A finished Kiri and two works in progress

Kiri, a birthday gift for my mother-in-law, was finished and blocked yesterday. The pattern is by Polly Outhwaite of All Tangled Up. I used nearly 3 skeins of Madil Kid Seta in color 486. It's somewhere between violet and light blue.






This wasn't a terribly challenging lace knit, although I made mistakes. I think I've finally learned that lace requires a true understanding of the pattern. Once I finally realized what each repeat should be doing on each row, it was much easier. Memorizing the pattern as much as possible helps, too. I didn't use lifelines or stitch markers for this pattern, although I think it could be helpful. I get lazy and don't want to make the effort. My next lace project, to be completed after Lady Eleanor, is this from Folk Shawls, in a random red fingering-weight wool I bought for $1/ball.

I've also worked on Lady Eleanor's Entrelac Shawl from Scarf Style. I'm using Southwest Trading Company's Karaoke, which has long color changes, similar to Noro. The color changes in this particular shade are subtle, going from a deep maroon to a true copper.



I've also been working on the Cabled Throw, from Debbie Bliss's Simple Living. I'm using Cestari yarn from Chester Farms.



I also convinced my husband to model Saranac. (His un-showered state necessitated a sweater-only photo.)



Thank you for all the kind comments on Klaralund! I am feeling better about it, but I think it will need a trip in the dryer to tighten up a bit. The garter stitch lends itself to expansion too easily.

Klaralund

This was a quick knit, and I sewed it up last night (staying up past my bedtime, of course--witness the ends hanging out). It came out like I expected, but I have my reservations about the finished sweater. I like it, but I don't like it. I'm hoping it grows on me, and I think it will. If it doesn't, I'll just frog it and knit something else.

I apologize for the dark photos. Dustin took one with a flash, and it was just scary. My face glowed. Believe me, it's better this way.





Stats:
Pattern by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton, Noro Book 2
Yarn is Noro Silk Garden, Color 208, 10 skeins
I made the 42" size.

Thoughts:
It turned out how I expected, but I'm not sure about the fit. It feels a little too flower child for me. I love the colors, and I really don't mind that the stripes don't match. I think this pattern does a good job of highlighting Noro's "handmade" feel (and turning it into a positive, not a negative). Part of it, I believe, is that I really liked this sweater from the beginning, and it isn't as amazing as I'd pictured it in my head.

I'm anxious to hear your thoughts, though! And, please, constructive criticism is always welcome!

In other news, Karen and Tamara came over with their 5 year old sons to try out the wheel on Sunday. The first time at the wheel is always frustrating, but they did a great job and just need some more practice! Hopefully, Karen will post photos of their first skein!

After some problems with the border, Kiri should be finished this weekend. I have some thoughts on that project and lace knitting, as well, that I'll include in that post.

Ah, Berroco.

Berroco's fugliness has been well-documented. (See Exhibit A, Exhibit B). I receive Berroco's KnitBits newsletter in my inbox every Friday, and I open it with some trepidation--what horrific example of knitting will I see today? Yes, today's was definitely terrible (see here), but I want to talk about another phenomenon in their newsletter--fake questions.

You see, in every KnitBits newsletter, there is a question from an aspiring "knitter" (and I use that term loosely) about one of Berroco's "yarns" or "patterns." I suspect these are most often made up by the "editors" to sell said "yarns" and "patterns."

Witness today's post:

Roberta from cyberspace wrote: "I love your new ribbon yarn Yoga. I want to make a dressy top to wear to my niece's wedding in your color #6412 Ashram. I want to wear it over some linen pants that will coordinate. I look best in tunics and I love to wear lots of big jewelry. I want a cover-up with some conservative drama. Vilma looks interesting but the drawstring and bare upper arm is not for me. Can you help me modify this pattern?"

Before we move on to the answer, let's examine the question first. This woman wants to knit a top out of this yarn to wear to a wedding? My misgivings about using ribbon yarn to knit a top aside, this questioner wants to knit a "cover-up with some conservative drama." I don't know what she thinks "conservative drama" means, but metallic gold ribbon doesn't exactly scream conservative to me.

