Ay chihuahua

Well, well, well.
I must admit, I'm more than a little ashamed that I've let the blog sit for so long without a post. I guess I've been waiting for pictures of what I'm doing, and by the time I get home at the end of the day it's already so dark outside.
Our city has already had it's annual holiday parade, which never fails to put me in the spirit.
It also never fails to hit me over the head with the sudden realization that, gee, it's almost december, I had better get knitting!
So here's what I have left to do for gift knitting / crafting:

• the second sock of my blue Ultra Alpaca Fine pair - for the 25th
• the hand and second mitt of a pair of mittens I'm designing out of Lambs Pride - for the 18th or thereabouts.
• a pair of mittens for myself, probably also from Lambs Pride - ASAP, my hands are cold D:
• a hat out of green heather Cascade 220 - 25th
• possibly a hat, from Briggs & Little - 25th, if at all
• 2 doll scarves - 25th
• 2 fleece blankets, one superman themed, one flower garden - 25th

So, not as bad as I thought. But I still have much to do. Better get going!

Cheers, IG :)

Planet Earth

Planet Earth Handspun

2 ply, merino / alpaca / angora / bamboo

approx 236 yds to 4oz.

I spun this for my grandmother. I'm very proud of it, but unfortunately I don't have better pictures. I wanted to get it to her as soon as I had plied it so I was in a bit of a rush.

Today's the day

I must admit, I haven't been terribly excited about my knitting these days. My socks are going alright, but picking up stitches for the heel gusset in the alpaca yarn. I really need my felted mittens soon, but I don't like the noise of the big metal DPNs clacking as I knit. I would work some more on my Fountain Pen shawl, but it's not an immediate necessity and I'd feel guilty working on it.
The holidays are coming up so soon! I'd better get going.
Do you knit for the holidays? What are you working on?
IG

hibernation.

I don't think I ever typed it out, but I meant to blog every day this month, I really did.
I've been sleeping almost every free minute, or snuggling up with my sock-on-the-go. It's a good thing.
Sorry little blog.
IG :)

The habit

I'm trying to blog more frequently this month, just so I can get used to keeping note of blog worthy things and taking pictures of what I'm working on. With the days getting shorter and shorter, however, it's too dark to take any pictures by the time I get home. I hate picture-less posts, though, so I'll include something to brighten the page.

My friend's adorable bunny! :)

IG

The forgotten month

Listening to: Clocks - Coldplay
Eating: Mini halloween chips
Drinking: Gingerale
Thinking: about Nablopomo

Well, it's November. A month I have never liked. The first part is okay, with all the fall colours are crisp air. But it just gets greyer and greyer, with no pretty snow or real holiday excitement to show for itself. Just cold and rain.
It always sneaks up on you after Halloween, too. I need to rustle up something for my sister's birthday next week.

I'm going to try to blog regularly this month, if not daily. I have some big projects coming up so i may not have much to write about, or the time to write about it but I will at least try to pass on some links or talk about what's on my needles.

I'm off to sit down with the Harmony Guides and attempt to design some mittens.
:) IG

automne

We had such a beautiful fall day yesterday. The sky was the most perfect shade of blue, and I found this lovely chestnut and promptly cracked it open. Later one of my friends commented that my new hair color matches it exactly. I must be in an autumnal mood as well.

I'm still waiting on a Knitpicks order that I made last monday. It's just some needles and stitch markers, but I can't wait for the Harmony DPNs that I purchased to arrive so I can start on some socks out of the Ultra Alpaca Fine that I bought this summer.

Happy knitting in cooler weather,
IG

Sunday catchup

More than a week later, she's back!

Guess I got out of the habit for a while there. I guess I didn't have anything of importance to talk about.
And to be honest, I still don't. But anyway.

Here's the spinning I was talking about last friday.

I tried to ply it, and the yarn is looking nice, but my spinning wheel is acting up. I'll have to try and fix that before I start anything else. Sigh.

