Oh…my…advent…

*image courtesy inchmark.squarespace.com

Is this not the cutest flippin’ advent calendar you’ve ever seen?  It’s all handstitched from felt.

*image courtesy inchmark.squarespace.com

*image courtesy inchmark.squarespace.com

Love, love, LOVE!  This is definitely going on my “to make” list for 2010.  More information here.

Christmas Emergency!

Ummm, so remember when I said I just had four quick projects left to do before Christmas?  I made a list yesterday and it’s more like five quick projects, one not-so-quick project, and six very quick projects.  Oh yeah, and a sweater with a cable chart so complex I had to enlarge it on the copier.  I’m not exactly panicking yet, but check back in a couple weeks.

I ordered the last of the yarn needed today – because even though the new yarn store in Alexandria carries Malabrigo, I am too lazy to go up there now that I live in the burbs, and I can’t put it off any longer!  Behold:

Malabrigo Worsted Merino - Oceanos

Malabrigo Silky Merino - Purple Mystery

Malabrigo Silky Merino - Ankara Green

I love you, Malabrigo!

Fiddle dee dee*

*image curtesy of www.purlbee.com

Free pattern alert!  Visit The Purl Bee to download a free copy of The Fiddlehead Pullover baby sweater pattern.  I did, and yes, it’s on Lucy’s List (ok, ok, Lucy’s spreadsheet).  Simple, classic, and vintagey – perfect!  It calls for fingering weight yarn, so the sweater could be worn over more than one season.  I’m going to investigate using a less expensive yarn than what is called for (preferably superwash), since $50 and unknown hours of toil (knitting and hand washing) for something a baby will puke on seems like too much (a feeling I can quickly talk myself out of at the Ralph Lauren baby outlet……..)

*Does anyone else loathe Scarlett O’Hara as I do?  I mean, come on, get OVER yourself, jerk!  That being said, I did go through a GWTW obsession in my early youth – and I have the Hallmark ornaments to prove it.  No worries, it was quickly replaced by a long-standing Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen obsession (that may or may not still continue……and I may or may not have a souvineer coffee mug from Jane Austen’s home to prove it……)

Fingerless Gloves – Who Knew?

I made these fingerless gloves because my office is freezing in winter.  Even though it’s not cold enough to warrant wearing them at work yet, I have been wearing them around town.  They keep my hands warm and I don’t have to take them off to get out my debit card, pump gas, apply lip gloss or pick my nose (just kidding on that last one….or am I?).  I wouldn’t wear them if I was going to be outside in really cold weather for an extended time, but they’re great “commuter” gloves.

Lucy’s elephant is nearly finished.  She is in need of one ear and two eyes.

I’ve learned a few new skills on this project – circular cast on, short rows, grafting, plus lots of practice picking up stitches and doing M1R’s and M1L’s.  I’ve also learned that I don’t really enjoy constructing 3D objects like this.  I think I will stick to garments in the future.

Remember this dress?

Its owner, baby Clare, has finally grown into it and her mom Kara has posted pictures, so be sure to check it out!  I’m not so good with baby clothes sizing.  While shopping for Lucy, I made Phil ask a random woman with a baby if she thought a certain dress would actually fit a six month old (I thought the sleeves looked like they would be too tight).  Oh well, better too big than too small, I guess.  Babies will always get bigger, but usually don’t crash diet and get smaller.

I successfully completed my first fair isle project:

For more information, visit the Patons blog – my post will be up there sometime this week.

I’m nearly finished with my Christmas knitting, only 4 quick projects to go!  I’m swatching right now for my next Patons project, which will be a glorious Christmas sweater* that I will triumphantly wear to all of my holiday festivities.  Soooo, the one work party and church on Christmas Eve.  I wish I was throwing a party like last year, which was a triumph except for when the cocktail shaker came apart on me resulting in a few broken glasses and pomegranate martini spillage all over myself and the floor (fyi – pomegranate juice doesn’t stain, even without rinsing!  I told this to Saeid, who is from Syria, and he was like, duh, everyone in Syria knows that.  Sorry, I didn’t know!)

That’s about it for my crafting updates.  Stay tuned for my forays into holiday baking and food gifting!

*It doesn’t depict holiday scenes or have jingle bells attached.  It’s just a cabled pullover in a burgundy color.

Don’t Be Tardy For The Party*

Do you love fair isle?  Does it intimidate you?  Get over your fear and in on the fair isle action with a fair isle tam knit-along, also a color exploration project.  The Patons bloggers and readers are all making this hat in different color combinations:

Visit the Patons Blog to download the pattern and see all of the creative color choices.  (Mine are posted today!)

*Bonus points to anyone who knows who sings this “song”

Humble Beginnings

I thought you all would enjoy having a look at my very first knitting project:

An eight inch wide garter stitch scarf in a very unflattering shade of oatmeal tweed.  With tassels!  I have maybe worn it once (it is ridiculously wide).  I recently gave it to Gracie.

She likes to burrow.

Spooky Scary

I love October.  It’s my favorite month EV-ER.

To welcome October, here’s a spooky scary picture of a featureless, disembodied head skewered on bamboo sticks:

Aaah, shield your eyes!  Although creepy in pieces, this toy elephant for Lucy will definitely not be scary when completed.  What was scary was the “lighter circular cast on” that was required.  Aaargh!  It took a (long) while to get it, but I like the end result.

Isn’t the yarn pretty?  It’s Fiber Fervor’s Organic Merino DK in Rainbow Sorbet.  It’s magical, and I love the pink/orange/yellow  colorway so much.  Don’t  see it in the weight you need?  Just convo Brenna, she’ll do you up a custom skein (as she did for me!)

My favorite October activity is watching scary movies.  I have a bunch of them queued up on netflix.  I’ll start getting them as soon as I figure out how to mail back the DVD’s that Gracie “helped” me with.

What are some of your favorite scary movies?  I’m a fan of classics like The Shining (the book is almost scarier!), Halloween, and Rosemary’s Baby.  The scariest movie I’ve ever seen in my life is The Orphanage (also called El Orfanato – it’s a Spanish film).  I screamed out loud more than once.  Any movie that can make me scream out loud while reading subtitles gets an A+ in my book.

Baby!

What could induce me to spend 2 hours on a Sunday in Babies R Us? That would be my niece Lucy! (World premiere scheduled for February). She also makes me spend hours at a time on ravelry, poring over knitting patterns. So far I’ve only decided for sure on one (there will be more – trust me) and I even got custom dyed yarn from Brenna. It will be fantastical! (More details when it’s finished).

In the meantime, I have been busily decorating onesies with iron-on transfers:

These were so easy to do – buy onesie, buy transfer, iron. EASY. I am considering ordering a transfer of this (designed by me on Custom Ink):

I would never wear it, but think it would be hilarious on a onesie (if you don’t get the joke, please watch this video immediately).

No More Pencils, No More Books

Morning Mimosa by Andrea

Preppy Paisley by Ashley

PUPPIES!! INSPIRED BY PUPPIES!!!!

It Will Blow Your MIND

The last cake class is tomorrow night.  At the conclusion of four straight months of weekly classes, Ashley and I will be creating tiered wedding cakes.  I will pause as you scream with anticipation and excitement.

[pause]

Please!  Collect yourself!  You’re causing a scene!  Come back tomorrow…if you can stand it…