Slow Going

Things have been progressing slowly these days. I'm getting daunted by the big projects, and keep casting on new small ones.

NEW:
Bath Puff: I really had fun with this, it was so quick and fun to do. I've read a few reviews that says it doesn't lather and it difficult to use, but I wanted to knit it for the sake of knitting it. We'll see how it goes when I try and use it.

January Fingerless Gloves:
These fingerless mitts are done in Lett-Lopi wool. I can't help but love it - the whole time I'm knitting I am thinking of those awesome pure Icelandic sheep. I would give almost anything to go to Iceland! Anyway... The colour is called "Garnet" and Garnet is the birthday stone for January (and happens to be MY birth stone). It was a simple cast-on-40-stitches kind of thing, no pattern. Unfortunately, they are a little baggy, which is not the way I like my mitts.

Still On the Needles:
Radiating Star Blanket: I'd say this is about 60% done now. It's going alright, and I really enjoy how it's an easy knit, but it's SO long... it feels like I'm never going to finish it. I think I've come to the conclusion that I like doing the "big" part first... Starting with 8 stitches and ended with 300 or whatever seems like it's getting harder as you go (like a hill getting steeper as you climb it). I like working the other way. From 300 to 8!

Hunter's Snuggle Sack: This is going ever slower than the blanket. My mom is coming for two nights, and I'm really hoping that I can bribe her to help me plow through. Maybe I'll hand her the Snuggle Sack, and I'll grab the Radiating Star Blanket, and we can sit and drink tea until they are done. Maybe. :)

Mellow Mittens: I cast these on last night, and have since almost finished one of them. I LOVE stripes, I love yellow, and I love this wool. I've never knit a mitt before, and am slightly concerned about the thumb.... but I'm going to give it a go.

New on the needles

Finished:
I have finished another hat - this one was for my mother-in-law. It was a simple crochet beanie with a few extra patterns and a little frill on the brim. They finish quick, and they seem to be well-received so far.

In Progress:
Hunters Snuggle Sack has hit a back-burner -- I think it's going to be too small for him!

Cast-On:
I started a new project - This is an afghan/blanket for a housewarming gift for my in-laws. They are moving the beginning of March. It's going quite well so far. I'm not a huge fan of the yarn-overs at the beginning of the pattern though... At least not until I switched to circular needles. The pattern can be found on Ravelry here.

Finished!

Finished:
I wrote about a cuddly caterpillar that I was making for my son. I've finally finished it!

Also, I quickly crocheted up a ball and a cube for Hunter as well. They are far from perfect, but he doesn't seem to mind. :)

Still in Progress:
Hunters Snuggle Sack is coming along not too badly. I'm getting slightly bored of the endless miles of stockinette stitch, but the break to for the zipper opening helps a little. At least there is a "start" and "finish" available to me on a row-by-row basis.

New:
I've cast on a new project, however, I'm a bit concerned about the complexity of it. Here I thought knitting lace would be a breeze. Not the case :(
It's being knit out of Misti Alpalca (100% baby Alpalca) - Hand Painted Lace in Sugar Sand(29).
Love it! My fiance thinks it looks like the colour of the inside of a band-aid. He actually enjoys winding up skeins of yarn for me, and he comes up with some pretty funny observations while doing so!

Card, Knitting

I've finished a hat for my sister-in-law - and it came out pretty well. It is a basic beanie with a *fancy* trim on it, and took no time at all (these are the projects I like - limited amount of time to create them and nice end result!)















I'll be giving it to her tonight, and am crossing my fingers that she'll like it, and that it'll fit.

My birthday came and went, and it was an awesome day. My mom sent me some money, which I spent almost immediately on some nicer yarn that I might not have purchased on my own.


Purchases:
- Madil Eden 100% Bamboo in black
- Misti Alpalca 100% Baby Alpalca (hand dyed lace) in sugar sand
- Tahki Cotton Classic in dark teal


I came home and made myself a pair of fingerless mitts out of the bamboo. They were based on the Greenaway Fingerless Glove pattern that I did previously, however... I did a small rib cuff and then strait stockinette stitch instead of a 1x1 rib pattern throughout. I love the feel of them and how the yarn falls, but they turned out a bit big in the wrist (this is probably where the 1x1 ribbing would have helped).


And last but not least -- Thursday was my mother-in-laws 50th birthday, so I made her this card. I've just started making cards, and I'm having a lot of fun with it!

The New Year

Happy 2009!

Although I don't have any new finished projects to show - I do have a little bit of a Work In Progress.

I started knitting this on Boxing Day (Dec. 26) for my son. He loves to be swaddled, but tends to pull the blankets up over his face - not good! - so, I'm making him this little sleep sack. The hood will be left off, and it will be made a bit longer than is should be (he's so big!).

Here is an 'in the works' shot. It is my first attempt at Fair Isle knitting, and although I was warned that it would be really difficult, I LOVE it. I had so much fun doing it, and after looking back through all the stitches, it appears as if I only fudged up a bit once. Woohoo!.

Pattern is from the Purl Bee which is where I seem to get most of the patterns I work on. The inside shot is crazy! Now I can truly appreciate all the work that went into those Nordic sweaters my mom used to make for me.