So what about the pattern she wants to alter in order to create this "conservative drama?"



This seems a little more Jeanne Bice than Nancy Reagan, no?

And Berroco's supportive response:

"Roberta, I am so glad that you asked this question. I want all our readers to know that you can feel free to omit details to suit your individual style. Vilma can become a u-neck tunic by simply omitting the sleeve slits and the drawstring at the side. Another option for a dressy tunic that looks great with loads of big jewelry is Megan in Booklet #244 knit in Cotton Twist™. For a western take on Megan you could knit it in Suede™, Suede™ Deluxe or Suede™ Tri-Color. I hope I can encourage you and our readers to feel free to take our patterns to another level.

Be creative . . . be free!"


Margery Winter
Creative Director

Doesn't this seem to be a set-up from the start? You be the judge.

Coming next week--photos of Kiri and afghan in progress, finished photos of Saranac, if my husband will pose.

A Weekend of Little Progress

Have you ever had one of those weekends when nothing you pick up seems to go right? At one point on Saturday, every knitting project I had in progress had something wrong with it. There was Saranac, with the crooked zipper. It's fixable, but not something I wanted to deal with, nonetheless. There was the second Fuzzy Foot; I had zoned out, misread the pattern, and had to rip back the gusset--and somehow lost 2 stitches in the process. Then there was Kiri, suffering from a moment of overconfidence that required me ripping back 6 rows. Yes, I know it's an easy lace pattern, and I finally "get" what I'm supposed to be doing on each row. But sometimes I get ahead of myself and screw up.

Finally, there was the afghan. The self-designed Aran afghan with a required completion date of July 1. I started it and hated it. It wasn't looking right, was a pain to knit, and sucked up yarn like there was no tomorrow. It was time for plan B--Debbie Bliss' Cabled Throw from Simple Living. I'd looked at this and disregarded it as being too small, but it suddenly looked much more attractive on Saturday evening. I went up one needle size, to a US 9, and added a cable repeat, which would make it quite a bit larger. Eleven rows in to the cable pattern, I realized that I wasn't going to have enough yarn, and I needed to knit this with the original number of repeats. That led to another frogging adventure. I wasn't completely upset, however, because Bliss had written one line of the cable pattern in an extremely confusing way. After looking at my trusty Barbara Walker treasury, I realized what she meant. I just wish she could have done it in a more coherent way.

On Saturday night, needless to say, I decided that a hiatus from knitting was in order. So I finished spinning the first bobbin of merino.

On Sunday, things were a bit brighter. I had ripped Kiri back and begun again, finishing two repeats before the day was over. Then I started the cabled throw again, knitting 11 rows of the border before I decided it was time for bed.

Isn't it a good thing I decided not to participate in the Knitting Olympics?

A Charlie Brown Sweater

Amy, a friend of mine for many years, married a man named Charlie Brown. Unfortunately, it's a family name. They're expecting a baby any day now. At first, they were told it was a girl, and Amy was ecstatic, in part because she wouldn't have to follow the family tradition and have a son named Charlie Brown. Of course, she went in for more tests, and they learned it was a boy. That's when I knew I had to knit this.



I used a pattern from here, though in retrospect I could certainly have made it without a pattern. The trademark zig-zag is duplicate stitch.

Yarn: About 1 and 1/3 skeins Blue Sky Cotton in Poppy and about 1/3 to 1/2 in Black
The colors are about as close as I could get to the original, at least in a washable yarn. They aren't quite right, but I can live with it.

I was been busy this weekend with Kiri and the Fuzzy Feet. Somehow, I managed to overlook the directions on Fuzzy Feet and do twice the amount of gusset decreases. I had to put it aside for awhile after making that mistake.

I was also busy spinning this.



It's merino roving from Handpainted Yarn (the Malabrigo folks). It's quite soft and fairly easy to spin, once I started using Paula Simmons' method. Her method is actually easier with short-staple fiber than with long-staple fiber. I have about 10.5 ounces of this roving, and I plan to do a 3-ply yarn, I believe. I also finished plying some nondescript gray Peruvian wool.

