2010 down, 2011 to go.

Holy crap, 2010 is almost over. Overall, it was a pretty good year, despite the whole grad-school-isn't-taking-students thing. My tendency to avoid odd numbers has me a little skeptical about the potential quality of 2011, but we'll see. I graduated college both times in odd years; if I get into grad school this time, I will graduate in 2013. Perhaps that's a sign.

But I digress. I suppose I need to make new knitting resolutions for 2011. I did pretty well on the 2010 set. I finished 4 of 6:

1. Knit a fair isle pattern

2. Design my own pattern

3. Knit something error-free

4. Complete a sweater

5. Finish something entrelac

6. Learn to knit continental style

As for #5, I tried entrelac and hated it. There was never a chance that I'd finish the scarf I started. #6 happened briefly-I started a garter stitch swatch that ended up being about 6" wide by 4" tall, but I was distracted by something shinier coming along.

I have no idea what to do this year. I'm setting a goal of 22 FOs this year, but other than that there isn't really anything that I feel a burning desire to accomplish. I guess I'll just let my FO goal stand as my resolution/goal for the year. Do you have any knitting resolutions?

Done and done and done

Tis the season of FOs. In the past 48 hours (maybe less), I've finished 2 pairs of fingerless mitts and DH's Christmas cowl.

Exhibit A: Sleekit mitts
Yarn: Brooks Farm Acero
Production notes: These are so freaking cute. However, I've learned that I absolutely cannot stand yarn with rayon in it. It makes my hands hot and sweaty. I tried making socks with this once and didn't get very far because of it.
Verdict: I may still give them to my coworker as a late Christmas present (due to completion of exhibit C)

Exhibit B: Ribby Neckwarmer
Yarn: Bernat Alpaca blends (I actually didn't think DH would really like it, so why pull out the good stuff, kwim?)
Production notes: Quick, easy, and mindless, although I should have made it about 10 rows longer.
Verdict: He likes it.

Exhibit C: Endpaper Mitts
Yarn: Yellow=Shibuiknits Sock Canary, Blue=Tempted Goodgrrl Into the Blue
Production notes: Ohemgee I love fair-isle. It is so much easier than I thought it would be. This takes care of #1 on my 2010 Knitting Resolutions list (I guess I'll need to make another one soon).
Verdict: I think I'll definitely keep these.

Merry Christmas!

I think it wants to stay

I don't know what possessed me, but I decided that I want to give one of my nice coworkers a handknit gift. She likes blue, so I grabbed some aran-weight Patons Soy Wool Stripes (you know, yarn that I don't mind parting with easily) and looked for fingerless glove patterns. The smart side of me suggested that aran weight gloves wouldn't take too long to make, and therefore I wouldn't get stressed out by the deadline. All of the cute patterns I found were for sock yarn, but I kept on. And then I found the Sleekit Mitts pattern on Ravelry, and promptly fell in love. I happen to have some blue fingering weight yarn that I don't love (shocking, I know), so I pulled it out.

I ignored the voice in my head that kept gently reminding me that the reason I swore off handknit Christmas gifts forever is the stress that my procrastination combined with deadlines causes. After, I'm a quick knitter, right? If there isn't a complicated pattern or anything, it would practically knit itself, right? Of course it would. So I casted on and merrily knit my little heart out. I continued to ignore the fact that after 5 days I haven't even gotten to the thumb gusset increases. Here's what I have so far:

It's cute, right? While ignoring the whole there's-a-deadline-on-this-and-I'm-clearly-insane thing, I've begun to fall in love with the gloves. I don't know if I can part with it. I don't like the yarn so much because it makes my hands sweaty, but that was in the summer. It doesn't seem to be so bad now. The gloves are blue, and I have an unhealthy obsession with blue.