Knittypants

Anastasia

So about this time last year, I started a sweater.

It didn't work out so well. Let's just say I didn't get gauge. Not even close.

Since looking like an overstuffed pink sausage isn't a huge obsession of mine, I planned to frog the sweater and try again some day.

But some one else tried the sweater on and decided it was pretty nice.

The only problem,  I made this sweater to fit me and that included my hips. Kaelen doesn't have any hips to speak of, so there's a funky little flare going on with this sweater.

I plan to fix this with steeks, I think it will work, the yarn is sticky and doesn't like to frog, so it should be fine.

Yeah, of course she's happy she just scored my sweater!!

So some details, the pattern is Anastasia by Shana Norris. This is a really nice pattern. It was well written and fun to knit. If it fit it would be a favorite, I'm sure :-)

The yarn is Nashua Creative Focus Worsted in, I think, Carnation.

The yarn wasn't my favorite, it's a 25/75 alpaca wool blend but it really doesn't have a lot of stretch. Made my hands tired after a while.

I do like the fuzziness the alpaca gives to the cables. They don't pop, but they are soft and pretty.

Anyways, it's nice to have a loser project redeemed, I'm happy.

A Catching Up Type Post

Mad packing is almost done, this is such a huge relief for me. I was feeling so stressed for a while, but this next week I should be able to breathe and hopefully enjoy my last week here.

I wanted to show you Lochschal.

This took exactly 2 skeins of Rowan Big Wool. There was not an inch to spare, in fact I didn't have enough to do a proper bindoff and had to fudge it. It doesn't bother me, but it might drive someone else crazy.

I do like this pattern and the lovely soft wide scarf, Big Wool makes. Hopefully, it will get lots of use next year :0)

Another finished project, this one just itty bitty. A little acorn man for my son's recent birthday. I think I enjoyed making him more than Jarv enjoys playing with him! I bought a small kit at Bear Dance Crafts to make him up.

And a work in progress, birthday socks for my husband. I was in a rush so this picture is more armwarmerish, I'll do better next time. These are the Cable Twist Socks by Adrian Bizilia.

I'm using good old Cascade 220 for these. Have to love how quick worsted weight socks work up. I have one finished and am almost half way with the second. I'd really like to have these done by the weekend, so I want to stay focused.

That's all for this rushed post, but next time I will have a sweaterly finished object!! Stay tuned...

Camping and Top Down

I think I mentioned before that I am trying to use up all my bulky yarns. I have a queue full of patterns and my plan is to knit through all my thicker yarns this year, and then not let myself stash anymore. I have way to much yarn as it is, and these bulky ones take up so much room.

I thought I would be flying through these projects, but no, not really. Even using honking needles I'm just a slow knitter these days. But, I am trying something new. I've been wanting to knit the Drops Jacket for a while, but when I saw this one on Ravelry it became stuck in my head that not only would I make the jacket but it would be top down, too. I bought Knitting From the Top, by Barbara Walker, and am making my way.

My version won't be as flared, and I'm nervous it will be too big, and I'm really wishing I'd made the collar bigger and floppier, (see these gorgeous examples) but I guess if I hate it I can always rip and try again. I mean even as slow as I am, it really doesn't take long to make progress with Big Wool.

And in a couple more weeks I should be done with packing for a while and able to spend some time relaxing and knitting while visiting with my parents for a bit before the whole cross-country move and the unpacking begins.

These are just some cute camping pictures for the grandparents. Just so everyone knows, I was no where nearby while my husband let my baby pose with a hatchet!

And here is goober boy, who knew sticks and dirt could be so good :-p

Urchin

So here we go. A hat. And it fits, and I wear it. I call that a winner.

I think if I did this again, I would do it in a mellower color. This is fairly bright for me, but I wear it when I want to appear saucy and bold.

I'm sure everyone knows Urchin, I knit this in Jaeger Natural Fleece, color #530, Bordeaux.

I liked the bumpy yarn with this pattern, it works so well.

I used one full skein, plus an itty bitty bit of the second to make the largest size. Grrrr... hate that, now I have an almost full skein mocking me from the stash.

I will have to find a pinhead to gift a bold, saucy hat.

So, do you notice all the mess in the background?

That mess is a huge packing mess. That's because my husband and I have decided to get out of the lower mainland.

Heck, we're not even planning to stay in beautiful British Columbia. Oh, no we have bigger plans. We are going east. East and east and east. And then a little more east, until we arrive in beautiful New Brunswick.

Then hopefully we will love it and buy a beautiful home in the country with a white picket fence and all my children will dress nicely every day, and mind their manners and play sweetly together and we will all live happily ever after. I'm hoping :-p

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, maybe a lot, but I refuse to explore my inner self that deeply right now. There's to much to do.

And really, people, thank goodness I'm not pregnant right now! I'd just be a blubbering pile of ooze on the floor, if that were the case!!!!

Boobs.

No you guys aren't perverts, they are boobs.

I honestly didn't mean to leave that post up so long without explanation. They were knit up as a comission for my midwife to help with explaining lactation to new mothers.

Now my goal is to get a new post up very soon so that this blog doesn't become known as the boobie blog!

I knit these up with Elann Peruvian Wool in an assortment of natural looking colors. They were nice, relaxing and quick to knit a nice break from the regular knitting :-)

PS I want to apologize for how poorly I am at responding to comments lately or posting on your blogs, I do have a good reason and I will share with you shortly what it is, so please do forgive me.

PSS My good reason has nothing to do with my midwife, just in case anyones mind was going there :-P