit Pieces. I'm a sucker for stitch markers, and she's got lots of cute ones!

Red Nuggets

Black Cats

At least six weeks ago, my friend Melissa asked me if I wanted some old knitting patterns she had gotten somehow. I said sure, so she put them in the mail to me.

The first few looked like the typical pamphlets I remember my grandma having back in the 60s and 70s. Most of these didn't have dates on them but the two that did were dated 1974, which is the year I graduated from high school, so I remember it very well!

The last one in the pile had a note attched.

I have to say that I don't remember guys wearing aran hats tilted to one side like that. I also don't remember any dressing like this!

Note the same tilt to the hat. Maybe he's got a scar over his eyebrow.

I'm not one to criticize the styles from the past - I'm old enough to know that fashion is circular and if you're laughing about it today, there's a good possibility you'll be wearing it tomorrow. However, I'm pretty sure I'd remember guys dressed like this!

And those knee socks? They're actually leg warmers, years before the leg warmer craze of the '80's!

The Last Christmas Gift!

This weekend, I finally finished my brother's flip-top, flip-thumb mittens. I could have had them finished a couple weeks ago, but really needed my brother's thumb handy, to make sure everything fit.

He had tried on the prototype at Christmas, so knitting the hand/mitten part was easy. The thumb still puzzled me, though, so I knit two variations. After he tried them both on Friday evening, I cut the thumb tips off, and redid both.

So - in the end, I knit 3 mittens and 5 thumbs, but ended up with something we both liked.

It was raining outside, so we couldn't take pictures with snow.
I should have at least made my brother put on his coat!

Details
Patterns:
Construction of hand: Nuttinbutknittin's Glittens
Final thumb: Glenna C's Podster Gloves
Colorwork patterning: My own, but nothing fancy - 2x2 squares and some straight lines. The fanciest thing about them is probably the twisted rib cuff!

Yarn: 4 colors of Cascade 220, which is my favorite mitten yarn. I like it for color work, and it makes nice, warm, water-resistant mittens.

Needles: Size 4 DPNs for the cuffs, glove insert, and mitten and thumb tips; size 6 DPNs for the stranded work.

Olympic Knitting

Although I'm not participating on a team in the Ravelympics, I did sign up for the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics. I did this not because I think I will finish a project and "medal," but to force myself to work on this lap blanket, which I promised to knit by May for a charity.

It's a free pattern from the Bernat site, called Cable Blanket and I'm using Knitpicks Swish Bulky (color Honeydew, apparently no longer available and greener than this picture shows) and size 10 needles. Some of you know how I dislike big yarn and big needles, but I had 10 skeins of the yarn in stash (and no idea how it got there!) and it seemed like a smart use of it. I'm making it slightly narrower than the pattern directs, partly because I wanted a more "lap size" blanket but also because I'm not sure I've got enough yarn. I think it's going to end up around 45" x 42" - sounds like "lap-size" to me!

My brother's flip-top, flip-thumb mittens are basically finished, although they have different thumbs. I'll see my brother this weekend and we'll decide which thumb works better. Then I'll rip out the "wrong" thumb and re-knit it. Luckily, thumbs knit up fast! Hopefully, I'll get a modeled shot once they're done.

I mentioned a while ago that I really wanted to make a Boneyard shawl. After starting it in a couple other yarns that were of a more appropriate gauge, I decided to use the Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Stonechat, for which I had been having trouble finding a good project. Although Boneyard calls for a heavier yarn, I have two skeins of the Malabrigo Sock Yarn, so I think I'll just keep knitting until it's gone!

Looking at my Ravelry Projects page, I realize that the last thing I actually finished for myself was by October Lady Sweater, which I finished at the end of September. I think maybe the reason I have such a case of startitis is because I want to make something fore ME!!!!

I did make some cupcakes for me - and for my co-workers - for Valentine's Day....

Black Cats

I've had this little black iron cat for years. I believe my mom gave it to me one year for Christmas. I use it as a door stop -- notice the hinge in the photo. Black Kitty is quite small!

For reasons I don't understand, Harley has always been terrified of Black Kitty. Whenever she walks past it, she stays as far away from it as possible and eyes it suspiciously!

Dolly ignores Black Kitty. Her favorite place this winter is hunched over the heat register in the kitchen. Poor cold baby... I'm tired of winter, too!

Knitting

Thanks for the comments on my last post. Unfortunately, no one seems to know anything about my pendants. Oh, well... they're still pretty!

