The other day DH and I took a small trip down to Portland to drop off the sweaters, felted clogs and the Celtic Tote to the Vancouver contingent of my family, and to take advantage of the No Sales Tax in Oregon.  I picked up a MacBook Pro, which I’m very happy with now that I’m getting things in order.  I’ve spent the last 2 days trying to get Vista to play with it, and now all is happy, and I’m back in a Mac environment again after a year, and I’m much happier now.

Where was I, DH has recently been reminiscing over days past when he had a stocking cap, especially with the recent snow flurries we’ve been having.  Too bad the snow hasn’t decided to stay around for a day or 2.  So, out of my stash I found the perfect yarn.

Yes, DH you are cute, but let’s see the hat.

Pattern: An Unoriginal Hat by: Yarn Harlot

Yarn: Good question, I picked it up when Libby and I went to the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Stash Sale a while back, the label simply said Icelandic on it, and it was hand printed, so no real clue as to the color way or the yarn itself, but it’s bulky weight and knitting up it looks a lot like camouflage, in any case DH loves it.

Needles: 16″ #11 Addi Turbos and #11 Brittany DPN’s

Thoughts:  This is a very quick knit, I started it half way down to Portland, about 2 hours as DH’s drives from Portland, and finished it when we got home, since it was too dark to turn cables and decrease for this knitter to finish on the highway at night. it’s a fun knit, I’ll have to go stash diving to see what else I can find to knit some more.

I took this out of hibernation and finished it off, mostly in the car on the way back from Portland, stockinette stitch and 2 X 2 rib isn’t to complicated for me to knit in the dark.

Pattern:  Soy Silk Shrug by Diana Gates

Yarn:  South West Trading Company Phoenix ( 2 skeins and a tad more from a third) Colorway is 506.

Needles:  #10 and 10.5, I think I started on Addy Turbos, possibly, Knit Picks Options, but in any case I cast of on Denise Needles, that was easiest since I already had the shrug on Denise Cables, for trying on to make sure I like the length and fit.

Thoughts:  Very quick knit, despite the fact that it’s been hibernating for a while.  The sleeves allow for a lot of creativity, since all you need to do is make sure you have 4 increases on each round, you can play with the placement of the YO increases, so if you decide to knit it, have fun with it.

And last but certainly not least, the last of my Holiday Knitting goals, but not a complete travesty because I missed my deadline, since it’s for me after all.

Pattern:  Jane Origami Pullover by Adrienne Thomas

Yarn:  Again, I’m really not quite sure since I bought a kit and it didn’t really say what the yarn was.

Needles: #9 Addi Turbo’s.

Thoughts:  It’s a lot of Stockinette, but in the end it’s fun to watch a pullover come out of all that knitting.  It’s knit in one piece starting with the back, then up to the arms, off the side, then 2 wings that cross over.  I love the way it all comes together in the end.  If I weren’t so short, this would make me look quite pregnant, but since I am, the crossover crosses just above my waist, making this sweater quite wearable for me.

And that brings 2007 FO’s to a close, if you’re keeping track, final sweater counts is now 16.

Happy Hogmanay!  And I’ll see you all in the New Year.

Pattern: Mystery Stole 3, Pink Lemon Twist will be making this pattern available for sale, but I’m not sure when it will be available.

Yarn: Zephyr – Ebony. I started with a 4 oz ball and have quite a bit left over, I’ll have to find the scale if you want to know the exact weight of what’s left, but I have read quite a few people have the better part of the 2nd 2oz ball left over when they had 2 2oz balls.

Needles: Options #4

Thoughts: I like the ide of asymmetry, but only in stoles, scarves, shawls, I personally don’t like asymmetrically sweaters. While there were many people that were turned off by the asymmetrical nature of this knit, I completely enjoyed it. I also did enjoy the nature of the clues revealing themselves piece by piece, though at times I did have a tendency to get impatient, but in getting the clues week by week, it left me enough time to knit on other things and still get this project done in a timely mannter. I will, (ok so I have already signed up for another one) do this again, it was a very enjoyable experience. While I’m not sure I like how the stole looks when it’s hanging down, DH couldn’t get a good pic of it, I do like how the wing drapes accross. This is for a person who is much smaller than me, so it’ll fit her with no problem. Check one off the list for Christmas.

