They'll look better with shoes. Really.

MomSocks. No, my feet are not deformed, it's just the way I'm holding them. And Jack's decided if Cinco gets Mata, he's going for the socks.


Kitchener stitch on the toe. Look Ma! No seams!

The name's Cat. Mr. Cat.

This is a very handsome Cinco deciding that Mata may need to be his. The look on his face seems to say "Go ahead. Just TRY to take this off me."

Mata up close - the brown/red dots in the middle of the scarf are the glimpses of my desk through the YOs.

Done, but nothing to show for it

MomSocks - done. Mata - done. Tea - started. And I haven't been home long enough to get pics. If I play my cards right, I'll finish Sitcom's odds and ends tomorrow, get pics of FOs, and start Rebekah for the weekend.

Oh, and did you see the Knitty.com button changed? Bet I'm gonna have new stuff to add to the "Next" list. So many projects...

Mata Mohari

I decided the SkinnyMinny scarf wasn't quite as dark as I was hoping for, so I picked up a skein of Classic Elite La Gran Mohair to knit with the remaining Electra. "Mata" is 9 stitches on #7 Inoxs. To keep it airy, I'm doing a simple YO, knit 2tog pattern. So far so good.

While I was at my LYS, I picked up the additional skein to finish MomSocks, and the yarn/pattern for the Rebekah poncho. I was a little disappointed that the picture online seems to show a mandarin collar, but the pattern does not call out for it. So I guess I'll be figuring out how to add the collar.

Charmed, I'm sure

In a fit of creativity (not inspired by anything else I know of, so if you had the idea first, I apologize!) I decided to create some stitch markers from a mate-less earring, some tiny pendants from necklaces I don't wear anymore, and a charm or two. Now if I can just remember to use them!

Happy happy joy joy!

Well almost! Sitcom is off the needles! Just needs a neckband, button sewn on, ends woven in, and blocked. My wrist is complaining, but I'm just so happy it's almost a FO!

Something to show for it.

MomSocks. Would have finished these yesterday if it hadn't been for the fact I ..um..well..ran out of yarn. I really thought I could get a pair out of the skein. Dagnabbit.

SkinnyMinny up close and personal.

SkinnyMinny full view.

It's almost Thanksgiving?!?

And I haven't touched Sitcom. The redeeming fact is I'm going to be 5 hours plunked in the passenger seat of the Cattymobile tomorrow, hostage to the sweater that will not finish.

MomSock2 has had some progress and I have started SkinnyMinny, the narrow Electra scarf. Pictures to come of all those FO on Friday.

Hope springs eternal, eh?

Comin' down the pike

With the thought that Sitcom Chic will be done by Thanksgiving (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!), I've been looking forward to some new projects:
1. Baby Blankie in sweet pea green/lavender Plush (using my LYS's pattern)
2. LouLou socks in a TBA yarn (pattern from the Knitty Breast Cancer edition)
3. A felted kitty bed from skein remnants (making it up as I go)
4. Felted Teapot Cozy in Sapphire Lamb's Pride with Manos in a scarlet/purple colorway (making it up as I go)
5. Sasparilla Turtleneck in a TBA yarn (based on a pattern from a Woman's Day article circa 1996)
6. A narrow scarf in cream/grey/black Plymouth Electra
7. Rebekah Poncho in Koigu KPPPM (using my LYS's pattern)

Finally progress!

I'm at the point of casting off and adding the sleeves for Sitcom. I'll only have a few more rows of the taupe, then the yoke to do in all black. I actually might have this done by Thanksgiving (insert happy dance here). So I'm setting the goal. Thanksgiving. Of 2004. In less than 10 days. If I say it enough, will I believe it?

In the meantime, MomSock 2 may be relegated to the wayside. Maybe. We'll see.

Oh happy day!

Here is the Happy Bag, all finished (and the MomSock stuff is already packed inside).

This was the Lambs Pride and Mountain Arts yarn from my LYS sale stash, I made the pattern up as I went along. It took about 4 felting cycles. The tabs for the handles are crocheted -they felted perfectly (in 2 cycles).