My knitting mojo seems to be waxing and waning, practically on a daily basis. I've finished another fliptop glove for my brother, and have started on the second of this pair.

What you see here is the back of the hand, with the 'fliptop' pulled back.

I'm still not thrilled with the fliptop thumb, but it will be easy to rip out and re-do. I've considered the thumb from the Podster mitts, but I still feel like there must be an easier way. However, her method does seem to prevent the "flaring flap" issue I'm having with my method!

I also started the second of my Bougainvillea socks. I started the first one last February, and although I absolutely love everything about this sock, other projects seems to constantly take precedence.

That's the second cuff. My camera wanted to focus on Vinnie!

While digging around for an empty project bag, I pulled out one with the beginning of Gale, which, like Bougainvillea, is an Anne Hanson pattern. It's a wonderful patten, but it and the yarn - Malabrigo Sock Yarn in Stonechat - just didn't seem to be working. So I frogged. Now I have two skeins of this pretty pretty yarn. It would make beautiful socks, bu I'm still not sure that's what it wants to be.

I've also knit a few rounds on my Hedgerow socks, which I started back in October.

I need to get some of these project done. I'm itching to start a Boneyard scarf/shawl (rav) and a Myrtle cardigan (rav). Boneyard looks so nice and cozy, plus, it's named after the Boneyard Creek, which flows through campus in Champaign/Urbana. I haven't decided on a yarn yet. However, I have invested in the yarn for Myrtle: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Solids in Nantucket Red, which I got on sale at BargainYarns. Pretty!

And one more thing, having nothing to do with knitting! Have you seen the T-Mobile commercial with Eric Clapton? I'm a huge Clapton fan (one of the good things that came from my marriage - my ex was--still is, I'm sure--a huge Clapton fan, and his good taste in music rubbed off on me). I was appalled the first time I saw it, but I have to say that I smile every time it comes on now. It's just nice to see EC, even if it is on a commercial! I also realized that, among the 80+ Clapton/Cream/Derek & the Dominos/Blind Faith songs on my ipod, I didn't have the song playing in that commercial, "I've Got a Rock'n'Roll Heart." How can that be??? (I have it now, thanks to iTunes!)

Not knitting

ETA: Oh, yeah - I changed my blog's background. I like it, but I'm not so sure about the header. More changes may be coming.

Actually, I am knitting - I'm about half done with my brother's first real fliptop mitten (as opposed to the prototype) and I've also worked some on my Hedgerow socks, which have been languishing since before Christmas knitting began. I really need socks - all of my handknit socks seem to have self-destructed simultaneously.

But tonight I need to tap the collective knowledge of my readers.

Do any of you know anything about these?

Here's the background: As I'm sure I've mentioned, my ex-husband was military - Army, to be exact - and spent a year in Korea. He brought these pendants back for me. I know he was excited about them, and thought they were really cool. My impression was that they were some sort of classical or traditional Korean jewelry.

Here are closeups of each of them. They are each about 1.35 inches high by 1 inch wide. The brown one, with the swans, is more teardrop-shaped, while the purple one, with the geese, is more egg-shaped. Both are convex on both the front and the back.

I had totally forgotten about these until I found them today while looking through my jewelry for a couple of rings (which I didn't find). I, of course, tried googling for more information about this style of jewelry, but didn't find anything. Anyone know anything about it?

Extended Christmas Knitting

I mentioned the Fliptop/Flipthumb mittens I'm (still) knitting for my brother for Christmas. I'm using these rather loose guidelines for the fliptop portion, but am winging it for the 'flipthumb' (needed for iphone use, of course!) I also wanted to make the body of the mittens stranded colorwork, because that makes them so much warmer.

By the time I started knitting the inner half-fingers on this, I knew it was a prototype and that I would have to knit two more. I'll be going up a needle size for the hand portion of the mitten and down a needle size for the half-fingers. I'll also be using a sock-weight yarn forthe half-fingers rather than the Cascade 220 that's used for the rest. I'm still not sure the flipthumb is going to work!

This would be my hand modeling the mitten, not my brother's. No red nail polish for him!

However, I couldn't start work immediately on these, since the size 6 dpn's I need for the mitten portion are just about the only dpn's I didn't already own! I didn't get to Crazy Girl to pick up a set until Tuesday evening, by which time I had already been distracted by the fact that one of my co-workers was in desperate need of a hat. I waited at the bus stop with him one evening and watched the snow pile up on his head!

