Christmas Chaos

Hey Robin,
Yep. I went there. I said the "C" word. The big "C". The one that puts fear into the heart of crafters everywhere (no, not chaos... the other one). I have been madly working away at my wish-list of gifts to give this year and am already massively behind. How did that happen? I started at the beginning of October!! Actually I have about three or four completed (one in question because I REALLY want it for myself) and eleventy-thousand to go. Seriously! Look!
Let me count... that's maybe 6 projects there. One of which was for me and is indefinitely on hold because I cannot resolve an interesting issue:
That 'tab' on the lower edge is supposed to be the same width as the rest. Long story, but I digress. (It's Sonnet from knitty if you want to see how it's supposed to look)

Yes! SIX projects on the table where they have been living for the past few weeks as I flit from one to the other. It's amazing that I have finished four things. Oh, I just thought of the one that's not in the picture, resting on the side table. So seven WIPs. I am having to force myself to finish the one (a linen handtowel) this week and not touch any others until it is complete. It's the nearest to being done, so I am hoping to actually get it done faster.

And to completely screw myself, I also have volunteered for more school things this week AND have people coming over for company saturday AND let's not forget candy-day on friday.

I'm a mess.

Discuss.

Rockin' the Swap-bah

Hey Robin!
(Yes, I know the title sux, cut me some 80's slack ;)

Doood! I sewed! Lookey!

The pattern for the kneedle roll was simple enough for my brain to comprehend (even so, I made a couple of mistakes but SHHH!! You are sworn to secrecy... oh hello world wide web? Were you listening??) And ended up with a TON of fabric left so I whipped up a project bag from the seat-of-the-pants region and it's cute if I may say so.

If it isn't already obvious, these items are going to be in the posession of a deserving malabrigo swappee sometime next week I believe. Along with some other fall-themed goodies! I had an awesome time with this swap because it's seriously the first time I got a Chatty-Kathy and she made it SO EASY to stalk her and figure out what her loves are!

In other news, I made a hat with the most difficult cast-on that I have attempted to-date. I kid you not I re-started this thing 7 times.

The first time the cast-on didn't work, i frogged and looked on the hallowed www to find another way of doing the same thing. This is a tubular cast-on ladies and gents. The one from the book was VERY different from all the ones I found in my frantic Ravelry-search that were recommended. I finally settled on an Italian version, with a video! (I heart you Fluffbuff!). After many aborted attempts to get it right, I finally got SMART and used a different yarn, bigger kneedles and cast on fewer stitches (listen, when you are trying to make a hat with 132 sts, ANYTHING is better than having to try to do that 5 times in a row!) and magically it just started to WORK! I held my breathe, cast on the 132 sts needed for the hat and gave it a go. It worked!!

He loves the hat btw. Has worn it every day since (well it HAS been chilly in the a.m.). I think the only thing I will change when I do this again is do that cast-on row in smaller kneedles. I saw that recommended somewhere and I have to agree. It makes for a super-stretchy edge, and so his hat is a little 'flared' at the edge, but it still looks great. I plan to use this cast on lost and lots even though it's a p.i.t.a. ;)

On to the holiday knitting!! :D

Later!

I'm alive!

Hey Kate!

Sorry for the blog absence, but I'm back! At least for now... Here are some random bullet points to get back into the swing of things:

• Toxins toxins everywhere.
• But I want it NOW!
• This is an interesting list.
• This is an old list of old guys. Only one of them is no longer. Sniff!
• TV Theme songs!

Those are all ancient links that I meant to write about months ago. So it goes.

Later!

Robin