As for today, I'm going to have to finish up my green cotton hat. I'm seeing my friend tomorrow and I'll be giving it to her then. I've started the decreases though, so it won't take long.

Macro shot, because a) I like them :), and b) it's a stockinette hat. The picture wouldn't be all that interesting anyway.

Happy Sunday!

IG

Finally Friday

Listening to: iPod on shuffle. Currently it's Dance Anthem of the 80's - Regina Spektor :)
On the needles: Green cotton hat
On the wheel: This:

pretend there's a picture here :D

Oy. Apparently, Blogger has decided that I shall post no pictures tonight. Anyway, believe me when I say it's beautiful. It's some merino/alpaca/angora, with the teeniest hint of silk, in seaweedy blues and greens. I got it at Belfast Mini Mills in Prince Edward Island, and I cannot wait to spin up the rest of the stuff I got there. Gorgeous blends, and totally affordable.
Off to finish the last 2 ounces!

IG

Wet Wednesday

Feeling: sick still, and soggy. So much rain today.

Listening to: Rain. :) It's nice as long as I'm indoors.

Knitting: Green cotton hat

I meant to get picture of said hat today, but the light was awful because of all the rain. I'll try tomorrow.

My shoulder still hurts from yesterday, what's up with that? If I sit against something, I can kni though. :D

Tonight is my TV night, ANTM and then Glee. I'm really rooting for Jennifer, she modelled for the spring Interweave! Including the Fountain Pen Shawl, which is on my needles but hibernating. And I love Laura! She's soo sweet.

As for Glee, Kurt and Emma are my favorites. They're consistently hilarious.

Au revoir,

IG

Messing around with the macro setting when I first got my camera

Twice on tuesday?

Feeling: a little sick, and my arm hurts. Happy to have figured out Blogger's photo-posting system.
Listening to: Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger. Rockin' song, and so catchy.
Wearing: pyjamas. Had a nap, which I never do.

Tuesday, tuesday.
It seemed like it was going to be a good day.
Longest afternoon that I can remember, oh my goodness. I almost fell asleep standing up at one point.
Semi-insomnia. It's not fun.
And then, to top it off, I whacked my elbow on a doorframe. The funny bone, but x 1000. The pain quickly spread up to my shoulder, which still hurts too much to knit.
Can anyone blame me for napping?

I wore my Dusty Tapestry hat today and got an overwhelming response to my outfit. I'm convinced it was the hat. :D I got lots of "whoa, you made this???" as well.

I'm off to watch some Coronation St. and try to knit on this: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/invisiblegremlin/cotton-for-genny

Peace and Love,
IG :)

Apparently I'm a hippie. I'll work out this signoff thing.

Circus 2

Here's the yarn I spoke of yesterday.

Circus 2

Specs:

Weight: DK, possibly the most even yarn I've ever spun :)

Yardage: 100+ yards, my PVC pipe niddy noddy is not the most accurate

Stucture: 2 ply

Made from: http://www.schoppel-wolle.de/xt4/product_info.php?info=p328_Fingerwolle-1-25g-m-1536ombre-100-new-wool-merino---Fuchsia.html

For: My dear knitting friend, T.

Notes: I'm really very happy with this yarn! It's much more even than the first batch of this that I spun for her, which isn't really a good thing for continuity reasons, but it shows that I'm improving, at least. I L-O-V-E spinning with this stuff.

With the 2 batches combined, she should have about 225 yds of DK - worsted handspun.

Gifted today: she seems very happy :D

Monday. That's it.

Listening to: Sure on this shining night - Morten Laurisden
Feeling: Okay overall.

I'm going to make the attempt to post something along these lines every day, although I know that it won't be every day. In order to escape from other vices, I'm going to pour some of that energy and focus into this little blog, if it can be called that at this time.
I'm off to watch some TV and skein up the yarn that I plied the other day - I'll try to have those details as well as the modeled hat pics for tomorrow.
Which reminds me, that hat is indeed finished, blocked, and already worn. I love it, it somehow turned out to be exactly what I wanted. Sometimes throwing caution to the wind works in my favor.


