Sigh

I wish that I was better at blogging. I just get so busy reading that I forget to write!

I'm working like mad on Christmas presents, and I have all but one finished. I've made 3 Wisps and I'm finishing the 4th. I also have two hats and 6 ornaments done. For a person who usually finishes a pair of socks in 2 months, that's a pretty good percentage :)

I decided to Etsy several presents, figuring that if I can't make them, at least the recipients are getting handmade stuff. I got some beer soap for my brothers, a sweet coffee mug for my friend Deb (I might add a spider-special if I have extra time), and a beautiful clutch for my Mom. I also got some fun bath/body care stuff for my little sister, whose birthday is the 20th. Where else can I buy things and feel good about it?

I have to start taking pictures of things that I'm making before I give them away!

I also need to get back into the lace groove. With all these Wisps under my belt, I should just jump into one of lace projects I have in the wings and stop fiddling around.

Well, back to Wisping...

So many projects...

Just a quick note to say I'm working like crazy on Christmas presents, and I'm not getting anything fun done for myself.

Except, I'm in Ravelry...it's so neat! I love being able to look up a yarn and see what people have used it for, or a pattern and see what people have done with it. I resisted it as long as I could, but there's no going back now.

Hat headaches

Argh! For some reason, I just can't make hats to fit my head.

I made the Koolhaus hat from the IK gifts issue, and it's just too short. My sister loves it, and she would love it as a gift, but I can't give her a present that doesn't really fit. So, I'm going to give it to my 7 yr old cousin--he's very precocious, and I think he'll enjoy the cables :)

Next I tried to make Urchin from the Fall 07 Knitty. It was super easy and quick and cool...but it didn't fit my head, even as a jaunty cap. I ripped the whole thing out and will try to make it bigger. Argh!

I'm working on my third Wisp, and I'm really loving it. Who would have thought that yo/k2tog would be so fun? It's the perfect gift for non-knitters, since it looks so complicated :)

I also finally got a monkey off my back that's been sitting there for 3 years...silk and cashmere. 3 years ago, I was at a friend's house drinking port. We were talking about spinning, and she asked if I could spin up some silk and cashmere for a sweater for her. Under the effects of the port, anything was possible, so I said sure, no problem. That resulted in my buying 2 (!) drum carders, 2 lbs of silk and 2 lbs of cashmere, and a bunch of dye.

I dyed it all up, then proceeded to try to blend and spin it. It was horrible: neppy, static-y, time consuming.... So, I decided to buy some preblended silk/cashmere and try to spin THAT. Well, suffice it to say, I decided to pick up knitting as a form of avoidance :) I ended up with about 500 yards of worsted weight yarn and many pounds of fiber hiding around my apartment.

Finally, lightning struck. While I was surfing Webs a couple of weeks ago, I saw a worsted weight silk/cashmere yarn for only $5.99 a skein! I bought a sweater's worth and shipped it to my friend's house. I feel so free!!!

Wisp-y

Sooo...my last attempt at knitting Kid Silk Haze ended up in disaster: itchy palms, a rash, etc. But, I have 10 balls of it in various colors, so I really wanted to use it up. Therefore, last week I decided to try it again. Strangely enough, no rash! I finished one violet KSH Wisp, and I'm 2/3 done with another in Pearl KSH. I think I'll do at least one more in Wicked (black) for a co-worker.

I think that the lack of allergy is possibly due to the dry weather. Maybe when it was humid, my palms were too sensitive. At any rate, I'm loving it!

I finished the Koolhaus hat, but doing all those little cables really did a number on my wrist. I won't be making another one of those anytime soon, unfortunately.

I'm probably going the scarf/slippers route this Christmas for the rest of the family presents; I just don't have enough gumption to make fancy lace for people who don't really appreciate it.

Speaking of lace, I'm pretty excited for the Make One year of lace to start. I love lace, and it's not a bad idea to have several finished projects ready for giving, should the need arise :)

In other news, I'm starting fertility meds (hence the lack of recent posts). One of them has "suicidal thoughts" as a side effect--eek! At work, there are some pretty despicable and possibly illegal things being done by congregants. I'm going to have to get out of there soon. All in all, things are pretty scary around here, but at least I can still knit!

Ah, broken is the golden bowl

I got my October sock club shipment, and it's the best yet. It's black lightweight STR with bits of dark blood purple. And the pattern that goes with it (Lenore) is perfect: a simple sock with columns of eyelets. The minute I opened the package, I knew that these would be the perfect socks for my sister in law. She's not quite goth, but just a little dark :)

Since these are for a gift, I'm not going to use one of Cat Bordhi's new sock patterns; I'm just going to use my standard toe up, short row heel. That way I'll know that they'll fit.

I think that I'll have to buy more of this yarn the next time I treat myself. I've enjoyed the sock club, because I love all special things, but this color has made it worthwhile.

It's been a long time...

The holidays are finally over, and I'm just starting to get back into the swing of life again.

I started the I Do shrug from knitty for a wedding this Friday, but after finishing half of it and trying it on, I realized that a handpainted yarn that makes stripes around my upper arm is just not all that flattering. I ripped it out and am trying to think of what to make of it. The yarn is two skeins of seasilk in the woodland colorway, but every lace pattern I try with it looks like garbage because of the color changes. I'm so wishing that I had bought two more skeins of the moss color instead...then I could make a nice big shawl.

I'm retooling my Children of Hurin shawl to get some more shaping into it. Faroesing it in a way.

I spun up a bunch of merino tencel roving into sockweight yarn, and I now have to find a pattern for it. It's beautiful, shimmery and soft. It may have to be another pair of Coriolis socks, to show off the colors.

I finished the silk baby doll from KLS, and I may just rip out the knitted surplice bodice. If I'm honest with myself, my figure and that top just don't go together. The yarn is so beautiful, I have to make something wearable out of it. So, when I get up the courage, I'll probably rip it out...probably.

I bought the gift issue of Interweave Knits, and I started the Koolhaus hat. The many little cables are giving me fits, but it looks really neat. Jared designs such beautiful things.

Knitting, and knitting, and knitting...

Really, I am! I just don't have time to take pics, post them, or write anything about them!

I finished my toe-up, Coriolis STR August club socks on Friday morning. I love them. Unfortunately, I wore them before taking a picture, so you can't see them until I wash them!

I also started in on the "wiggle room" socks from New Pathways for Sock Knitters (NPSK), and I have one done. The other is just a toe, but it should be done this weekend, at which point it will go to my sister as her first pair of baby booties for my niece/nephew in utero. The socks are really fun to make, and I'm using the leftover yarn from the STR August skein, so they're very groovy and wiggly.

I stalled out on what to make next from KLS, and the High Holydays kept me from whipping up a late summer/early fall shawl. I think I'll just dive back into my Children of Hurin shawl as soon as the weather cools off. Maybe this will allow me to finish all my little WIPs running around.

I did have to buy a skein of Yarn Nerd's sock yarn from The Loopy Ewe, even though I still haven't finished my "Solstice Slip" socks from the STR June shipment. The color is a lovely blend of greens and browns. I'm not even sure what I'm making out of it, but it was so beautiful, I couldn't resist.

I also heard that the 2008 sock club signups will be starting soon. I think I'll have to join again. Depending on what my job future holds, I might not be able to be buying yarn next year like I'm doing now, so getting yarny presents in the mail will be just the thing.

I'm off to finish up some sockies...wish me luck!