I realized today that I have really overcommitted myself and have too much to knit. Here's the list:

- Kiri for mother-in-law (must be finished next month)
- Klaralund for me (strictly subway knitting now; on a bit of a hiatus)
- Zipper sewn on Saranac for husband
- Fuzzy Feet for me (no time-limit)
- Self-designed Aran afghan for wedding gift (July 1)
- 4 baby gifts, one in April, three in August; most complicated one is around the beginning of July--this
- Lady Eleanor Entrelac stole from Scarf Style for me (on hiatus)
- Two socks for husband, which will complete two pairs

Something will have to give. I think I will be okay if I get a lot finished on Kiri this weekend and cast on for the afghan. The afghan has me worried, though.

Better Late Than Never

A few photos, as promised.

Handspun





The brown yarn is an unknown wool top that I bought with the wheel. It is much more chocolate brown in real life; the colors did not show up well on this one. It felt a little old and dry to spin up, but I like the finished product. Part of the top was used to ply with my first handspun (posted below).

The teal yarn is natural-colored Corriedale roving purchased from The Yarn Tree in Brooklyn. I dyed it using Wilton dyes after spinning and plying. I have no idea what I will do with it, but I do like the color.

Saranac



This is the almost finished Saranac. I used nearly 14 skeins of Wool of the Andes, from KnitPicks, in Fern. I knit the smallest size. I really like the way this yarn knit up, especially for the price.

To finish the sweater, I need to find a zipper and sew it into the neck opening, sew down the neckband, and weave in the ends. It will also benefit from a good blocking.

I enjoyed the pattern. The instructions were clear, although I had to make some decisions myself (i.e., how to incorporate the sleeve increases into the pattern). I quite like making those decisions, because it makes me truly understand how the pattern works, but I know some people don't.

I originally wanted to make a nice gansey for my husband, but this is what he wanted. Maybe the next one will be a little more exciting.

Finally, half the pieces of Klaralund



This has been a quick, easy knit so far. I've been a little concerned about whether I have enough yarn, but I should have just enough. (And by "just," I mean seaming with another yarn to finish it up.) I may buy an extra skein anyway, but I'm going to wait and see.

In other knitting news, I frogged Kiri after realizing that I misread the needle size. I was using a 5.5 mm, when the original pattern was written for a 4.5 mm needle. I'm using Madil Kid Seta, which is essentially the same yarn as Kidsilk Haze, and I need to buy a new size 7 needle Crystal Palace circular.

Also, I think I'm one of only a handful of knitbloggers (if, in fact, I can lay claim to that title yet) who is not participating in the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics. I have too many projects that need to be started soon (Kiri, the self-designed Aran afghan, one or two baby gifts), and I'm not going to commit to finishing one in 16 days.

There wasn't much spinning this weekend, because I'm fairly caught up in knitting projects. I'm trying to learn Paula Simmons' method (Spinning for Softness and Speed), which is coming along slowly but surely.

Next time, better photos, I hope. I unfortunately have a camera that is smarter than I am.

A Brief Update

I found out yesterday that work is sending me away overnight, so last night was a chaotic mess of deciding what to wear and, more importantly, what knitting to bring. I'm on the yoke of Saranac, which makes it far too bulky to lug around. I started Kiri for my mother-in-law's birthday, but I'm only a few rows in. For me, lace and airports don't mix. Plus, the Madil Kid Seta is tricky stuff. So, I broke down and started Klaralund last night. I was waiting to finish Saranac before beginning this, but the opportunity presented itself. This will be a quick, mindless knit; it's 4 pieces, no shaping, and just a few stitch changes here and there. I brought 4 extra balls with me, just in case I get stuck in the airport. Of course, I need to be doing work instead....

On Thursday, photos of progress (if I remember)!

A Meme...

I don't normally do these, and I won't make a practice of it, but the lovely Laura tagged me, and I couldn't say no. She coerces me to buy yarn all the time, so how could I resist?

