Lazy

Ugh. Sorry. I promise a giveaway to close on the 14th of January and next thing I know it's the 19th. I've been a little under the weather lately which has left me super sleepy and without my knitting mojo (I just heard your audible gasps!). So I'm just here to announce the giveaway winner. 

#14 affiknity

Congratulations! Please contact me as soon as you can with your mailing address so I can get this out to you. As always, if I don't hear from the winner within seven days, I'll have to redraw.  I'll be back soon with something more knitting related!

Happy Blogiversary and a Giveaway!

You heard me right! It's that time of year again.  Since I started this blog close after the new year in 2010 (can you believe it?) I like to save my year end wrap up/goals for the new year post until then. This also buys me a little bit of time to think about last year's goals and reassess for the new year. I set three goals for myself last year: knit myself two sweaters, four pairs of socks, and fix the knitted garments that are not wearable so that they become so (or frog them). How did I fare? Well, there were definitely two sweaters knit (Essential Cardigan and Rocky Coast Cardigan. The Dorflinger Tee too but I'm a bit more busty than I was this time last year so it doesn't fit as well any more). I managed to knit myself not only four, but five pairs of socks this year. My feet appreciate the fibery goodness.  Finally, the fix-its. Hmmm, that did not come to fruition as I had planned. I still have the same two projects that need to be fixed (the Montana Tunic and Rosamund's Cardigan, and probably Adam's Baseball Jersey too) but I did decide instead of just frogging the original Aran Necklacce Camisole, to reknit it in a more weight appropriate yarn.  I'm pleased with meeting the sweater and socks goals but really want to get those finished items that are just not quite right taken care of. So with that said, here are this year's knitting goals:

1. Stop buying yarn and knit solely from stash. Just kidding!
2. Either finish or frog the Montana Tunic, Rosamund's Cardigan and Adam' Baseball Jersey. If this is not done by this time 2013, then all projects will be frogged, washed, and reskeined (except Adam's sweater. I'll just give that bad boy to the Salvation Army).
3. Knit four pairs of socks for myself.  I have enough sock yarn to do a pair a month but I want to be reasonable. And now my feet know the joys of wearing handknit socks so it's going to be hard to change this goal every year.
4. Knit five sweaters for myself. I have the yarn bought and selected for these specific projects already so it's just a matter of getting it done. I know I only knit three for myself last year but after reviewing my year's progress. I actually did 10 adult sweaters in 2011 (6 were samples!).
5. Finally, work on publishing two designs. I say two because I've had these two kicking around in my head for a while so what's keeping me from getting them on paper and knitted up? 

I'm all about attainable goals but I also like the idea of a challenge. I think the five sweaters and the designs will be challenge enough for 2012. 

And as always, to reward you, my wonderful and loyal readers, for sticking it out to the end of this long post and for checking in with me week after week, a small token of my thanks. And what better way to say thank you than with Malabrigo?

Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Sealing Wax

To be entered to win, leave a comment under this post by January 14th. I'll draw a winner sometime next week.  This giveaway is open to all of my readers, worldwide (how many of there are you?). Thank you again for your readership and for the support in my new endeavor! If you haven't checked out the new podcast,  go listen!

Garter Stitch Eternity Scarf

This kind of scarf/cowl has been in the back of my mind since the fall when many stores began debuting their fall lines. It seemed everywhere I went there were these lovely, chunky cowls in a simple textured stitch. Being the knitter I am, I would stop and admire/investigate each one thinking, "I could totally make one of these". While lovely, they always tended to be knit in some kind of acrylic or acrylic blend yarn. In my mind I was imagining one knit in a yarn similar to that of my favorite scarf. I finally got my act together a couple weeks ago and did a quick gauge swatch and then knit this cowl up. It is so warm and cozy, the must have kind of accessory if you live in a cold weather climate.

You can wear this a couple of ways: long and loose (as seen in the top photo), kind of tucked into your coat like a real scarf; wrapped double into a cushy cowl; or folded in half, one end pulled through the other. I'm favoring the second and third option since I prefer my scarf to be wrapped up as close to my face as possible.

For this scarf I used over two hanks of Misti Alpaca Chunky but you could probably get away with two if you cast on fewer stitches.

Garter Stitch Eternity Scarf

Finished Size: 48" circumference and approximately 8" width

Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky, 3 hanks

Gauge: 14sts = 4"

Needles: US10.5 40" circulars

CO 168, join for knitting in the round by purling first stitch. Be careful not to twist stitches!

(Purl 1 row, knit 1 row) repeat 6 times.

Knit 3 rows.

(Purl 1 row, knit 1 row) repeat 3 times.

(Knit 1 row, purl 1 row) repeat 3 times.

Knit 4 rows.

(Purl 1 row, knit 1 row) repeat 6 times.

Purl 1 row.

Bind of in purl stitch.

