Goal

Rogue is moving along. It's quite an interesting pattern.

Here's a picture of the front pouch pocket:


Here's the side cabling:


My goal is to finish this by Jan. 30th. I figured that I need to do 1/2 skein per day, considering that I have 10 skeins (and hoping it won't take all 10.) That will take 20 days, plus 11 days extra for all the other projects.

Rather ambitious, isn't it?

Christmas haul

Here's my knitting stuff from Christmas.

My un-opened bag contains a bunch of skeins of Knitpicks Andean Silk in a color called Cornflower. It looked WAY bluer when I ordered it, but since I preferred purple anyway, this makes me happy.

I also got a huge skein of Merino dye-your-own sock yarn.

Then, as a surprise, I got KnitLit the 3rd and Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac. Yeah!

Must I wait?

This came in the mail today.


Now, it may not look very impressive, but I happen to know that it's yarn to make this: (You're not imaging things. It's a purple tree with purple decorations that is in DD#2's room. You should see the glow at night!)

However, it's a present for me. Since I know what it is, and who's it for, must I wait to open it? What if the order is wrong? Shouldn't I know that as soon as possible?

You may be asking at this point, "How do you know what it is?"

Well, it's because I ordered it. Just helping out DH, ya know.

He gave me the book "Quick Knits to Wear" for my birthday. When asked what I'd like for Christmas, I replied, "How about some yarn to make this yummy sweater?"

"Well, I wouldn't know what to get," he replied.

"Oh, don't worry, honey," I said, "I'll take care of that detail."

I'm as bad as a kid waiting for Christmas. Really.....must I wait?

In other news, on days where I didn't seem to be knitting much, I was actually working on these:

See those socks nestled in a tree? They're a gift (that has been given) to a good friend.

What? You don't see them? Well, that must be because I forgot to take a picture. Yep, been done for awhile now, thought about a picture about 10 times today, but did I take one? Nope.

The kids and I did a crafty thing tonight. We made snowmen. So cute!


Two days left to finish the red socks. Time to panic a bit. Although, at work today several people were buying yarn. I'd ask if they were planning on making Christmas gifts with it, and occasionally one would say "yes". So there will be plenty of knitting going on in my county tonight!

Proof

I'm providing these pictures to show that
1) I have finally decorated the tree. No longer are the decorations scattered in all corners of the living room,
2) I continue to knit. (At least on the days where I don't fall asleep on the couch, only to stumble to bed hours later.)

Here's a closeup of our tree. Check out the ball of yarn and needles. It was made last year following a suggestion of the Yarn Harlot's daughter. (You might also notice a Lego guy on the tree. He's not an ornament, but my son seems to think that he and several of his friends belong there.)


This is all the gift knitting that I have left to finish.

These are for DS#2. I can't brag a whole lot, though. They started out being made with Tiger Stripes yarn, but got ditched when I realized that I had to use sz 1's. Then I figured I could make red socks with black heels and toes, but didn't have time to figure out the short rows (I've done short row heels before, but they are a source of frustration to me.) Opted for the heel flap, all-one-color socks.

These made good progress last night at DS's strings concert. While waiting, and waiting, for it to start, I did all of the heel and part of the gusset. After dropping a metal needle (twice!) onto a metal seat, then onto the tile floor whereupon a kid 2 rows up says (loudly), "What was that???", I decided it was best to put them away before the concert began. Three knitting nights until Christmas--plenty of time to finish!

While DS is around me, I've been working on this:

This is Rogue, which has been ripped out and started again, this time ditching the twisted st st in favor of a 1x1 ribbed hem. See the pouch pocket starting to form? I've been showing this to DD#1 every day--Look! I've done 2 more rows! Look at how great it is!! And to her benefit, she is equally excited. To keep that excitement, however, I'd better knit faster and show it less often.

Wristwarmers to beat the COLD!

Not only was this an exhausting week, but it was a C-O-L-D week at work. At the time when it was in the twenties outside, the door decided not to close. Brrrrr!

That inspired me to pull out my wristwarmers and knit feverishly. (What Christmas knitting???) I got them done on Friday--just in time for 40 degree weather. Ok, I won't complain, because I'm sure that colder weather will be coming back.

Here they are, my diamond wristwarmers. Knit in Wool-ease so I can wear them to work and just say that I'm doing a yarn promotion.




The diamond is an openwork diamond, loosely taken from "Knitting on the Edge". It seems to move around--sometimes it looks to be in the middle of my hand, sometimes it move towards my thumb. One of my many attempts to get this correct I had it further out (by just one stitch), but then it was too far. I give up--they're done and they're warm!

Birthday Presents

(It's been a busy/exhausting week with no blogging. I'm changing the date to pretend I'm blogging on the 12th--but if you're a regular reader, you'll know the difference....)

I had a nice birthday this year. Work went well, and DD#1 stopped by to bring me my favorite holiday drink--a Starbucks peppermint mocha. (We won't mention that I had to keep sneaking a sip since I'm not supposed to have any food items with me while I'm working. Hey, it was my birthday, and it's not as though I bought it. Then I came home and had a nice family celebration. My daughter made me a cheesecake (alas, no picture, but boy was it good!)

I got this knitting book from my family:

How exciting--I can't wait to try a pattern.

And from a good friend I got:

That's right--chocolate! (The fact that there's any left just goes to show just how exhausting this week was!)

Knitting news

Not much knitting news to report. I did do another helmet liner, this time in tan, but I forgot to take a picture. It's going to Brittney's Uncle Murray in Iraq. Otherwise, I've been spinning my wheels, and maybe doing some Christmas knitting that I can't show.

In the midst of knitting on the above, I might've gotten distracted and dyed some yarn. Thoughts of a Potato Chip scarf just won't go away.

>
It's been dyed in a glass baking dish in the microwave using Wilton icing colors and white vinegar. I used a baster to add the color. I'm not crazy about the pink, though, so I'll probably overdye it.

My kingdom for the right-sized needle

I've been spinning my wheels. First I cast on for DS#2's socks, in Opal Rainforest Tiger. I cast on using #2 dpns, like usual.

Not looking too good. Gonna need #1's (and I hope not 0's--that's way too scary). I guess I usually use the cheaper sock yarn that is slightly thicker. When I get to the good stuff, I need to size down.

Thinking that this will take way more time than I have, I switched gears and bought red Wool-ease for his socks (I might make the Tiger socks for me :)

While at basketball practice for DD#2, I cast on.

Yep, the needles were too big.

So....I decided to continue on Rogue for DD#1, which so far has only been the hem. (Check out the yarn tail that is wrapped around a bread tie. Thanks for the tip, "Knitty Gritty"!)

I'm ready to start the front, and have to switch needles sizes.

You guessed it--didn't have them with me, even though I had all these sizes.

Hoping to have better success tonight...

The Princess Quiz

Not much knitting news to report, so here's the Princess Quiz. I'm a Noble Princess, what are you?



The Noble Princess

You are just and fair, a perfectionist with a
strong sense of proper decorum. You are very
attracted to chivalry, ceremony and dignity.
For the most part you are rather sensible, but
you are also very idealistic.

Role Models: Guinevere, Princess Fiona (of Shrek)

You are most likely to: Get kidnapped by a stray
dragon.

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by


(Don't worry--I'll be on the lookout for any stray dragons!)