End o' the year

End of the year posts are very en vogue right now. I can't imagine why.

2008 Summation
Number of projects finished in 2008: 20
Number of pairs of stockinette socks finished in 2008: 5
Number of Ravelry hearts on 2008 projects(favorited by others): 53
Most favorited project: Honeybee Wedding Stole (with 16 hearts)
My most favorite project: Tangled Yoke Cardigan is tied with the Honeybee Stole and the Shetland Tea Shawl
Amount of yarn purchased in 2008: Unknown. Bought a few cones of laceweight, and a sweater's worth of yarn. Also much swapping.
New techniques learned: Nothing major. Refined picking up wraps.
Proudest accomplishment: Designing my first pair of socks with an original stitch pattern.

Goals for 2009:
- Finish all the projects I have on the needles right now. That's three pieces of lace and a sweater. Lap blanket optional.
- Participate in Sockdown! Monthly
- Limit yarn intake. Exceptions: yarn needed to finish existing projects, REALLY good sales (like Rowan 4 ply DK for $1 a ball), and possibly gift knitting.
- Try new things. (this is already happening. The sweater I'm working on now is steeked, and the socks I start tomorrow for Sockdown! will be done 2-at-a-time, which I've never done before)
- Knit more

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

Okay, so if you're my pal on Ravelry, or keep good tabs on the LJ knitting community, then you've already seen this. But I am making a Big Deal out of this Christmas present that I gave to Madam (who doesn't blog enough, by the way).



It's a toilet paper cozy! Made from Yarn Bee Elvish Eyelash Yarn! The color of big bird!

Back Story: Earlier this year Madam gifted me the book Toilet Roll Covers. Then Madam and Veronica presented me with two balls of novelty yarn at my wedding reception. So it was only fair.

This is my first time knitting something with exclusively novelty eyelash yarn. It was HORRIBLE. This stuff shed, you can't read stitches for anything, and it was pretty rough. To make the cozy, I cast on a bunch of stitches and did a k2p2 rib in the round. When I figured it was long enough, I referred to the Toilet Roll Cover book and did some evenly distributed decreases for the top. Then I discovered it was not long enough. I grabbed a crochet hook - a big one, H or K? - and did something resembling a single crochet around the bottom. The length was perfect! And the great thing is, all the fluttering eyelashes hide the imperfections!

Plus, I got to take photos in my awesomely green retro bathroom:


Nothing says Merry Christmas like a roll of toilet paper stuffed inside a big bird pouch.

CAKE!

Ever wonder what an entire hank of Cascade Eco Wool looks like wound into a yarn cake? Well, look above. That's a quarter on there. It's huge! And my Bohus Cardigan is progressing nicely.


This was the sweater on my denises when they snapped. But it survived and now is being knit on my brand spanking new Knitpicks Options needles, which were a most excellent Christmas Present.


Their carrying case is not as shnazzy as my old denises, but it is nice and functional. I'll probably round out the set with a couple longer cords. Wheee...

Grey socks, white snow

Like so much of the country, we're being snowed on. It means the roads are slippery, the sidewalks are icy, and it's chilly out. It also means the backyard makes a nice backdrop for new socks.


These socks are my first using Trekking XXL... and I think I like it. It's soft and lovely, and I like those gradual color changes. Construction is nothing special. Toe up, short row heel, a few increases on the leg. I think I'll wear them tomorrow for real. Keep me warm on the walk to work.

Dang nab it.

Look what happened:


And it happened with 256 stitches on my needle too. Just busted straight through. That's two of my Denise cables which have given out on me. I should send in and get them replaced. Of course, I've had the set for *does math* at least 4 years and it has seen some use. Don't worry though, I was able to save my stitches and transfer them to a different size 7 needle.

The Denises have fallen out of favor with me, as more of my projects are on smaller needles with thinner cords. Who knows, maybe I'll get a set of knitpicks options for Christmas. ;)

A=A

I've just got to learn to follow instructions. Sometimes I come across a knitting direction and I'm stumped. The directions are clear, maybe even painfully obvious, but I balk. When I first began reading patterns "cont. as established" sent me into a spiral of fear. Do I just repeat that purl row I did? That doesn't make any sense? MUST HIDE!

I had an attack of that this evening. I decided to use the wonderful Hana yarn I posted about last to make the Cobweb Lace Stole from the Spring 2008 IK. I've gotten to row 49. And the symbol on the chart is B. B means: Knit into center of st below st on left needle, the drop st from left needle.

And I balk. And I boggle. Buh, wuh, I've never done that before!

But B=B. B=do just what the clearly written instructions tell you to do. Ala Nike, Just Do It. Dur.

So I will. When I pick it up tomorrow. It's not going to break my knitting or make it go all splodey. It will create a little gap with an unknit bit of yarn going across it. That's all, just exactly what it's supposed to do.

Knit knit knit

I have knit three scarves and one pair of socks as Christmas gifts. I also have knit one secret something which I will reveal at a later date. Now I am knitting for me. I'm a selfish knitter. I like to knit for ME ME ME. I like to knit for those I will know appreciate it, which is why I will knit my aunt socks twice a year and have offered to knit her larger things if she is interested. But mostly, I knit for self gratification.

I want the next project I knit to be with this:


That's 1160 yards of ArtFibers Hana, a deliciously soft 100% silk. I picked this up in April 2007 while in San Francisco for a conference. It's amazing. I've been hoarding it since then.

I have this problem. I hoard the yarn I love the most. It's like I don't want to screw it up. Which I don't. So I have this stock of beautiful yarn which is like the good china which is too nice to use. And I have this other problem: indecision. I spend hours and hours hemming and hawing and using the Ravelry pattern browser. Then I usually turn to Madam and tell her to tell me what I should knit.

So I'm trying to figure out what to knit with this yarn. I love it, so I want it against my body. However, a sweater is probably not a good option so I am thinking scarf or stole. A wide-ish scarf or stole. That's got a lace aspect to it. That will work with a sport weight yarn. Madli's Shawl is high in the running. I've always quite liked the look of it. Suggestions are welcome, however.

D'oh part 2

I ran all over town today trying to find a copy of the fall/winter issue of Knit.1. I went to the student union, the independent book/office supply store, the yarn store, the big, the medium, and the small grocery stores. No one had it.

Yeah. It's not out yet. D'oh.

I had just assumed that a fall/winter issue would be released in like.... October? November? Clearly I was wrong. Looks like a good issue though.