Catching Up

Recently my friend Robyn pointed out that I had a few projects on Ravelry that had no featured photo, which made me realize that I've also got a fair whack of projects listed as completed that have no proper FO picture. Le Sigh! That's the trouble with being sick for 2 straight weeks, it really messes with your knitting mojo.

Well, I'm not 100% yet, but I'm feeling much better, I've cast on a few new projects, and I took some time to get a few pics of recent finished objects.

First up, Maxime's Sock monkey Hat!!!

Yes, I FINALLY got him to wear it! I'm very excited, I think we've turned a new leaf in the whole "knitwear appreciation" department. I'm stoked.

Knit with Bernat Softee Acrylic goodness ('cause it's a hat for a 2-year old). It was a quick, fun knit.

Also recently completed, the first of the 2 Woolly Wormhead Mystery KALs I worked on in November, Mayrose.

Knit with Olympus Make Make that I bought in Japan last year. I really like it, even though it turned out slightly too big for my taste after blocking (I'm NEVER blocking another hat, I swear!).

And that's that! I'm feeling better, Christmas is coming, and I am unprepared. How about you?

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Who can it be now?

Yes, I'm listening to Men at Work right now. The title seemed appropriate, since A) I'm at work and B) it's been so long since I've posted (again) that y'all might have forgotten all about me.

Well! The funk I mentioned being in last week turned out to be (probably) swine flu. I say probably, because I haven't gotten an official diagnonsense, but I DID have the flu, and really, how many types of flu are running around lately? On Tuesday morning I went into work as usual, and within a few hours I had chills and a headache and just felt miserable, to the point that my boss sent me straight home, and I didn't go in the rest of the week.

So yeah, not a good week. The level of apathy I sank to was pretty astounding, let me tell you. I didn't knit, didn't read, didn't do anything but take the kids to school/daycare and return home to bed. Fun, fun times. And yet, a few knitterly gems managed to find their way to me somehow...

A couple of months ago Véronik Avery posted something on the Montreal Knits forum about looking for new models for her Spring/Summer St-Denis Nordique pattern booklet. I was riding the cardigan high at the time, and a few of my friends gently encouraged me to send in my picture (read: SEND IN YOUR PICTURE NOW, TARA!!!!). So I did, but I didn't really hear back from her after the initial "Thanks! I'll let you know when I know!" email. Which was fine.

Anyway, last week Véronik sent me a message asking if I would be available for a photoshoot that Thursday! I may have been sick, but this was Véronik Avery, people! Asking little old MOI to be a model for her! Um... yes? Yes, I think I can arrange something :)

So last Thursday, I loaded up on Tylenol and cough suppressant and made the 2 and a bit hour drive with a friend (to do the driving in case I passed out, heh) to a lovely sandy beach in the Outaouais region. It was a beautiful day, I had a lot of fun, and I really hope Véronik got the shots she wanted and I didn't muck it up too much. I wish I had pictures to share with you, but I haven't even seen any myself! We're just going to have to wait for Spring.

So yeah, it's been an interesting week! I am now a "knitwear model". I'm on the CUSP, people. The world is my oyster, it's all within my reach!

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Oh My...

In the words of one of the Greatest Minds of our time: Oops, I did it again.

I've gone and dropped off the blogosphere for a week. *Sigh* I don't really have an excuse, either, except that I just, well... haven't felt like blogging, heh. Don't get me wrong, I've been knitting, I just haven't felt like sitting down and writing about it.

To be honest, I'm in a bit of a funk lately. I sprained my ankle last week and haven't really been able to go to the gym or for a run, and that's got me feeling antsy. Phil is in Paris on business this week, which leaves me with all the house/kids/responsible adult stuff. Thankfully everyone is happy and healthy, Lord knows it wouldn't be the first time they decided to get sick precisely when Phil's away.

Nope, I'm just... not quite there. But there are a few things to look forward to this week that might help turn my frown upside down. My impending KnitPicks order for one (along with finally getting to meet Caroline, who went halvesies on shipping with me!), getting to see New Moon with my good friend Sandra on Friday (she bought the tickets 2 weeks in advance!), catching up on Glee (Phil away on business = girly TV)...

Yup, things are looking up. And in the meantime, there's always cashmere.

Happy Knitting Everyone!

On Mittens

I've been going on (and on, and on...) about how I needs me some mittens. I spent the back half of last Winter wearing shabby, ripped nylon ski-type mittens, something NO knitter should do, especially a Canadian Knitter.

I've held back on knitting a pair for myself because I really want to do some stranded colourwork, and I don't have the right yarn for it in the stash (I know, we've been over this...). But over the past few weeks, it's been getting colder, and my hands are not enjoying the freezing cold steering wheel in the morning. It was time.

Enter Jared Flood's Grove mittens, from the Made in Brooklyn booklet published by Classic Elite. I saw these knit as a sample at the LYS a few weeks ago and was instantly smitten. I loved the leaf-y motif, the narrowness of the hand (I've got small-ish hands), there was nothing I didn't like.

I'd just finished a project with Alpaca with a Twist Baby Twist (aka The Never-Ending Skein of Alpaca), so I knew I wanted to knit these mittens in the same yarn, so they'd "match". Never mind for a moment that the hat was a slouchy rasta-type hat, and these mittens are sleek, sophisticated and dainty. The yarn would match, at least, and that was good enough for me.

