Friday, December 31, 2010

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?

Saturday, December 25, 2010

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!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

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.