4 jobs that you have had in your lifetime (yes, many are food-related)
* waitress at Cracker Barrel
* research assistant calling extension agents asking drought-related questions
* hostess at Chili's
* To-Go specialist at Olive Garden

4 movies that you could watch over and over
* Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
* The BBC Pride & Prejudice miniseries (don't talk to me about the new movie--I won't see it)
* Persuasion (another Jane Austen)
* The Cutting Edge (although I don't currently own it)

4 places that you have lived (in order, omitting most current places of residence)
* South Royalton, VT
* Knoxville, TN
* Marburg, Germany
* Wartburg, TN

4 TV shows that you love to watch
* CSI
* Grey's Anatomy
* House
* Arrested Development

4 places that you have been on vacation
* pretty much anywhere in Western Europe
* Charleston, SC
* Disney World
* Morocco

4 websites that you visit daily
* Gmail
* Knittyboard
* CNN
* Gawker

4 of your favorite foods
* Fried chicken
* Chocolate chip cookies
* Peaches
* Bacon

4 places that you would rather be right now
* At home
* Tennessee
* Germany
* Disney World

Stitch 'N Bitch

If you want to read more about the Debbie Stoller/Sew Fast Sew Easy trademark saga, go read The Girl From Auntie. She knows her stuff, and she explains the legalese behind it all extremely well. And don't go posting evil things to SFSE's boards, okay?

And if you want to do something more substantial, buy from this site. The profits are going to a legal fund to fight Sew Fast Sew Easy.

Changes and Progress

I decided the previous template was a bit dark, in the end, and decided white would be better. So, here goes with a new look.

I've done some swatching on the afghan project, and I've decided on the cables. More discussion about that in future posts, when I nail down the pattern specifics and start knitting. I'm worried about the tree motif, but I think I've done the math accurately and it will be the size I want.

I've also been knitting on Saranac (see post below) and am nearly finished with the first sleeve after a frantic knitting session on Monday. I like it, and the Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks has been wonderful to work with, so far. My husband actually picked it over Cascade 220, in a head-to-head softness challenge.

I also now have the pattern and yarn for Klaralund, which precipitated the knitting marathon. I'm forcing myself to finish Saranac before I start Klaralund. Of course, it took a trip to three yarn stores and calls to two more, before I found the pattern. The third store, closest to where I live (of course), was the winner. I'm very fickle in my affections for yarn stores.

There has been some spinning, too, and some dyeing, which I have never done before. Photos will come soon, I hope.

Visualizing the Design

This is the most difficult part of the process for me, I think. How will all the elements go together to make something harmonious? What should I use to highlight the central panel? Much of this will have to wait until the yarn arrives, so I can begin swatching. For now, though, I have the following thoughts and ideas.

1. All the cables other than the central twined trees pattern must be somewhat simple. At this point, they will probably be alternating narrow and wider cables, fairly basic.

2. The background for the trees is reverse stockinette, so the rest of the cables should have the same background stitch.

3. I will do a garter stitch border around 4" wide. The entire afghan will be knitted in one piece, unless there's some reason justifying a sewn-on border. (Anyone know a reason why this might be the case? Weight?)

In the meantime, I'm keeping busy with a new sweater project, Saranac from the Knitty Men's Issue. This is only my second adult sweater, and the first for my husband. I want to alter the neckline, but he likes it better that way. I'm several inches into the body already; the garter rib goes quickly.



This is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, in Fern, I think. The colors are fairly accurate on my monitor, though the red background always seems to alter color somewhat.

Last but certainly not least, I received my final package from my Knitty Secret Pal, Suzanne (aka gibbous)! Suzanne was extremely kind, and sent me so many wonderful things in the past few months! This package was certainly no exception, as you can see:



From left to right:
2 skeins MarL La, by Classic Elite
2 skeins Fortissima Disco (I think)
1 skein KnitPicks Shadow
Knitting Over the Edge
Lantern Moon needles (!)
Gorgeous handknitted and fulled bag from Noro (made by Suzanne herself)--it has the neatest looped cord handle!
A fair isle bag pattern
6 skeins Tahki Cotton Classic to make the bag

I have been extremely spoiled this round, so much so that I think I'm taking the next one off! Suzanne did so well, finding exactly what I wanted and turning me on to so many new things, from Lantern Moon needles to new Debbie Bliss patterns. I was exceptionally lucky!

