Cast-on-athon!

On Christmas Eve, I ran out of yarn for Oblique.

(not in any way enough yarn)

I was, well, pissed. I sulked. I planned 2 new sweater projects to appease me while awaiting the final skein of Beaverslide in the mail. I ordered yarn for one of them (Gibson Girl Pullover, Interweave Knits Summer 2004). Then Christmas came. I received a swift, two knitting books, and purchased a knitting kit (via Destash) with Christmas money.

(kitten for scale)

The next day, yarn for the Gibson Girl pullover arrived. Since the Beaverslide hadn’t arrived for Oblique yet, I figured I would cast-on. And cast-on I did! Not only did I cast on for Gibson Girl, I also cast on for Christy. I have to say that the two projects are perfect together. Gibson Girl contains a moderately complicated all-over lace pattern that requires pretty much constant attention, and Christy is all garter stitch/stockinette stitch (read: mindless). All in all, I’m very pleased with my new projects. I’m trying not to think about how I currently have 3* sweaters on the needles.

*I also have the lotus blossom tank, which technically counts as a sweater, under the coffee table. Oh, and Juno…

Weekend knitting.

 

This is from last weekend, but here’s what I do pretty much every weekend. We try to keep the heat minorly low, and I never seem to mind too much while I have a cat blanket on my lap.

FO: Pencil Sketch Camisole

(AKA: a tank top knit in winter)

(that’s my picture-taking face)

Pattern: Pencil Sketch Camisole, by Iris G
Yarn: Dale of Norway Svale, 3.5 skeins, .5 skein random green DK weight yarn from stash
Mods: Omitted contrast trim on bottom, armholes, and neckline.  I thought it would look weird in this color scheme, and the bound off neckline edge looks decorative enough for me anyway.

This was just the diversion I needed.  It was quick, easy, and mostly stockinette, which was just what I was looking for.  So far, it’s the best-fitting tank top that I’ve made.  I am a little annoyed that the lace pulls up towards the neck (you can see it clearly in the picture), but it’s not too big of a thing.

The buttons for Oblique arrived yesterday, and I’m making good progress on the first sleeve.  I’m starting to regret not doing both sleeves at once, but that can’t be helped at this point.  It’s fortunate that big yarn + big needles (big to me) = fast knitting.  I’m hoping to have it done by Christmas so I can start new projects with my new knitting paraphernalia; I know people got me knitting stuff.

I have another confession.

I was working on the first sleeve of Oblique, and realized that I had no buttons for it. So, I ordered buttons online. The problem was that I didn’t want to finish my sweater without having buttons, so I decided to work on another project in the meantime. Preferably one that had little to no thought involved. So I started on a pattern that’s been in my queue for awhile: the Pencil Sketch camisole. I know it’s December, and that I have another (weather appropriate!) project. I couldn’t help myself. I had all the yarn I needed for it in the stash, too! I’m good, really. I started the camisole on Thursday night, and should have it completely done tonight. You’ll know, because I’ll post pictures of the finished product.

In the meantime, my buttons should be arriving early this week, so I’d better finish up the sleeves!

I have a confession.

Remember that post earlier this month where I talked about how I found the perfect Christmas socks for my sister, and they were awesome?

Yeah. I ripped them out, and declared that my Christmas knitting was over. Over!! I’ll just give my sister the Koolhaas hat and call it a day. I made this decision last week, and ever since I’ve been significantly less cranky. It’s an odd feeling to be done with Christmas knitting so far in advance, I have to say. It’s as if a 100 ton weight with a very nice knitted weight cover has been lifted from my shoulders. I did the “No more Christmas knitting!” victory dance. I was unreasonably giddy. I’m free to work on whatever I choose (though I have to wait until Christmas Eve to start my silk lace project because I want to wind it on a swift, one of my Christmas presents).

I’ve been working on Oblique all week, and started the sleeves last night. I decided to seam up the sides before starting the sleeves, just for a little change of scenery. So far, they’re the best seams I’ve ever done! Yay for selvage stitches. And soon my yarn for my Loopy Ewe sock pal will arrive, and I’ll have another new project.

I’m unable to decide.

