WIP Update Pics

The Irish Hiking Scarf done in Filati Cervinia 100% Italian Acrylic (very smooshy, very soft..wouldn't think it was Acrylic at all until you get it in just the right lighting conditions and it sparkles, which to me isn't a bad thing)


Closeup of the cables:


The Cheap-Fab Throw...not much progress going on here this week, but a few rows were added. This pic shows the detail better than the last one I posted:


Smooooshy Rowan Polar scarf detail..It's about a foot and a half long at this point. It kind of bores me because it's just garter stitch and it annoys me because I have to watch out or the yarn splits it has so little twist to it, but I still want to have it's babies:


I've been alternating between these three projects all week when I had the time to knit. There has been far less time for that than I thought there would be between cleaning and family obligations and me being sick part of the time. There has been a wee-teensy bit of spinning going on, but nothing to speak of. I'm mostly focused on getting all this X-Mas knitting done in time for the holiday.

Cables!

I've been all sick today and haven't even knitted. (That's pretty darn sick huh?)
I did make a new Logo thing for this blog though. That's it up there on the top. Yesterday I started X-mas gift scarf #2, which is an Irish Hiking Scarf, and my very first cable project ever. It's easier than I thought it was going to be if I can just manage to not lose the single dpn I'm using in lieu of a cable needle.
X-mas gift scarf #1 is just plain garter stitch in the lovely smooshy Rowan Polar, and should be done this week no problem. I'm starting to think I can finish all my gift knitting in time now. YAY!
I was planning on watching my spinning video and spinning this morning, but since there was the sick that didn't happen. Maybe I'll do that Friday. Saturday I'm planning on going to Eureka Springs to check out a store there called The Spinning Wheel. I'll let you know how that goes.
Everybody have a nice Thanksgiving! :) I'll be getting stuffed with food then I'm planting myself on the couch to knit for the rest of the afternoon.

Here is the cheap-fab throw after one round of almost all the colors. Sorry it's a little blurry. The flash makes the colors look funny and no flash makes me have to hold the camera super still, which I just can't do. lol So anyway it's looking pretty nice so far.

Cheap-Fab Throw Progress

I got a good start on one of the xmas scarves, (Though I'm tempted to keep it since it matches the lining of my favorite coat) and made it up through the first two color sections on Cheap-Fab. I decided to cast on 146 instead of 126, (8 18 stitch pattern repeats plus a single knit stitch boarder on each end) then I did six rows garter stitch in color #1, then one 4-row pattern section in color #2. I read over the pattern for the Ab-Fab Poncho, and if that is essentially the same as the throw pattern, then I feel pretty safe that I'm not stepping on their copyright if I publish the cheap-fab pattern and yarn requirements here since it's a different, tighter wavy type stitch they use. I'll probably post it all once the project is finished and put that it was inspired by the Ab-Fab Throw. Opinions? Do you think the copyright police could get me for this?

Gift Knitting

I'm so proud of Husband Boy!
Last night, with no complaining or nagging from me What So EVER (I was passed out on the couch having only slept three hours the night before due to the stash organization frenzy) he sewed up one of the knitting bags he cut out like two months ago. He claims it took him an hour and a half due to some unforseen bobbin business. Soon he'll hopefully make some more so we can get busy with the selling.
YAY! So I now have a project bag to keep the cheap but still fabulous throw in as I work on it. I'm going to cast on for it tonight at SNB. All the yarn is in labeled bags living in my Disgruntled Housewife grocery tote, but that thing is too big to take out in public suffed to the gills with cheap acrylic afghan yarn.(It'd make the baby jesus cry.) Maybe as the afghan itself grows and the yarn balls shrink there will be a swapping of totes.
This thing is going to be Cast on 126 stitches with size 11 needles then feather and fan it switching yarn every four rows. I have no idea if that is what the Colinette Ab-Fab throw pattern is, but I figure it'll turn out looking pretty close to the same and my sister will never know the difference anyway...she'll just think it looks nifty. Don't expect much quick progress on this yet though.
I have CHRISTMAS KNITTING to do:
1 hat for Kelton
1 poncho for Julia
1 poncho for Annabelle
1 hat for Husband Boy
1 scarf for Ian's Dad
1 scarf for Ian's Stepmom
1 scarf for Ian's Uncle Paul
1 scarf for Ian's Aunt Heather

So I'm starting in on the scarves tonight too...Rowan Polar is my new best friend...I'm having it's babies.

So Uhh....The Stash Is Now Organized

Ian said "Holy crap! It looks like the yarn store!"


Oooohhh! Ahhhh!

