OH HAI

Just found LOLVogue on Jezebel. Can't stop with the gigglin.

Mostly Dead

So this blog is mostly dead, which is not the same as completely dead. I'm still a very busy knitter, just a very lousy blogger. Trouble is I don't care that much. But since I'm bored out of my gourd today I though I'd share a little FO madness. Most of this is Christmas knitting and all of it can be found on Ravelry.

Here's the socks I made for Mom. Baby Cable Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. And yes, Charlene Schurch is a genius. NEXT!

A hat for Dad in a nice longhorn burnt orange color. It's a little small for him. People in my family have huge heads. NEXT!

A hat for my brother in good ol' workhorse Cascade 220. Okay this one came out too small too (see giant melon reference.) But this time I took it back from him and started ripping out the decreases. That freaked him out pretty good. I added a few more inches and delivered it to him the day after christmas. NEXT!

A quick little Calorimetry for my brother's girlfriend. Super fast, cute, and stash burning, what else could you ask for. NEXT!

And here's my favorite. The Arctic Diamonds Stole for Grandma. That one was hard to part with. My next lace project will have to be something similar for me.

I also made some felted clogs for Grandpa, but as they were still drying in my car on Christmas Eve I never got around to getting a picture of them.

2008 has been busy too. I've got a pair of socks just off the needles, almost done with an everlasting bagstopper, half way through Oblique, and just started a Noro scarf.

So who has time to blog with all this knitting. See y'all in six months-ish? Okay!

Babies Taste of Chicken

I know shockingly little about babies. I have a general idea about where they come from and am aware that they are typically smaller than adults, but that's about. So I was a little flummoxed by the recent crop of coworker babies, but I knit for them anyway.

Baby #1 should be arriving any minute now and it will be receiving a little Mason Dixon Knitting sampler. That would be one baby genius burp towel and on bib o' love. I used leftover Sugar and Creme cotton from the bathmat stash that will never die. They turned out nicely, bright and baby friendly, washable, good stuff.

Baby #2 isn't due until Halloween but the shower was this past weekend so I had to get busy and finish the garter baby bonanza earlier than intended. That would be one Baby Surprise Jacket from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter Workshop and a matching set of Saartje's Booties. The jacket was one of the coolest patterns I've knit. It's more of a recipe than a precise pattern but it all worked out, even when it said "Hope you're still with me." I knit it while on family vacation, it was a nice and easy knit that turns into a weird little blob, but presto foldo... baby jacket. The booties are beyond cute, super adorable and all but I was a little frustrated with the fact that they took as long in finishing as they did to knit. How could something so small have so many ends to weave in. If I make these again I'll do a few modifications to reduce those.

Baby #3 is due sometime around the end of the year, but honestly that one may just get a pat on the head.

Blue Leaves

Here's my first lace piece. Finished a while ago and was waiting to be gifted to my friend Lana who'd getting married next week. A big congratulations to her.

Here are the details.

Pattern: Fiber Trends Lace Leaf Shawl

Yarn: Knit Picks Shimmer in Turquoise Splender (I bought 3 skeins and decided it was plenty big after 1) It's lovely soft stuff that blocked out nicely. It gets a thumbs up from me.

Needles: US 5 Inox circular needle, worked fine but I'm anxious to try the Addi lace next time.

Time Frame: December to April roughly. It lived as the blue blob in my WIP basket for longer than necessary but I learned the hard way that the bigger it got the more dedicated the time and concentration for it had to be.

This project was all about the challenge for me. I don't really wear lace I just wanted to see if I could make it and Hot Dog I can!

Next up: The Lara sweater is knitted and waiting to be blocked and Monkey Socks are on the move.

Sock Evolution

Sock Evolution
Originally uploaded by Abbenormal

On the far left is the first sock I ever made, just to see if I could. It has a peculiar elfin pointy toe quality, and a inexplicable twist on the instep. Lord only knows how I managed that. Let's just say it didn't deserve a partner.

Next one to the right is the second sock I ever made. It's grossly too big giving it a sort of 80's slouch sock over your stirup leggings quality. And the self patterning sock yarn is...um...ick. Also destined for sock solitude.

And then Ladies and Gentleman, a successful completed PAIR of socks. Huzzah! They are Hill Country Yarns Sweet Feet Sock Yarn on US 2 needles and hoo boy are they lovely.