Let it Snow

I wanted to wow my mom this Christmas. I just learned to crochet last Spring and it's one thing mom doesn't really do. I've been doing pretty well with it and decided to challenge myself a little.

I wanted to make some of those starched ornaments with crochet cotton thread and those tiny, tiny hooks. Mom has a snowflake collection that stays up after the Christmas ornaments go away so I thought it would be perfect.I did a quick search on Google & came up with a great find -> Crochet Pattern Central. They have a huge number of free patterns listed & categorized!...and one of the categories is 'Snowflakes'. Perfect!!

I made one of these, these, these, that...oh! and one of those too! Y'know what?

She was WOWED!!

I bought a new blanket!

(some assembly required)

Bunny Thumper Challenge

While wandering around Ravelry the other day I came across the funniest thing - a contest comparison of our feline's hind feet! I saw it first at the House of Wool Repute, which - hands down - is the best blog name I've seen in awhile!! Basically the brain behind KitKatKnit arranged a contest with woolen prizes for the owners of the daintiest & largest cat "bunny thumper". Well the contest closed last week and the prizes have already been alotted & I missed out. Shoot.

Well, why not do it anyway?

Abby wanted to help.
4" - pretty big for a kitten!

Tux is camera shy.
SO hard to tell with his dark fur, but he's a solid 5".

socks all over

I started two pairs of socks so far this year: a long overdue pair for my "neglected" boyfriend, and another pair for my mom's friend.

I had grandiose plans for my first socks for Kurt. I bought some great Briggs & Little yarn, graphed a complex travelling cable-style pattern & started knitting with a fury. They were ok, but I wasn't happy with how the pattern was turning out. I set them aside to stew for awhile; that was over a year ago. I since made some socks for Kurt's son, and he's left feeling forgotten. I tried to explain to him that little feet are easier to knit for but he still chides me about it, saying I'm ignoring his needs. He doesn't seem to remember this, this or this though.

So I did some research, cast on with a heavier weight yarn to try to make sure I would be finished for Valentine's Day and started knitting. I created a fairly simple cable pattern and I'm almost at the heel! It's so satisfying knitting a sock in a heavier gauge; it goes so quickly!

It's actually a dark blue but this is the only photo that shows the pattern clearly.

The socks for my mom's friend are the third pair in the series of umpteen* I agreed to finish. [Thankfully I don't have a deadline!] To break the monotony of basic socks I decided to do a pair of Jaywalkers; I'm sure she'll be tickled with the pattern too. I'm a little concerned though, after finishing the cuff I decided that I'm absolutely enamored with the colourway of this yarn and I'm really not sure how easily I'll be able to part with these socks. Ah! The stresses & strain of being a surrogate knitter!

(*may be a slight exaggeration)

Who am I?

It's all pretty accurate...except for the cleaning part. I took the quiz twice to try to get a more exciting answer. I got this both times:

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Dishcloth Cotton.You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.
Take this quiz!

I guess I can live with that.

A Day for Finishing

Within 12 hours I finished reading a book:

(...which is fantastic, by the way!! I got the first book for Christmas, devoured it & promptly bought the remaining two in the series. I'm already a good way into the third book. Wow!)

I also finished a puzzle that had me stumped for about a week.

And I finished my RPM socks!

[detail]

What a great day!!

And last week I found a home for my latest dishcloth, a pattern from an old ball band from my mom's stash. My coworker Clara was thrilled to receive it as a birthday gift. All in all a good week for knitting.

[Do you see the tulip?]

Reminder (to myself):

If you don't actually knit you

won't ever FINISH anything!!

Got it??

Now...back to your regularly scheduled programming:

Suggestions please!

I have a lot of yarn. I have a lot of beautiful yarn. Some of it has a predetermined purpose, but a lot of it doesn't. This, I think, is one of my favourites. It is Noro Cash Laine in a blackberry/black colourway that I found the first time I visited Wool 'n Things.

First, I was SO excited to find such a luxury yarn in the city. I didn't know you could get that here. On top of that it was discontinued, a great colour and half price! [I am the queen of yarn bargains, didn't ya know?]

I just don't know what to do with it. I have 10 skeins = about 1000 yards. I'm not sure of the gauge but I think it's a worsted weight yarn. I don't think it would be enough for a sweater but I don't see this one being a sweater anyway. I'm thinking maybe a lapghan? or a throw? or maybe a heavy shawl...Clapotis maybe? I'm definitely looking for suggestions for this one.



As lovely as it looks in this copper basket my boyfriend lovingly made for me last Valentine's Day I think it's about time I started actually experiencing the loveliness of Noro yarn!

Ideas? Anyone...Anyone...Beuller?