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So I talk about my boyfriend fairly frequently on this here blog of mine. His name is Joe. He looks like this:
So he’s pretty amazing. He has a blog now! It’s muchly about music (orchestral and film in particular). He’s delightful and witty and humorous (and I’m not just saying that because I’m with him). Seriously, he’s great. Go read the blog. Be amused.
Soo I’ve been knitting my little fingers to the bone recently. I’ve finished some shark mittens, am partway through a second pair, and have two other projects in the works.
First up is a Pfeiffer Falls scarf in some delightful recycled cashmere:
That’s a terrible picture and it’s not that far along, but it’s delightfully soft and I love the puffy cables. Unfortunately, winter has been really warm this year and I haven’t even needed to get out my wool peacoat. I’ve been wearing my red cotton H&M trench and that’s been perfectly sufficient. Not that I don’t have plenty of scarves already, but I wish I had some cold weather to inspire me to work on the scarf.
The other thing I’ve been working on is a mohair wrap sweater from Fitted Knits:
This is for a WWFY swap. I frogged the Lacy Ribbons sweater I was working on and started this wrap instead, working two strands of lace weight mohair on size 11 needles. It’s going really quickly and even though it’s not for me, I love working on it. I might make one for myself but not in mohair. Probably lace weight cashmere held doubled or tripled.
I meant to photograph the sharks I just finished but then I forgot and you guys have seen sharks before. Perhaps I’ll remember to photograph the pair I’m currently working on, which (fingers crossed) should be the last pair. I have one pair of dino mittens that was returned (size Child large, 7″ length). I’m going to put them on Etsy, but if anyone here’s wants them, let me know. They’re ready to ship and will be $34.
Also, my lovely boyfriend Joe will be in town tomorrow sometime for about a week, so blame him if posting is erratic.
I usually like to post every other day but apparently have a real job that requires me to be actually working (not knitting) makes that difficult. I’m gonna shoot for once or twice a week and call it a success. Anyway, I knitted a thing. The knitting’s been done for a while actually, but I’ve just recently (meaning last week) gotten photos of it. In my defense, I’ve been deep in the throes of another TV show obsession (BBC’s Sherlock if you must know. I have a thing for pretty British blokes who are clearly madly in love with each other).
On to the knitting.
Pattern: None, am sort of writing it up. Need to make another prototype.
Needles: US 5/3.75 mm straights
Yarn: 50/50 wool/acrylic
Yes, I wore tights. No, you cannot see my skivvies. Yes, I possibly had to shop out some lines. DON’T JUDGE ME. (And for the record, I am firmly on the side of tights are not pants, but you gotta do what you gotta do.)
Anyway, I put off photographing this for so long because I was convinced I would come up with a way to attach it to my socks without threading the ties through the ribbing and tying them together. I didn’t, obviously. I have to make another one for gauge/size issues anyway (this one was too big til I chucked it in the washing machine and drier and it shrunk a bit). I’ll probably attach something different to that one.
The pattern for this (if anyone’s interested) is sort of written but needs to be developed for clarity. On the off chance you’re interested in testing, please shoot me an email (or comment; I get those in my email too) and I’ll let you know if it’ll be ready for testing any time soon. I’d like it to be since I haven’t released a new pattern in a while and I’d like to continue expanding my library.
Unfortunately I have a billion sharks to knit first. Yes, still. Yes, I’m sick of them. I’m almost done though. I think. I hope.
I’ve been somewhat remiss in blogging for the past, oh, two weeks or so. Sorry about that. In my defense I was out of town with REALLY terrible internet for much of that time. I went to Florida to visit my grandparents and we went to Disney since my grandparents work for the company. I, of course, brought my knitting to entertain myself in line.
I also fed kangaroos (!):
And made kissy faces at goats:
Also, this happened:
EPCOT has a Norway section. Because totes, that’s what you do in Norway.
Anyway, I mostly knitted sharks (I finished about three pair I think), but I did start a new thing which I will talk about later when I get some decent pictures of it thus far. It’s a thing for me because I’m taking a little break from sharks even though I have like three more pairs to knit. Bleh. I do like the income though.
Also, happy new year to all. I don’t really have any New Year’s resolutions (not that I’d keep them anyway), but my goals for 2012 are to be better and to finally move up to Fairfax and out of my parents’ house. I’m really hoping I’ll stick to that last one. I love working as a substitute teacher, but I’m sure I can find something similar in NOVA.
Today is my birthday! I’m 22! And my boyfriend’s birthday is tomorrow. He’ll be 25. To celebrate, take 23% off all pattern sales with the coupon code BIRTHDAYTIMES. Take advantage of it because the shark mittens pattern has been selling like hotcakes!
Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow with a more interesting post. With pictures, even! I finished some shark mittens but then I mailed them before I could snap a photo. : ( I’ve been really busy with work (I’ve been subbing for third grade with minimal sub plans so I’m sorta playing it by ear).
