So . . .

Here's the deal. I'm moving next week. It's just a local move, but that still means packing. I have like three FOs that need to be washed and blocked, progress on old stuff, and new things to show you. But all of these will have to wait until I have moved! Alas.

Still stitching

I'm still working away on both the cross-stitch and my Irtfa'a--I swear I'll get updated pictures of the latter sometime soon. Maybe after this weekend--I'm headed to the Midwest for a wedding, and the cross-stitch isn't very portable, so Irtfa'a will be my traveling companion. (And no, it's not the wedding for which the cross-stitch is intended, thank heavens. That's not for a few more weeks. It's just wedding season, I guess!)

Meanwhile, I've been making progress on a few other things. This is the latest scarf for the Red Scarf Project KAL:The yarn is Cascade Venezia Worsted (70/30 merino/silk) in colorways 101 (white) and 104. Venezia is one of my favorite yarns--I designed the Manly Scarf out of it, and it's wonderful to work with. The pattern is my own--it's the Fleck Stitch from Knit and Purl. I like the look, and it's simple to knit.

I've also started another pair of Mindless Socks, once again in my beloved Regia Silk. This is the last I have(/cry), so I'm making the most of it.


That's all for the moment--stay tuned for book reviews and Malabrigo pictures. (Now you're intrigued, eh?)

Stashy goodness

I realized when I was writing the post showing off my Frederick yarns that I'd neglected to display some stash accumulation of the past few months. (The astute playing along at home will note that I obtain far more yarn than I will ever knit. I am strangely okay with this.)

First, and by far most important, a pretty from Nyx:


This is 100% kid mohair in a laceweight. I brightened up the picture a bit, but I couldn't get the exact hue of the green. It's a little warmer than this--reminds me of seafoam. Must find something sea-like to knit with it. She also sent beads and beautiful stitch markers, currently in use on my Irtfa'a. Yay Nyx!

Then there are these, my first ever order from the Loopy Ewe:

This is Dream in Color Smooshy (100% merino) in "November Muse." I've heard very good things about DIC, but I've never had the opportunity to knit with it.

And this is Schoppel-Wolle's Zauberball in "Cranberries." (Click through for a picture of the yarn as it knits up--seriously cool.) I have another Zauberball in my stash, but I haven't knit with it yet. I really should . . .

These are both efforts to get some more guy-friendly colors into my yarn stash. They're both colors I'd happily wear, of course, but it never hurts to have sock yarns that men won't turn up their picky noses at.

Otherwise, I'm trudging along on both the cross-stitch and Irtfa'a, which is actually considerably more advanced than that picture shows. I should get more recent ones . . .

Discontent

I am currently disgruntled. Long-time readers may remember a series of posts from last year in which I noted that I used to do a lot of cross-stitch, was possessed of the desire to pick it up again, and rediscovered that cross-stitch can be kind of boring.
I did continue to cross-stitch, however, mostly due to it being Really Freakin' Hot outside and not very suitable for knitting. I noted as much here, complete with a picture of my work. Then, it looked like this:


I put aside the project in the fall, secure in the knowledge that, although it was not nearly complete, I didn't have a deadline. After all, the friend who was engaged hadn't even set a date yet.

Fast forward to last month, when I got an invitation in the mail. For MAY. This is the current status of the cross-stitch:


It has advanced considerably, true, but it is still not done. So for the foreseeable future, all my knitting time is devoted to cross-stitch. Argh! My travel projects are still knitting, of course--cross-stitch doesn't travel well, owing to the need for complicated charts and lots of thread. But I haven't been putting in the work I usually do, and I'm really feeling it. At this point, I'd abandon the cross-stitch and knit something for the happy couple if it weren't for a few factors. Aside from being half-done with the damn thing, I don't know the woman getting married well at all (I'm quite good friends with her fiance), and I hesitate to knit something for someone I don't know well. Cross-stitch seems safer.

But I miss knitting, she whines.

Olympics Wrap-Up

So the Olympics are over . . . and this is my Irtfa'a:


It's a little further advanced than when I took this picture, but not by a whole lot.

What did I learn from this year's Olympics? My limiting factor isn't skill but time. Nothing in this shawl so far has thrown me--not even the provisional cast-on. Of course, probably a lot of that is Anne's crystal-clear instructions, but still. I'm no slouch!

So next year, the trick is going to be finding something I'll have time to complete in two weeks. Lots of hats, maybe?

Speaking of Anne, I had the opportunity to meet her weekend before last at Eleganza Yarns' Indie Artist Celebration. In addition to Anne's trunk show (which is amaaaazing), the shindig included the work of all sorts of local spinners, dyers, and fiber types. And I may or may not have purchased a few things.

