Unembarrassing.

I decided to come out of blog hibernation for all of 5 minutes to un-embarrass myself.

In 2008, I had 8 finished objects, as my most previous blog post attests to. That’s not even one a month (duh, you knew that). I guess it’s more embarrassing because I had 28 FOs in 2007. I was a crazy knitting fool in 2007.

In 2009, which isn’t half over just yet, I’ve already got 9.

I’d venture to surmise that 2009 is a better knitting year than 2008. Those are big words to describe an idea that a 4 year old could come up with. Oh crap, I am embarrassing myself again.

Time to hibernate again! Goodnight!

 

This is kind of embarrassing.

So for some reason, I decided to come out of blog hibernation to embarrass myself.

These are my FOs of 2008:

No, I didn’t forget any. That’s ALL. Eight. In 2007, I had TWENTY-eight.

Oh well! Not like the blog progressed much over the year, either I do have a few WIPs and hibernated a couple projects…so that counts for something, right?

 

what’s the dillio?

I know I said I wouldn’t blog much (did I say I wouldn’t blog at all anymore? I don’t even remember). But my mom sent me a photo of her in the Wheat Ear Cable Yoke, and I’m so happy it fits her great. I just had to post!

I love my mom

In other knitting…I’ve started Cobblestone for my dad but it’s not interesting enough for pictures yet. Actually, I’ve gotten a little bored of it, and my dad’s birthday was in April (oops). I’m in no rush because I’ll just finish it this summer and he won’t wear it until the fall. Oh well!

I’m just a little tired of sweaters. They are so BIG! So I started some baby booties the other day. They have no intended baby recipient. I just needed some instant gratification. No pictures yet because I don’t have buttons yet.

 

A sweater for my mother

I can finally reveal a gift project that I never blogged about: The Wheat Ear Cable Yoke! My mom looks at my flickr so I just didn’t bother any WIP pictures on this one. Unfortunately, the picture is horrible. I took it myself. You will have to forgive me. I know all you knitters have beeeaaautiful pictures of all your FOs, but I like KNITTING, not photography. Oh well. You get the idea.

Pattern: Wheat Ear Cable Yoke from IK Summer 2007, by Pam Allen
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL, color Desert Night, just over 9 skeins
Needles: KP Options sizes 5, 7, and 8
Mods: My only mod was doing the collar ribbing in 5s (as opposed to 6) and I only did 4 rows instead of 6 or 7. Not much at all.

The spots are from my mirror, not the sweater (I told you it was a bad picture). But isn’t the SWEATER nice? I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever knitted, maybe even the best of all. And my mom loves it.

Unfortunately, I am getting a little tired of knit blogging. I think I may retire the old knit blog for awhile. I’m still putting everything on Ravelry.

 

And here they are!

I got some good (well, slightly more than okay I suppose) pictures of my Endpaper Mitts, finally!

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang
Yarn: Panda Wool, Lacquer Red and Teal Lake, 1 skein each
Needles: Size 0 DPNs and size 2 DPNs

The second picture isn’t so great, but it shows the color best. I love that red! I wasn’t quite as crazy about the teal. But I started these when I was in Ohio and these were the colors I had available RIGHT THEN, so these colors were it. Well, they’re not horrible, I just would have chosen something different if I ordered the yarn online, you know?

I did like the Panda Wool quite a lot. It has a good feel to it. I would definitely use it again, but I’m still not convinced I want to try socks yet. Someday, someday.

This was my first color work and it was really fun to learn. I ignored the instructions slightly on yarn placement, but I found what works for me. So it’s all good.

And of course, these are super cute!! And I am thrilled I finished them in time for there to still be appropriate mitt-wearing weather left in the season. Yay!

 

Oh the blog.

Poor neglected blog.

What am I kidding? Poor neglected KNITTING!!! It is nearly a week into February and I only just now have my first FO of 2008. If things keep rolling like they are, next year I’ll look back and laugh at myself for only having like five FOs in 2008.

Yeah, well, I’m happy enough, so what.

So here is that aforementioned FO…it is a mug cozy for my friend Anne.

Pattern: Mug and French Press Jacket
Yarn: Cascade 220, less than 1 skein, heather green
Needles: Size 5 Crapola Lion Brand DPNS (hate those) and size 5 KP Options (like those a lot)

This was a fun and quick knit. Well, I didn’t like the base at all. I liked it okay when I was using 6′s because those DPNs are nicer. But then I ripped and went down to 5′s and it got frustrating. The smocking stitch was fun to learn, though, and I think this cozy is really cute. I hope it warms a lot of tea mugs!