So I spent a couple nights cranking out a Marsan Watch Cap, also in Cascade 220. If you're looking for a simple, quick, warm hat, I'd really recommend this one. I may even make one for myself!

The recipient promises to wear it, and seemed really excited to get it. I think this means I have to make hats for the rest of the staff now, though!

So tonight I came home, ready to work on the mittens - but was distracted by the Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Candy Girl that has been sitting on my coffee table for months. It's been in may stash for years; when I saw the Feather Duster pattern last summer, I knew they were meant for each other! And I just couldn't help myself...

Happy New Year!

I didn't really plan on being gone for almost two weeks, but you know how this time of year is! The library was closed Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 1, and I took Dec. 28-31 off. The original plan was to go to San Antonio for Christmas at my sister's but circumstances got in the way and instead, we had Christmas at my mom's house in central Illinois. My sister even came up for a week (yay for Southwest Airlines and affordable airfares - and free checked bags, too!).

I got Christmas knitting mostly done. Beside the Grove mittens for my niece,

Rav link

there was a Traveling Woman shawlette for my mom

Rav link

and a small-sized Bitterroot for my sister. I didn't quite get this done before Christmas, but I did get it done before I left Mom's. I didn't use beads on mine - that would have slowed me way down! As it is, I'm impressed that I got this done in just over two weeks -- work really gets in the way of knitting!

Rav link

There was also the "not quite Jayne" hat in Tennessee Titans colors for my brother-in-law, shown here modeled by my mom's dog Blackie. In reality, the colors aren't quite so eye-searing but this is the only picture I have of it.

Rav link

There's also a pair of flip-top, flip-thumb mittens for my brother. I've finished one prototype mitten, and will be making a pair based on that, with adjustments based on my brother's actual hand size as well as things I learned while making the prototype. Photos will follow. In the meantime, here are a few more pictures from Christmas.

Kitties

I had a post all written about how I spent today worried about Vinnie and Dolly, because they both seemed a little under the weather, but then I decided you might not really want to hear about it -- especially since Laurie wrote a similar, and much better, post today.

So let me just say that everyone is fine this evening, and wondering why I was worried.

Dolly says, "It was just a little hairball - and I'm always grouchy in the morning.

Harley says, "I spent the day licking Dolly's head. I'm sure that's what made her well."

Vinnie says, "I don't know about head licking, but that mineral oil stuff you gave me yesterday seems to have done the trick! Also, I just licked the powdered sugar off the cookie you left laying on the coffee table."

Stuff That Makes Me Happy

• That Christmas is 50% off at Hobby Lobby.
  
• That, despite that fact, I still only spent $8.56 at Hobby Lobby!
• That my neighbor shoveled the 3 foot high pile of snow off the curb in front of my car, and shoveled a completely clear path to the driver's side door. He likes to shovel, plus he's a nice guy.
  
• The new Knitty! (especially this)
• That I may actually finish all my Christmas knitting!
• That this year's Illinois basketball team seems to be much better than the football team.
• That the simple act of wearing fingerless gloves and a cowl makes my chilly living room more comfortable. (I know - why did it take me so long to figure this out?)
• That although the high temperature tomorrow is predicted to be 10ºF (-12ºC), it's supposed to be 30ºF (-1ºC) by Thursday.
• That the US still uses Fahrenheit, because those Celsius temps look so much colder! ;-)
• That two of my kitties love each other, and the third loves me!

3 CPs Down, 2 To Go

I've got three Christmas projects done (for my niece, my mother, and my brother-in-law) and two to go. Those two have both been started. My brother's will be from this yarn:

Not the best picture -- the green is a little more subdued, as is the red. And there's only a small amount of red in this project.

My sister's gift has been started, too, but I'm definitely not showing it here!

My grey Red Scarf is about half finished, but Norma has given us a deadline extension. I think it will be done by Christmas, but I'm now concentrating on the stuff that really needs to get done by then!

I've been pretty good over the last several months when it comes to unnecessary stash enhancement, but last weekend I was in Champaign, Illinois, and forced Helen to visit Needleworks with me. (Although she was the one who told me they were having a 15% off sale....) My favorite thing about Needleworks is that it carries Lorna's Laces. I have three great LYSes here, but none carries Lorna's.

I came home with two skeins of LL Shepherd's Sock in Manzanita

as well as a pair of skein of Ella Rae Lace Merino (which is really more fingering weight) in the evocatively-named colorway 119.

