New yarn!

Got some lovely new stuff from WEBS. Unfortunately, I got dinged with customs charges, and the shipping was more than I expected, so the sale price was pretty much eaten up. But still, pretty, pretty:

This is Araucania Nature Wool, which I love. It's the same yarn I'm using for Oblique (sleeves finished!) in a gorgeous berry-red. I'll knit some sort of sweater out of it.




Next is Cascade 220 Heathers, also in red. I'm planning to knit Jared Flood's Girasole with this.



Finally, Valley Yarns Northfield, for another top for Maria (she's very easy to knit for; we seem to like the same stuff): Anney from Twist Collective.



All this yarn meant resorting my stash, which always leaves me sort of frustrated. So much pretty yarn and not enough time to knit it. (Of course, most people think I knit plenty as it is.)

More FOs and new WIPs

I have been making some progress lately. I finally finished my Shetland Tea Shawl, and it turned out beautifully, IMHO:





I knit this baby Ski Sweater, designed by Glenna C for her steeking class.



It was quick (or would have been if I had made fewer mistakes), and now I'm itching to do some more two-stranded knitting (I have plans to plunge in after I take a class at the Knitter's Frolic on choosing colours).

I also knit up Mousie, my second project out of Whimsical Little Knits, for Miko's book challenge. 7 more to go.




So some new project on the needles. In four days I knit up the first sleeve of Silvi, for Maria. I had lots of gauge problems, but this time my gauge was too tight, rather than too loose. So I'm knitting the S size, hopping it will end up nice and fitted, which is what Maria wants. I love how fast this knits up. Also, the pattern wisely suggests knitting all the boring bits first (sleeves and front panels) before getting lost in cables, flowers, and lots of charts. Good way to keep motivated.

And last night I cast on a pair of socks, using the yarn I used for the Leyburn socks and then frogged a couple of months ago. Those were toe-up, these are Cookie A's cuff-down Sunshine, from Sock Innovation.

I'm still working on the Oblique sweater, with both sleeves over 60% done. And I'm finally back on the Forest Path Stole. I'm on tier 16. Lots of people stop after 19 tiers, but I think I may do the full 23. We'll see.

FO, for a change

Tom's Cambridge sweater is finished! I'm 95% happy with it. The back bottom edge keeps curling up, despite the crocheted edge and steaming the heck out of it. It's better, but not perfect. Still, it's finished.

Still on that border

I'm still not done with the Shetland shawl. This border is taking forever. It's hard, takes a lot of concentration, and tires my hands hand out. One pattern repeat only uses up 5 stitches, and I started with over 570. I'm down to around 150, so I my new goal it to be done by Easter.

In the meantime, I've started crocheting granny squares. I needed something easy and portable keep with me, and I didn't want to start another pair of simple socks. So I"m using up all sorts of bits and pieces, and I'll decide what to do with them when they're all done.

Tom's sweater is almost finished. I bought the zipper today, and I need to check if I have the right colour thread. Then it's hand sew in the zipper, steam block the seams, and I'm done!

Forest Path is on hold until Shetland is done.

Sleeves for Oblique are growing slowly but steadily.

Down for the count

As predicted, I didn't finish my Olympic knitting, and now I'm stalled on it. I've completely wiped out my back yesterday, and I can't sit up long enough, or concentrate long enough, to do any complicated knitting. I think I also have a urinary tract infection, which is making things generally uncomfortable. I really need to work tomorrow, at least in the morning, but I also want to see my doctor.

I have been knitting, easy things I can do lying down. I finished the sleeves for Tom's sweater. Next is blocking, which I'm not going to do until my back is better. I've started serious work on the sleeves for my sweater, again doing them two at once. It's definitely the way to go with sleeves!

I haven't touched my Forest Path Stole in weeks. I still want to finish the Shetland Tea Shawl before I go back to it (especially because I can then switch my Addi Lace Turbo's to the FPS). I hope I don't forget everything I was doing.

No gold for me

Even though I didn't officially sign up for the Knitting Olympics, I was hoping to medal, at least in my own mind. But it's not going to happen. I met my first goal, which was to finish the body of the shawl by Sunday, but the border is going much slower. My work schedule is very busy this week (good for the bank account, bad for knitting time), and there's too many other events going on in addition. I just don't have the time to knit.

The border seemed very challenging at first, but I've got the hang of it now, so it's going pretty smoothly, but not quickly. Here's a pic:



Blurry, I know.

I'm still working on Tom's sweater, when I can't take the lace-knitting any longer. I'm knitting the two sleeves at once and, as usual, it seems to take forever. At least they'll both be done at once.

Slow going

Olympic knitting is going slowly for me. Not sure I'm going to meet the challenge, but I haven't given up. It's been a busy week, and I haven't been home enough to get a lot done. Tuesday was knit night at the Purl, but this project is too complicated (and I'm way too mistake-prone) to do in a social setting. Wednesday was our double-bill of Doc Soup (a wonderful film on the Civil Rights Movement, Songs for a Revolution) and Shape Notes singing. Thursday was Knitty-sponsored Yarn Tasting. Lots of knitting, but not of the Olympic variety. Today will, I hope be better.