FOs, 2010 Edition - for my Tootsies!

I'm finally getting around to posting some of my 2010 FOs. At least I'm squeaking them in at the end of January. It's like thank-you cards - you are allowed a month to get around to it, right?

First up are my Purple Fairy Socks:







The pattern is Absinthe from Knitty (Spring 2009) and the yarn is Jill Draper Makes Stuff Splendor Sock Yarn (Merino/Nylon/Cashmere).

These took me a little less than a month to knit. The pattern is awesome. The yarn is heavenly (and I still have a bunch left - not enough for another pair of socks, unless I combine it with something else). I purchased the yarn at Rhinebeck because I had had a dream right before we left that I was knitting socks with purple yarn. I cast on for these about a week later.

They've become my go-to comfort socks, because they are so soft. They are haloing a little bit, now that I've had them for a few months, and the halo is bright blue!

Next up are my felted mocassins:









These are from the Town & Country Slipper Kit from Knit Picks. I had to link to the Ravelry page because it seems to be sold out. The mocassins are in the "Country" set, which also has mary janes and cowboy boots. The "Town" set has high top sneakers, shoes with spats, and penny loafers. I purchased both sets last summer, when they first went on clearance sale at Knit Picks.

I wear these every day at home. They work better with hand knit socks, because they are a little wide, and I had to stretch them lengthwise when I blocked them, but I believe I only ran them through the wash twice to get them felted. I'm hoping to make all of the options (since the kits come with enough yarn for that), maybe to use as "guest" slippers in our house.

I just counted on my FOs 2010 set on flickr, and it looks like I made 15 things in 2010 (including one sewing project -- that counts!). There are at least three projects that I don't have photos of. Damn. For someone whose year was mostly taken up by a move, I sure did get a lot done!

Laissez les bons temps rouler (WIP it out Wednesday!)

Dude, I can't believe I'm managing to post twice in one month! But I am!



I'm calling these Laissez les bons temps rouler because the yarn is Mardi Gras colors. I hope to finish them before the season is over - Fat Tuesday is not until March 8, so I think I have a good chance.

The yarn is Dorchester Farms Handpainted Sock Yarn. Dorchester Farms is local to me and sets up at many of the Sheep and Wool Festivals in New England. I'm not sure at which one I purchased this, but I do know it was in 2010.

The sock is going to be plain, toe up (obviously!), because I want the yarn to speak for itself. I have two skeins of it, each about 190-200 yards (label says 200; Ravelry database says 192), so I'll dedicate one skein per foot.

Nothing else to share here except for gratuitous cat shots:

A WIP and some FOs for the Head

Well, I had some good intentions, right? Now it's been three weeks since my last blog post, and although I HAVE things to post, I haven't gotten off my ass and done so.

I guess I'll WIP it out before I flash some FOs:



Okay, so this is a crappy cell phone photo but it's better than nothing, right? The pattern is called Cross Stitch Cable Beanie and it' a free Ravelry download. I'm almost done with it, so I'll take some good detailed photos of it when I am.

It's for Mike. The yarn is Interlacement Toasty Toes and it's been in my stash since December of 2006. It's about time I use it, right?

I also have some FOs to show. These ones go back to October of 2010, so you can see how lazy I have been.

I have a stack of hats:



I also do not have a good detailed photo of this hat:



It's the Horseshoe Cap from the Summer 2010 Spin-Off. I appear to be the only person on Rav who made it, or, at least when I uploaded it the pattern wasn't in Rav's database yet. The yarn is from a local vendor, Hamden Hills Alpacas, who sets up at the Farmer's Market outside of my building. She also sets up at the Connecticut Sheep and Wool, and at Rhinebeck.

I also made another Foliage hat, this time in chunky yarn (Valley Yarns Northampton Bulky, from WEBS). It's fun for a girl



or a boy!



I also have something else that garnered me quite a bit of attention in late October: BOOB HATS.



Can you tell which one is meant to be the Lotus Boob hat? (Note: if you have never seen the Lotus Boob, you may want to think twice about doing a search for it. The first time I saw it, I had no clue what it was. My first impression was a boob with road rash, and I think I screamed and closed the window. My second impression -- yes, I looked again -- was a boob with beebees shot in it, which is as bad as a boob with road rash. It's neither. It's a photoshop job of a boob with a lotus pod - complete with seeds -- cropped over it. Even after knowing what it is, I don't need to see it again.

The funniest part about these hats is that I made them specifically for Rhinebeck. Mike and I presented them at the Rubberneckers meetup, and minkeswim's baby took the bait when presented with the Lotus Boob, as you can see on my Ravelry projects page. (I made that page public-access, so you don't need a Rav account to see it. I should do that with all of my projects, unless they are SOOPER SEKRIT).

Oh, and I made those with some Red Heart Super Saver that I got at a yard sale a few years ago, and I could only get black Pony Beads in packs of 1,000. I may give both to charity, because the RHSS killed my hands. That's never happened before; I think it's because it's older yarn and thus not as soft as the acrylics of today (I very charitably say).

I decided to cut this short RIGHT HERE, because I realized that I have two more FOs for 2010, and three FOs for 2011 - wait, four!!! FOUR FOs! Can you tell it's been a harsh winter so far? I need to get my bearings, and not write a teal deer post, so I'll do a different post for my 2010 FOs for the feet, and then my 2011 FOs.

Four? Really? And here I was, being an underachiever and only joining the 1 for 2011 group rather than the 11 for 2011 group on Ravelry. . .