Stress Level - 7 Projects

my sister pointed out to me today that she can accurately gauge my stress level by how many knitting projects i feel i MUST carry with me at all times.  one is normal.  two is also ok (got to have back-up knitting in case you finish or irreparably maim the primary knitting).  three is pushing it, but maybe if one of them is a sweater that won't fit in your purse then it's ok.

i counted today.  i have seven.  this is not stopping me from wanting to cast on everything i see on ravelry.

in my purse:

1. headgear for my father (finished today as said sister and i had this converstion)
2. pretty toes pedicure sock #2 (barely started)
3. david's misbehaving straight up socks which are naught be three balls of wrinkly yarn at the moment (they got frogged in a huff of unfittingness...)

in my backpack:

1. february lady sweater (almost done with the body)
2. reknit of one girls' night out (the cat ate it...just cast on the cuff today)
3. yarn and needles for monkey socks
4. yarn and needles for the second vega$ sock, which i never did start...

thus far i have resisted casting on a baby sweater, a shawl, another pair of socks (or three), several different kinds of mittens, and a pair of baby booties (although i do need to make some)

i can't wait until my thesis is done and my brain is back to normal-ish

Christmas Knitting

Well, I have once again proved that I shall never be anything other than a ridiculously bad blogger...

And true to form I have no pictures...

But I have been knitting A LOT!!

Things off my needles since the last post:

3 more 198-yardses
a pair of around the bend socks (from the incredible think outside the sox book!)
the after hours shawl from knitters' brewing (and it's GORGEOUS!)
the other fiber trends slipper (and they're felted, and I'm wearing them right now)
a second fiber trends huggable hedgehog
a fiber trends felted squirrel (adorable!)
a whole whack of dishcloths and potholders
a felted fish shaped cat toy

Things that need to be knitted for christmas:

another pair of fiber trends slippers
a hermione hat (casted on, but I HATE the yarn)

and the most embarrassing...the list of WIPs (this is including everything I can think of that I've started...the ones with stars are things that I'm actively carrying around working on):

KBC drinking gloves
after hours shawl number two
baby bib*
hadia scarf
sheldon the turtle
fancy fishnets
vega$ sock the second
breast cancer awareness socks (pair 2)*
cookie a's lindsey socks
square cake purse
beaded scarf
modified queen of hearts socks*
mittens to be felted
pecan pie hat

aannndddd....the most active project of them all:

Stephanie van der Linden's advent calendar socks, Gaudete!!! (these are my christmas present to myself)

I want to start the new KBC KALs (there are two, soon to be three), but I'd like to get the kits, and I don't want to spend the money right now...hopefully soon :)

i've got a fever...

and the only prescription is more 198 yards shawls!  I made one out of cascade eco wool on size 11 needles for David's mom (it took more than 198 yds and is considerably larger than my first one, but who's counting?), and I'm almost through another one in 220 for my mom...only three rows left.  I already have yarn for at least two more lined up...what is wrong with me?  and what is so mesmerizing about this pattern?  I don't know...but I do know that I'm loving it...and David is strangely loving helping me block (I'm not complaining!).

Speaking of blocking, I know I promised pictures, and I know there have been none...I accidentally left the shawl at my dad's house last weekend, but I'll be there again tomorrow, so I promise beyond promise that there will be pictures then!  And maybe if you guys are really lucky there will be finished pictures of the eco wool version and blocking pictures of the new 220 one.

Also, I have made one fiber trends felted clog...the other to be forthcoming when I'm over whatever this sickness is that makes me want to knit nothing but one skein shawls ;)

Weaving!

I've always been fascinated by weaving, and backstrap looms seemed
like an approachable way to try it out. I finally got around to
making one, and while both my setup and skill leave a lot to be
desired, I'm finally weaving!

24 hours in heaven and blocking...

The knitters' brewing group over on ravelry is gearing up for a shawl KAL...having finished my wedding shawl, I found myself itching for a bit of triangle to work on and no wip in sight...this was quickly rectified with the lovely 198 Yards of Heaven (rav link) and a skein of Cascade 200 heathers.

Less than 24 hours later, here is the result:

I know...it's tiny and can barely be called a shawlette, much less a shawl...let me assure you that it looks equally silly worn as a neckerchief, and even if it didn't the ends aren't long enough to tuck in so it stays wrapped properly.

I present you with the magic of blocking!  There has been some chatter on the boards about blocking and its relative painfulness/difficulty.  It does take a couple minutes and delays the instant gratification of casting off and calling something finished, but look at the results!

Before:

After!!!

Much better, no?  For the record, that's David's hand in both those pictures...I'm not that hairy ;)

It's not a huge shawl, and we could have blocked it a little more aggressively, but for a one-skein, one-day project, I'm just thrilled!  I'm thinking of making a whole mess of them as Christmas gifts since they go so fast, the pattern is really easy...

Update tomorrow or the next day on what it looks like once it's unpinned and worn in a non-ridiculous fashion.

Fiber Emergency!

Somewhere around Albany I went a kittle crazy and decided that there
was nothing in the world I needed to do more than spin Right Now.

Fortunately there was fiver nearby and David is nice/used to me being weird ;)

May I present my new drop spindle and four ounces of the loveliest BFL
I've seen in a long time:

married!

the wedding went off without a hitch!  (well, one hitch...we got hitched...sorry, couldn't help myself)  the weather cooperated better than we could have hoped for, there was an excellent turn out, and everyone enjoyed themselves greatly :)  my shawl got a lot of comments, and my mom crocheted on my veil.  we are hanging out here for one more day, then hitting the road for parts north...first niagara, then maine to visit the family that couldn't come down.  there has been no knitting, but that's not unexpected.

for those of you looking for pictures, try here.

for those of you looking for the song that's been stuck in my head all day, try here.