Cable time

I had hoped to finished this cable hat in time for Valentine's Day since I wanted to give it to Scott (what a lovely model!). Sadly, I only completed it a couple days later, but I'm thrilled to report that he really loves it and it looks quite dashing with his brown, pin-striped winter jacket. This is another 3AM Cable Hat but this time without the ribbed rim (like I had done on mine). This was was knit in some dark blue yarn that I picked up in Florence.

Boy---Stacie's Fiddlehead mitts sure are something, no?

A Little Slice of Spring

I took yesterday's oh-so-snowy opportunity to finish spinning up January's HelloYarn Club Fiber:(See, with the snow I can get some okay pictures!)

This is 4 ounces of Verdant - a lovely Merino/Mohair blend. It was a joy to spin! I split the roving into 8 equal weight thin strips in the hopes of spinning consistently enough to maintain solid colorways when plied. Well, I mostly failed at that, but I'm super pleased with how the whole thing came out. This is about 390 yards! I have no idea how I managed to get such super yardage out of it.
I am in love with it! It's so spring, it's so fresh, it's so plush. Now what to do with it?

Where o where can I find a pattern for this sweater, from this rather hilarious collection of science fair photos?

Smittens

Well it sure has been awhile, no? What have you been up to? Me? Oh, just knitting up The Comfiest Sugary Softest Mittens EVER!

These are HelloYarn's Fiddlehead Mittens - I was testing them out in this lovely tweedy colorway, using Rowan Scottish Tweed DK, with a lining of Blue Sky Alpaca Brushed Suri. These things are Hard Core. I believe they may be impermeable to the elements. They are adored and coveted by both gay and straight men. They are softer than you could ever imagine. They had a better photoshoot; pictures are here.

These knit up right quick. I started them last Friday, accidentally got waaaaaaay off gauge and knit what was essentially an oven mitt, then knit 2 more at normal size. I got sucked into a Law & Order Marathon and managed to complete an entire mitt in record time, while Mariska & Chris cracked the case(s), and, with the help of Judith Light and Ice-T, put some people in prison. I ended up going down to size US2 needles for these. The linings make me swoon they are so soft.

Meanwhile, in non-knitting and non-L&O news, I've been, as usual, thinking a lot about knitting. What have I been thinking? Well, I suppose I have really been looking more - I have been perusing pattern books, re-evaluating some UFOs, fondling yarn a bit. I've been spinning a bit as well, and thinking more about how *I* want things to be spun rather than how the fiber wants to be spun. I've been.......trying to put all of the pieces together, rather than dealing with them on an individual basis and hoping that they fit. The end result? Unknown. Maybe this is just an extension of my non-knitting January/February trend.

I have to go bask in those mittens before spring comes along!

Shake your booties

I seem to be copying Max in all her knitting lately. I recently finished these baby booties--from Saartje Knits--with help from Miss Max. For some reason the way the straps were written in the pattern didn't quite "grok" with me. But after a few tries and help with the button hole (learned something new there), I finished them right up. They were knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. They're probably for a 12 - 15 month old baby, but they'll be given as a gift at a baby shower next week along with this baby sweater that's probably closer to newborn size.

This is another project that Max completed in 2007: the famed baby sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac. I think I have trouble really recognizing lace patterns, so I started it and made a few too many mistakes for my taste. Since I'm so not fearless about ripping back and picking up stitchs, I just ended up frogging the whole thing and starting again. For me, the second time was the charm. It's also knit in Debbie Bliss, but in the Merino dk.
2008 is getting off to a good start for me in terms of FOs and stashbusting!

Well, I made it through January, anyway

Not that I have anyone to answer but myself, but I am seriously considering breaking my vow to KfS (knit from stash) in 2008 in order to buy a share of MVKnits, the first known fiber CSA. I saw their ad on Ravelry this morning and am quite taken with the idea. One share in the Fall '08 shearing costs US$100 for an as-yet-unknown but for-sure "bountiful" supply of kid mohair and mohair/cormo blend.

On the plus side: They're in Martha's Vineyard, so I could actually take them up on the invitation to Shearing Day (reportedly a mini-fiberfestival, included in the share). Totally worth taking a personal day. Cormo? Looks fabulous, from what I could see of it in the Knitter's Book of Yarn. And, of course: CSA! Local, small scale, presumably sustainable.

On the minus side: Mohair. What would I do with it? One of my most beloved knits is my Missoni mohair scarf, but I really can't feature making another scarf. And I admit I'm kind of a fiber ignoramus, even after Clara Parkes's efforts to help me out there, but I'm just not coming up with a lot of ideas.

If I crocheted, perhaps that Kim Hargreaves granny-square shawl from Vintage Knits. If I crocheted. Thoughts? Gifts for teachers, like Ann and Kay seem to manage every year, and which has never occurred to me in my entire life as a knitter?

Oh, but this is really kind of a long tease. I'll most likely sign up by the end of the day. And I chatted with the owner via her Etsy shop, where the shares are actually being sold, and she's put me on the list for the Spring '09 shearing, which is not mohair, but cormo and some other delicious-sounding things. (Spring '08 is sold out, sadly.)

Now, in another tale of acquisition, I present to you my new coffee mug. Though I cannot explain exactly how, I am pretty sure Mrs Lear over at the Runcible Bin made me do this. I feel quite cosmopolitan and literate when drinking out of it.

Possibly I'll even take up reading.

Baby Cuteness

Several coworkers have been having babies... so I've been on a bit of a baby binge, making caps & bootees for 3 babies. This is the first set that is totally complete. Squeeee! This is for baby Brooke. It's so lovely to knit these tiny things for precious little ones... especially when I've known the parent for so long. In Brooke's case, I've been working with her dad since... probably 2000 or so. Fantastic!