One down, one to go

Here's MomSock #1, finished last night during a business meeting. I tried kitchenering the toe - it worked for a few stitches, then I did something wrong and set the rest of the stitches off. So I'll be frogging and redoing this weekend.

Awww, isn't she cute?

FuzzyBaby 'delivered' while I waited for the snow tires to be mounted and balanced.

A little secret

FuzzyBaby Hat

Jennifer Brown's Hat for Newborn Baby is by far one of the easiest, quickest, most gratifying knitting projects I've come across in the land of baby patterns. I've done 4 of these hats so far using a variety of needles and yarns. You can't screw it up. Sure, some have come out a little large for a newborn, but hey - they grow into it. This one is being created from Artful Yarn's Galaxy in muted pastels for a little girl born to a co-worker. She was a whopping 8# 14oz. I'd rather knit for a baby than actual HAVE one any day!

Swirly Girl

Mom Sock #1

This is Janis's Koigu Sock Pattern. I'm tweaking it a bit - offsetting the ribbing - to create a nice little swirl around the ankle. The yarn is Lang Jawoll Superwash Cotton in a butter yellow (the top edge and toe of the socks) and a green multi-fleck on Brittany #2s. Here I'm just about to start the heel flap.

Progress

Here's what I accomplished this weekend - 6" of the body. The bottom edge is rolling a bit in the pic, but all in all I think it's looking pretty good. Not quite as scary as I originally thought, but running three skeins gets a bit tiresome.

To entertain myself during my knitting extravaganza, I rented "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Die Another Day", and "Lost in Translation". Yes, I finally watched "FB" - how I had missed seeing it in the past 20 years, I'm not really sure. Made me a tad homesick for Chicago and my John Lennon "Rock N Roll" album. "DAD" was disappointing. Is it just me, or did Pierce Brosnan phone his performance in? So much action, so little Bond. Best moment? MoneyPenny's fantasy. "LiT" was not quite as magical as all the hype, but there were many moments of beauty (ps, Charlotte knits! WOOT!). And Bill Murray? Was just transcendent.

Making a date

So it's a date with Sitcom this weekend. I mean it. Really. All my other WIPs are at the "done" stage (a few stitches here, a little felting there). Mr.Catty is making himself scarce and I see 48 hours of uninterrupted chick flicks, Ben and Jerry's and knitting. Well except for nap times. And some domestic goddessing. And groceries. But the rest of the time, it's me up close and personal with this sweater.

Smile for the camera

If there is reincarnation, I wanna come back as a cat in the Catty household.

Successful Avoidance

I'm ignoring the condemning emanations from the bag holding Sitcom. See how successful I am?

The Chilla Pilla in Teal Chinchilla with a stripe of Bertagna Filati Armonia in Gold. The Snakecharmer scarf is Fonty Serpentine in a lavender shade with Eros with a pink/mint/powder blue/lavender colorway.

If you're happy and you know it...

The Happy bag, almost done. Lamb's Pride in Tigerlily with Mountain Colors in Ruby River.

Whew!

Stinkin' Purses? Done!

The Chilla Pilla Cover? Done!

The Snakecharmer Scarf ? Almost done!

Sitcom Chic? Still staring me down.

Resistance is futile

Sitcom is sitting there, waiting for me to start her body. Why am I waiting? What am I afraid of? I'm going to tweak the pattern a bit and do the bottom ribbing and yoke in black (think spectator pumps) and I want to incorporate the front band as garter stitches instead of picking up the band later. In my mind, it's as easy as just adding 3-4 garter stitches at the beginning and end of each row (in black). But I'm scared. So I'm looking for the opportunity of a solid block of time and freshness of mind. I could be waiting a while. But that little percentage bar is glaring at me every time I log in. Bastard. Who's idea was it to add those bars to my blog anyway.

What was I thinking?

I bought a few skeins of Chinchilla to knit a travel pillow cover (a girl gets sleepy knitting on those long trips). I thought...hmmm #13 circulars and I should be set. Grrrr... I'm hating the way the Chinchilla is NOT sliding along my Addis. Hate. Really hate. But I'm committing to doing this because 1) it's a relatively quick project, 2) the Chinchilla is gonna feel so nice to rest my weary head on, 3) I hate the idea of frogging Chinchilla more than I hate the idea of knitting it.

