Strolling By

Danielle was in the neighborhood and strolled in with her sons. They are really cute and hammed it up for the camera (but only under strict instructions not to smile). Her oldest is wearing a Flap Happy hat and Danielle's All about the button scarf (which is a free download on Ravelry).
Lois finished one sleeve and began knitting the second. She will definitely finish this before the child is 21 ;) Next is sewing seams, and the neckline. Home stretch for sure. This is a good thing as Lois is more than ready to move on.
Diane's Mini Mochi Mittens (turned fingerless gloves) are nearing finishing the thumb gusset.
Sherry finished this cute crocheted purse. For the button, she stacked three buttons for an interesting look.

On the back, she cleverly attached a lovely pin. Well done!

Her 2 color scarf is coming out beautifully. You can't tell from the picture, the lighter color is a light green to complement the darker green. When it's done, she's going to border it with reverse single crochet to hide the color changes that show on the sides.
Mary had several projects in tow. She whipped out the baby dress, which is halfway done. She whipped it away before I could get a picture. She's working on a ribbed scarf for one of her sons.

and swatched for the Funky Tote in the Sublime Accessories booklet.

The best, hands down, was the mobius neckwarmer that she brought in. The construction totally baffled her. The twist is in the cast on and you are working both ends out from the cast on. It is totally cool!

The enlightenment (or aha! moment) came with binding off. See, she has that far away look in her eyes, as she contemplates the mysterious nature of the mobius.

She began casting on straight away for another one.

Running short in the home stretch

I have 4 more rows on the chart to complete and then the lace bind off (which requires more yarn than the regular bind off.)
I just don't think the amount of yarn I have is going to be able to go the distance. In fact it looks like much less in the photograph than in person.
Drat that extra repeat of Chart A, way, way, back when. There is no way in h@#$ll I'm going back, just no way.

So my choice is:
1. keep going on the chart and when I run out of yarn, add something sparkly for whatever is left.
(ok, and since writing that this morning, I took some time to organize yarn into projects and all the sparkly yarn I had was not compatible with this particular color of purple).
or
2. gamble with 1 more pattern row and work a purl lace bind off. I might just have enough for that.
It's looking like choice #2.

Hmmmm.

Since this lace is addicting and I can't seem to focus on much else, I imagine I'll be finishing this very soon whichever choice I make.

As an aside, Wendy Johnson, the designer of the Argus Shawlette commented on Ravelry that it was "pretty". Yay!

Then I think I need a lace break for next project. I'm loving it, however I'm putting it in front of all else.... paperwork, exercise, laundry, food shopping. That and considering that I had a wicked headache from the poor posture I was maintaining - the chiropractor was not pleased with me.

Good thing I organized some of my stash into project bags with their intended pattern.

New Recruits to the Fiber Cause

There were 2 new recruits (thank you Ann for the post title) to knitting/stitch and chat. Abby and Randy (a friend of Robin's).
Neither of them had ever knit before and picked it up nicely. Mary lent Randy a hand with his knitting.

Abby was knitting with a bulky yarn and is starting out with a scarf.

Originally Randy was knitting with a relatively light weight yarn that Robin had in her stash. It was really to thin to learn on comfortably. Later on, she found this ball of Tweedy Alpaca in her bag and that worked out a lot better.

Both Abby and Randy were up and knitting by the end of the session. The most common mistake they made was knitting into a ladder in between stitches or slipping the yarn/yarning over.

Here's Randy's knitting with the Tweedy Alpaca.

Elizabeth shared her mock cable socks with Robin. (Elizabeth, please comment with the name of the pattern.)

Mary admitted to sleep knitting and had purled on a knit row and vica versa. It just took a little unknitting to set it right. I've done that on occasion myself; it's a very weird feeling and produces even weirder results.

Robin is progressing on the fingerless gloves pattern she's testing for me.