And how cute is the button? My sister found it, I never knew I could be excited about a button!

I actually have another FO…I just finished my Endpaper Mitts today. But I am waiting until the sun comes out so I can get a good pic. I’m so glad I finished them…they sat in my knitting bag for like two weeks when all they needed was a silly tubular bind off. Oh well, pictures of that soon.

 

2007 knits

These are all my FOs of 2007. I think it was a pretty good knitting year, what do you think?

A couple are in there twice (the Vine Lace baby hat and an extra picture of my two hand towels together) but I had to make it square, you know?

I made a lot of hats this year, huh!

 

the colors!!

I know I posted that mammoth entry a few days ago, but check it out. I learned colorwork! This is fair isle. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to learn, though I don’t exactly have the tension figured out just right. I suppose that will come with time, though!
It’s so fun, also! I just want to knit this all the time now.

These are going to be my Endpaper Mitts.

 

Hats on Parade

Where have I been? Not here, obviously.

I’ve made lots of holiday hats, though!
First, the Celtic Cable hat. I made this in November sometime. I originally planned this hat for my dad, but it turned out short and it seemed like a girly shape to me. I offered it to my siblings and Miranda snatched it up. Turns out she wanted a shorter hat because she has short hair.

Pattern: Celtic Cable Hat, Aran/Worsted size
Yarn: Vermont Organic Fiber Company, O-Wool Balance
Needles: Size 6 Bry-flex DPNs

Isn’t it cute on her? The cables were challenging but fun. I liked this hat, but I wouldn’t wear it – too short! Good think she wanted short.

Next, a Foliage which Anna took. I had high intentions of making hats for everyone in my family, but I actually hate knitting on a deadline. I like knitting too much to make myself annoyed with it like that. So I bought different presents for all my siblings. I had already made this Foliage though. I offered it to my siblings again, and Anna took it.

Pattern: Foliage from Knitty (version 1)
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky, Mariposa colorway
Needles: size 10.5 bamboo DPNs and size 9 birch DPNs (for the whole thing, I’ve been too stubborn to buy 16″ circs!)

Next, two hats for my parents. An Unoriginal Hat for my mom, and a hat I made up for my dad which I’ve been calling the Honeycomb Hat (the cables are called Honeycomb cables). I thought the honeycomb cables would be really nice for a hat, and I’m excited to have made up my own pattern for the first time.

Mom’s hat, Pattern: An Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky, Stonechat colorway
Needles: Size 13 birch DPNs

Dad’s hat, Pattern: Honeycomb Hat (by me!)
Yarn: Malabrigo Chunky, Roanoke colorway
Needles: Size 13 birch DPNs

And the final hat, a second Unoriginal Hat. This is for a friend and I haven’t given it to her yet! I used Alpaca with a Twist’s Big Baby for this one, the Baby Alpaca is so soft and sweet! I also really like this color, gray in some lights and blue-gray-seafoam in the sun.

Pattern: An Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: Alpaca with a Twist, Big Baby (Seasprite color)
Needles: size 13 birch DPNs

And I still am scheming up a couple more hats. I want to make one for my last sister Ariel, and also my brother. But most of all I really want to make the Endpaper Mitts. I must learn Fair Isle!

And finally, this is not knitting related, but slightly ironic. Where my stitches at? Well, I got them out a few days ago, but I did have to get stitches on my face last week. Basically, I’m a klutz (it’s a good thing that knitting needles aren’t any sharper). I had dropped my keys and didn’t realize I was underneath the overhang of my counter. And then I jumped up and smashed my face into the counter. Ha, ha.
But this is the only picture I have for you of the stitches, because I got all sensitive and didn’t want many pictures! Ah well.

(and that is my birthday pie, too! I’m 24 now).

 

Oh well.

The knitting is slow these days. I have no pictures for you. Ah well.

Actually, I haven’t knit for more than 10 minutes or so in about two weeks. It feels weird, but I also don’t mind. I moved to a new apartment. And I LOVE it here. My new apartment has everything I want in an apartment: lots of natural light (ah, there’s the vitamin d i was missing!) and my own outside area. And it’s quiet and charming.

Anyway. I may have more interesting things to put here soonish, like in three weeks, if you know what I mean