A red scarf

On Saturday I met up with a couple of knitting friends and we headed out to Einstein Bagels to turn in our scarves for the Red Scarf Project.

Here's mine:



Yep, that's a red scarf alright. OK, so I added a black border... I couldn't bear for it to be all red, I thought it needed some contrast. Apparently my camera was confused by all the red-ness and didn't take a good picture.

In other knitting news, both the Jaywalkers and the Whitby socks are nearing completion. Tubey is going quite well too, although it is largely neglected when I'm not home as is the case with all larger projects.

Socks, but I didn't knit them. :)

I got the socks from my Holiday Sox Exhange pal, and here they are:



Thanks pal, whoever you are!

Podcasts (Yet another post without pictures... sorry!)

A few weeks back I decided to try out some knitting podcasts. So far I really like
Cast On and Knitcast.

I also downloaded Crafty Chica, Fibercast, and Secret Knitting to try out.

While listening to Cast On Episode 5 (at least, I'm pretty sure it was 5) last night (yes, I'm behind) I giggled at Brenda talking about knitters and punk rock.

Actually before hearing this I was thinking about doing a podcast for us rock/metal/alternative knitters. Because my friend Rachel once told me that she couldn't come to grips with the fact that I knit while listening to Marilyn Manson.

We'll see if it ever happens. ;)

Sockapaloooza!

I signed up for Sockapaloooza today. :D

This would also be the time to say I'm making Sock Savior socks for the last round, which I wasn't even in. Yes, I enjoy knitting socks that much. In fact, Alison's savior socks and my savior socks were going to have a meeting at Knitsmiths on Sunday, but Alison (and thus her socks) couldn't make it.

My socks, however, did come along and much progress was made. Between those and my Jaywalkers I'll probably complete a pair in early February. Would be earlier, but I'm making one red scarf and hoping to make another before next weekend. We'll see...

Spinning, doggies, and fun

Today I went over to Jessica's for a day of yummy snacks, and spinning with doggies.

Here's Amanda's dog, Ebony, looking at the wheels:



All four of us (me, Jessica, Amanda, and Nicole) have wheels, but Amanda didn't bring hers today. Jessica's dog Tesla helped out by occasionally sniffing and generally being adorable.



And after I spun all the roving I brought with me I knit some on my Jaywalkers. I'm on the heel flap. :)

What my cats do for me... and yarn.

I have a friend Nicole who is not a cat person. She always says that my cats wouldn't care if I died as long as someone came around to feed them. Well, I'm not sure I quite believe that, but I do understand her concern. I do a lot for my cats! I buy the kibble and distribute twice daily, I clean the litterbox, I provide treats and body heat.

But... what do they do for me?

Well, late last night (or early this morning) I found out. Note: If you are afraid of spiders, skip to pretty yarn pictures below.

Last night I had a dream. In the dream I was in a bathroom, and in the bathroom was a bowl with some decorative rocks. Suddenly a spider crawled out. It was a very large spider (3 inches in diameter - I just *knew* that in my dream) and had a hard shell like a crab. The spider started crawling around the large bathroom, and laying eggs, one at a time, that had little umbrellas that popped open above them automatically. (Don't even ask...) Then the huge creepy spider started crawling up my leg and possibly bit me, then went back to the hiding place in the bowl where it carefully concealed itself by looking just like a decorative rock.

The dream continuted with us looking for the spider, discovering it was missing from the bowl, etc.

Well, when I awakened in the middle of the night feeling kind of creepy (hey, I'm not scared of spiders, but it wasn't a fun dream) the first thing I saw was Mr. Pan. He heard me stirring and came to make sure I was OK see if it was time for breakfast. Well, my first thought in my half asleep and creeped out state was "Oh, it's ok. If a huge crab-shelled spider was in my apartment, Pan and Java would kill it."

I rolled over and went back to sleep. Hey, peace of mind in the middle of the night is worth quite a lot.

And now for the promised yarn:

My final prize from the Knittyboard WIP-along, Woolarina handspun:



I love this yarn, and look! She sent me a lovely card and some roving too. She said she was cleaning out her fiber stash. (Yay, more fibery goodness to spin "when I get better".)

I also got my prize from the "I'm an ugly ball of yarn" contest over at Laura's blog:



Try as I might, I can not get a good picture of this yarn. With flash, without flash... it doesn't matter - it always looks weird. Maybe that's why it's "ugly"? I don't think it's ugly really, just very... interesting. :)

And I get back to finishing stuff!