So I'm sucking it up.

And it fit into one bag!

Here's my stash from yesterday's LYS sale. There's some Manos, two skeins of Fonty Serpentine, some wool remnants (incorporated into granny squares last night), two skeins of sock yarn (one pair for Mom for Christmas), coupla Lamb's Prides skeins for felting, 2 skeins of teal Chinchilla for a travel pillow cover, a skein of Galaxy in baby colors (good to have on hand when you need a baby hat for a shower gift), a new crochet hook and handbag handles for a felted "happy bag" for me.

Don't get "chic-y", Mr!

Sleeve number 1 is done. Mr Catty narrowly avoided bodily injury via an Addi Turbo when he commented, "But it's a little short isn't it?" I showed him the pattern pic and clearly indicated what "bracelet length" sleeves are. Men. Can't live with 'em, can't bury 'em the backyard.

The yarn shows up here truer to the actual color. Plymouth Sunsette is a 60 Rayon/40 Acrylic blend. Since I wanted more of a 3-season garment and didn't want cotton ( I'm putting a lot of effort into this sweater - I want something that will look good longer than one season), this seemed like a good choice. The yarn is very soft but knits up into a substantial weight with a well defined stitch pattern. However, it is loosely twisted and splits when you look at it cross-eyed. This is definitely not a yarn I want to knit with when I watch "24" or any other show demanding my full attention.

Sitcom Swatching

Yes, I decided to do this sweater right! And the swatch? Came out perfectly to gauge. The body of the sweater will be this taupe color (coffee with cream, not this greeny!), with black tipping on the sleeves and hem and the yoke.

Look Ma!

"A picture is worth a thousand words." Wish I had remembered that when I was telling Mom about the stinkin' purses. Think of the money I could have saved on the phone bill! Here is the first set of 3 completed. The pen is for reference.

Odds 'n' Ends

I've decided to put "Splash" cuffs some of the purses. I also may do some poppies as shown here . Speaking of the purses - 3 of them have been felted three times now and still have not reached felted perfection, though they are close. A word to the wise? Knitting one strand of wool with one strand of novelty puts a serious cramp in the felting time.

Still crocheting those granny squares - wow, does it feel good to get rid of some of those remnants that have been sitting in my stash box for...um...ever? There is some wool I finally used up that I knitted into a cardigan for my nephew...when he was two...and he's now 16. Ayep.

And the car project this week was a Sizzle scarf for Fran and Ev's mom in Snapdragon . I did the scarf on #9 bamboos, cast on 18 stitches and have almost 1/2 a skein left over. Note to self when I use Sizzle - go up 2 needles sizes. This scarf felt like it took forever.

Crossing off the list

Items I can cross off the WIP list-
Dad's polar fleece blanket with the crocheted edging is done. Finished it tonight while watching my favorite all time movie "French Kiss".

Stinkin' purses were felted a second time today. I'm thinking that I should do the novelty/wool ones one more time - they aren't as tight as I would like them to be. I have to pick up the yarn for the novelty trims, but I would count this project as 85% done.

I also started attaching the crocheted granny squares. I am really at a point where I don't want to start a new project until I feel the other stuff is done. By done I mean "put in the closet awaiting the Christmas wrapping". (Can you say "linear"? I knew you could.)

So once I finish the stinkin' purses, I think I will either start Sitcom Chic OR I may make this ribbed chunky Turtleneck pattern which I found when I organized my knitting patterns. And I'm thinking Chinchilla or similar yarn in a root beer color.

The "Other" Knitting

What do you do when you have more 1/4 skeins/remnants than you know what to do with? Me? I make granny squares. Ok, ok - I know it's not knitting, but it's a darn pleasant way to use up those loose ends and give my knitting muscles a break.

