True to my word

I'm back to post again today. Thanks to everyone for the comments on the wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, Chason is the cutest thing ever and my mom, sister and I really do look a lot alike. Whenever I'm home in Louisiana, people that know my mom know I'm her daughter without me having to say a word. It's pretty funny. Actually even while I was home, whenever I answered the phone people would start talking and assume I was her until I corrected them to say I was her daughter not her and everyone kept saying how much I sounded like her.

Okay, enough with the family ramblings, today it's all about knitting. Once I arrived at my mom's house, much knitting ensued. I started on the cabled ribs mittens while on the plane and made some progress. What was really funny was on the prop plane from Memphis to Louisiana was that I sat next to an older woman from Philadelphia and we chatted for a few minutes and after the plane took off, I pulled out my knitting and she took out her crochet and we laughed about it and then started stitchin' through the plane ride (which was only 50 minutes long, but that's what you've gotta do to get to my small hometown). Ooh, I just thought of something, for those that know me, you can't answer this, but how about a little contest, the first correct answer for guessing my hometown will win a little yarn. Here's a hint: It's the birthplace of Delta Airlines.

Anyhow, once I arrived home, I finished the first mitten and then started on the second. But as with socks, once you've mastered the technique the first time, the second one is not as fun to do, so I started working on the handwarmers from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts out of some purple/periwinkle-ish Cascade 220 in a spiral rib pattern, which was really addicting. I could hardly put it down. I was a bit apprehensive about making the mittens and the handwarmers, with the thumb gussets as I'd never done that before, but it was easy-peasy. After I finished one handwarmer, I went back to finish up the second mitten and then finished the second handwarmer. Because I knit those so fast and furiously, after that, I didn't knit for a day or so and then I decided to cast on for M's hat. While I know he would appreciate it and all, it wasn't nearly as thrilling as knitting myself something and my enthusiasm was lagging. I did get the ribbing finished, but that was all. And then it was getting closer to the wedding. Friday and Saturday no knitting was going to happen anyway, just too busy. I thought I might have a chance to do something Sunday, but more errands for the bride and my mother. So once I came back to my mother's house after grocery shopping and everything else, I just sat down and rested for a bit before I starting packing to leave for the next morning. I did get some reading done while visiting my mom, which was good, b/c my reading has gone down considerably, esp. since I've been unemployed, which you would think would be the opposite.

A finished pic of the cabled rib mittens:




One of the handwarmers (I love these for when I'm at the computer downstairs and it's colder there, just the right thing to keep me from being too cold) being modeled:


Both handwarmers together:


M's hat is close to being done now. I used the pattern from Ann Budd's book, but it has the hat height of 9" before doing decreases and I forgot from using this pattern last year that that is too high for M's head. He might have a big head, but it's not that long, so I had to rip back about 1.25" and I will try it again and see if it fits better this time. I'm hoping that it will.




I've been remiss in posting a pic of my felted fuzzy feet:


Initially I was pretty pleased with them, but when I walk around in them at home, I build up static electricity, shocking myself every time I touch something, so that part isn't so much fun. I might give them to M2 instead.

I also decided not to make more fuzzy feet for M and M2 with wool/mohair mix of yarn that I have, but I will use that yarn to make a scarf for me. I think it will be Irish Hiking Scarf.

With all the cold weather, that's all I've been wanting to do is knit hats, and mittens. I even joined another, yes, another KAL, this one, Nona's Peaceful Palms KAL. But I've finished my mittens already. I am planning on tackling gloves as well though.

M2 got a new winter coat and this does not match up with the hat I knitted him earlier this year, so I've been pressed volunteered to knit him another hat in colors that match his coat. Thank G-d for the stash I've accumulated. Who knew when I bought a bunch of Gedifra Cordillera 4 years ago (50% alpaca/50% wool) in a navy color, which while the yarn is nice, is never a color I'm going to get that excited by, would come in handy. I offered to make M2 a sweater in the navy yarn and since I have some green and orange additional balls ( I was thinking of making a Ribby Cardi in it, but I think I would get bored with all the navy for myself), I figured I would put some stripes on the sleeves of the green and orange and maybe a just a row of the other alternating color as a contrast on the bottom of the sweater and on top. Probably a top-down raglan with the body loosely ribbed, maybe 3 or 4x1 rib to make it masculine with regular sleeves. Hmm, I'm liking this idea already. That and a hat with green as the main colors, blue stripes and a little orange (maybe at the top) with earflaps and icord. And maybe pompon spikes at the bottom. This project is sounding fun.

As for the obligatory baby knitting, I've started yet another baby raglan sweater out of Cotton-Ease, this time in pistachio and while the color is oddly fascinating to me, I don't exactly like it. Here's hoping the mother does. I'm making it green with a blue stripe on the bottom and at the top of the color and probably one row on the sleeves of each as well. Miles and miles of stockinette to go. (Thank goodness this is for a baby, b/c I've knit this thing 3 times already and I'm going to do at least one more, although that one will be out of Encore at least).



I'm going to the LYS to get some help on the Marilyn cardi. As I was working on the button hole bands, I noticed one of the cardigan edges, some sts have dropped and I don't know what I did there, so I'm going to get an eagle eye to look at it with me. Once I get the second sleeve done and the buttonhole band done, I will see if my friend's daughter will crochet the ruffles on for me and then I can begin the finishing work. I would like to finish it and get it off my roster. Plus I still have Spork lingering 'round and I really need to swatch for M's sweater and get his measurement for arm length so I can begin the sleeves at least. So much to do and never enough time to get it all done. And I still want to start the Clap, but at this rate, I don't know when it will happen!