'Tis the season

Having grown up celebrating only Hanukkah, having a Christmas tree is still a novelty for me.  For the past several years we have cut down our tree at Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD, and this year we carried on that tradition.  I like that it makes the occasion a little more of an adventure and that we are supporting a local farm in the process.  Every year, I marvel at the rows and rows of trees to pick from.

In past years, we easily spent an hour wandering through the rows--we would find a tree we liked, decide to look a little further and eventually decide we liked the first tree best and now couldn't find it.  Usually it was around the third tree we found that we would actually start sawing. This year we were more efficient and cut down the first tree we decided on.  I admit, Mike did most of the hard work while I stood over him supervising and snapping pictures and being generally pretty unhelpful.

Soon the tree was on the car and we were headed home to start decorating.  Awhile back, I started my own little holiday tradition--each year I add a new ornament that reminds me of something that makes me smile.  I love that we are slowly accumulating a collection of ornaments with some sort of personal significance.  Each time I pull one of these from the box, I remember some happy experience or trip. I was thrilled when I was in a running store and found this year's perfect addition. 

I'm still really proud of finishing my first half-marathon (13.1 miles) this year.  No matter how many more races I do, I love that every time I pull out this little green ball, I will think about how wonderful it felt to finish that race and how much fun we had that whole trip.  This simple 13.1, therefore, became my "special" ornament for 2010. 

Another great thing about the trip to the farm is that it's about a 45 minute drive away.  Knitting time!!  The Leyfi pullover was my priority last week, and on the way to and from the farm, I eagerly worked away on the second sleeve.

 
Leyfi is now finished.  I'm quite happy with it--more so than I expected to be.  I haven't had great light to take pictures so hopefully this weekend Leyfi will get a photo shoot and I'll post all the details then.  Finishing Leyfi brings me down to seven WIPs.  I ripped out one fingerless mitten project since the cuff was too snug, so that brings me to six.  From fourteen to six in less than a month!  Now is when it starts to get a little harder though since most of the projects I'm trying to tackle are not very far along.  I've moved onto the Chelsea skirt, and I can honestly say I hate knitting this project.  Luckily, I still have a sock to work on when I need a break, but I fear finished projects might be few and far between for a bit.

Parade of Socks

Forgetting the yarn for the Leyfi sweater during my long day at the sleep clinic last Wednesday at least translated into progress on the other project I brought. 

Pattern: Burning Rings of Fire (Ravelry pattern) by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn:  Dream in Color Smooshy in Plum Paisley
Needles:  2.5mm
Started: September 2010

The pattern is little more than a basic ribbed sock and not the most interesting knit so I don't have much to say except that I'm happy the socks are done. If I had anything else to knit at the sleep clinic, they would still be a WIP.  Let's move on.

Feeling the burden of finishing Burning Rings lifted, I surprisingly was super motivated to keep working on socks.  So I did not go back to Leyfi last week as planned but turned my attention to another half-finished pair of socks. Before I knew it, more finished socks!

Pattern:  Charade (Ravelry Pattern) by Sandra Park
Yarn:  Yarntini Self-Striping Sock in Peggy (Mad Men collection)
Needles:  2.25mm
Started: September 2010

I love these socks.  LOVE them.  I love that I took the time to make them a nice length.  I love that the stripes match up absolutely perfectly, right down to the three rows of blue at the toe.  I love that they are a perfect match to my brown clogs, which are the only shoes I wear with handknit socks.  Most of all, I love the combination of the stripes with this texture.

A little texture to catch the eye but nothing that disrupts the stripes. Perfect.  This sock yarn was an impulse buy this summer, and it makes me happy that it's been turned into a pair of socks and is not just languishing in the sock yarn drawer.

My sock knitting hasn't slowed just because I've finished two pair in the last week.  No, there is not a third pair I can show off but I did at least finish a first sock. 

It's pretty obvious I'm enjoying the striping yarn lately.  This is another great pattern that makes the sock a little interesting without taking away from the stripes--a free patten that was recently released: Down the Rabbit-Hole (Ravelry download).  One more sock and all four pairs listed for my great WIP knit-down will be complete.  That's kind of amazing to me given my lack of sock knitting for most of this year.

Finally, I finished one more project this week.  Not socks exactly, but they're close enough.

I decided I hated one of the baby sweaters that I had started so I ripped it completely and knit up a pair of Saartje's Booties in its place using some leftover Dale of Norway Baby Ull and some mystery pink scraps.  Instead of cute buttons, I used snaps to secure the straps, mainly because I had no cute buttons and wanted the project finished up quickly more than I wanted to go button shopping. 

So all in all, a very productive week for me even if Leyfi still needs most of a second sleeve.  Three finished projects bring me down to eight total.  Single digits!