Weave in ends and wear with pride!

Ravelry Link

Stash Enhancement

No trip to California is complete without some yarn shopping. I'm sure that doesn't surprise you.  My plan was to pick up some yarn for my friend Amy as a thank you/Christmas gift. I went into each store with only her in mind but somehow a couple of skeins found their way into my suitcase.

My goal was to specifically find some worsted weight Anzula yarn (she's a dyer from Fresno, just in case you didn't know).  When I go out of town I like to buy things I can't get in Akron and this had been my plan since the beginning of December. The first yarn store I went to only carried Azula yarns in fingering weight. For me that's fine, but Amy has enough fingering weight yarn for a small army (or at least to make enough socks to warm a small army). I had promised I would look for worsted or dk weight for her. 

So instead I bought this skein of Dreamy (75/15/10 Merino, Cashmere, Silk) in the color Country Green for me. 

I bought this skein of Squishy (75/15/10 Merino, Cashmere, Nylon) in Paprika just in case I didn't get the chance to go to another yarn store before I left. I figured it was really pretty and Amy would still like it, even if it was fingering.

Of course I did make it to another yarn store where in addition to the amazing red MCN worsted weight Anzula (sorry, I didn't get any pictures of it) for Amy, I also bought two skeins of Madelinetosh Merino DK in Betty Drapers Blues. You know, one for her, one for me. I really want to start working on some socks with the new yarn but have made myself a schedule to try to stick to for the month of January. I do have a few finished items to share with you but it's been pretty cold outside so I haven't been able to take pictures yet. I'll try tomorrow, although it is my first day back at school. Does it make me greedy hoping for a snow day tomorrow?

Skyp Socks II

I've had this yarn around for such a long time that I started to feel like the socks were taking a long time to knit as well. The truth is though, I knit these in a little over a month (of course I had the yarn wound up some time before that).

This was the main project I worked on while I was in Fresno for Christmas and my dedication to them paid off.  The night before I left I made sure to finish the foot and turn each heel this way I could just kind of zone out and knit the leg on the plane or wherever. 

I knit these two-at-time, toe up for one main purpose. Having only 250 yards of yarn to knit socks with scares me. I was worried that I would knit one sock the proper length then run short with three inches of foot on the second sock left. I figured if I started at the toe on both and only made it to four or five inches of leg on each, at least they would match. While my plan did work (to have a matching set), it turned out that I didn't need to be worried. I ended up being able to knit the leg to 7" before doing a 1" cuff. I have a sock with an 8" leg and I still had yarn left over. I probably could have gone to 9" even but was ready to cast off and wear these bad boys!  I used Jennie's surprisingly stretchy bind off and did a quick jig around the house. 

I've mentioned before that I can't find a lot of info on this yarn although I believe it to be sportweight, 100% superwash Merino. No matter, since I wasn't very impressed with the yarn anyway. It was loosely twisted and there were even areas where the plies had no twist at all, just kind of fuzzed up next to each other. I've worn these socks once since they were finished and already there's pilling on the heel and foot. Only time will tell how these will wear but in the meantime I'm going to get some good wear out of them. 

Pattern: Simple Skyp Socks by Adrienne Ku (Free!)

Yarn: Honeypot Yarns Washable Wool

Needles: #2-40"

Began: November 18

Completed: December 24

Ravelry Link

A Christmas Surprise!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and relaxing holiday! As I mentioned several posts ago, I have a special surprise for you (albeit a bit earlier than I had anticipated). My friend Mary and I have started a podcast!  This has been an idea churning in the back of my mind for quite some time now and, while it's still a work in progress, it's released and available for listening. We're working on getting some music and a logo so go subscribe and stick around for the fun. 

You can check us out at wooljunkies.com. 

Throw Back

Last week I decided to make a gift using a technique I hadn't used since I was nine: cross stitch.  I found some really cute patterns at Subversive Cross Stitch and one in particular that I thought my friend Mary would love.

This took me a few nights to complete since I was trying to finish the Featherweight Cardigan first (it's done, by the way!).  I used a smaller gauge fabric than called for since I couldn't find something larger in white (they only had a dirty brown that was supposed to pass as off white) at the craft store I went to. I was very excited to give it to her today. Her dog, Devo is a good friend of Timber and Hazel's, and to all other dogs for that matter. This has been the only Christmas gift that I've made this year and it's kind of nice not having to worry about whether or not I'll finish my projects. For tomorrow's flight, I've packed the Audrey in Unst cardigan, sport weight Skyp socks, and two balls of gray sock yarn for my dad. He requested a pair of socks, pointing out that he's the only one in the family who I haven't knit for. When I asked my mom if he wanted them for Christmas she said, "oh, no. He just wants them." Since that's the case, I'm not going to push myself to finish them before I leave California. I'll probably cast them on during the plane ride though. We'll see if the mood strikes me.