28thirty - 2 Ages I'm Not Anymore

I've been on a finishing roll this month! Behold- another project off the needles!

(Um... yah... I hate having my picture taken.)

Pattern: 28thirty by Zephyr Style
Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed in "Brindle" (Purchsed at Pudding Yarn in Calgary)
Needles: US 8
Notes: This project should have been finished close to a month ago... it was off the needles and blocked, the only thing stopping me was being short 1 button, which I picked up on Saturday. What I love about this project is that the collar can be worn two ways- popped high (shown above), or turned down (shown below). In general I love top-down construction and this sweater was very well written and very easy. So simple, I would knit this again.

I've already had the chance to wear this sweater in public (yay cold weather?) and what I'm most satisfied about it is that it doesn't (at least in my mind) look homemade. I was a little disappointed that the sweater pulls in between the buttons, next time I'd knit a lit extra into the bust (that's A LOT coming from a card carrying member of the "itty bitty titty committee"). In general I'm very satisfied with what I've done here- so kudo's to me!

I spent a small fortune on these buttons... so I felt it best to show them off a little- I think they bring an added dimension to the project and I'm glad I didn't spare the expense.

In blanket update news- I've decided to just submit the blanket as it is, and stop being so wound up. I spoke to someone who has submitted items before and she encouraged me to submit and let it go. So, that's what I'm doing- full speed ahead. I had hoped to be close to casting off the blanket this weekend- but we ended up being more social and it didn't provide a lot of blanket knitting time. Thankfully I have the day off today and I'll get back on the progress rails. Wouldn't it be great to have another finished item next week!? (If I can finish this blanet before May I would be in good shape to get all the blankets finished this summer...)

Back to the knitting!

The Knitting Gods Have Abandoned Me...

There are times when the knit gods are with you, and they send you a mojo so fierce everything you knit turns into pure and glorious gold. (See Wollmeise knee socks) And then, there are the times when the knit gods step out for a Venti Latte, and abandon you in your dire hour of need.

I think the knit gods ordered a couple Venti Lattes and a Bear Claw to many and forgot about me!!

Blanket progress is plugging along. This photo is taken mostly through the 5th skein of yarn, meaning I'm approximately half way. The problem is, I recently discovered, about #4 skein in, that I was twisting one of my decreases. (For those "need to know" kind of people, I was slipping my stitch to pass one stitch over purl wise when I should have been slipping it knit wise.)

To the naked eye you probably can't see it. But it you look closely you can see that the right hand sides of the leaves, are twisted. Normally I'd just be peeved at myself and go about my regular business and admit that the receiver of the blanket is not going to care. EXCEPT, this blanket was my intended entry to be judged at the Stampede this year. A knitter, looking for flaws and judging my work, is probably going to notice this.

The problem is, I'm HALF. WAY. DONE. I've ripped back a lot of work in my days, but I just can't even begin to bring myself to think about ripping back and starting again. I just can't. I can't go there people, I'm sorry. I'm too committed now to go back. The insane part of me just wants to find another pattern, knit up some current yarn and get over it. The problem here is that I just don't see anything that is "leaping off the page" in the way of inspiration. I liked this pattern because I thought it was lovely and impressive and showcased my advanced skills. (Evidently not so advanced...) I thought this blanket was a worthy contender. NOTHING I look at gets me excited in the same way.

So what do I do? Do I attempt another blanket with blanket quantities of either white or purple, (or both) acrylic or do I attempt a simple pattern with a pretty verigated wool that just doesn't scream "winner" to me. It's too late to order Knit Picks- I'd really like to use "in stash yarn"- I just don't know WHAT looks impressive and what I can make. Or- do I just shrug my shoulders, suck it up, let the competitive side of me have an anyurism and just submit the "not perfect" blanket for judgement? WHY HAVE YOU ABANDONED ME OH KNIT GODS!?!?

As if to add insult to injury today- my greatest fear was realized in the Man Socks. I ran out of yarn.

Yes. This is a lovely photo of a partially finished sock and no yarn left. I am approximatley 5" short of wool. *SOBS* I do have another skein- but that was for sock #2. So, again, I am left wondering what a girl is to do? I bought this yarn a long time ago- at Michaels, (yes, it's wool... don't judge), and I'm fairly certain finding a matching dyelot is an impossible dream. So, do I go buy another 3rd skein, in a most likely non-matching dyelot, and knit the rest of the sock (and then twitch everytime I look at it when I see the different blacks) or do I just knit the rest of the sock in some leftover grey or blue yarns I had from other socks.

I'd be more akin to the second idea (with the different colors) if it were just the toes. It gives the sock a whimsical feel... business up top, party on the bottom. But starting a different color mid-foot just feels kind of like cheating or wrong or something....!! (Can you tell I'm anal about things?) So- what would you do? DAD... not to be completely obvious here, but YOUR OPINION on this would be the best opinion I can get. If, hypothetically speaking, these socks were for you, would you prefer the color or a black that doesn't match up? Hypothetically speaking of course....

The knit gods better hurry up and finish their Latte's... because there's a serious knitting crisis going on over her at Chateau Nennie!!! SEND YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!

(I don't know why my pictures are posting fuzzy... it's tres annoying... for those of you who posts photos in blogger, who do you use and what size do you post? I'm the blogger equivalent of a fetus, let's assume I know nothing. Any info you can provide would be VERY helpful.)

Have a Heart... or 117 of them...

It's done! The red heart blanket is done! This blanket is intended for my friend Rita's little one, who should be making her debut any day now. Okay baby Scarlet you can come ANY day now... auntie Jen is finished!

Pattern: Sweethearts by Bev Galeskas
Yarn: Bernat Satin Sport in "Rouge" (yes it's acrylic- but it's really soft and nice still!)
Needles: US size 7 or 4.5 mm (I love when Ravelry does all the thinking for me)
Size: 34" accross x 40" high
Thoughts: What a positvely AWESOME quick knit! You will probably see this blanket pop up again- the pattern is just interesting enough not to be boring but boring enough to watch tv or chat with someone else while working on it. It's a great, easy pattern with highly satisfying results- it's really hard to go wrong here!

And how did I celebrate this most recently freed up pair of up double pointed needles? By casting on the next blanket of course! (I am on a timeline people!!) Here she is at 8" of length! (Thank you lazy weekend o'knitting)

I'm knitting this in the newly acquired Knit Picks Comfy Worsted yarn and whoooo boy is this stuff nice to knit with!! In fact this is so nice to knit with I might actually knit more of my blankets out of it- it's a cotton acrylic blend and velvetty soft. My only issue so far is that it's leaving quite the lint mess on my pants-- but we'lll see how it does with a little bit of washing and I'll report back. This could be the yarn that turns me away from 100% acrylic blankets forever! Stay tuned!

Also- a quick kudo's to the MiL who had a great yarn suggestion of currently IN STASH YARN that may be the next baby blanket on the needles... she's generously offerred to donate her matching skeins to me, and it's just enough to go baby blanket crazy. Now that's some clever stash busting!! Who knows- at the rate I'm knitting, you could be seeing the beginnings of that blanket very soon.