Forgetful

I'm currently at a sleep clinic and will be here all afternoon.  Every two hours I take a 20 minute nap with nothing to do in between but sit around.  I came prepared to get a lot of knitting done and had dreams of finishing the entire second sleeve for Leyfi.  I remembered to bring the sweater.  I remembered to grab the right needles.  I remembered the magazine with the sleeve chart.  Know what I forgot?  The yarn.

Instant Gratification

I crossed two more WIPs off the list last night--the two pairs of slippers (aka Fiber Trends felted clogs).  I swear these things are like magic.  It's insane how fast over 1000 yards of yarn will turn into big floppy shoe-like things, and even more magical that a little hot water and agitation turns them into warm cozy slippers perfect for knocking around the house all winter. 

I made a pair of these for myself a couple of years ago and they were so perfect for my cold floors that I made Mike a pair soon after.  Both of us have lived in them the past few winters, and we've worn holes through the soles. We've been overdue for new pairs for awhile; now I can check that project off the list.

The WIP tally is officially at eleven.  On the chopping block for this week is yet another pair of socks and one of my bigger projects--the Leyfi pullover.

Looks done, right?  Close, but not quite.  I finished the body and first sleeve this weekend, but there is the whole second sleeve to go.  I think I can do it in a few days.  If I knock out the socks and sweater, the tally could be down to single digits by the end of the week.  I think once I get down to five I'll be allowed to start a new project. But, really, I'm not getting ahead of myself or anything...  

Roger Socks

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and while my mind is mainly on stuffing recipes and turkey preparation, it is also that time of year that most of us reflect on things for which we are thankful.  My wonderful family and husband Mike top the list, of course.  There are a million reasons for me to be thankful for Mike, but today he was presented with one more reason to me thankful he has me.  Four words sum it up:  merino cashmere handknit socks.

Pattern:  Roger Socks by Anne Hanson
Ravelry Project Page
Yarn:  Sanguine Gryphon Bugga!--Autumn Tiger Beetle
Needles: 2.5 mm
Cast on: July 2010
Finished:  today!

I've used the amazingly beautiful and soft Bugga! yarn for a sweater and a shawl, but these are the first socks.  They certainly won't be the last.  They are soft and squishy and amazing, and it's a good thing they are too big for me otherwise I might have to keep them for myself!  Luckily they are not going far so I can continue to visit and more importantly, carefully supervise their washing.  Ah, pretty pretty socks...

                                            
These socks are part of my new dedication to clearing out the knitting works-in-progress.  I recently did an honest count of my WIPs.  Not counting two blankets or the "hibernating" projects (two sweaters, a vest, and three socks), I was at fourteen.  14?!  I clearly got completely out of control somewhere in September and let the trend keep on going, and going, and going.  I've been the Energizer bunny of starting new stuff and putting it down, and now I have this pile:

 The tally includes two sweaters, two fingerless mitts, two baby sweaters, two pairs of slippers, one skirt, four socks, and one scarf.  Yikes!  The pile has been neatly put away and the projects ranked.  I figure if I focus on a few at a time, more will get finished and I'll have less chance of getting too bored.  For this week, I'm focused on finishing the Roger socks (done!) and the slippers, which will bring me down to 11.  That's something at least, but I'm determined to finish up most of these projects before the end of December.  Hopefully for the next few weeks, this blog will be a parade of finished projects.  One can dream...

You spin me right round, baby, right round....

I've been spinning.  It's not as easy to pick up and put down as when I'm knitting a sock, but I am trying to spin a little each day.  I'm drafting more smoothly, my yarn is getting more even, and, well, I'm starting to think a wheel could be in my future.  I finished spinning about 2 ounces and have plied and made actual yarn.

I've learned, however, that I'm not any more monogamous of a spinner than I am a knitter.  Three spindles = three different yarns in progress.

I've got a little of everything going:  some rough practice wool, fluffy merino roving, and a merino/tencel blend (swoon).  It sort of works for me having a few options when I want to spin.  Different fibers for different moods?  Maybe I'm just a fickle crafter.

I recently was lucky enough to be one of the random winners for a knit-along.  My prize was a custom journal made by Becky's Paper Creations.  I figured that with my new interest in spinning, it would be fun for the journal to be for spinning.  I gave Becky a picture and a few thoughts, and on Saturday, this arrived at my door:

Isn't it the cutest thing?  I love it.  I figure I'll use it to keep samples of fiber and yarn and to record yarn specs.  Now just to keep spinning so I have some more to put in it.  Thanks Becky!

Yum

I don't get a chance to bake all that often anymore, but every once in awhile....


Today was the annual pre-Thanksgiving potluck at my office, and I contributed one of my favorite recipes.  I hate that I'm old enough to say I've been making something for almost 15 years, but I seriously have been making these Turtle Brownies since 1996, and they've never disappointed. 


There's just something about chocolate, pecans, and homemade caramel.

Mike and I are staying home for Thanksgiving this year, and it will just be the two of us, but I already can't wait to start cooking.