I’ve been someone remiss about blogging lately, mostly because all I’ve been knitting lately are shark mittens. I have an adult small mitten part done:
And I’ve started on some baby sharks:
I’ve also been unwinding sweaters like crazy using my new winder. I finished up a couple of sweaters I’ve had around for a bit including an 80/20 wool/nylon pullover that now looks like this:
I’ve also been working. Both for my Etsy shop for my real person grown-up job. I’ve officially subbed (for money even!) for two different classes and I have a fourth grade class on Monday and Tuesday. I think I’ll be trying to work a lot so I can make some money. And so I can afford to treat myself a little now and again. I went to Farm Fresh today to pick up some meds and I felt I deserved a pumpkin spice latte from the Starbuck’s for my new job. And it is delicious.
When I was in NoVa this past week, my mother emailed me an ad from Craig’s List. I emailed the poster regarding the item in question. She replied; we arranged to meet up when we were both in town. I am now the proud owner of this beauty:
Ohhhhhh yeah. Antique skein winder that I bought for $30. It’s kinda beat up but it spins just fine. I’ve already done like four hanks on it and it’s way faster than the niddy noddy. I can even chain ply as I wind on it if I spin the wheel with my foot.
I’d have some knitting to show you today as well, but I once again finished commissions, packaged them, and sent them without photographing them. Sorry. There were some brown spats and some shark mittens. Speaking of shark mittens, I was working on an outstanding order on my way back from NoVa and I think I left a mostly finished mitten (just the grey parts) on the train. Now I have to make two more. : (
In less depressing news, I am officially employed! I am currently working as a substitute teacher and I worked my first official day in the classroom where I’ve been volunteering the last couple of months. I might go in again tomorrow and I’m subbing for fourth grade on Monday and Tuesday. Fortunately it is at the elementary school where myself and my siblings went to school and where my mother works, so I’m pretty familiar with a lot of the staff and the layout of the school. Hopefully I can do most of my subbing there, though I’m available to sub at several other schools.
So yes. Employment and knitting and yarn winding. Yay.
I am currently typing this entry on the Amtrak train back to Virginia Beach because god of gods, this train has WIFI which probably explains why the ticket was $64 instead of $45. So you get a blog post! I’ve not been a very good blogger recently because I’ve been hanging out with my boyfriend and his folks for the long weekend. There was food, there was wine, there was exploring, there was Dr. Who (my latest TV obsession, but more on that later). And there was hiking!
Joe and I went to Great Falls National Park and hiked the Billy Goat Trail part B. It was super fun. There were pretty views across the canal:
There were mini-picnics:
There were lots of boulders and rocks to climb over:
There was general cuteness:
It was a lovely afternoon. After hiking, we came back and I took a nap. And I rarely nap.
I have been knitting, more of which will probably be discussed tomorrow/this week. I’ve made some progress on my Lacy Ribbons sweater and I’ve been working on spats and mittens for sale. I’ll try to have pictures for tomorrow.
Dear blog:
I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last entry. Clearly I failed terribly at NaBloPoMo but in my defense, my boyfriend was in town and now I’m up with him, doing relatively little knitting and certainly not taking any pictures.
I could show you this yarn I dyed last week for a WWFY swap:
It’s Sanguine Gryffon Bugga Skinny and I used black RIT dye. As an aside, I’ve never seen yarn suck up dye so fast. I usually dye wool and it takes a good 30 minutes. With this, I dunked it in the bucket for 30 seconds and it was already darker than I would have liked.
I could show you the haircut I got last week, which is super short and pixie-like:
Or I could show you a picture of a kitty:
None of which happened in the last five days or so. But I am knitting some things (spats and sharks for Etsy) and I’ve been finishing things (my garter belt, which works with thick knit socks but I need to find a better holding mechanism for lighter ones).
Hopefully I’ll be back for more posts this week (I’m going hiking at some point and I should definitely take pictures of that).
Okay, so I didn’t post yesterday. Life got in the way. Went to the oceanfront with the boyfriend and played some games and did not blog. So maybe there will be two posts today. Then again, maybe there won’t. : )
Pattern: Aviatrix
Yarn: Handspun Corriedale from Lakehouse Loft fibers
Needles: US 7/4.5mm and 8/5mm straights
Mods: I made the largest size but worked seven panels. I also made the straps even since I probably button it.
I’ve been meaning to knit this pattern in this yarn practically since I spun the yarn, but things had gotten in the way until now. And it was super fast–I blew through the pattern in about two days. And I totally love it. I love working with handspun, the colors are amazing, and the fit is great. Because of the extra wedges, it sits all the way down on the back of my neck and just above my eyes in the front to keep everything toasty warm if it ever gets actually cold. Which, who knows cause today the high is 77 and I’m wearing a short-sleeved dress.
I haven’t started anything new just yet, but you know I probably will soon. I ought to work on the things I already have otn, but starting something new is just so damn fun.
Stitch, Brinn, Stitch! 