Final FOs of 2007

I got my knitting mojo back at the last minute this holiday season and cranked out a few last minute gifts.

Up first is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's one row scarf, knit in the familiar Noro Kureyon, colourway 157. I think I finally accepted that it was going to be a long time before I bought the 14 additional skeins necessary for a Lizard Ridge. Maybe I'll get back to that...sometime in 2009.



Yarn: Noro
Skeins: 2 + a bit of a third
Needle Size: 4.5mm
Firsts: Not a one. This is not exactly a challenging knit, though it is a nice variation on the typical ribbed scarf.

Up next: Wisp. Yes, at long last, I finished the damn thing. It only took an hour or so from when I tackled the mess I created back in August. I had to be very zen when dealing with all the torn threads. Wine probably helped.



I got bored of pinning it and took a photo halfway through blocking. Seriously, there are fruit flies with longer attention spans than me. As you can see, it's about the length of a full-size ironing board. As you probably can't see, what with my gift for shaking the camera, is how pretty the simple fishnet lace pattern is with the Kidsilk Haze. Now that I know one must cast off very loosely, I'll probably make another one. Especially since I was planning on making this for me and ended up needing it for a last-minute gift.

Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, Colour Liqueur
Skeins: Only 1. It's almost a budget scarf!
Needles: 4.5mm
Firsts: You know, I started this so long ago that I don't even remember. I think it was my first time using anything below a DK.

And last, I sewed in the ends of the Clapotis that's been done for months and blocked it. Here it is, blocking with the scarf:



I locked my mom out of her own bedroom and blocked it the day before Christmas. Procrastinator? Me? Strangely, my mom also has crap lighting in her house. It seems to run in the family.

And here it is on me, in my attempt at a flash-in-the-mirror type shot. The only reason I'm including it is to show off my kicky new shorter hair.



Yarn used: Araucania Atacama. No idea what colourway.
Skeins: About 5. There is no dye lot with these, so I would frequently discover that one skein was much darker and switch to a different one. Gorgeous wool, but I think I'll be sticking to one skein projects with my remaining skeins.
First: Deliberately dropped stitches. I only panicked for the first ones.

And that should round out 2007. I currently have two cardigans and one jumper on the needles, so I'm hoping to be a bit more productive in 2008. I'm also probably going to be switching blogs. It occurs to me that I still need a place to babble on about knitting, and I plan to have a much less crazy life sometime after May. Sure, it's five months off still, but I'll take what I can get. Um, point. Yes, I'll be switching, because I've been working with Wordpress so much for Pop Vultures that it feels far more comfortable than Blogger to me. I've been knitting a year now; why not graduate to a new blog? I'll post about it when it's ready.

Secret Pal Wrap Up

Why, yes, this IS a post. A terribly delayed post, but I am determined to get all caught up before the first of January. Since that's only 2 days away, and I plan to spend at least part of tomorrow heavily intoxicated, I figured I should start now.

First, there is Secret Pal business to take care of. This exchange was great for me, with fabulous upstream and downstream pals. I really lucked out this time around. Even so, I plan to take a break from such exchanges for a while. I just don't have the time (hence the very late thank you post -- sorry, Agua!).

My upstream pal was awesome from start to finish. After that first generous stash of yarn, she sent me this:



That's a handmade Branching Out, and it's gorgeous. It inspired me to make one of my own.

And, in case that wasn't enough, she also included lots of chocolate which I gobbled up within minutes of opening the package. The final package looked something like this:



Yep, that's loads MORE yarn. There were two skeins of the gorgeous variegated pink one, but the second skein was already on the needles when I took this photo. I tried making a My So-Called Scarf from it, but the colours pooled a bit at the width I'd chosen, so I will try again and photograph that later.

Thank you again, Agua. You really were a wonderful secret pal.

As for me, I finally got everything sent off to my own pal, including one actual, honest-to-god FO. I wanted to present everything in a nice knitting bag, but they were all either crazy expensive or just plain ugly, so I decided to knit my own damn bag. Enter the Booga Bag. This was a great quick and easy project.

Post-felting (well, mostly felted):



Yarn: Noro Kureyon, Colourway 157
Amount used: 2.5 skeins
Needles used: 4.5mm
First time: felting (and it was a PAIN in the front loader, too), i-cord

It was a fun, easy, no-stress knit. Nothing challenging about it at all, but great television knitting.

I actually have three, count 'em, THREE FOs lined up for the next post. It was a Christmas knitting miracle!

An FO! No, really!

Okay, I finished knitting this back in June, which means I've waited so long that I can scarcely remember the details. I'll do my best.

The summertime tunic is really done.

Yarn: Elann Sonata in gold colourway
Skeins: Just over six
Size: M
Needle size: 4mm
First time: Using whip stitch, adding non-yarn part (in this case, satin ribbon)

It was such an easy pattern that there is little to say about the process. I deliberately made it a size smaller than I would normally wear, figuring that the blouson tunic effect would not be especially flattering, as it would cover the few curves I have up top and completely disguise my waist. It's hard to say if this was the right call. It's definitely more of a tank than a tunic.

I'm not crazy about the placement of the straps. I don't have a single bra with straps that wide, so I have the choice of deliberately exposing the straps (is there a point where one gets too old to do that?) or going without, a dangerous proposition with any knitwear, and even more so here, where the front gapes whenever I bend over, unless I tie the straps so tight they start to pinch. Plus, there is a definitely a point where one is too old to go into the village with the ever-classy 'nips ahoy' look.

It is extremely comfortable, and I'll be sure to wear it around the house, but I seriously doubt this top will ever see it past my front door.

FO: Sahara

At long last, she is done!

Here she is in repose:


And in action:


Yarn used: Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran in 008 (Forest), 11 balls
Needles: 4mm for the body and 3.25mm for the ribbing.
Time to complete: Well, I started it at the end of March, but I took many weeks off for various reasons. This was probably 1.5 weeks of serious knitting.
Size: L, though my gauge was a bit off and it's likely somewhere between an L and XL. I know you're supposed to get exact gauge, but I'm a rebel that way.
Pattern adjustments: I added a few increases at the hip, which proved unnecessary in the end, as it is now a bit loose in the hips, though not badly so. I also lengthened it a bit between the neckline and the hip increases. I probably should have taken it in more at the waist. Right now, it has a loose, comfortable fit, and it's meant to be more body conscious.
First time: knitting in the round, doing k3tog tbl (and that's one to avoid if at all possible), knitting backwards (learned in order to avoid k3tog tbl), using a provisional cast-on

Overall, I'm very pleased with it. The neckline ended up a bit off -- it's supposed to be straight, and mine is doing an inverted V, despite my best blocking efforts. I don't think it's an obvious error, though, unless you know the pattern (of course, considering how many people are knitting Sahara these days, most knitters could spot that in a second). I suspect I needed to compensate for my longer form a bit more by making the top longer from the shoulders through the neckline. I would definitely consider knitting this again, either as a summer top in a lighter yarn or with sparkly contrasting yarn for the hem, sleeves and neckline. Not for a little while, though. I need a new challenge.

Still, my first wearable garment is completed! Hurrah!