I was warned that these mittens, even though they're supposed to fit an "average woman's hand circumference" were really, REALLY narrow when knit to gauge, so I went up a needle size and knit at about 3.75 inches for 25 sts instead of the stated 3. The only other issue I had with this pattern is that the chart is much, MUCH too small, and it took me a while to pick up on the different symbols for a k1tbl and a p1tbl, so the first mitten is pretty much all k1tbl. Luckily, because of the way the decreases are set up, you really can't tell (at least, I can't tell, and that's good enough for me).

These mittens were quick and easy, and while they're very pretty, they're not what you'd call "warm". Definitely Fall mittens as opposed to real frostbite protective gear, you know?

No worries though, I've got an order of KnitPicks Palette on the way that'll take care of that (and then some....)

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Wips

Admit it: y'all thought I'd flake out and not put up a post tonight, DIDN'T YOU?!? Hah! Oh, thee of little faith.

I think it's fair to say I'm on a bit of a hat kick lately, and really, with the weather turning cold and dreary, it's a good thing. After making everyone in the house a brand spanking new winter hat, I finally selected and cast on a hat that I can only hope will suit Phil's discriminating noggin' to the proverbial Tee.

Ysolda's Struan, using Dream in Color Classy in the lovely Deep Sea Flower colorway. I'm confident this hat will work for him, he's got one with a similar construction that looks quite dashing on him, so I'm hoping we've struck a match. And it's looking as though I'll have more than enough yarn left over to make Maxime a matching one (you know, since he still refuses to wear the as yet to be photographed in the wild Monkey hat...).

After my love affair with Woolly Wormhead's Marrow Joe, I signed up for both patterns of her Mystery KAL. So far we've only received the clues to knit the brim and the increases for the body of the hat.

Pattern A, which is a slouchier hat.

Pattern B, which will be a more fitted beret.

I dove into my stash of Japanese yarn for these projects. I'm using Diakeito Diaexceed silkmohair, a wool, silk, mohair and nylon blend, for Pattern A and Olympus make make, which is a lightly (make that VERY lightly) spun 90% wool, 10% mohair blend, for Pattern B. The second clue comes out on November 9th, so stay tuned for that.

I'm still working on my Noro socks, of course, but progress has been slow with so many projects on the needles at once... I'm about halfway through the foot on the first sock. I'm really liking the look of these socks, I hope I can get the striping sequence to line up for the second one! Hmmm, maybe I won't hold my breath on that one...


I've also got a few finished objects that are still waiting for a proper post. Let's see if we can talk about that tomorrow. Tomorrow's a DORMA day though, so you know... no promises.

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Right

Wow, I just SUCK at this blogging thing lately, don’t I? A whole whopping single post a week, SWEET! No wonder stats are down, heh.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of knitting, though. Not as much as I’d like (but really, do we EVER get to knit as much as we’d like?), but still… I’ve gone and caught startitis, and I’ve got quite a few small(ish) projects on the go at the moment. Tomorrow we’ll have a proper wip show and tell, right? With pictures. Cross my heart and hope to… well…. I’ll do my darndest to get a proper post out.

For now I just wanted to get SOMETHING out there, to let you know I’m still here and haven’t decided to give up blogging. So let’s do a Random Friday post:

1. First on my list of things I will never do again: Go on Etsy and type “cashmere”.
2. Second on that list of things: Brag about my knitting skillz, particularly colourwork. If you ever hear me say “sure, that could be charted up easily”, feel free to knock me out.
3. I’ve misplaced (I still can’t bring myself to say “lost”) my Harmony DPN set. Yeah… I KNOW.
4. I’m not dealing with the time change well. When I got out of the metro on Monday and it was THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT outside, I almost cried. Really.
5. Phil’s hand is officially on the mend. The second surgery appears to have been successful, and although he’s got a long haul of physiotherapy ahead of him, it’s all moving forward from him.
6. I’ve FINALLY ordered some KnitPicks Palette yarn. Stay tuned for some awesome mitten knitting.
7. Kate-the-Enabler has embarked on her very own running adventure. I was privileged to accompany her on her very first outing (IN THE RAIN!!!) last Saturday, and she did great. I’m so proud of her I could just about burst.
8. I’m in love with my stash. I realize this might not be earth-shattering news, but still, it bares repeating once in a while. I love my stash. It’s procured me so much joy, and I know it’s just going to get better and better.
9. I’m beginning to get nervous about Christmas. Especially since I’m giving knitted gifts away NOW. I should be SAVING the knitwear.
10. I think I need to embark on a coordination mission. When putting on the knitted accessories today, I noticed that nothing matches, and I look like some crazy (albeit cozy) bag lady. Hat, scarf, mittens. Nothing matches. Gotta get on that…

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Oops!

Hi there! Wow, time flies when you've got 2 sick children and a handicapped husband, doesn't it? Honestly, where does the time go?


Yeah, first Emilie and then Maxime have been sick this week, and with Phil's hand, even though he does his best, it's been rather difficult for me. But I'm hanging in there! And I've got a finished object to share with you.

I finished Ishbel this week, blocked it yesterday and wore it proudly today. I made the smaller version, out of Handmaiden Sea Silk, and I think I might have enough left over for another one! I might make one too, I think it'd make a great gift. And hey! It's November. Let the knitting for Christmas craziness commence, heh.

Happy Knitting Everyone!