I've been doing double crochet squares which I learned just a few weeks ago at the "Crafty Women" group I belong to. While the interiors of the squares are every different color and style yarn, I've been edging them all with a black wool blend. It' gives them a "stained glass" appearance and unifies them. My plan is to just keep making them as I have yarn and eventually sew them together into a large afghan. It's a perfect 'car' project (because really, how many scarves can one person make and own?) I can usually finish 3-4 squares per round trip.

And no, I'm not driving.

Organization is the key to success

Here's a picture of my journal and a tag I made for finished goods. The label has space for the person's name, item, yarn details, needle size (and cast on number if something simple like scarf or hat). I then attach a strand of the yarns I used. This journal really helps if I need to go back and reference any details. The tag is just a business card I created on Pagemaker with a cat graphic (which I love. Alot.) I printed them out on pre-bordered business cards.

Stinkin' Purses

So the purses? The purple/green one and the black/purple one have gone through one course of felting. They haven't yet achieved "felted perfection". And stink? Hoo baby! Dead sheep in the washing machine! During the felting process is the only time the CatMan hears me say "Get dirty so I can do laundry". Gotta have those jeans for felting agitation!

I finished the dark/light green purse except for the bottom seam and I completed another purse during one day's commute back and forth to work (don't worry, the CatMan was driving!) I really like this 4th purse - it's a combo of Chinchilla Colors and an ANCIENT skein of "100% Virgin Wool" by Bernat called "Blarney Spun" in Chestnut (a deep rusty brown). It was a freebie skein from a yarn swap a few months back. Though I wasn't too crazy for it when I first touched it (very very coarse), I thought it would make a good felting project. Knitting it with the Chinchilla transformed it! The chestnut color is a great backdrop color for the Chinchilla rainbow. I can't wait to see how it felts up!

Off to get the CatMan to play in some more mud!

Making a Splash

Here' a companion hat I finished for my friend Karen. Back story? I made myself a super long winter scarf in Plymouth Splash. Karen fell in love with it and wanted one in Red (Splash equivalent is "Flame"). Once I finished the scarf, she thought it would be cool to have a matching hat. The hat is knit with a second strand of Encore DK to get the brim to roll. The color is a deeper red than the picture. Splash is a great yarn to work with - very interesting color variations, soft, and forgiving of boo-boos. 

Enough with the scarves already!

On the left is the "Vanilla Sugar" scarf in Plymouth Eros and Crystal Palace Fizz (10 stitches on #17 bamboos). It's very fuzzy and narrow! On the right is an experiment in Fonty Serpentine Ribbon Yarn (a citrus green color) with Eros Glitz in blue/greens. I've been cautious about ribbon yarn (too slippery on the needle?), but the Serpentine was a dream to work with. 

Christmas is when?!?

These are two of the purses I'm doing for my nieces - prefelted. These were knitted using Lamb's Pride worsted in Amethyst and Limeade (top) and Amethyst and Onyx (bottom) on Addi Turbos #13 (24") 

Baby, it's gonna get cold outside

Remember the friend who is moving? Well this is his scarf in Berroco Chinchilla (deep sage green which doesn't show very well in the pic) and his wife's scarf in Plymouth Firenze in shades of turquoise. I figured Frankie and Ev are gonna need some cuddlies to keep them warm in the damp, chilly Northwest! 

6 of the 7. And you thought I was making it up?

Scarves, scarves, and more scarves

My WIP list got put on hold as I worked on a scarf for a friend moving to Washington State. He's sort of a funky fellow (climbin' bud of MrCatty), so I used a dark mossy green Chinchilla on #9 bamboos and worked thru almost two skeins in a garter stitch. Loved it.

Mr Catty and I carpooled this week, so I started and finished the Vanilla Sugar scarf. Ended up frogging it the first time thru since I cast on too many stitches and didn't like the width. (Nah, nah, nah - I can't hear any of you yelling at me "DO A FREAKIN' SWATCH FIRST!) The revised scarf was 1 skein each Eros and Fizz on #17 bamboos. It's long and skinny, but looks way cool wrapped multiple times around the neck.

And in a side note. Bamboo straight needles are my new favorite thing. Slowly but surely (or more quickly if I come into a large sum of money) I'm switching over all my metal needles. Except for my Addi circulars.