Merry Christmas

I'm just not feeling it... merry that is... I'm not sure if it's the economy, the weather, work or the fact that I'm feeling a bit homesick at the moment, but this holiday season has been one huge bummer for me.

Typically I'm all about decorating and preparing for the holiday and watching holiday movies till there's no end. The Secret Santa Swap offered a huge push into the season and I totally enjoyed it, but there just seems to have been something missing that I haven't figured out yet.

Talking to my hairdresser a few days ago she said that she is feeling much the same and alot of her other clients were feeling the same to. So maybe it's something in the water?

So I finally do get to post photographs of the Secret Santa gifts I made for my swappee. She said she loved them and I'm so proud of them.

First is the scarf. It's just a basic striped scarf with seed stitch border. Made from Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light (I love this stuff).



Next is the Snowflake by Nora Gaughan. It's made from Berroco Pure Merino which is so spongy and soft, I love the stuff and bought extra to make one for myself (I have yet to do that because of other projects).


The remaning stuff I included was a few balls of yarn a crochet hook set and a book of crochet animals. My swappee loves to make little stuffed animals, amigurumi characters. They're cute and I was happy to send more supplies. I also threw in some little treats and such.

I also made Chris a hat, just a basic "plain vanilla" hat from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. It's simple 2x2 ribbed edge for 2 1/2" on DPN's switch to regular stockinette stich and keep going until it seems like it's too long and then decrease. Bland, plain and super easy. I made it in a day and a half actually. He digs it and barely takes it off.. which is all I ever ask for. Just kidding



I've also started another scarf, this is for our friend Carlos. He was talking to Chris and asked him if I'd make one for him. So Chris asked me and I had the perfect yarn just waiting to be turned into something (it's cheapy Vanna's Choice) in the perfect color for Carlos. I don't have a pic at the moment but I'm about half finished and I may run out of yarn. See Carlos is 6'5" so a regular length scarf will look like an ascot on him, so it has to be a little longer than normal. So I may have to fudge it a bit and add some color changes to it or lurk around Michael's or JoAnns until I can find a matching ball. Why can't Lion Brand make their acrylic with no dye lot like Red Hart does?? It's acryllic!!!

I've also finally, finally, finally gotten started on the Rona Lace Shawl, I could cry I'm so happy. It took a lot of trying and false starts but I finally got it and it's looking fantastic (again no pictures yet). I'm on row 30-something so if I've gotten that far with no major hair pulling, it's gotta be good... I have many hundred more rows to go, but it's a grand start.

I've also got a pair of socks started for Chris. Our weather has been a bit icky lately dipping into the 40's at night, rain and crud, it's so wonderful. Christmas day was all dreary just like it should be. But Chris being the true Californian that he is gets cold sooooo easily. So I'm making him a pair of socks. I work on those at lunch time and the shawl after work when I get home and I have quiet time that no one is talking to me.

So that's the update for now. Here's a sweet little picture of my neice that's just brightened my days... her first Christmas...

Got a day off and a chance to blog...

I've come to a point where I have no projects on the needles. Let me say that again, I... have... no... projects.

WHAT!?

Now don't let that fool you, I have no shortage of yarn or potential projects but the "must be done by (DATE)" projects are completed. My two secret santa swap projects are done, blocked and mailed (just a few more days and I can post pictures) and the Noro Striped Scarf from Brooklyn Tweed.

I think I had mentioned this in a previous post, but I saw that the Yarn Harlot was making one and I'm typically not one to pick the "in the now" pattern that everyone else seems to be doing. Mostly because I can't wrap my head around why they think this particular hot item is so spectacular (I still don't "get" Clapotis).

To each their own though, so please don't feel insulted!!!

If the rest of the world thinks Clapotis is pretty and I'm in the minority, something is wrong with me!!!

So I ran out to Skein and bought up the most beautiful Noro yarn in colors I knew my SIL would love.

I knit it in a week and a half. Seriously, I started it Wednesday before Thanksgiving and finished it the following week on Sunday. I don't think I've knit anything so fast in my life... And now I can't part with it!!!

Is it proper to put a note inside the gift saying "if you don't like it send it back to me because I want it?!"



