Starting Stockpile out Right!

Foliage Hat:
I have the worst poker face.

One week down, three to go! Malabrigo Stockpile is off to a great start - I've already completed two projects and cast on for two more! My non-stockpile projects aren't feeling terribly neglected, either (well, I still need to start the sleeves for Tyler's sweater, but I'm pretty sure that will happen sometime this week, if not this weekend). Here's the lowdown:

~~1. Foliage Hat - Malabrigo Worsted in Vaa (to replace the one I lost a few years ago)~~ Finished!
~~2. Madison Hand Warmers - Malabrigo Worsted in Vaa (to match hat)~~ Finished!
3. Metheglin Cowl - Malabrigo Rios in Solis and whatever odds and sods I have sitting around in Worsted, Twist or Rios!

Madison Mitts at twilight.

4. Robin's Egg Blue Hat - Malabrigo Chunky in Charrua (my favorite color!) In Progress
5. Travel Shawl - Malabrigo Sock in Aguas In Progress
6. Button Bunnies - a ginormous version in Malabrigo Rasta - I have a full skein of Soriano, a half-skein of Oxido, and a tiny bit left of Zarzamora
7. Textured Circle Shrug - Malabrigo Rios in Glazed Carrot

Above: Travel Shawl
Below: Vintage Socks Redux

So what other projects are on the needles? I've still got three - THREE! - socks going. I know, I know - I think it's ridiculous, too. I have a simple sock that is my "train knitting" (now that the car's fixed, it will become my "conversation" project when knitting in public....assuming I leave the house in the foreseeable future ). It uses the free yarn from Stitches and a pattern from Nancy Bush's Vintage Sock book, one of my favorites (I've actually knit this pattern before, too!).

I'm also knitting a pair of Huron Mountain socks from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road - one of the first sock books I ever got (also my go-to book when it comes to socks)! I'm knitting mine with some gray Scholler + Stahl Fortissima Sock that I got in a swap many, many moons ago (my swapping days have long since passed) and what's left of a very generous skein of The Wool Dispensary's Useful Stimulant superwash BFL in Circus Popcorn. I LOVE the way these are knitting up!

Colorwork!

Finally, I'm preparing to cast on for sock #2 of my test knit for Two Sticks and Sheep's Fireworks and Folly e-book (which is part of the Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Project!). The first one knit up super quick and look how cute it is! I don't knit many toe-up socks, so it's fun to get out of my usual norm with this one. The pattern for these socks will be available soon on Ravelry, and Amy Duncan (the designer) has given me her blessing to post spoiler photos on this blog. Enjoy!

Sock Spoiler Alert!

Meanwhile, I'm definitely starting to feel a little bit of panic as I think about my holiday gift knitting - there are still a few more projects that need to get done (or closer to done) before I'll be able to relax. I'm sure it's all doable in the 2+ months that remain, but I don't like to sweat it....and I'm definitely starting to feel a few beads of perspiration! Perhaps I'm also feeling the crunch because I want to release 1-2 more patterns this calendar year. A little too ambitious? Probably. But if you saw my design queue, you'd understand!

P.S. Don't forget! ALL of the patterns in my Ravelry Shop are 25% off til Oct. 31st when you enter "Stockpile2011" at check-out!

App Review & Giveaway: Stash 2 Go

The developers for a paid Ravelry app for iPad and iPhone called Stash 2 Go contacted me earlier this year to see if I was interested in writing a review or their app on their blog. While I don't own an iPad or iPhone, I was able to gift a download to a knitting friend who had an iPad and was willing to let me play around with it for the purposes of this review! This is the first time I've ever accessed Ravelry via an app (on my Android phone, I typically use the m.ravelry.com site), and I found most of it to be easy to use. Some of the features weren’t intuitive to me at first, but once I got the hang of the idiosyncracies, it was smooth sailing. Stash 2 Go makes the most of API functions Ravelry has opened up to developers (there are still several areas which have yet to be completed in the Ravelry programming interface, so developers can only implement what is available through www.ravelry.com/api ). Most of the app's functionality allows the user to view the ...

Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...

A Finished Sweater, With Cat Hair

After losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she was someone's cat until I realized how skittish she was around humans, plus she had a tipped ear, which is a universal sign that a feral/stray cat has been spayed. Neighbors confirmed that she was a feral kitty (descended from several generations of feral cats, in fact), and that she has survived on her wits and whatever food various residents put out for her. We had some bitterly cold days over the winter, and I just felt so sorry for this poor kitty! I started offering her treats and slowly gained her trust. She didn't even want to come inside our apartment at first, much le...

handmade by stefanie

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