And, finally, because I've talked about it enough....



The Schacht Matchless DT, in its natural habitat.

Yarn Selection (or, an exercise in stash enhancement)

First, an answer to Donna's question: Yes, the two entwined tree motif will be on the center of the afghan. I don't plan on changing the size, except for any changes that might occur because of my gauge size. But I'll know more when I swatch. The trees made me think of marriage--roots, entwined branches.

With the vaguest details of the afghan decided, we move on to the yarn selection. For an afghan, this is critical, I think. First, Sara will be gaining a young 2-year-old stepdaughter from this marriage (they will have her half the time, I think), and both she and her husband-to-be work full time. So washability is definitely a factor. Second, I've looked at relatively similar designs and estimated somewhere around 2400 yards of yarn for this afghan. This is not an inexpensive project, no matter what yarn you choose. Third, this is an afghan--it needs warmth (they live in Vermont), some degree of softness, and durability.

I started looking at the usual suspects--superwash wools and acrylic/wool blends. (Cotton would be too heavy in this blanket.) I was looking for worsted/aran weight, preferably more on the aran side; this decision was again based on my examination of similar patterns. Based on this, I narrowed it down to 2 primary choices: Cascade 220 Superwash or Plymouth Encore.

Then I remembered a yarn I had seen on Laura's blog last week. She had tested Cestari yarn from Chester Farms for a cabled sweater. This wool claims to be washable, and Laura put it to the test. It passed with flying colors and softened up beautifully. At $5.99 for a 210 yard skein, it was comparable to Plymouth Encore, and I've decided to give it a shot. After a quick phone call with an extremely pleasant employee, in which we debated the merits of several colors, I will soon be getting 12 skeins of a color somewhere between white and tan. Then the swatching will begin!

Next...Final Knitty SecretPal 5 package and visualizing the afghan design.

An exercise in design

Sara, a good friend of mine, announced last week that she is getting married on July 1. After some thought, I've decided an afghan would be a nice gift. She's the type who would appreciate it. I dragged out the pattern books, looked at the afghan and throw patterns, and decided a nice cabled, Aran-type afghan would be perfect--classic and timeless. But I didn't like any of the patterns I found.

And then, with visions of cable patterns swarming through my head, I thought of this. I've never liked the sweater, but I thought the center cable was very interesting and filed it away for future reference. Once I saw it again, I knew it should be the center of a cabled afghan for Sara.

So, the idea for an afghan is born. It is a very good thing that I have nearly 6 months to design and knit this; it is sure to be a challenge.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow--yarn selection and beginning ideas!

A Knitting Annoyance

There's a trend I've noticed among many knitters lately. They won't do math. Now, I'm not a math genius, and I don't particularly like doing math. But let's face it--knitting requires math. Sure, you can make all the fun fur scarves you like without ever writing down the first number (or maybe even counting), but you can't make anything as complex as, say, a hat, without a little bit of figuring.

It's a dirty secret, but it's true. Knitting (at any level beyond true beginner) requires a little bit of math. But doesn't nearly everything in life? If you cook, you know that math is required to adjust recipes or substitute ingredients. I am an attorney (a profession many pursue because of its so-called lack of math) and I have to do math--adding hours worked and random math required for cases. So why would anyone think that a hobby (obsession) that requires custom fitting objects to size would not require math??? It doesn't require much--it wouldn't be beyond your average 10-year-old--but some knowledge is needed.

What brings on this rant, you ask? An increasing number of questions like, "How do I decrease 15 stitches evenly when I have 80 on my needle? The designer didn't tell me how to do that, and I hate him/her because I paid good money for an incomplete pattern." I know I need my hand held on new techniques (and I screwed up more than I care to admit when I was a serious beginner--knots, no ends woven in, curling stockinette--you name it, I did it), but if it mattered that much, the designer would put it in the pattern. And it takes a few seconds to fudge it; it doesn't have to be exactly every 5.333 stitches, though I would love to see someone try that.