I really need a signoff,
IG

What broke the fast

In-progress macro shots of the hat I blogged about yesterday. It's too scrunched up on the needle to really show the hat itself.

I'm striping in some more handpun that I dyed a very pale green because I don't think I'll have enough of the "Give it a Whorl" stuff.

Modeled shots by next week!

IG

Finally :D

The finished yarn, roving and singles. Out of order, I know.

After a few weeks of restless hands and fruitless idea, finally I have found the "right" knitting project.

It's knitting, of course it's right.

But this fits my life and needs right now.

It's a hat from my handspun, which I believe is about 112 yds / 50 gms. I can't find where I wrote it down.

Progress pics tomorrow.

:) IG

What to knit?

Some merino/alpaca/angora/bamboo that I'm spinning.

Summer was wonderful. I did lots of spinning, and made plans for beautiful things to knit when the weather turned cooler.

Well, it's certainly cooler here. But I'm feeling absolutely no urge to knit.

Perhaps I should rephrase that. I want to knit! I love all the things that are in my queue, and I certanly need some new mittens.

But nothing is calling out to me.

I wonder if maybe having a queue is not a good idea for me. In having this list, these plans, it's like I've already knit the garment in that the planning and waiting is over.

Maybe I need to go back into the stash and pull out something and just knit it, for the process.

I hope my energy for the planned projects returns soon, the holidays approach!

IG

Fall approaches

Uncommon threads

A macro shot of my gorgeous sari silk / tibetan wool.

Yardsaling

Today, we drove around for a bit, hitting up some yard sales. I did see some yarn, but since I have no use for 20 skeins of mint green dishcloth cotton, I passed it up.
I did pick up some purple and green sweetly scalloped trim, and some swirly glass beads. I love them! A headband from the trim is definitely in the works, and the beads will be stitch markers. My camera will be fixed soon, so I will put pictures up then.

Knitting wise, I am working impulsively. My dear friend gave me some merino/bamboo/cotton/alpaca/mohair the other day that just begged to become a neckwarmer. It's almost done. It has garter stitch edges, and buttons up the side. It will go in the holiday gift pile when it's finished.

Blogger tells me that I have one follower! It amazes me that someone is reading so soon, as I'm still ironing out the kinks. Thank you!

IG

Actual knitting content :O

The month of August is not one of my favorites.
Reason numero uno? It has been TOO HOT TO KNIT.
Seriously, y'all. I have watched more CSI in the past week than in the last 6 months. Do you know how often they have those marathons on Spike? Watching TV is one thing that I somewhat enjoy that doesn't involve moving.
It's that bad.
Therefore, my Fountain Pen Shawl has been progressing slowly, if at all. I started the border chart last night, but I thought of those long rows and all I wanted to do was sleep. It may be back in timeout again. Even though I had intended to finish it for an event in may.
Although I haven't been doing any actual knitting, I have been filling up my Ravelry queue like mad. Normally, I'm not a big user of the queue. I don't understand having one that's 100 pages long, full of stuff that you might knit someday. I like to keep mine at about 2 projects or less.
But, the holidays are approaching. So in go the items I plan to make for gifts, that's fine. But it has been filling up with sweaters! I don't know where this came from. I fell in mad crazy love with Luminen, from the new Twist Collective.
It makes me want to drop everything and cast on right away.
Which is saying something, seeing as I'm nearly melted.
Ah, the power of a good sweater.
****************
Sorry about the picture-less posts. My new camera already has a lense error! Hopfully it will be fixed soon.

:D IG

Testing the waters

Hey, everyone.
I've been thinking about starting this blog for awhile now, and with the new laptop on the way I figured now was the time.
As you can see from my profile, I'm a knitter, a spinner, and a dancer. I dabble in sewing, and I love to cook.
My hopes for this are a way of documenting my projects, and getting opinions. I want to share my knitting!
More later.
:) IG