Hello Again

Well, I'm back from my trip to Japan and trying to settle back in to work, which is proving difficult. I was working so much before my trip that I think I burned myself out for a good long while. Anyway. I took Argosy as my traveling project to Japan, and here it is completed!

Specs:

2 sk. Rowan Felted Tweed #152 - Watery

#6 US Denise needles

Blocked to 5" wide x 108" long

I really enjoyed the pattern, once I stopped making stupid mistakes. Twice I had to rip back sizable chunks when I realized I hadn't been paying attention and had neglected to cast on stitches. Doh! But I would highly recommend the pattern for travel knitting or subway knitting, and I liked the yarn for the pattern.

I have now cast on for Beaufort for my next small project, and am trying to decide what my next big project will be. I'm considering the Tangled Yoke Cardigan.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy Holidays to all. I hope 2008 is great for everyone!! And here's to lots of great knitting over the holiday break. Woohoo!!

Updated dead tree count

Continuing my little project of counting the accumulated catalogs for the holiday season, 4 more arrived Friday. One arrived Saturday, so that brings the total so far to 17 catalogs since Nov. 29. My little recycling crate is already 25% full!

It's a wonder we still have trees...

This lovely selection of catalogs is what was in my mailbox when I came home last night. I think it was about two pounds of paper. Count them - 12 catalogs!!! All trying to persuade me to buy crappy, overpriced Christmas gifts no one needs or wants. And I have been receiving similar amounts of catalogs for the past few weeks, and will continue, I imagine, for the next few weeks. I really need to figure our how to get off some of these mailing lists!!!!

In other news, here's a picture of the finished baby sweater and hat, complete with buttons:
The color's not at all accurate, and you'll have to excuse the lamp base taking up valuable photo real estate. It was a cloudy afternoon, and my office is pretty dark. Here's a close-up of the button. The color's much more accurate here:I was really pleased with the outcome. The buttons, from M & J, really brought the finished product together. The were more than I was hoping to spend, and cost more than the yarn used in the project, but they were worth it. And the recipient LOVED it. Yay!!!

So Cute!

One of my co-workers is having a baby in a few weeks, and her shower is tomorrow night, so I made a little baby sweater for the occasion. I used the patter for a Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater from Carole's Baby Knits. I still need to get buttons, but I think it turned out really well.

It's hard to see in this picture, but there's a cute stitch detail at the yoke, hem and cuffs.

Details:

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK - Eggplant - 2.5 sk.

Needles: #5 - Denise

Started: Nov.15

Finished: Nov. 24

This was a great subway knitting project, and I was able to knit it almost exclusively while on my way to and from work. I think I'm going to knock out a quick Umbilical Cord Hat tonight, since I've got plenty of the yarn left.

In other news, Thanksgiving was awesome, as was the whole past weekend.

Here is a picture of the wonderful meal we had over at my friends Kristen and Matthew's apartment. There were 12 of us crammed around the table, and it was a lot of fun. As you can see above, we had delicious turkey (roasted by Matthew), mashed potatoes with gravy, cornbread stuffing (both vegetarian and non), roast veggies, macaroni & cheese (both vegetarian and non), green bean casserole, butternut squash and spinach gratin and cranberry sauce. I took the cranberries and the squash/spinach gratin. Everyone seemed to like the gratin, though I thought it was quite flat. And I do think the cranberries were the highlight of the meal!

WTF, Eunny?

Have you seen the Winter 2007 Interweave Knits yet? This looks to be Eunny's first entirely solo issue, as Pam Allen had already planned through the Fall issue prior to her departure, and I have to say I'm not pleased. I grudgingly accepted the re-design in the fall issue that made Interweave look more like Vogue Knitting, but then Winter's issue hits and I'm smacked with a whole batch of ugly! HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW MODELS? Where did they find these women? What I have always liked so much about IK is they used young, fresh faces. They looked natural and wholesome. And they were diverse, and ATTRACTIVE. The women in the Winter issue are nothing like the models I have come to expect in an IK publication. The cover model isn't terrible, but strikes me a bit as a poor man's Jennifer Garner. But the others? Yuck. I know they have hair stylists at these photo shoots, so what the hell happened to the blond chick? She looks like she should be modeling for the Sag Harbor line at JCPenney. And the chick in the Selva Skirt and Henley Perfected? Well, I just have nothing good to say. She's all forehead and sneer. Add to that the locations/settings of the pictures are all bad, and it just makes me sad. I really thought Eunny, considering her age, would keep IK on a youthful path. But this issue suggests otherwise. I look forward to seeing if this new look continues in the future. Because it may influence whether I renew my subscription.

Doo Doo Doo...

Lots and not much happening around these parts. Just when I thought I was showing some interest in finally finishing Sunrise Circles, I started on The Minimalist Cardigan from IK Fall 07. It's going swimmingly, I must say. I'm using Elsebeth Lavold Classic Al in Burgundy. It's nice. Cast on last Thursday night, finished the back on Wednesday, cast on the right front yesterday morning on the way to work, and its nearly done. I should have it finished on the commute home tonight, and probably do most of the left front tonight while catching up on television. I'm shooting to finish the sleeves this weekend as well. Who knows? I could have a finished sweater this time next week, which would be awesome. But I guess I shouldn't count my chickens, huh? I've taken a couple of progress shots, but left my camera at home.

I think I'm going to place an order from Webs, though I'm trying to talk myself out of it. I've got my eye on some Ella Rae Classic, and I'm thinking of picking up some more Classic Al while it's at the rock bottom price. Oh, temptation!