Sunaina finished the Artisan's Belt she is knitting for a gift. The pattern is from the Chicks with Sticks knitting book.
She started knitting the Double Wrap Cowl by Coco Knits. Today she was on track by the 4th try. Turns out she knits really loosely and it took a few efforts to get the right look. Granted if we had swatched it would've been a different story - but it's a scarf so I figured we'd dive right in. If we had done a proper swatch, it would've been several needle changes within one swatch. She was no worse for wear and I fully expect to see this done or nearly done by next week.
Ninja knitter came today and worked on a beach cover-up that she has been knitting for several years. She takes it out every few months, knits a bit and then back into the bag it goes.

You see she gets bored after a few rows, and stops. I think she should give this to me.

Sunaina brought in a travel bag for Linda to use as a notions kit. Linda was adamant that Sunaina provide it's travel route so she could live vicariously through the bag's itinerary. It could be a made up itinerary. So, Sunaina decided the bag came from a journey from Hong Kong to Auckland. Pretty good!
And, drum roll please....

Linda's baby sweater/hat gift set is ready. We all loved the cheerfulness of the colors.

The baby sweater pattern is one we designed together. The hat is my flap happy hat.

Lois was working on her Minnow Knits China Doll coat. Somehow she managed to escape without a picture. She worked the 3 needle bind off on the second shoulder and picked up stitches for a sleeve. The sleeves are knit onto the coat. It's really coming along.

Off-Kilter

As I sit down to write this post, Thing #2 is regaling me with odd facts from an 'app' on her itouch. The last fact she told me before going to bed was 'If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months, & 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup coffee' I think my kids may be working on this. As an aside, how in fact did they work that one out and how did they take their coffee.

Lois was looking through the One Skein book by Leigh Radford. She saw a tank pattern she liked, and started to play with some yarn she had leftover from her felted bag. It was coming out way too big. Turns out the pattern was written for lace weight yarn. She's going to wing it using these 2 colors of Manos.

Today, she learned how to work a 3 needle bind off. The China Doll Jacket is nearly done. The sleeves are next, knit right onto the jacket. I like this pattern so much, I'm going to knit one for baby for the spring.
.Diane was working on her Blue Sky Alpaca Family Pullover in Lima yarn. She had been working the sleeves 2 @ time and the pattern got off-kilter. Ok, now I've said that phrase before, "off-kilter" but never written it. It looked weird written out so I googled it. I spelled it right and it's definition is (as I thought) not in perfect balance : a bit askew.

Now Diane's sleeves are back on track (on-kilter ;)

Mary's grand-puppy got into her knitting and chewed off the top of her knitting needle. He also got the yarn into a wicked tangle. Good thing she's cute! Mary had 5, count them, 5 projects with her. I love that!
This is a one-skein shawl pattern by Clara Parkes knit in Artyarns, Silk Rhapsody yarn. It's a a very simple shawl pattern where the yarn does the work. It looked even better in person.
We spent some time on her Be Sweet blanket knit in Be Sweet Bambino yarn. She was off a stitch and it threw things, yes, you guessed it, OFF-KILTER. That is my phrase for the day.
Mary brought out her Soft & Drapey shrug, knit in Cadiz, Artyarns Silk Pearl, and Artyarns Beaded Pearl & Sequins. I love the way the colors go together.
Mary is also working on the Fir Cone Scarf, in Artyarns Regal Silk. She's doing a great job with her 2 lace projects.
This dress is going to be absolutely adorable. It's definitely going on my queue for baby. The pattern is by Knitting Pure & Simple, #266 Little Girl's Sundress. It's worked from the top down. After working past where the armholes will be, it's joined and knit in the round. Easy peasy.

Mary was wearing another Cocoon scarf, and was color coordinated with her knit cap below.
And Linda was working on the mattress stitch, seaming the baby sweater. She was NOT a happy camper. In her head she was figuring out how long all this was going to take her and hoping it would be ready in time to gift. I made her an offer she couldn't refuse :) Finished picture to follow.

