Snappy!

Yeah, another distraction project.  This pattern is called a Snappy Hat.  I had a leftover ball of Nashua Creative Focus Chunky from the modern garden cardigan.  This is such a fast, easy project.  I did run out of yarn and had to dig out the last scrap from the cardigan from the bottom of my stash to finish it.  I recommend omitting a row before starting the decreases if you're cutting it close.  Since your last cable is 2 stitches smaller than the others anyway, it kind of blends in.  I'm thinking this may be a Christmas present for one of my sisters who happens to lurv green.  It's amazing what you can glean from project scraps.

I hate sleeves / Hello, Indian Summer

(To knit.  Not to wear.)

Down to just the sleeves and a buttload of ends to weave in on the Jolly Rancher Sweater.  So, in the name of procrastination, I knit a hat.  This is called "Indian Summer."  I did it in about 2 days but it could be done in 1 if you were focused.  Now it's finished and Jolly Rancher sleeves are waiting again.  I could go ahead and start the Owl sweater but then I would have 4 sleeves to knit instead of 2 and I might lose my mind.

Knitting makes me so ADD sometimes.

Ahhh, Jolly Rancher colors...

Oh, thank God.

I finished the 28thirty.  I forced myself to step away from the double pointed needles and to learn the magic loop method for the sleeves.  If I'd had any clue how much more tolerable magic loop was, I would have tried it a long time ago.  Once I got going on that, I whipped out two full sleeves in about a day and a half and now I can get on with my life!!!  (As soon as I block it and take a picture, that is.)

Next up, I'm doing a pattern called the "Candy Striped Raglan Sweater" but I'm actually naming mine the "Jolly Rancher Sweater."  It will make perfect sense later when you see the colors I'm using.  Going with Ella Rae in "Cactus" for the main color and Noro Kureyon in 256 for the stripes.  This is as close to colorwork as I intend to get for a while. 

I have another gift to do after that (which shall remain unspecified for the moment) then I plan to do the Owl sweater.  Then I will be taking a break for a bit to focus on other things.  Yeah, we'll see about that.

Hats & Sleeve Madness

The sleeves on 28thirty are making me crazy.  I hope this doesn't break my brain and make me want to avoid... stuff.  Neverending rows on double pointed needles is just ridiculous.

SO I stopped to knit two hats.  One as a gift (not to be pictured yet) and one for myself (so I'll talk about THAT one.)  I did a pattern called "Slouchy 2 Way Cabled Hat" which features a horseshoe cable and also standard cables.  It fits like a big, droopy kind of beret.  I used some more of the Misti Alpaca in Ember Melange... which leaves maybe one more skein before it's gone.  Ugh.  I love this yarn but jeeze.  Because of the Misti, the hat is kind of heavy which is not objectionable at all.  The weight of it is strangely comforting.

Back to sleeves.

Fresh Moss & 28thirty

So, the knitting portion of the Fresh Moss bag is finished.  Only sewing left.  That pattern was NUTS.  Triple increases on the front end, triple decreases at the back end.  It was strangely difficult.  The piece itself is surprisingly heavy for its size but really cute and puffy looking.

So, now I have the 28thirty to finish and I am not motivated.  Sleeves are no fun.  I want to start my Owl-sweater but I will not allow myself to start anything new until I finish this dang thing.  Uhhhhhhh...