Pattern: Grasshopper BMFA Socks that Rock Club pattern
Yarn: Cascade Fixation
Needles: Addi Lace #2

Modifications: I used Fixation because I had heard that there may be an issue with how the socks fit, reports of them being baggy. With the recent heat here in Seattle, the cotton of Fixation seemed to be a logical choice. Again with the recent heat, converting the pattern to footies seemed to this knitter to be the best bet, and I love the way they turned out and fit.

Hot off my needles, I finally completed my June socks for the SAM KAL.  To be honest, I had started another pair, but one thing led to another to another and here I was in the last week of the month and no completed socks.  So I decided footies fit the bill, and away I knit.

Yarn: Cascade Fixation

Needles: Addi Lace (Magic Loop)

Pattern: toe up, figure 8 cast on for the toes, heel flap and short rows for the heel, I’m not sure I like doing it, but I’ll have to try it again, and maybe even write it down this time.

And that brings my sock count up to 1 a month year to date.

I’m off to knit the clue for Mystery Stole 3, now that my socks are done, look out lace here I come.

No pics yet, I’ll get those before the weekend is out and have them posted likely early next week at the latest, because I’m off to the Black Sheep Gathering for the weekend, and I’m so excited, I was up at 5 this morning even though I don’t have to go into the office and have to wait for rush hour traffic to die down, since Eugene is on the other side of Seattle from me, and traffic heading in that direction in the morning simply ain’t pretty.

I’m off to finish packing.

Pattern: Coriolis Sock by Cat Bordhi
Yarn: Fleece Artist 100% Machine Washable Merino Sock Yarn (double stranded)
Needles: Options #6

Interesting pattern, It’s one I would and will knit again.  DH fell in love with the pattern and even asked for a pair for himself.  I really ejoyed this knit.

Well I finally got around to putting DH’s sweater together, and more importantly, I got a pic of him wearing it today to.

Pattern:  Reynolds Portuguese Fisherman

Yarn:  Cascade 220, off white, 7 skeins

Needles: Options #6 and #8

This in theory a repeat pattern, but when I did it the first time for Daddy, I stacked the cables instead of making them a checker.  I also knit the body on this one in one piece, splitting out for the sleeves and knit the sleeves in the round. I think that’s all I changed on it.

Sorry Madge, Marie and Mary, CPH is done and I get to keep my handspun.

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky found in the Fall 2006 issue of Knitscene

Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweedolor is 845 ( 183 yds, 3.5 oz) 8 skeins

Needles:  Options #6 and #8

I knit this one up a little shorter in the body as usual.  I did knit the sleeves to the length specified in the pattern, but I left thumb holes, to free my thumbs while keeping my hands warm.  Despite the challenges this knit presented, I really did enjoy it.  If I ever knit it again, I will remember to change out the needles between the ribbing and the body, and pay more attention to the cables.

OTN: socks for May SAM KAL III, Eris, Heere Be Dragone Shawl, 3 bulletin boards…

Pattern: I can’t for the life of me remember where I saw the pattern, but it’s a simple 2X2 rib with a 1X1 cuff, bind off half the stitches at the heel, knit 2 rows, cast on the same number of stitches you bound off and keep knitting.

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Sports Weight color: Purple Earth

Needles: Addy Turbo’s #3

Socks without heels and toes….for Yoga/pilates. They let the wearer maintain a grip on the floor while keeping the rest of the foot warm. Mom’s at the gym doing Yoga twice a week and is always cold, so she got these quick knit socks for Mother’s day.

CPH made a brief appearance at knitting on Wednesday night, but has pretty much remained in Time Out for the last week. Today, the 2nd CPH sleeve was seen being knit on in the car on the way to my MIL’s. The 2nd sleeve is done up to the point of the cap shaping, at which point, I realized that I hadn’t brought the pattern along for the ride. So I switched projects to my May socks, Coriolis Sock by Cat Bordhi and finished the first sock, cast on the 2nd and I am up to the gusset increases.