I remembered why I don’t generally buy/receive yarn without having a pattern in mind: it’s nearly impossible for me to pick a pattern. My Sundara silk laceweight arrived in the mail on Thursday evening, and I’ve been attempting to pick a pattern for it ever since. I am making it a little harder on myself, truthfully. I don’t want to make another shawl/stole, because I just don’t wear them. I love lace knitting, though, so I’ve been looking for another article of clothing (preferable tank top). I found one pattern (Goddess) that would look awesome in the yarn, but it’s meant for fingering weight yarn, so I don’t think I have enough.  The wise Knittyboard people have been helping me with that, and I have a few things I might try just to see if I might have enough.  It seems like every pattern I look at requires way too much yarn; I never thought 1000 yards wouldn’t be enough for something!

In the meantime, I’ve been plugging along on Oblique, and have the back completed.  The left side is going quickly, and I’m hoping to be done with it early next week.  I’d like to have a pattern picked for the laceweight and started by Christmas, which means that I need to be done with Oblique soon.

Searching, searching.

I did decide to frog the Thelonious socks for my sister, as I mentioned recently. I went on the hunt for a new pattern. I downloaded the Ironwork sock pattern, because that would look great in a solid colored yarn, but realized after downloading it that it would be too complicated to finish by Christmas. (But it will be perfect for my Loopy Ewe swap pal, I think!) So. I then spent the rest of the Monday looking on Ravelry for an appropriate pattern, and by Monday evening had cast on for a new pattern, using completely different yarn that was in my stash. Tuesday afternoon came, and I decided that I didn’t like the way the toe was turning out, so I frogged that sock, and went back to the original yarn. I found the falling leaves pattern from Knitty, which I thought would look pretty good in solid colored yarn. I cast on. I went to bed vaguely satisfied with the results. Wednesday morning, I went to work, and discovered that the winter Knitty had come out! And, lo and behold, I discovered the perfect pattern for my sister’s Christmas socks. Lace, but not too feminine. Appropriately stretchy (hopefully). Toe up with heel flap construction. Perfect. I cast on.

It’s looking good. There’s no more time to waste, so I’ll be completely monogamous until these socks are completed. Oblique and the yet-to-arrive Sundara silk lace can suck it.

FO: Koolhaas Hat

I’m just full of FOs this weekend, huh?

Pattern: Koolhaas Hat, Holiday Interweave Knits 2007
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted weight, color ceiling wax, l skein.
Mods: None.

I’m not really a big hat-wearer, partially because I (think) look stupid wearing most hats.  Still, I wanted to make a hat that actually fits, and this one does.  It is very warm, squishy, and was ridiculously fast knit (~2 days).

         

See!  Weird-looking.  I’m sure I can find someone to give this to; I may make this my backup present for my sister if I don’t finish her socks.  I’m feeling much lighter now that I’ve finished with one of the presents and a WIP; I have much less on my plate now, and only one big thing.  I’m really looking forward to getting my first Seasons package from Sundara, too…  I must confess that I wanted to open up a space for whatever project comes from that yarn.

FO: MIL socks

Pattern: Socks for Veronik, Holiday Interweave Knits 2007
Yarn: Dream In Color Smooshy (Gothic Rose), 1/2 skein on size 0 needles
Mods: I only did 3 repeats of the pattern for the leg, and I think they’re just the right length for anklets.  Also, they were much faster that way. 

This is really a triumph for me: it’s the first Christmas present of the season that I’ve completed.  I’m very pleased with how they look and the speed with which I finished them.  I still need to block them, and I’m thinking about making some of those DIY sock blockers, since they will look much better blocked.  Now I have to decide what I want to do with my sister’s socks.  I’m in a bit of a bind: I don’t really like the way the first Thelonious sock has turned out, and I’m thinking about ripping the whole thing out and doing another pattern (maybe another pair of simply lovely lace socks?).  And you better bet that they’ll be anklets.

Even though I don’t wear hats, and don’t particularly like cables, I have started the Koolhaas hat in some Malabrigo that I have stashed.  Look at me all using stuff from my (pitfully small) stash!  I’m not really the sort that buys yarn without having a project in mind, so I don’t actually have that big of a stash.  I’m constantly looking for patterns to use up what’s left of my stash, too, so I can feel justified in buying more yarn.