One thing about finishing all your WIPs is that it gets harder to finish things quickly. But here we go:



First the scarf:

Pattern: Short Row Rib
Yarn: Malabrigo in indigo
Started: 1/6/06
Finished: 1/15/06

And the hat:

Pattern: my own, invented just for this hat
Yarn: Malabrigo in indigo
Started: 1/13/06
Finished: 1/14/06

I haven't blocked the scarf yet, so I'll have to get a better picture after blocking. The color on this one is a little off too, cuz I had to use the flash with it being finished after sundown and all.

Short Row Rib scarf

Well, I haven't posted any progress pics, but I finished my first skein of the Malabrigo last night while watching Veronica Mars. And I'm also working on a few other projects... like... two pairs of socks and a hat and a sweater.

There's a pic of it last Sunday at Knitsmiths here.

Now, from my Knitsmiths page it really looks like all I knit is scarves. I'll have to remedy it this week - that's so untrue! Really all I knit is socks. ;)

My first prize!

As I was about to leave my apartment this morning, I found a package for me in the lobby. (Our package mail gets delivered pretty early, and not with the rest of the mail.)

I opened up the box, and here's what I found inside:



So pretty!

And inside the sparkle box was this sock yarn:



Fleece Artist in Origin - wow! This was the prize donated to the Knittyboard WIP-along by Simply Socks. Thanks!

Post 100, and for a good cause!

I've decided to knit a scarf for the Red Scarf Project, which will be distributing scarves in care packages to foster children attending their first year of college.

There's not much time, because it ends January 28th, but I'll make it. :)

I've decided to change my resolution...

to 12 pairs of socks.

Who am I kidding, I love knitting socks. I already finished one pair, have two more on the needles, and I'm planning to start a third soon.

Socks, socks, la la la.

I'll post later with pictures of a prize from the Knitty WIP-along which I got in the mail right as I was running out the door this morning. :)

Catching up with pictures :)

In my last SP5 package, the lovely dreamy sent me a package that I wasn't allowed to open until Christmas. Well, I forgot it in Boston (of course) and opened it after I got home. Here are the contents:



A cute little stocking holding the card, star barrettes, a little snowflake pin, a row counter, candy, and a magnetic star clock! Thanks dreamy!

Also, while I was in Seattle, I went to a store called Tricoter and bought some Socks That Rock:

Ruby Slippers



and Farmhouse



This yarn is just beautiful, even though I'm not a huge fan of red!

And, as requested by Catherine, a picture of my cat in the Kitty Pi. Unfortunately Java first decided it was a fun toy, so all my pictures of her are with her rolling wildly in it and clawing it. ;)



Later I walked out into the entryway to see her actually curled up sleeping in the bed! I ran to grab my camera, but by that time she had woken up and wandered off. I'll keep trying, though. :)

A crisis! And crisis averted.

After updating my progress bars and posting the photo of the Denmark socks, I realized something.

I only had one project left on the needles! Horror of all horrors! Of course, I couldn't sleep in a situation like that, so I had to remedy it at once.

Voici!



My Malabrigo scarf - the Magknits Short Row Rib pattern.

Ahh, now that's better. :)

Denmark Socks

Pattern: Denmark from Knitting On the Road

Yarn: Patons Kroy in Regatta Blue

Started: cast on November 5th and knitted about 5 rows ribbing, started in earnest December 31st

Finished: January 5th

1 of 6 Sockalution socks

My knitting resolution

I've noticed that a lot of knitters are making a New Year's Resolution related to knitting, and I thought of one for myself.

This year I will knit (at least) 6 pairs of socks.

I like knitting socks. I love sock yarn. So this is a very fitting resolution. :) In fact, if I don't knit at least 6 pairs of socks, I may be drowning in sock yarn by the end of the year. I was thinking of making it 12, but I also have 2 sweaters I want to knit, plus about a million other things.

I've already started two pairs (a tiny bit), and I have plans for more, so here's what I have so far:

1. Denmark (from Knitting On the Road)
2. Conwy (from Knitting On the Road)
3. Jaywalker
4. Pomatomus

I also have a whole list of socks I want to make, and the Knitting Vintage Socks book. Those four are decided, though.

I finished Topsecret, but...

It isn't very flattering.



It makes me look fat. I'm going to see if I can block it when I get home in some way to make it look better.

But it's so comfy. It's an around-the-house sweater. I'm actually wearing it right now. :)