First, a few skeins of Mid Valley Fibers handspun. Linda was so nice (and the prices so incredible) that I had to get some. I'm always drawn to this kind of slubby yarn, even though I never know what to knit with it. I'm thinking a scarf, maybe? (100% wool, a sort of DK weight.)


Then there's this beauty, courtesy of Blue Ridge Yarns--100% silk laceweight in "Dragon's Breath."
This picture doesn't do it near justice, nor do the pictures on their website. (Which is probably a good thing for all of your credit cards.) I confess, I had to call the Irishman for a fiber intervention at this table--I had about four skeins in my hands before I got talked down. If I ever win the lottery, I'm totally cleaning them out.

And the best part of the day, of course, was meeting Anne! Not only is she as funny and gracious in real life as she is on her blog, she knew who I was. *squee* I have such a huge designer crush on Anne, and it was so much fun to meet her and see all her knits in person.

So that was two weekends ago, and I'm still recovering. (As is my credit card, *ahem*.) Now time to go get some more done on the Irishman's socks. Oh yes, you remember the big blue things from last time? They're NOT BIG ENOUGH. So I need to finish unpicking the bind-offs and knit a few more inches onto the cuffs. Curses!

Olympics, Day Hey Look Over There

To distract from my lack of exciting Ravelympic progress, here are some more finished objects. Not really so recent anymore . . .

First, some Mindless Socks:


Once again in my beloved (and discontinued, /cry) Regia Silk. And once again too small for me. I haven't gifted these to anyone--the last, similar pair went to my mother for her birthday. I'll keep 'em on my shelf until I find the right recipient.

Then, continuing in the sock vein, yet more Mindless Socks for my boyfriend, the Irishman:



The astute observer will note that dude has ENORMOUS feet. Just trying to get one to a size that would fit took me six weeks! The second, however, was a much quicker knit once I knew the proportions I was looking for. It's really quite incredible, though; I'll have to get a comparison shot at some point. I have big feet myself, but this is ridiculous.

On the other hand, I don't have much leftover yarn hanging around. So there's that.

My Ravelympic shawl is progressing very slowly, and I'm quite sure I won't finish it time to medal. Boo. But it is a lovely knit, just as Anne Hanson is a lovely person. (And omg I MET HER LAST WEEK!!1111ELEVENTY! Details of which to come.)

Olympics, Day 4

Well, I got off to a blazing start by . . . forgetting the needles I needed to cast on and therefore not casting on until Saturday.

Whoops!

But Irtfa'a is safely on the needles now. The provisional cast-on gave me a bit of trouble, as I'd never done one before, but I think i figured it out . . . Anyway, I finished the opening edging section, and I'm now working on the shoulder shaping. I only have 15 rows of that knit, but it's been getting faster all the time. My hope is that I can really fly once the increases are finished!

Meanwhile, here's something I finished a while ago:


This is a plain scarf for the Red Scarf Project, which, basically, gives care packages to young people with no families. These kids (I say kids, but they're not much younger than I am) are making their way with virtually no support networks. My family has been very supportive of me, especially in the past year, financially, emotionally, spiritually, and in generally making my life easier, and I can't imagine living without them. So this is definitely a very, very worthy project, and I encourage any of you reading to check it out.

I'm part of a 2010 KAL for the Red Scarf Project running through the #1 Knitspot Fan group on Ravelry, so I hope to knit 12 scarves to donate this year. As well as being lots of fun, it's a good way to give back with my knitting.

Knitting Olympics!

*squeeeeeeeee*

I'm participating in the Lace Luge and the Short Track Shawls events with an Irtfa'a, and I am SO EXCITED!

I'm part of Team Mawelucky, and I made this to use as a ravatar during the games:


I am such a nerd. But I have fun doing it!

Whoops

I am so sorry I disappeared on all two of you who read this. Long story short, my desktop is busted, and that's where I keep all my photos and whatnot. Between the desktop and work, I haven't been able to get things together long enough to blog. But I promise, I swear, that I'll be back for the Ravelympics and after.

In the meantime, more comics:


marriedtothesea.com

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are all spending it the same way I am. That is, at home in your pajama bottoms with nothing compelling you to go outside. Other celebratory details optional.

It's been quite the year for me on many fronts, but it's been eventful in terms of knitting, too. I was inspired to pick up the needles again about year and a half ago by the guy I was dating at the time. (I told him if he picked out the yarn I'd knit him a pair of socks.) What had been a pleasant hobby in college quickly grew into a consuming passion--especially when I got onto Ravelry.

Now, I'm living in a new place, pursuing a different career, dating a different fellow, and have actually published knitting patterns that people want to knit. Seems kind of crazy, but there you have it.

I have lots of thoughts on how knitting builds community and can make life more fulfilling and blah blah blah, but you know what? In lieu of a boring meta-post, I'm going to go knit.

Merry Christmas.

This Married to the Sea cartoon is for Jane. She knows why.