Okay, enough ranting. The wheel hopefully arrives today, and I'll set to using some WD-40 on the few unfortunate rusty areas that resulted because it was a shop model, give the thing a nice oiling, and take some photos for your viewing pleasure. I also got other knitting- and fiber-related Christmas gifts, but I'll wait until later to list them.

I'm back!

After more than a week in Tennessee with family, I'm exhausted. It's always good to go back, but there seems to be so much to do in such a short time! And we never get to see everyone.

I got my Schact Matchless DT for Christmas, and it's amazing! I went to the LYS where my parents purchased it and bought all the extra whorls and bobbins she had, which puts me at 4 regular bobbins, 4 hi speed bobbins, and 4 whorls. I only need 2 whorls to complete the set, I think.

Here is my first handspun. I feel pretty good about it, since it's so much better than my spindle spinning (no, I don't have pictures of the cat vomit I made on the spindle). I plied two different colors for these two hanks. The colors in the photos are fairly accurate, but the red wall throws them off a bit. What do you think? Suggestions, comments?

Christmas insanity

Yes, I am insane. I decided this last night when, after spending much of the weekend baking and making fudge (as well as doing last-minute shopping and going to a Christmas party), I cast on for a hat. And this isn't just any hat. It's a Christmas-present-that-has-to-be-finished-in-4-days hat (that the recipient is not expecting). Oh, and did I mention that I still have 3 pairs of slippers to felt? And a scarf to finish? And that a NYC transit strike is looming, when we're flying to Tennessee Friday morning?

I almost had a breakdown last night thinking of it all. Then I scrapped the last batch of cookies, had husband run out and buy some Hershey's Kisses for filling up the gift boxes, and got over it. Sometimes the German martyr syndrome comes out a bit too much. It's also known as the "Martha has nothing on me but free time and lots of helpers" syndrome. I did inherit this from my mother and grandmother. I also suspect my great-grandmother was the same way, but it's a whole new ballgame when the women start working outside the home. You're expected to do all these wonderful homemaker-type things IN ADDITION TO holding down a regular job. And I don't even have children yet.

On a brighter note, I finished the first sleeve of the Charlie Brown sweater. I bought the pattern here, although I almost wish I'd charted it out myself. I like the blanket pattern, though. The sweater calls for duplicate stitch, but I think I may do intarsia, because I'm not sure I have enough yarn otherwise. I'm using Blue Sky Cotton, which is just lovely. I'm afraid of the pilling, but it's a newborn sweater, washable and soft, so it will be okay.

My plan was to take photos of all the Christmas knitting, but I'm not sure that will happen. Maybe I can take photos of the recipients trying to look pleased that they received a hat/slippers/a scarf instead of a normal gift.

Even though I've enjoyed the Christmas knitting, it will be nice to get going on new and interesting projects. Next up: gloves from Handknit Holidays for me and Saranac for husband.

Well, Christmas knitting is all but finished. No, I haven't done the holiday cards yet; I think I'm going to send out cards to a much abbreviated list of 10-15 recipients. If I'm not going to do a good job at it, I might as well not do it at all. I'm planning the cookies and fudge for co-workers--I like to do something, but nothing that makes them feel obligated. The baking will be next weekend, I think. Shopping is almost finished, but there are always the odds and ends to be purchased.

I actually enjoyed knitting most Christmas gifts this year (except the third pair of felted clogs that my husband decided his father had to have about a week ago and which are still in progress). It was nice having a goal and recipient in mind, rather than my usual "I want to try [insert new technique]" knitting. I did learn fair isle while knitting Christmas gifts, and I improved my lace knitting (and tinking back several rows, but let's not start on that). I also improved my intarsia technique, which I'll need for the baby sweater that's up next (a Charlie Brown sweater, complete with zigzag).

I finished the lace wrap Saturday and blocked it Saturday night. There are one or two mistakes where I apparently decided to skip two rows in the pattern, but it's one of those mistakes that only I will notice, really. I'll have a hard time giving this away, though. Lace is like that, I've learned.

Work has apparently slowed down, and I'm not going to work hard to get new assignments, since it's almost Christmas and I may apply for a new job soon.

