New Look, New Hat

I'm trying not to start this post with "It's been a while." But, well, it has. Anyway, after my Girasole, and a half a pair of socks, I got into a slump. It was pretty bad. Took me until now to get over it. I think what got me out of it, was this gorgeous yarn from The Plucky Knitter Classics. It's called Pretty Pretty Pola in Merino Cashmere Nylon (MCN Lite, to be exact) and it really took my breath away. When you only have 230 yards of loveliness, and a color that looks great on you, wouldn't you knit a hat too?



Please pay no attention to the dying plant behind it, I'm trying to save it haha. I can't stop staring at the hat. It's Felicity. Whenever I hear that name I think of the tv show, with Keri Russell. I loved that show. And when I think of that show, I think of the one with Claire Danes, My So Called Life. LOVED that one too!! Well, I could go on and on.

Anyway, I've been going through some personal struggles lately. I think I just need to take things one step at a time. More on these things another time. Until then!

Lost

I feel a little lost in my knitting world right now. It always happens, and I've probably blogged about it before. After finishing a project that I fall in love with, I cast on for a few projects and don't fall in love with those. Right now I'm knitting a baby sweater, socks, and Featherweight. Now, the socks are pretty simple; plain vanilla. We went away to the Shreveport area last weekend, and I actually knit on the ride there and during our stay. This is what I have:



When will I finish them? Maybe on the 8 hour car ride to Florida in a week?

Also, I'll have you know that I picked up my February Lady Sweater again. I noticed a little error on the end of one of my rows. The garter stitch was off on the last two stitches. Apparently, although I can fix any other mistake in the middle of my work, I cannot fix one on the end. It will just be a matter of time before I rip out four rows and reknit. I would really love to avoid that!

In home news, we are gearing up for our vacation next week. We're supposed to go to Florida (the Pensacola area, to be exact) and we've toyed with not going. We'll be staying in a time-share and they have a pool, which ultimately made our decision. We can't be like everyone else and cancel our plans. The people on the coasts of Louisiana and Florida so desperately need business. I don't even know why I am bringing this up. The thought of what this is doing to wildlife, etc. is heartbreaking. I just wish they would plug it up already. Betcha the kids at MIT could figure it out.

Swatch Fwatch

Have I mentioned how much I hate swatching? For real. Hate. I know it's necessary, but I don't like it. It delays my project starting process and is just annoying. Here's my swatch for my Featherweight Cardigan that I would like to knit sometime this century.



This swatch should be 4" across. I am exactly a 1/2" off. Which is much better than the 1-1/4" off I was before I washed the swatch. This means going up a needle size will work. Most of my anger about swatching came before the washing. It looked like I was going to have to swatch a few more times before getting what I needed. I guess this means that I'm not all that mad at swatching afterall. I changed my own mind. Now, if I knit this sweater and it's a bagillion times too big or small, I will go back to hating on the swatch again.

The Head

I'd like to introduce you to someone. Her name: The Head. I purchased her at Hobby Lobby(my new favorite store since moving South). She was only $5, but will be my hat/scarf and whatever else model for a lifetime. I will keep her safe and locked up in my office/craft room. Because I'm so excited about my purchase, I decided to retake photos of recent knitting projects with her modeling them. This has nothing to do with my abundance of free time. Let the show begin!

Here The Head is modeling my 16 Cable Hat. Remarkably, she even makes my photography look better. I don't know how she does it, but if we all had this ability, we would all be models, wouldn't we.



Next, The Head is wearing The Cashmere Cowl. Knit out of cashmere lace, The Head can wear this anywhere, from a brisk walk along the water, to a shopping adventure outdoors.



In this next shot, The Head dons The Darkside Cowl by Sarah Fama, knit out of The Plucky Knitter MCN worsted yarn in the popular colorway Honey Wilkes. I know! She made me forget about the clutter on my desk too. I didn't even notice it! She is amazing.


Lastly, although she resisted, The Head models my current work in progress, The Slouched Tuva Hat. "I don't want to model a hat without a top. What if everyone sees my thoughts?" were her words. I didn't say she was smart.



And there you have it! The Head. I am currently searching for someone whom I shall call, The Body.

Spring Forward

I finished my Spring Forward socks and I'm very excited. I only started knitting them in (cough) December of '09.



The first sock went VERY smoothly. I can't say the same for the second sock, however. I had to restart that sock at least four times! I kept screwing up and when I'm working with fingering weight yarn and size 1 needles, little can be fixed without ripping. Anyway, I hope the person I am gifting them to, loves them and that they get a lot of wear. I used Wollmeise in Fleiderbusch and I absolutely ADORE the color.

Well, with the Girasole and the Spring Forward socks done, I was left with no works in progress! Can you believe it? I'm not counting the old old projects that I haven't touched in years, of course. So...I decided to cast on for this.



I'm using Bryspun needles for the first time (size 4) and I feel that the hat is really quite small. I'm also not really like knitting with plastic. I'm going to truck along, though and hopefully it will turn out the way I want.

The homefront has calmed down, but it always does. We;ll see how it goes next Thursday!

I've Been Thinking

Mostly, I've been thinking about what I want to knit next. After Girasole, yes, only two days ago, I finished my Cashmere Cowl.



It's so soft and beautiful! I can't wait to wear it once summer's over.

Now, I am finishing the Spring Forward socks I started in December of '09. I'm working on these for a friend. One sock is complete and I'm working the leg of the second sock. Wow, I'm such a snore today.

A New Blanket

I DID IT. I knit a Girasole!! I can't even describe how happy this makes me. I have never, in my life, knit something that was this complicated and that took so long to complete. When I say complicated, I don't actually mean it, either. This pattern is so clearly written that the only mistakes I made were out of my own stupidity. I only THOUGHT it would be complicated.

Knitters, if you love the look of this blanket, and long to have one sitting on the back of your couch, or draped over your bed, KNIT IT. It can be done! I'm so not kidding. I thought I would, for sure, make some unfixable mistake or get stuck on the pattern and never finish it. I did finish it, and you can too!!



Please excuse the unwoven ends and my blue carpet. We need hardwood floors. Bad.




This picture shows the pattern nicely, but does not correctly reflect the color.



This shows the color perfectly! What to do next? Besides weave in those ends, I mean! I think I should finish the two WIPs I have on my project page on Ravelry. Yes, I should finish them. But will I?