Forgetful Me

So, I received my new Knit Picks catalog on Friday. To my delight, there was a photo of a kit for making some beautiful mittens. Aren't they lovely?

When I saw the picture, I suddenly remembered that I already ordered this kit! I'd better pull it out and get knitting on those if I have any hope of making some for holiday gifts!

Also, we attended my best friend from college's son's wedding yesterday. I got to be the photographer and I took one of the funnest shots I've gotten at a wedding yet of the gals in the bridal party.

My friend (& mother of the groom) sewed not only the bridal gown, but the two ruby bridesmaids dresses and her own gown for the occassion!

I think she's amazing!!

Busy Bee

I've been thinking about that phrase "water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink" lately. Probably because it's been raining off and on (mostly on) for a week or so with more in the forecast for the days ahead. Also, for some reason the saying leaves me with a feeling of frantic exasperation and exhaustion which is what I've been feeling this week.

I'm going to be doing the super-mom thing and escort my DD to Kansas City this Friday/Saturday so she can spend time with a friend from college. But it means that everything I need to have done for work must be done by 5 pm today. That has left me in a mild to moderate panic much of the week since this is my big (& FINAL) deadline week at the magazine. (It goes to print on Monday.)

All of which is to say, there hasn't been much by way of knitting or photography (that's not magazine related) this week.

I have eeked out a few moments here and there to pick up the needles (or let's face it, I would have been checked into the mental ward by now!)

I finished the anklets I was knitting.





Because they're just little anklets, I had half the skein left over. It's such pretty, sparkly yarn I felt the sirens' call to turn the rest into a mitten project for the state fair. So I cast on for those a couple evenings ago.



I think the black really makes the colors in the variegated yarn pop. What do you think?

Anyone else out there find that just a few minutes to knit (or sew, or read, or write, etc.) is the perfect antidote to the stresses of everyday life?

The Rosy Side of Life

I've been working on a project from my stash. I discovered some lovely Andean Treasure (100% Baby Alpaca) in a lovely colorway, Wild Rose (the state flower of Iowa I might add!) I have 6 balls with which, given the wintry weather of late, I decided to knit myself a fetching set of mittens, neckwarmer and hat.

The mittens,



are an uber easy, super quick knit with an ingenious design for the thumb gusset. The cuff is knit in K1P1 ribbing and then 7 stitches of that ribbing continue up the "hand" section of the glove to fit in place of a gusset. Isn't that genius? I hate doing gussets, and the set in thumb works, but isn't as comfortable as a mitten with a little stretch for the thumb. This solves the problem very nicely!



One can easily knit a pair in a weekend.

After I completed the mittens, I searched around for a hat pattern. It turns out I like the ones I'm seeing which others have knit from the book Boutique Knits. So I ordered a copy from Knit Picks and am currently awaiting the arrival of the book.

In the meantime, I cast on for a neck warmer to complete the set. I decided since the yarn is rather luxurious and the hat will be something a little more special than a simple beanie, I wanted the neck warmer to be a little "frilly" too. (After all, this yarn, besides feeling decadent is quite the girly color!) I looked through my stitch dictionaries and found the pattern for "Opulent Cables."



I wanted the guage to match from the mittens, so I stayed with US #5 needles. I had never knit this cable pattern before, so I wasn't sure how much the cables would cause the fabric to shrink up. I originally cast on 135 stitches, but it resulted in a size which would not go over my head. The current WIP is 153, having doubled the reverse stockinette stitches between the cable repeats. (I originally planned for only 2 stitches between cables, now there are four.) I do hope this one will fit!

That's what I did with part of the "no school, inclement weather" days we had Thursday and Friday (mittens) and over the weekend (neck warmer, twice!). . .

How was your weekend?

Happy knitting/shooting!

[p.s. I forgot to mention that I'm the lucky winner of a blogiversary give-away by a gal in Wisconsin! I believe the prize is a beautiful hank of hand-dyed yarn from another lady in Wisconsin...which is in blues. I'll be sure to post a pic when the package arrives. Maybe it will be here just in time for my birthday next week!! won't that be a fun treat??!! Thanks Deborah!!]