A Tale of Two Sweaters

I've been trying to work on all those WIPs, honestly I have. But, of course, I do seem to be acutely susceptible to bouts of startitis. I've been able to keep it at bay somewhat this year since I am on that quest to make a pair of socks a month. I know that most of them are still OTN and I'm running out of dpns. No need to remind me thank you very much.

Everything I am working on lately is on tiny needles and seems to be getting no closer to being done no matter how long I knit on it, so I did indulge myself and cast on a quick to knit project. I've had this yarn (Elsebeth Lavold Angora) in my stash for a couple of years and have since lost interest in the sweater it was supposed to become, but every time I saw it, it reminded me of this cute little cardigan I ran across during a Ravelry surfing session. 1 week start to finish. Gotta love projects like that! It was just what I needed to give me the incentive to finish up another project (one that I don't have a photo of at the moment).




I will get a photo of the finished Zick Zack tunic later this week to post. A lovely laceweight concoction that drove me batty with its monotonous pattern that for some reason I just couldn't memorize.

Since I finished that project, I decided to indulge myself in another project that would be finished in a short span. Again, I dove into the stash and found some yarn that had been purchased for a sweater I no longer wanted, matched it with a project in my queue, and voila! We have a Leaf Yoke Top just in time to wear a few times before it gets too cool for sleeveless wear.




It knit up quickly in Berroco's NaturLin, a linen/rayon blend that will hopefully be soft and drapey once dried. I plan to wear it tomorrow to work =)

Hello ...

is anyone still checking this blog to see if there are updates? I know it's been forever and an age, but hopefully I'll get back in the habit of updating.

I've finished quite a few things since I last updated, so this post will be chock full of photos. Got on a sock kick for several months and have a whole new wardrobe of socks, plus a bunch more still on the needles. As bad as that sounds, I've actually gotten much better at finishing projects I start before starting new ones. Not that I don't still start the occasional new project on a whim. And not that I've gotten any better whatsoever at finishing up all those WIPs I've had sitting around forever. Hoping to rectify that with my newfound project (sort of) monogamy.

A co-worker is expecting her first baby, so I couldn't resist making this adorable personalized blanket. It worked up in no time at all. I've always been able to crochet much faster than I knit. Isn't it adorable?

Five pair of socks finished since I last posted. Not sure what's with the sock craze, but I'm putting quite a dent in my sock yarn stash.

Knit up a Modern Lace Henley in record time too. More stash yarn used up to make this. It's knit up in Silky Wool and is super comfy. Perfect for spring and fall.

And now on to some newly started projects. Saw a book in my LYS and fell instantly in love with nearly every project in it. The Enchanted Sole is filled with wonderfully beautiful and fanciful socks. The first pair I cast on is a gorgeous stranded colorwork concoction called Tree of Life. I am using yarn purchased from a local dyer/spinner (Laughing Rat - look her up on Etsy). The darker blue/purple yarn is 100% merino, and the lighter pink/orange is a merino/bamboo blend. The resulting sock is quite decadent and I am absolutely thrilled with it.

In keeping with the sock yarn knit off I seem to be conducting, I started a skirt made from Noro Silk Garden Sock. It is made up of ever increasing in size panels to create a pretty A-line skirt. I've finished one panel and have another almost complete.

Another new book purchased is Crochet So Fine. It is full of simply scrumptious projects all crocheted with fine yarn (mostly laceweight, but a few fingering/sport). I have a bunch of the projects queued up and couldn't resist pulling out some Mountain Colors Winter Lace yarn I've had for some time to start a lacy tank. More photos of this in the near future as I am quite smitten with the pattern at the moment.



Another project started since I last blogged (I think so anyway because I didn't see it in the last few posts and I'm too lazy to look further back) is the Zick Zack Tunic. Another lightweight sweater made with lace yarn. I'm using up more stash yarn on this project. The back is finished and I'm about 1/2 done with the front.



I am trying to keep my focus on 2 projects at a time to keep to finishing more than I start .... wish me luck!

Quick post before Olympics start!

Finished the Team USA Hat. Too big for me, and I decided I want the one Julia Mancuso was wearing instead of this one, so I'll be making that one next. Yes, I am hopeless, scouring the Olympics for new knitwear!



Horrible photo of the first 1/2 February dishcloth. Uggg I guess I need to learn to use this camera better. None of my pictures turns out well.



