little bit of crazy leaking out

(post started before the onset of the plague) 

Another finished hat . . .

pattern:  Avalanche Hat Pattern (pdf)
yarn:  Lamb’s Pride Bulky (85% Wool 15% Mohair) from stash
cast on/off:  Jan 11th
notes:  I knit the pattern as written, but with the thinner yarn and smaller gauge the resulting hat is more of an infant size.

I think I’m done with hats for a while.  I started the Tomten a while ago and need to get it finished, just needs the buttonband.

Friday I took Bubba to McD’s so he could play, we’ve had so many snow days that he’s started getting cabin fever.  While he played I cast on for a pair of mitten for Bug.  She has been asking for a pair with cuffs that go upto the elbows, “so that the snow doesn’t get in.”  Luckily she’s only 7 and this means she has short arms.  The first mitten only has the thumb to be finished, nothing fancy, just basic mittens with long cuffs. 

Here is how much I knit while waiting for the NP to look at Bug’s toe this morning.  Toe will be ok, just have to soak it 3x a day for a week.  Hat will be another one for the Dulaan Project.

This is what I knit up last night.  Yes, that is snow in the background.

pattern:  Basic hat from The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd with design inspiration from The Avalanche Hat Pattern (pdf) and a Flower Pom Pom
yarn:  Lamb’s Pride Bulky Limeade (from stash) and Classic Elite Paint Box (left over from the Einstein Coat)

This is what I knit over the weekend.

pattern:  Avalanche Hat Pattern (pdf)
yarn:  bottom two: Avalanche yarn (100% alpaca)
top two: Plymouth Yukon (35% mohair 35% wool 30% acrylic) from stash

Oh, and this one too.  I’ll have to save this picture for when he is teenager and wants to start dating.

pattern:  Avalanche Hat Pattern (pdf) and a Flower Pom Pom 
yarn:  Blizzard (65% Alpaca 35% Acrylic) from stash

Do you see that?  15 degrees!!  It just doen’t get that cold around here, at least not at this time of year!  This is just below the legal limit, in my opinion, just not allowed.  This is the Pacific NW, we don’t have real weather, we have bland weather.  I drizzles, summers are mild without humidity, winters are mild: we (usually) have to mow our lawns year round, I’ve heard tell of people mowing in late December!

Today was Snow Day II, and we’re waiting to see if the kids have school tomorrow, Seattle doesn’t but I’m still waiting to hear on our school district. If there isn’t I think the kids and I will do some baking, maybe try out the recipe for Blue Ribbon Bread in Vegan Lunch Box, it looks yummy.  Or maybe some zucchini or pumpkin bread to stick in the freezer.

Today I did actually venture out of the house, I had to hit the grocery store as the pantry was starting to look a little bare and since the LYS called to say my pattern (Spinner’s Shawl - finally) was in, I figured I should go ahead and swing by.  I mean, I was out anyway . . . umm . . . and I have to be prepared for the snow storm . . . ya know . . . ‘cuz I don’t have anything to work on here . . . at . . . umm . . . Ok, I’m not even buying it at this point.  The kids sat down and had a cookie while I was grabbing the pattern.  Deb, Victoria, and Brad (yes, Brad works at the yarn shop) were having their lunch and the kids were talking their ears off, shy my kids are not.  When Bubba was finished he kept telling Brad, ”Mis’er, I done. Mis’er? Mis’er?”  I was very cute, guess you had to be there, but really it was.

I have a small confession to make, too.  You know the story about the shoemakers children having no shoes?  I had to raid my Dulaan Project stash for mittens for Bubba to wear in this cold weather.  I know, I have knit mittens for Dulaan but have I knit mittens for my own kids? The answer would be no! The shame. The shame. So, now I will be knitting more mittens for the orphans in Mongolia, many more mittens.

There is so much going on in the blogsphere.

Sock Wars:  I have my target, I have my weapon and I know who is hunting me.  I have some built in lag time (time in the mail) as my assasin is in the UK, but my target is in Australia, so she has some lag time too.  I have finished the first sock without too much trouble, I only had to rip the heel and partial gusset a few times.  I know, I need to learn to read.  Can you believe some people have already put their socks in the mail, the pattern was released on Friday.  There has been one reported kill, those socks were handed off in person yesterday. 

Soctoberfest is just around the corner.  I am so excited about this one, it was so much fun last year.  I have several pairs of socks I need to knit up for the Holiday Knitting ‘06 and will try to complete them in October.

 

For me these two go together.  Dulaan Project 2007 has been officially kicked off and I will be doing much EZ knitting for Dulaan.  I was lucky(?) enough to be able to attend the Yarn Giveaway at Ryan’s and I have plenty of super bulky yarn to knit into very warm Tomten Jackets and hats.  I was impressed with the fact that the hostesses of Zimmermania! actually contacted Meg Swansen for permisson to hold the KAL, how classy is that.

I received three EZ books for my b’day last week, very cool!  I am all set for Zimmermania! now.

On the knitting front, Quinn has been set aside while I finish the Socks of Doom for Sock Wars. I am almost done with Quinn, just have a couple of rows left on the body, then on to the 16′ of 2 stitch i-cord. Sixteen feet!

pattern:  CIC Toddler Sock 
yarn:  Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky - Strawberry Y1007
needles:  Clover Bamboo 5mm
notes:  Love this pattern.  Simple, fast to knit.  I knit the first sock a few months ago and then decided to knit up the second yesterday after Jenn declared this “F your O’s Week”.  One down, too many to go.  These socks will go to the Dulaan Project.

I was able to finish the hat on the way to the fair. 

pattern:  Ann Norling #55 - Head Huggers
yarn:  Marfi (?)  Stripe (I lost the ball band, but I know it was called Stripe)
needles:  Colver bamboo US8
cast on:  Aug 24th   cast off:  August 26th
notes:  If hubby had actually liked the hat (grrr) I would have ripped back the decreases and about 1/2-1″, to shorten it a bit.  Hubby did like the overall fit, he didn’t even mind the length (I did), and he liked how light it was, he just didn’t like the stripes I guess.  Oh, well, it’s not like it was a long or difficult knit.  I’ll make him one in a solid color, later.

ETA: This hat will be going to the The Dulaan Project.  Hubby doesn’t want it and it’s too big for the kidlets, although they both like it, and I really don’t feel like ripping it out and reknitting it to fit either of them. It’s not like I don’t have any more yarn with which to knit them each a hat.

Yesterday morning was the “Great Yarn Giveaway” at Ryan’s for the Dulaan Project.  I went.  I was speachless at the vast quantity of yarn.  I brought home yarn.  I only brought home 3 skeins and some small bits.

Now, for a trip through the Total Perspective Vortex . . . (more…)