Snow Delays

Thing #2 got a snow delay today and doesn't know it yet (still sleeping). Somehow snow delays and snow days seem like found time. Mind you, the snow delay doesn't change my schedule in the least: woke up the same time. Actually earlier - what's with the school calling me with an automated message about the delay? In the olden days you had to find this out for yourself the hard way - news radio, TV, neighbors, calling and checking. Anyway, dogs need tending to - same time, etc. Somehow a hush falls over the morning and it feel different. Even the dogs were more mellow.

Boris has his blankie.

Winkie has assumed his natural napping pose.

So, back to knitting. I was reading the Yarn Harlot (while purling back on the "purple people eater shawl" and she wrote about this great idea of making kits with yarn she had in her stash. Specifically sock yarn and made kits with the intention of knitting a pair of socks a month.

Here is what she said: "I got 12 big Ziplocs, and in each one I put everything I need to make those socks. If the pattern was in a book I photocopied it, if it was a download I printed it, if if was a pattern I had to buy, I bought it. Then I went through the stash and figured out what should go with what - then I sealed up all 12 and put them away on a shelf in my office cupboard, promising myself that I would knit one pair a month, drawn at random. Some men's socks, some ladies, some lace, some cable... at the end of the year I'd have 12 pairs of socks (at least) and have made a serious dent in my sock needs."

I really like this idea. I'm not going to limit it to socks though. I'll mix it up - socks, shawls, accessories like scarves/hats/gloves, and throw in a sweater for good measure. That may end up with more than 12 projects - but, hey, they'll be ready to go at a moments notice. What's more, is I get to play with my yarn. Within that will be mindless projects and challenging projects.

I love having a plan. Especially when it involves yarn/knitting/organizing. My mind has been wandering a little (on the purl rows - I'm just saying...) to what I want to work on next.

Well, I was going to begin the next pattern row - however - it's time to wake up Thing #2.

Purple Haze

Last week I began knitting the Argus Shawlette by Wendy D. Johnson. There are 4 charts to work through in the pattern. The pattern is really well written and I'm enjoying working on it (Which is early in the morning with coffee!)

I've just begun the 3rd chart. The purl rows are beginning to drag. I'm not going to complain like I did with the Charlotte's Daughter's shawl. I've gotten several good suggestions for those lonnnnggggg purl rows back. I read the blogs I have subscriptions to. It's working out nicely. They are kind of meditative. Call it the zen of the purl. Kind of catchy :)

Hobby or Masochism?

There were old projects revisited. Robin pulled out the child's poncho she started a while ago.
She's testing a fingerless glove pattern for me using the Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk she had left over from her ruffled scarf.

Robin is almost done with her Infinity Cabled Cowl, knit in Rowan Lima.

Sunaina totally mastered the basket weave stitch and finished three wash clothes.

She began a scarf in basket weave that may not make it to it's intended recipient.

Elizabeth has been revisiting the Noro Ribbed Jacket. It's going to be amazing when it's done if it doesn't make her crazy first. Each ribbed section is knit with a different skein of Noro Silk Garden to get the variations in colors.
As a relief/portable project, she's knitting a pair of mock cabled socks in Shibui Sock Yarn. I love how crisp the mock cables look in this yarn.
Linda got to try her hand at the mattress stitch for the first time. She didn't realize how good she had it with the Wallaby's with no seams. After the first couple of stitches, she realized how much sewing she had to do and declared that knitting might be a form of masochism what with the finishing and the ripping back of stitches. She thought we could call it Rip & Chat. I didn't think that would sound very appealing.

She's torn between persevering and finishing sewing the sweater together or giving it to the finisher at Knitting Central. She tried to get a village vote. It was a split decision. Next week we'll know what she decided.
Sherry did an amazing job with this chevron blanket crocheted in Nuvola yarn. It's really soft and warm!
She learned how to work front and back post double crochets to make crocheted basket weave.

So is it a hobby? a form of mashochism? or... a masochistic hobby? You decide.