Ok, fun time. What do you do when your ass won't fit into your jeans anymore? Besides go on a shopping trip to buy more? You find some horrible fabric in your stash that makes you go "why the hell did I buy that?" and make yourself an apron, that's what? Ok, it's weird but I love it. Now I want a whole bunch of aprons. A different one for every day of the month, just like the collection of mittens and gloves I have.



Lest you think I completely gave up on Ravelympics and Team WIP, I now give you progress!

I finished the Gladiolus vest and even wore it to work on Tuesday. Love this so much. Told everyone at work that I spent 4 days in my jammies making a hippie vest LOL.






Finished the Bustier Top too, and wore that to work yesterday. This fits nice, but the yarn is shedding. Hoping that that will stop once it's washed again.



Finished the Rose Wrap Shell too, but this looks so much better on the dress form than it does on a real body. I do believe it's destined for the trashcan. It's so horrible I won't even take a photo of it on ... ewwwwwwww.




Not bad, 3 finished WIPs and 1 finished new project since the Olympics started. And, now I will confess that I bought materials for a new crochet project and started a new knit one. Sigh, I am hopeless!

Ah, Ravelympics. I found the perfect team to join. Team WIP. I found an event to challenge myself with. WIPs Dancing. I picked out my projects. The Mary Tudor Cardigan I started in October 2007, and the Ravenna Satchel I started in September 2008.

I gathered my tools and projects in anticipation. I anxiously awaiting the start of the opening ceremonies.

I spied the Team USA hat and all hope was lost LOL. I simply had to have one. Of course, I got lucky and another knitter had already spied the adorable hat and made up a chart for it, so all I had to do was buy yarn, add another event (or 2) to my already full Ravelympic roster, and cast on. And, that's exactly what I did.

Here it is after the first day of knitting. Not too bad considering I was disciplined enough to complete my goal rounds on the cardigan before casting on, I spent quite a bit of time during the afternoon shopping, and I went out to dinner with Paul for Valentine's Day.



Here it is after day 2 of knitting. I am still enamored of this hat and believe that it should be finished tonight while I watch ice skating and snow boarding.



There is progress on Mary Tudor too. I am hoping to be finished with the body this week. The Ravenna Satchel will hopefully be completed this weekend. I am not so foolish as to believe that I will be able to complete the sleeves for MT and get the finishing done during Ravelympics, but I will consider the attempt a success if I get the better part of one sleeve completed. That just might be the incentive I need to finally complete the sweater and get it off my list of UFOs.



Can you believe with all this WIP finishing excitement, and shiny new project joy, I am still itching to start yet another project? Of course you can if you know me in the least. I decided that I would limit myself to using a pattern in my Ravelry queue and a yarn in my stash. I asked Paul to give me 2 numbers (the first corresponding to a page in my queue and the second to the project on that page). Score!! The pattern is a cute tunic made with laceweight yarn and I have a ton of that in my stash. I will allow myself to start this project once the Olympics is over provided I finish my Team USA hat and the Ravenna Satchel.

Sock, socks, and did I mention socks?

A bit of progress made this week on the Hearts n Flowers socks. The double yarn over on size 0 needles make these a bit fiddly. Combine that with 4" needles that are so sharp they threaten to put holes in your palms as you knit, and you have a project that does not get a lot of attention at any one sitting. They shall be finished however, as I adore the yarn and pattern.



I finished up the second Mini Mochi sock on the way home from work tonight. Love them! The colors are so vibrant and the yarn soft and smooshy. I will wear them to work tomorrow to keep my feet toasty during the snow storm we are supposed to be getting.



Another fiddly project is the Bacchus socks. I have managed to turn the heel of the first sock and am now working my way up the leg. These are definitely not socks that I can work on while paying attention to anything else. Absolutely love them though, and can't wait til they are finished and I can wear them.



I had planned to work on the Girly Camo socks during car rids next, but have run into a little problem. I can't seem to find the second ball of yarn! I know it's around here somewhere, but until I can find it, I refuse to work on a sock that may very well be a singleton. What to do now? I really don't want to cast on something new, but everything cast on now seems to be less mindless than what I consider to be necessary for commute knitting.

The new 2010 block a month CAL pattern was released this week, and I worked it up immediately. I then decided that my resulting blanket was not going to be big enough with only 12 squares. I have chosen to make one of each 12" square and two of each 6" square from the patterns given each month to make a larger blanket.



Several weeks ago I cast on a sweater using some Cornucopia that has been in my stash for quite some time. I am liking the apple green color and hope it works well with the magenta contrast I've chosen for the accents. This project might become my commute knitting since it is the most midless of what I have cast on.



Only 8 more days til the Olympics!!!