Taaa-daaaa!!!!!

After four-and-a-half-months of trials and tribulations, lots of (fake) blood, (real) sweat, and (oh-so-real) tears, make 1 stitches that became yarn overs, making one side of the front longer than the other and forgetting how to knit in the process, picked up stitches that looked like poo-poo, and a strange tension change when I switch from circular to straight knitting, I give thee . . . HOPEFUL!

I may re-block it to make it a little longer and leaner looking; it makes me look a little barrell-waisted when I'm actually not. I made the 2nd-smallest size it came in, but my two-sweaters-made experience leads me to believe that sweater patterns run big. And yes, my gauge was correct.


I know I look a little doggy in that picture, so here's a recent pic of me with my hair done nice and with actual makeup on. I didn't crop it because Zelia was in the picture, looking cute but blurry.

And because I simply can't get enough of how cute my cats are, here's a picture of Zelia playing with a felted toy I bought from Woolarina (http://woolarina.com/) at the Bazaar Bizarre. It's a stylized mouse (or so she said), but I thought it looked like a striped, felted sperm and therefore felt justified buying something I could make. Plus I liked her and liked her yarn (I bought some of that too).

The yarn I bought isn't on her page, and I don't have a pic handy. Maybe I'll wait until I have a gauge swatch done, or better yet, a finished object.

Ta ta, and happy new year!

Which twin has the Toni?

Finally, I have some FOs to post! Also, because I just noticed the "add image" button on this blog, I can indeed post some pictures.

These are my 'Later Gator' mittens from Stitch n Bitch Nation. One pair, made with the recommended yarn (Cascade 220), was an Xmas gift for my stepdaughter Karmellah, who loved them. The second pair I made for my friend Jean, but haven't seen her to give them to her yet. She so loved Karm's pair when I brought them in to work, wearing them to bring papers in to attorneys' offices, that I had to make a pair for her. I made her pair with Lion Brand Wool-Ease. People may disagree with me on this, but I preferred working with the Wool-Ease. I think it made for a softer mitten. I would say that the W/E is easier care, but I don't think I'd throw something with wiggle eyes (which I always call "googly eyes", but never pronounce the 2nd g, so it comes out "ghouly eyes") into the washing machine.

Can you tell the difference?






Let me know if you can tell the difference. That would mean that people actually read my blog, and would make me ever so happy!

These were fun to knit. I don't recall my start and end dates, but each pair took me less than 2 weeks of knitting mostly in the evenings, sometimes at lunch, and of course at my weekly Stitch n Bitch (I may soon start going to a 2nd one). Starting them off was a little wonky, because dpns are often clumsy to use at first. Making the teeth was a new experience for me (French knots), but was ever-so-easy. I would make these again, if asked for a pair.

Action shot!!!!!!

I thought it would be amusing to put Solvie in the picture. She tried to play with it, though, and I couldn't give damaged mittens as an Xmas present! Both recipients have cats, so the mittens could be used as playthings at some point.


On the sticks now: the "Basic Cable" hat from SnBN. I'm close to 1/2 way done. I'm using some cheap-o Red Heart dark pink and light pink yarn, and some off-white yarn I got at a yard sale. This is how I am learning cables. Y'all are gonna laugh at me about this one. I didn't quite grasp the concept of making cables; I put the required # of stitches on the cable needle, and went on knitting, repeating until I had 8 cable needles hanging off my work. I thought you were supposed to pick up the stitches held on the cable needle on the next round, rather than after you knit the stitches after placing stitches on the cable needle. Oh, well, the instructions were about as confusing as my description of my misinterpretation of said instructions. I hope your eyes didn't cross reading this.

Oh, yeah, and my first try I somehow turned the first 8 or so rows into a Mobius. Yeah, don't ask.

Coming soon (maybe even later tonight): pictures of my finished Hopeful! I promise!!!

I'm STILL here!

I have just the I-cord "napkin ring" clasp on Hopeful to finish. Then I have to fix some poo-poo ness and block, and I'll have a new Spring sweater to wear! Picks will come later on today (I hope) or tomorrow.

The Queen of Unfinished Objects

I'm almost 1/2 done with the second "mouth" of my second pair of Later Gator mittens from Stitch n Bitch Nation! Which means I'm almost done, which is great because they are a Christmas present. I don't think I will see the recipient until after Christmas, however, as she is out of work and out of town this week. Her mom died. Her dad died about 2 weeks ago. A week before that, her cat died. It's been an awful holiday season for her, and I hope to give her a little bit of cheer.

The first (finished & wrapped!) pair of Later Gator mittens are also a gift. I took pictures and will post when I get a chance to figure out the picture hosting deal here.

I'm also still working on "Hopeful", a pattern I bought here:
http://www.thisgirlknits.com/tgbb.html

I started this in mid-August. Really. In the meantime, I have knit a couple of hats, and now 2 pairs of mittens. And I recycled a thrift store sweater by felting it and making a pair of mittens, a hat, and a scarf out of it (pics coming soon). But still, I should have been done by now. I had a couple of mess-ups on it, though, and had to put it aside because I was so disgruntled I couldn't face it. The first mess-up when when I had to create the left front, and right front of the sweater. You are supposed to knit until it is 12" and then start some shaping. I realized, much, much later, that one side was 12" and one side was 11.5". When I realized this, I forgot how to knit. It was traumatic. Because it is in the underarm, and I hope no one will see it, I picked up some stitches (which, oddly enough, don't look like poo-poo -- see my comments below on picked-up stitches) and added the extra half inch after the fact. There's a bit of a seam, but my underarm should cover it, and believe me, nobody looks at my pits. If they do, they deserve to see whatever they see.

The second mess-up is something I am still not sure what to do with. I do alright if I have to pick up every stitch, but when I have to pick up every other stitch, it looks like poo-poo. It has holes. I am going to have to figure out a way, after the fact, to disguise that -- creative weaving or whatnot. I already think I will turn the collar, which should hide some poo-poo-ness. I'm reluctant to post a picture until it's done, and then only if it looks good and not like poo-poo.

I have a couple of sewing projects on hold too! Lesseee. . . a red-and-navy-blue houndstooth skirt to go with the above Hopeful-ly-not-poo-poo sweater, a black and silver psychedelic check velveteen dress that is turning out to be just a smidgen too small (a started that one over a year ago! Cheers!), my Sophie purse (made last summer, lined it, then took the lining out to re-felt and haven't re-lined it yet), an orange paisley summer dress I was attempting to make without a pattern, inspired by the women's gorgeous dresses in Matango (aka "Attack of the Mushroom People"). I have at least one purse I started over the summer for the Etsy shop that never came to fruition (it's not too late, is it?), and I think that is it.

I think I had dubbed Thanksgiving weekend as "Turn UFOs into FOs weekend" and failed miserably. So, therefore, I am not even going to *mention* things that I wish to make.

I answered my own question

Don't you hate it when people ask your advice about a simple decision, and when they make their decision it is perfectly clear that their mind was already made up (or the answer was right in front of them)? Earlier today, I posted on the Tightly Knit boards that I was thinking about starting a blog, but wasn't sure if I was going to go the paid route (typepad) or the free route (blogger). About an hour after posting said statement (which was, in effect, me asking people what they thought I should do), I came to the conclusion that it is best to start with the free, and if I don't like free's limitations, go with the paid. If I start with the paid and decide I don't want to keep a blog (because really, who wants to read my thoughts? Is anyone even still reading?), then I would have wasted $4.95 a month on something I despise. Considering I already waste $35 a month on a despicable cellphone that I never use, why should I waste more money?

So, here I am. With a blog. Kinda funny, isn't it?