I'm an equal opportunity hoarder. I have fancy stuff right next to cheap crap destined to become baby blankets and afghans. I don't care. If it's on sale and it's nice, then I'll probably buy at least a sweater's worth just in case...you never know when you're going to have a sweater knitting need.
Surprisingly, the only thing I found that I didn't remember buying was a bag of ten balls of Rowan All Season's Cotton. It was a pleasant surprise. That won't be happening again since now everything is out in the open all pretty where I can see just what I have and how much. YAY!

Pictures!

Here is a closeup of the "barf scarf" so you can see the colors. It's a pretty boring plain scarf other than the barf-like coloring.


Klaralund progress! It's almost a sweater...yay!


The sadly no longer self-argyling Little Lola scarf...sniff sniff... :(
You can see there at the top where it stopped behaving.


The colorway for my Cheap But Still Fabulous Throw. This cost $37 total and is all machine washable. That's crazy important for my sister (the intended recipient) who lives in a trailer in Oklahoma with three children, a dog, two cats, and a husband who works with mechanical things and is often greasy.

Damn, I hope she doesn't see this.

Miss Kitty Fantastico is bored now...

I still haven't been able to find my good winter hat and the weather
reports are getting colder so I thought I'd start one last night. I
didn't expect to finish it because the last similar hat I made took me
three days or so to do.
WELL...I must be knitting faster because I got all the way up the
decrease rows where I'll need to switch to dpn's! I could have
finished it if I had felt like searching for them. So I guess tonight
I'll have a nice new hat...possibly with a crochet flower on the side
if I can find the smaller hooks. YAY! Instant gratification.

OK, I lied. No pictures yet. I took some ...then the camera batteries died and I don't have any replacments till I go to the store tonight. I got pics of the barf scarf, klaralund, and the sadly no longer self-argyling scarf though. Just you wait and see....
I'm trying to start getting organized for the new year already. Part of this organization is that I want to move the yarn stash from it's current home in the built in cabinets of the den to the sewing/spinning room closet. I want it all out where I can see it in some nice little cube thingers like yarn store shelving. The only trouble is finding said shelving cubes. I've looked at walmart, k-mart, target, and the dollar general store. I've come up empty handed at every turn. Where do they sell that stuff??

This is what karma does to me for mentioning that Schaefer Little Lola self-argyling scarf...yep, it immediately took a turn for the worse and stopped self-argyling. I think it was because I switched from bamboo straight needles to addi circulars. I thought about frogging it back to the row where the switch took place and then doing a few rows again with the straights to see what happens, but this thing has already been frogged twice and my patience is thin so feh. It has been banned to the bottom of the knitting bag until further notice.
So, I now have half of my second Klaralund sleeve (the klaralunding just never ends around here does it?) and 3/4 of what Steve and Ian are calling my "barf scarf". The barf scarf is thusly named because they feel the blend of Lion Brand Landscapes and Paton's Divine I'm using is the exact color of most vomit. It's kind of a beige with flecks of pink, blue, and brown. They do have a point, but oh well... I like my barf scarf and will wear it with pride when the winds turn chilly. So there.
Pictures to come later tonight...stay tuned.

OK, the time has come again when I need to make a list and prioritize the WIP's lest they bury me.
Actively Working On
1) Klaralund - I have one body section, one sleeve, and about 1/4 of another sleeve finished. YAY!
2) Schaefer Little Lola self-argyle scarf - I really need to get a pic of this to show you or you're not going to believe it. Crazy stuff, and keeping me entertained as I wait for the point where it quits self-argyling and ruins the project. so far so good though.
On The Back Burner
3) Dr. Who Scarf - I'm starting this thing over properly. The curling is driving me mad... Chris, you'll get this some day I swear...maybe sooner ... maybe later.
4) K1C2 Meringue Shawl - Work has pretty much totally stopped on this thing. Will likely resume next summer as it's not too cozy on the lap.
5) Seed Stitch Noro Scarf - I need to finish this thing before xmas so it's likely to be moved up as soon as I finish Klaralund.
6) Big Bad Baby Blanket for the Moose Baby - I started it then put it down and havent touched it since. Baby is due in late March.
Frogged & Forgotten
7) The feather & fan baby doll blanket I was going to make for Rockett... I got a better idea so it's history.
8) Poncho I'd started for myself out of Cash Iroha and Recycled Silk. - I don't think I have enough silk to finish it so it's undone now. Maybe I'll make a hat and scarf instead.
9) Koigu Gypsy Shawl - I don't have the patience for it right now. Maybe after xmas.
Need To Start Soon
10) Cheap But Fabulous Throw - my cheapo version of an abfab throw for my sister for her birthday in Jan.
11) Three or four hats for various people...these will go quickly.