Changes

This is likely the last post here. I would like to conintue posting about my knitting and other crafting endeavors, but no here. It has been two and a half years since the first post and now I want to do something different with this format. See you in another format.

Happy Holidays! Hope to see you again in blogland next year.

So, for the last post I give you our winterwonderland trip to a little bavarian village in the Cascades.

A very nice drive over the pass on Hwy 2.




Every business in town is required look something like this...


and this...


Obviously this time of year is pretty popular. Guess what everyone wants to buy when they come to this town...





The Christmas Band.


We went on the Christmas Lighting Weekend. Just a wee bit crowded.




On the needles is Kirk from Rowan 36. The pattern is a half zip front but I am making it as a full zip cardigan. I bought Knitpicks Seirra, which is wool/alpaca. Really nice stuff; soft and no splitting. The row guage is a little off, oh well. I'm eight inches into it and I do not want to frog 184 stitches!!


Urban Aran all finished. Elann Highland Chunky is thick and warm making this sweater so comfy to wear. I didn't bother to block this one. I figure it will stretch with wear.


A last minute ornament. Based on the folded fabric flower as seen on Craftster. I used eight one and one half inch felt squares.
And for the center I stuck a tree light lightbulb through the center hole. Next year I may make more to place all around the tree to give it a little bit of a theme.

Close

urb_aran
Originally uploaded by pknitty.

Just another inch to go and I should be able to cast off the collar. This pattern is really strange. The schematic measurements indicate a size that is really big for the normal small. Okay, substituted yarn but it was the same weight, and somehow it cam out to the standard size small. The Highland Chunky is really soft. I knit this up in the round; there is no waiste shaping which made it really easy. The slanted cable will cinch the waiste and give a nice shaped look; it's not elastic like the ribbing.

Has anyone notice that the Elann Highland wool stinks when wet. I know wool has a bit of wet dog smell when wet, but this stuff really, really smells. Also, this Urban Aran pattern can be easily converted to a zip down cardigan(I can't remember which blog I saw that did this with pretty nice results). Just move the center cables over a few stitches.

I want to spend all day every day in these pajama bottoms. I love them. So soft and warm.



Knitting update: I am on to the second sleeve of Urban Aran.

Tie one on

I got off my ass and finished up the last bit of this sweater. I procrastinated on the final finishing touch because I wasn't diggin' the color after all was seamed together, but now it has sort of grown on me. That and the fact that I wanted something new to wear tomorrow. Llama is itchy. Also, it is fuzzy. Not a big fan of this Elann Uros. They've only sold it once because I don't remember them offering it again after I bought for the project. I'm not a big fan of single spun yarn; it unravels too easily.



One more day, and then I'm heading north. Five days off I can't wait.

One last one

Wanted to get this in before the month is over. Finished Phildar cable hood-less sweater. Spent a few hours this weekend seaming her. I'm ho-hum about the final product; it would have been nice to have the hood but that would have taken about 5 or 6 skeins of Peruvian Uros that I don't have. This makes it the third finish-it-already-sweater for October. I'm crossing off three projects from the UFO list this month. Aah the feeling of accomplishment!!



How fast is Elann? Let me set the scene. It's Thursday night, and I am overcome with need for more yarn. Hanging in for a few more days without purchasing yarn for the month of October shouldn't be hard, I know. Then I thought, screw it, I want yarn. I select my yarn hit order Thursday night, just before primetime TV, thinking I will have a package waiting for me next week. Come Saturday, that's right, Saturday, hubby comes home at noon and hands me the usual USPS box. It took me a minute to register who it could be from. One day turn around. Unbelievably fast!!

Oh Snap!

Check it out! I'm getting closer to finishing the man sweater. Started this baby almost a year ago. My interest fizzled when I was this close to finishing the left front. Both body and sleeves are/will be knit in the the round.


Inbetween the man sweater and Brier I made a scarf from Big Kureyon.

Check off another gift made for Christmas.

everything i say has already been said. i just can't believe the ineptitude of FEMA and the Bush Administration. my god! how can you not know that hundreds of thousands of people are calling for help when it is broadcast on every channel, every hour for days? fuck! they think that anyone who didn't have the sense to get in their SUV and drive out of the city on Monday were just asking for it. hello, in a city where 30% of the population are poor not everyone had the means to get out. hey, let me get a round golf in before i get over to louisiana. what a fucker! and you wonder why people outside this country hate us? maybe because our government is run by a bunch of fuckers who is in it for their own interests. their attitude is basically: i've got mine, so fuck you if you can't help yourself. i mean, did you see that video clip of the able bodied tulane hospital staff being evacuated while across the street the charity hospital staff hover over a patient in critical care waiting for a helicopter to come to airlift this person out. did you see the disgust and anguish in the faces of the charity hospital staff? did you see the guy shaking his head in disbelief? this is exactly how the bush administration treats the other half.

fuck everyone of you who voted for him.