In addition to visiting with Helen, I also attended a football game on Saturday. If you follow Big Ten football, you know that my alma mater, the University of Illinois, wasn't so great this year. I have a friend who has season tickets and, frankly, couldn't find anyone who wanted to go to the last game of the year, on December 5, against non-conference Fresno State (and that's saying something, since his father actually lives in Champaign!).

I hadn't been to a game for probably 20 years, and the stadium was renovated last year, so I was happy to use that ticket.

This is halftime.

Those ROTC guys hugging each other are actually doing the traditional sway to the Alma Mater.

Looks beautiful, doesn't it? It was about 28 degrees and we were in the shade for most of the game. It was COLD, but we didn't leave -- Illinois ended up losing 53-52 at the last second. We just couldn't leave - and it was the highest scoring game ever played in Memorial Stadium!

Even my handknit orange-and-blue socks and my Illini earrings couldn't help them win the game.

Of course, it wasn't as cold as it is in Iowa City today!

Knitting Progress

A five-day weekend gave me some time to make progress on my Christmas knitting - but also to decide I really needed to make a Red Scarf. I've made one the last three years, but had decided to take this year off -- except Norma says they really need more scarves, so.....

This year's scarf is grey, not red (any unisex color is accepted), and is sort of based on this scarf - but done in worsted weight (Lion Brand Wool-Ease, which, I have to say, for a big-box store, mostly-acrylic yarn, isn't half bad) with some ribbing added.

Over the weekend, I also finished another dishcloth for Mom

and almost finished a Christmas gift (which you'll see later).

I will show you this: Mitten #1 for my niece -- it's Jared Flood's Grove mitten. The color is quite pink (this picture really doesn't do it justice).

The other major accomplishment over the weekend was, of course, eating lots with about 25 relatives. I guess you can tell what was important - I managed to take pictures of all the food, but the only relatives pictured are the ones that were standing around the food.

You'll notice that the first assortment of food right after the plates and plastic-ware is the desserts!

Also - there was an abundance of noodles and mashed potatoes! Yum!

Cutest Kitten Video (this week, at least)

Thanks to the Huffington Post for finding this!

One CP Down....

Edited to add: Did you know there are two sizes of size 6 needles? I have 2 sets of size 6 DPNs, and one set is marked 4.0 mm (which is what the pattern calls for) and the other set is marked 4.25 mm. I knew about the two size 1s (well, 1 and 1 1/2), of course, but I didn't realize other sizes had variations, too. And I'm really glad my needles AND the pattern all indicated the metric size!

***********************************

That would be one "Christmas Project" and actually, it still needs blocking.

And that's all you're getting until after it's gifted!

Christmas Project 2 is on the needles.

It's kind of funny how my camera focused on the keyboard, not on the knitting...

Be assured that not all the Christmas knitting is pink!

Actually, Christmas Project 3 has been started, but I put it aside, because I'll need something to work on over Thanksgiving that's NOT a gift for the people I'm seeing then.

Christmas Project 4 needs some designing on my part - I should get to that soon, too. Luckily Christmas Project 5 will be a fast one, but I don't have the yarn yet.

Probably because I've got lots of Christmas knitting to do, I suddenly really want to finish some of my WIPs, particularly the Bougainvillea socks. sigh....

This might be because my handknit sock supply is suddenly looking pretty bad. I probably need to learn to darn, too.

Long time, no blog....

I'm constantly thinking about blogging, but nothing seems really bloggable.

For example: today was a gorgeous day - temperature in the low 70s and sunny. But around 4:30, you could tell it was already starting to get dark. I swear it's getting dark earlier this year.

Also: Christmas knitting has commenced, but I'm always worried about blogging about it. So far, it's all from stash, but I think I will have to break down and buy yarn for one project.

I really should have blogged about Halloween:

I made apple cider donuts to take to work on Halloween. They were really yummy, although I didn't think they were all that apple-y.

We were well-protected at work on Halloween by librarian superheroes Squirrel Girl, Clark Kent/Superman, and Thor,

and by a Plague Doctor.

No picture of me - my costume was "librarian on Friday" -- jeans and clogs!

And look -- Harley and Dolly are best buds now! It's really cute how they cuddle and groom each other, especially since Dolly is an extra-small kitty and Harley is an extra-large. Harley really is about 3 times bigger than Dolly!

So - that pretty much catches you up on my life. Well, except for the four new tires on my car. You'd think I'd have a picture of something that cost $600, but I don't....