Christmas Knitting

I've been working away steadily at finishing the Christmas knitting. Only the lace shawl for my mom is concerning me--in part because I foolishly took it to a group knitting event and attempted to work on it. If you've ever done it, you know what happened (what always happens when lace and lack of concentration combine). I fucked up. My stitch count is off. And I think it's bad enough that I need to try running an after-the-fact lifeline a few rows down, then rip it out. I can't look at it for a day or two more, so I'm going to start on Saturday and finish this thing this weekend, I hope.

Meanwhile, I've been using some gifts to practice fair isle. I made one hat for my dad with a simple motif, but it was terrible. So I tried again, making a small bag from Handknit Holidays, then a second hat for dad. Both turned out very well, and my technique is getting much better. It's still not good enough for a complicated fair isle, but it's getting there. I'm holding both yarns in my right hand, because I have serious issues trying to hold the yarn in my left. My thought is, why do something that's uncomfortable, when you can master a technique that builds on skills you already have?

The technique I'm using is described in Sally Melville's third book. Definitely a helpful resource for a colorwork beginner. Next up is, hopefully, a book of fair isle motifs.

Over Christmas, I plan to work on a baby sweater and some gloves for me, I think. Then it's on to a sweater for my husband and a lace shawl for me.

The new Knitty is a mixed bag for me. I think Bamboozelle is a nice use of bamboo yarn. Hemp might also be an interesting choice for this design. I also really like Bristow, something that I plan to knit in the not-too-distant future. It's a classic design that is a cut above many of the sweaters in Knitty, I think. There are several others I am fairly indifferent to, though I've seen Tubey in person, and it's an interesting design that I could see myself knitting--without stripes.

On the other hand, there's this. Can anyone tell me why this was published? I'm tired of the overuse of bobbles, and did the designer actually knit a gauge swatch, or is this a project gone awry? I'm sure it's fashionable, but I would never waste yarn on it. A little less enormous, with the addition of a front and back and the deletion of the bobbles, this might be an okay bed jacket type garment, but its current form is just terrible.

I'm still waiting for Interweave and, hopefully, Spin Off, but I'm not holding my breath. I wasn't impressed with the Interweave preview, but I hope it looks better once I get the magazine.

Christmas knitting is almost finished. I started out with what I believed was a long list of items to complete, but either I'm knitting more quickly, or I've just been neglecting all sorts of things to knit. The latter is more likely.

It's gone so quickly that I've added a few more things to the list, quick knitted gifts for people who might not appreciate it as much. I still anticipate a push to get it all finished at the end, but we'll see. I'm most dreading the lace stole for my mom. It's not that it's terribly difficult, but I can only work at it for an hour or two at a time. I did get some great knitting in during Monday Night Football, because both my husband and I were tense that the Colts were playing a big game.

The lace is a 20-row repeat from Barbara Walker's first stitch collection. I've adopted the note cards method for this one, since I was both (a) too lazy to chart it out and (b) of the belief that a stole with no shaping really didn't need a chart. I wrote two rows on each note card, then punched a hole in the top left corner and joined them together with a binder ring. It's worked surprisingly well, and I'll probably use it on similar projects in the future.

Tomorrow, it's off to Karen's for a holiday knitting party!

I received the third package from my Knitty Secret Pal 5 yesterday! I have no idea who she is, but she really knows what I like!








The package in all its glory









2 skeins of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and 4 skeins of Debbie Bliss SoHo! The only question is what I'm going to do with this gorgeous yarn???





A pair of Lantern Moon ebony needles. My secret pal introduced these to me in the last package, and I love them! I'm waiting anxiously until they make circulars.







These photos really need no explanation, do they? She sent extra chocolate (really, tons!), because my husband rudely ate all the Cadbury chocolate (the real kind, not the stuff made by Hershey masquerading as Cadbury).





Three--count 'em--three Debbie Bliss pattern books! I can't wait to get started on some of the patterns in here! Now I just need more time and some adorable babies to knit for.

Thank you, Secret Pal, whoever you are! I'm looking forward to finding out who you are, so I can thank you properly! You have been so generous and kind, sending me so many beautiful things!