TOES!!!! SOCKS!!!

The pictures say it all.

Yay for first socks!

Happy Knitting!

Thanks for the comments on the socks :)

Toe-less!!!

My socks are sooo close. One now has a toe (not pictured below). I am so close to handknit socks, yay!!! I spread the word about Jaywalkers at a knitting store yesterday, because I went to the Woolpack in Littleton, MA with a friend from my weekly SnB and there were people there knitting whom we joined for a time. I was working on my jaywalkers and they really liked them, but hadn't heard of them. They hadn't heard of Ravelry either. So, I spread the word a little. It's amazing to me what people don't know about knitting and the 'net. I also got the yarn to send in a swap I am in right now. This is my last swap for a while. I'm just too busy to do all the stuff for it. I also hit up the last Friday of the month knitting group at Ewe'll Love It in Nashua. They have food, wine, and giveaways. It's awesome. I highly recommend attending. It is definitely my favorite yarn store.



My Chuppah is coming along really nicely as well. This mess will become my chuppah eventually. I am a little nervous about running out of yarn (I have a second cone) and having to order more. It's the Zephyr Wool Silk 4/8-DK weight in white.


I also started a baby sweater for my sister, the sweater from the PeaPod Baby Set from Knitting Daily. It's going to be so cute but the pattern is organized in a bass ackwards way.


We have a tasting tomorrow and I really hope we like the food. We have our invitation choice all made, now just have to pick the wording and the ink color.

Socks (getting close)!!!

I am much farther on my socks than I was before. I turned my very first heel and then did the second. It is so easy and NOT SOMETHING TO BE SCARED OF AT ALL.


I know it seems intimidating and there is always something in knitting that might seem intimidating, no matter how much of an awesome knitter you are. (Check out the Yarn Harlot for the last week, if you don't believe me.)


I am still intimidated by cables, but I hope to remedy that soon enough with my recent purchase of Cables Entangled, some cabling needles. and the generous offer of a friend to show me how to do them.

Here are the socks on my new sockblockers! I purchased them at a great yarn store in Newburyport, MA. They are so nice there, have a bathroom, and comfy chairs. They also have weaving supplies for sale.


The top sock as you can see, is further along then the bottom. That is because though I am knitting them both as I go along, to avoid the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome, I am now onto the foot on this one, and will stop on the Top Sock at the toe and knit the foot on the second one. Then, TOES!!!!
TOP SOCK

BOTTOM SOCK

MY SOCK BLOCKERS

In other news, I started the swatching for my chuppah. Here is the swatch with 4 lace stitches I am planning on using. There are more, but this swatch is less for how they look, than figuring out guage for the project and how many stitches to use. It's soaking right now for blocking. Then I can figure out the final numbers in my master knitting book and CAST ON!!! Yay!

GLITTENS!!!!

I finished my stepmother's Glittnes and mailed off my Mom's scarf today.


I found these great buttons at Ewe'll Love It in Nashua, NH. They are perfect for these.


The finger covering part flipped up.
Buttoned!
The final and blocked project.


This is what a Nor'Easter looks like. It was snowing at this point (just the beginning of the storm).
Nashua, where I work, got a lot more snow than where I live.

Two FOs!! Yay!

Happy Knitting!

Finally, I block!

This has been a busy weekend, so busy that I finally just around to blocking my moms Branching Out Scarf today.

Here it is all pinned out on my seriously makeshift blocking appartus. It consists of a piece of felt and pins and is laid out anywhere it will go.


This weekend we stayed in on Friday night, but Saturday we had Verizon Fios installed. Let me just say, the customer service and installation coordination could use a lot of work. It was finally installed much later than it was supposed to be and then we went to a tasting with a caterer we will not be using. The food was overcooked and the guy was a little too scatterbrained for me. We didn't feel good after it either. We then went to our friends house to watch the Patriots game and then went home after they won!


Then today I made Risotto for dinner. It's a lot of stirring and work but it is worth it and when I make this much I have a lot left over for lunches.

Yum!

I also made these really delicious peanut butter and chocolate cookies . They are a big hit every time I make them, so here is the recipe. I always add a little more milk (soy) for me for both the chocolate mixture and the peanut butter mixture because otherwise they are too dry and not really cohesive.
http://lifestyle.msn.com/foodandentertaining/recipes/articleBHG.aspx?cp-documentid=2586143


This is what is supposed to happen tomorrow. Great.
That's my cookie tin. I love it.

Happy Knitting!

Hat, Part Deux!

I really like this hat pattern. It's simple and easy and fits really well due to the ribbing and is a good, basic hat. Made with Malabrigo it becomes heavenly. It's the Classic Ribbed Hat from Frugal Knitting Haus. A quick google search or a scroll through my blog archives will get you to the pattern link since I already knit this once.

Modeled by the fiance, but ending up with the Dad. I hope he likes it since he requested it once he tried on my little brother's version (Hat, Part Une).

I used 108 stitches because my father has a really large head. I hope it fits. He must have a monster sized brain or something. That is the fiance, NOT my father. He still hasn't seen the hat.


Hat on the kitchen table, still life, 2008.
Look! It's a Thumb! There is only one so far, but the other is coming along.



I made cookies too. You don't get any but you do get the recipe link and they are FABULOUS. I have made them many times and love them. You will too if you like peanut butter and chocolate.

I didn't have the trial, case was resolved through plea bargaining. Happy Knitting!

I have my first trial tomorrow (maybe)...

Wish me luck that I don't seriously screw it up.

100th Post and an Off the Needles Almost FO

This is my 100th post! I didn't know if I would make it this far with this whole blog thing, but I did.

I have an almost FO for you.

It's the scarf for my mother. It's off the needles and just needs to be blocked (tomorrow).

Michael made us some really good food on New Years's Eve (sorry to the vegetarians for the meat picture). It's from our new French cookbook and was really delicious. Really delicious.

This was the sunrise I caught this week. Sunrise is too early to be up, but I am an adult now, and that means sunrise sometimes is when I get up. Blah.

A kitty shot for the kitty lovers. He loves the back of the couch.

That's right girl scout cookies are out just in time to destroy some New Year's Resolutions. Resist so there are more for me!

Happy Knitting!

New Year...New Habits...

This year, I have a knitting related New Years Resolution. Some of you may already be aware of this, but for 2008 I have committed to only purchasing environmentally friendly or socially conscious yarns. For me, that means minimally chemically processed and if dyed, dyed naturally. That also means yarns that are produced and sold locally, such as from local farms. It also means yarn from pretty far away but that supports indigenous people or women who otherwise would be begging on the street or selling themselves, so women's collectives in developing countries are in. I will also knit yarn in my stash. I want to feel good about the yarn I am knitting with. I try and live my live as environmentally friendly and socially conscious way as possible already, but I wasn't doing that with knitting, and there was no reason for that. I've started a Buy-A-Long for 2008 on Ravelry, if you are there and want to join us making a difference (it doesn't have to be in my way particularly) come check the group out at http://www.ravelry.com/groups/greenies-2008.

Happy Knitting!

I have personal resolutions as well, but those are private. I do want to exercise more and get out of the apartment more as well. M and I have a tendency to loaf around at home and I am working on getting out more, to things like concerts and parks and enjoy the things I used to go to all the time. I love a good concert.

Happy New Year and whatever you resolve to do be successful and healthy.