Not the holiday I had planned

Well, it's been a little bit of a roller coaster over here.  However, I did finish all the knitting I intended too.  I didn't get to get all the baking in I wanted, nor did I get in the cleaning or organizing or decorating.  We always travel to our families for the holidays, and so I feel like I have more time than I really do.  All of a sudden we'll be leaving for Wisconsin in the morning.  This year was no different.  Well, a little different.  I lost an aunt over the holidays, my mom's side of the family.  It was a bittersweet holiday, she hung on through Christmas (which she loved).

Our plans changed a lot, popping back home (300 miles) for the dentist and to complete everything we had intended to do while on vacation that week, then coming back for funeral activities (300 miles).  Then back home (300 miles).  And on to New Year's activities...  Far too much packed in to a small amount of time.  Going back to work was a vacation from this vacation.

When life was getting away from me I was knitting balls.  BALLS!!! (I also made candies ... all in BALL form ... sorry)  I made a few for a knitting friend who lost her Christmas decor in a flood this summer.  Our knitting group pooled together to start rebuilding her collection.  I also made a few more for me.

I also finished (but not blocked) a Spectra (by Stephen West).  It was made with Dream in Color Starry in Deep Sea Flower and Jawoll Magic, a one ply color changing fingering weight yarn by Lang.  So pretty, stunning really.

The Christmas gifts went over well - the flower headband for my boyfriend's sister got a delightful reaction.  My brother's Packer scarf was great, he even said "It'll match my hat!"  Yup, that was the intent :-D.  Grandma loved her slippers, one of my aunts said I should take orders.  Oh, no these are for Grandma only.

And over Christmas I was knitting with handspun... a RhombusCowl out of Beyounce the llama's fur.  I have loved her so much, my mom bought me a TON of her roving for Christmas - there will be a Beyounce sweater - but not yet.  I think I would like a class on plying first.

Quick Quick Super Quick

Quick update!

Holiday knitting is in full force except I wasn't going to do any .... yeah.  Not so hot at sticking to stuff.

I finished some cute socks - groovy socks - in some handpainted sock blank.  It turned out great - they are lace though and not thermally appropriate for the Chicagoland weather of December.  They will be hibernating in the drawer a bit.

I cast on another pair of socks out of left overs from my vacation shawl (seen below).  Rhythm Man Socks - they are a slip stitch pattern which should offer ample protection from the harsh Chicagoland winters.

I had a finishing flurry over Thanksgiving weekend.  Friend R came over for Dr Who time and she started a new sweater and I finished a ton of projects including modifications to a sweater I made this spring - a Juliet made in Brown Sheep Cotton yarn.  It is beige and a good combo with a long sleeve t-shirt.  I will go add some to my wardrobe. I also finished Grandma's slippers.  I made her socks - she won't put them in her shoes, so she said they are too slippery to wear around the house.  I got some leather soles and made these:

I keep thinking maybe I should knit another pair of socks to "line" the slippers with, but I don't think I will at this point.  I even swatched for this - a rarity - but it made me a convert.  It turned out so well - like every time it does when I swatch... jeez.  I might be a convert.

I then decided to use November's Dream in Color Club color for not the scarf designed for it.  (a little short for a scarf if you ask me).  I made a crochet shawllette from the Chicago Yarn Crawl.  It's amazing.  I need to block it.  I will do that tomorrow.  Typing it makes it true right?

A week in which I make progress

I made progress on some KAL's this week.  I ripped out some others.

The progress! Progress was made on both the Progressive Needles KAL and the Fuzzy Fall KAL.  The Simplicity Shawl has made it to clue 3.  The yarn is so very soft and these stitches are very challenging.  The pattern does keep me engaged.  However, I'm not making amazing progress because I'm not printing the pattern - I'm only working on it in front of the computer.  I highlight the row I'm on and work it, then highlight the next.

The Fuzzy Fall KAL is moving along.  I'm done with the sleeves and now am working down the back.  I worked about 5" over the Packer game today, only about 11" left and I'm ready to seam!  Wow, I'm pretty close.