I'm thinking to ease my nerves I might end up just buying another 4 in the same colors so I can have my own. I can't bear the thought though of her losing it or tossing it aside... I have such a crush on this scarf I feel like it should be locked up in a special glass case and put on display at the Louvre or the Smithsonian...

Ok I'm losing my mind, someone slap me.

I think though that what really killed me on this project, and I've mentioned it before, was the tenacity of people to grab your knitting without asking and mess with it. I had the WIP nicely folded and tucked in my knitting bag, stashed in the corner of my cubicle waiting for lunch time when we'd get some 1 on 1 together.

A co-worker came over and took it out to see what I was working on (without asking of course) and just as she was admiring it, my boss walked by. My co-worker has been bugging me to show her how to knit for a while, I've told her to bring in some supplies (which she says she has at home) and I'd help her out. Well as she's saying this my boss overhears, takes it upon herself to show her how to knit on my scarf, which if you've held or seen Silk Garden, a varegated chunky fuzzy "home spun" looking yarn. That means difficult to rip out or undo.

Without bothering to ask me how the pattern goes on it she just decided to start knitting away and completed one row of K1P1 ribbing.. in the wrong color and without slipping the first stitch as the pattern calls for!!!! So I had to spend 30 minutes tinking back the 39 stitches and re-situating them on my needles the right way and separating the fuzz that didn't want to let go of the yarn next to it.

If she weren't my boss I seriously could have strangled her (this was almost 2 weeks ago and it still makes me upset).

This is why I almost never knit in public. I've also learned to just hide my projects instead of leaving them out.

I ask you, why is it the one person in the whole office (or store or house or whatever) with the dirtiest hands (say just after eating pizza, hot wings, greasy chips, etc.) is always the one to grab your pure white project and practically wipe their entire body of filth all over your stuff???

(Sorry this also stems from a bad experience with my most prized photography project in high school that was smeared by dirty hands)

End Rant: Back down to earth I go.

I frogged the Nordic Cardie I was making for Smush. I frogged that sucker hard. I just wasn't digging how it was coming out, I was having issues with my tension when slipping the first stitch of each row to make neater and easier to deal with edges (my "regular" edges are so sloppy).

So the yarn got put away for the moment and set aside.

I decided to make my brother a pair of socks, but can't seem to get those started. I finished the Spring Forward Socks, but have to block and photograph those too.

One of the girls at work just found out she's having a baby so I've decided on a baby blanket for her. I just have to find a pattern I like that isn't totally boring.

I was thinking the Round or Pinwheel Blanket on Ravelry. Miracle of miracles though there's a great link on how to start the blanket in the round with only 5 sitches.

A little more explanation on that one... See I had wanted to give lace, serious lace, a try a while back and I purchased the Rona Lace Shawl from KnitPicks. Gorgeous! I just never took into account the fact that it's started in the round with 5 tiny little stitches on size 5 DPN's and is so funky that I flipped my lid and quit. (Also the yarn is thinner than dental floss and my big oafish hands make me feel like a bull in a china shop)

I didn't know how to start the pattern and I felt so devastated about it because I really want to do some serious lace. I scoured everywhere trying to figure out how to start this sucker but no luck and gave up completely.

Thankfully with this baby blanket it gave some wonderful advice that I'm hoping will work for my shawl. If not anyone want some pretty green laceweight yarn? LOL!

I found a great "beginner" pattern on Ravelry as well (Alix's Lace Prayer Shawl. I tried using the same laceweight yarn to start that and I've finally come to the conclusion. Me and super fine laceweight just do not mix.

I had some scrap leftovers of the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn from many sock projects and decided to get started with that. It's not going to be a fancy shawl so the mix of colors doesn't matter to me, it's just more for the practice of it.

I'm desperate though to find a great lace pattern because I really want to make my aunt a lace prayer shawl for when she finally gets ordained (in the Episcopal Church). She taught me how to knit, but doesn't do lace and I want to both tell her congratulations and thank you (for taking me in when I was younger). As I get further along I'll share more photos of my progress (it'll be either the project or my balding head as I rip my hair out)

Ok so that's the update for now, more pics to come, I promise.