FO: Endpaper Mitts

I finished them! My first foray into colored knitting.

The pattern was fun and fast, and I will knit it again with yarn that is more contrasting.

Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang

Yarn: KP Palette in Fog and Hyacinth

Needles: Susan Bates Double pointed needles in sizes 1 and 3

Modifications: I used the long tail cast on since I was on the road and didn't have the instructions for doing a tubular cast on with me. I also only did two repeats of Chart A before I started Chart B, and they still come down far enough to go under my shirt/jacket.

A Very Productive week.

I finished the PFS on Saturday, but haven't blocked it yet, maybe tomorrow when my parents have C for the day, that way I can vacuum and pin out on C's floor.
I finished the first Endpaper Mitt on Sunday, before going over to Danny's for a haircut (my first in a year...Yikes), bud didn't cast on for the second one right away. Instead I decided to work on Lucie for a bit...
Then I noticed that I had dropped an edge stitch on Lucie 20 rows back. *sigh* To the frog pond she went for now, until I can either tighten my gauge enough to work on one of my circular needles (from a 2 to a 3, which is in use, but more on that later) or I break down and buy a size 2 circ (with my next knit picks order, after the yarn diet has shed some more weight).
So I did an actual gauge swatch for the PBSJ, and hit gauge on my size 4 knit pick options, and cast on for the back panel. So far this is an easy knit with just enough of a cable to keep me from getting completely bored. I am on row 30, almost done with the large bottom triangle. I have to say, I am impressed with how the pleats come together, but not as happy with working with the KP Merino style as I was last time. I am knitting on bigger needles, but it feels like the yarn is bigger than the last batch I got for Christmas of 2005. But, as I get further into my second ball of yarn (already) I see it getting softer, and thinner, so maybe there was just one ball of yarn that was too bulky. We will have to see. Hopefully this doesn't end up eating all 20 balls of yarn, because I really want to have leftover to knit the Deep V Argyle Vest.
I also cast on for the POTW stole on Sunday, using an invisible cast on from Victorian Lace Today, and after a few false starts with the cast on, it has been smooth sailing so far... The only thing I don't like is how I have to move stitch markers with almost every row, but if I keep track of my YO's I think I have come up with a way to do it without having to move markers. More on that later. As of last night, I am six repeats in (of 34 if I knit it in one piece)
Monday was a holiday, so more knitting on the two new projects.
Tuesday it was back to work, and it was frigid, not cold, but frigid, in our building. I cursed myself out for not completing the second Endpaper Mitt all day, and cast on for it at lunch. I made an executive decision to put all other knitting on hold and to get the second mitt done ASAP, and stayed up late Tuesday night working on the first repeat of the color chart.
Tuesday night/Wednesday morning that light chance of snow that wasn't going to do anything turned into a major storm for the area, bad enough for the University to close (during the first week of classes for the Semester!) so I had more time to work on the second Mitt, when C wasn't demanding my full attention (his daycare was closed that day as well). That night when S was putting him to bed, I finished the second mitt, wove in the ends for both of them and blocked them. Thursday morning, my hands were glad to have their warmth.
Thursday night was back to knitting on PBSJ and POTW. This weekend I hope to block the PFS, get some more done on the PBSJ, and do another couple repeats on the POTW.

Shake Your Tail Feathers

I had to use that title. I am on the edging of PFS #1 The end is in site. I can't believe that I made it through chart 7 in a little over a week! I think I might have this baby done in the next 10 days, if I can get 3 rows done each day (one in the morning, and two rows done after C is asleep). Of course, I am at work and don't have a new picture of it.

The Endpaper Mits are going slowly. They have been downgraded to a lunch time/car project, but since we haven't gone anywhere where I haven't been the driver all week, and I have been working through lunch to get some comp time earned, there hasn't been much progress in the last week.

The Lucie sweater body got ripped out and I cast on for a sleeve, thinking that I could get a better gauge of how much of my yarn that this is going to take, and if I can keep my gauge consistent.

The Merino Style that I got for Christmas is probably not going to work for the weekend pullover. Even though it has the same 120(ish) yards to 50 grams that the called for yarn has, the ball I pulled out to swatch with does not match the sample strand pictured in the magazine. I think I might have to come up with another project for it, maybe the Perl Buck Swing Jacket from a previous issue. That jacket has grown on me in the last few months, and from the FO's that I have seen while browsing the web. Plus, I should have enough yarn left over to make EJ's Deep V Argyle Vest with the Storm and Honey Merino Style. Two projects for the price of of one.

Holiday Wrap up and goals for 2007

Its been a busy few weeks. The university has been closed for the last one and a half weeks, leaving me with a lot of knitting time.

Peacock feathers is growing up fast. I haven't had any trouble working on her for the last few weeks, and I am up to row 197. Since there are 249 rows on the shawl, I think I am almost done. I don't have time right now to hunt up the shawl calculator to find out how far I am done with it, but I think I can finish it in January.

I am participating in Wendy Knit From Your Stash, as I posted about before the holidays. I think I have enough to keep my busy to last the next 9 months, and if I run out, well then, I guess that means I can buy more yarn.


Pictured:
20 Balls of KP Merino Style in Honey to knit the Weekend Pullover from Fall Interweave Knits 2006 (Christmas Present from my MIL)
9 balls of the Austrian wool that I am using to knit Lucie (Christmas Present from C)
10 Balls KP Merino Style in Storm to knit ??? (Left over from the Kimono Styled Sweater)
8 Balls of Brown Sheep Nature Spun to knit ??? (Left over from Cromarty)
2.25 skeins KP Shimmer in Turquoise to knit EJ's Print O' the Wave Stole
3 skeins each of Alpaca Cloud in Tide Pool ( Peacock Feathers #2) Iris (???) and Midnight (???) (Birthday and Christmas presents from the DH)
Some random sock yarn that doesn't look pretty when knitted up that I will use if I have to.
2.5 balls of Russian Angora yarn (left over from the Not-So-Portland Pullover)

I finished the Trekking socks for my sister, but didn't get a FO picture of them. She liked them, and thought they were much nicer than the last pair of socks I gave her.

I also finished the Calorimetry for Heather. She was confused when she opened the package, but when she tied it on, she thought it would come in handy. Since it is knit from the leftover C's yarn, she thought it was cute that they matched.

I did start two new projects:
Endpaper Mitts in KP Palette Fog and um, a too light purple
And I started on Lucie on Um, gulp, size 2 needles to get gauge. I have 2200 yards of this yarn and I HOPE it is enough to finish the sweater. If not I don't think I will be able to get anymore of the yarn.

I've also had a lot of time to get some reading done. DH got me Victorian Lace Today for my birthday, and I know I have to knit several of the shawls and scarves from there. DH also got me Wendy Knits and Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules for Christmas. I think I will have to get yarn to make Ingrid, probally more palette, and I will swatch with the left over yarn from the Endpaper mitts.