The ripping.  The dream club Momijigari isn't going well.  I am knitting at a loser gauge than in the pattern, but I like the fabric a lot.  I love the color, but as I started the boarder I thought I might run out of yarn.  As I got to row 10 of the 20 row boarder I knew I was going to run out of yarn.  There are 15 of us all knitting the same thing, with the same yarn, I would probably be able to bribe someone for scraps - but every skein was very different, no chances of looking cohesive.  Well, the decision to rip back was made for me as I found a mistake at the edge pattern.  I missed a SSK and a YO 2 or 4 rows back - and it looks so different from the other side.  I couldn't figure out the pattern well enough, I needed a chart.  I ripped back and created a chart.  It makes more sense.  Now - I'm re-starting the boarder - but skipping a few rows - it will work out and I won't run out of yarn.

I did attend a stellar event this week!  The Yarn Harlot is on her book tour, and she made it to Chicago-land!  I made it and this picture says we look like we could be related.  It's the round cheeks and fluffy hair.  It's a look we rock.

I re-started the first book of her's I got for Christmas last year.  It is so funny, and very hard to put down.  I understand knitting humor, knitters should right for knitters.

A grand Knit-A-Long indeed

So I talked with my mom last night.  We needed to chat over how the merging a 3rd dog into the household was going.  Not good at all, and the dog went back was the answer to that.  However, she asked me what I was up to, and the obvious answer was that I was knitting all the things in the world.  "In the world?"  "Yes, Mom, in the world.  Let me give you a run down of what I've got on the needles/hooks."

I pulled up my rav page and began rattling off all my projects.  Whoa boy - I've got 8 or so and some hibernating.  I'm happy to report grand progress on the knit a longs!

My Dodgson sweater is over 1/2 done!  I've now joined the collar pieces, and moving down the back.  It's a cardigan with a one piece construction starting at the bottom front worked up and over the shoulders then down the back.  I've started down the back, now only using one working yarn and the working the broken rib on the ends of the sleeves.  I have a hunch that once the shaping is done this sweater is going to be very boring to work on....

I did start the Knit Purl Hunter's Progressive Needles KAL.  I have some aqua colored Simplicity Yarn.  The yarn is a mystery to me, it's a Merino Wool, Nylon and Acrylic blend.  It feels like a Merino but I feel like it acts like a cotton.  It isn't very stretchy.  I do love the color though, and it is working well with the pattern.  It is a "simple" triangle shawl with sections of stockinette stitch and sections of texture.  The texture has been stitches that I have never done before.  So far it's been the knit 1 below and the knot stitch.  I can't wait to see what comes next!

I also picked up the October Dream in Color Dream Club stuff.  The yarn is a blend I haven't seen from them before (to my knowledge), a Mohair Merino blend in a very fun color that is exactly what the changing leaves look like.  There was a kick-off of sorts in the store and we all cast on at the same time.  It was interesting to have such a wide variety of skill levels in one group.  Fun though.  This shawl is a triangle shawl worked sideways in garter then we'll come back and pick up along one edge and do some great lace work. SO EXCITED - the garter stitch portion of it is working up quickly but those rows are getting a bit longer now.

The garter stitch portion of the shawl reminds me of Fit to be Tied.  It's a cute free pattern and here's what mine looks like.

On Saturday I cast on a new project - to celebrate I Love Yarn Day - because I love yarn.  I started something that my knit-friends and I have been plotting for months now - Spectra by Stephen West.  Very clever Stephen, very clever.  I picked out a Dream in Color Starry in Deep Sea Flower as my boarder color and a Lang Jawoll Magic in pinks and oranges to go in the "windows."  The contrast is great so far!  Or at least I thought so in the not-so-natural light. What do you think?

So - that's enough of chat - I'm going to run to the grocery & the post office, and then snuggle down for some good Wisconsin sports & the Walking Dead tonight, with my knitting of course.