just the boot in the pants i needed...

to shake off that knitting slump.

still not much happening with the shawl wrap cardigan heap that currently serves as a cat-bed. but there has been knitting going on here and there.


the perfect portable project is this baby bootie. small, speedy, a 'due date' for proper motivation, and very cute. these are for twin girls who should arrive any day now. i barely know their daddy, dah's business partner; but, when you want to knit baby booties, you find someone to knit them for. a couple of my colleagues are pregnant, if i'm not burnt out on size 1 dpns, i'll keep knittin' 'till the koigu is bust.

these were my first koigu experience. i enjoy it so much that i bought some for socks for myself too. my shopping places were local, needleworks of newington, and creative fibers in windsor, ct.

two things

still a month before the spring ik hits the stands... my head has already been turned by some lovely patterns spied in the preview. i can't wait to get a closer look at the drop-stitch hoodie, and the caftan pullover thingy is compelling...

also, hartford county snb has recently changed coordinates within yahoo groups, owing to the contention over use of the words 'stitch and bitch' in the name of the original group. thanks to cori for fixing that muddle. go check in to find out the new and improved 'official' moniker, and to sign up.

not a good sign

i find myself on the lookout for patterns to use my reclaimed berocco softy, just in case i end up ripping out the whole shawl wrap cardigan project. that is a last resort of course. i am still going ahead with at least one sleeve, to see how it all comes together. also, i'll rip the bottom and fiddle with that to see what i can't come up with... before i rip out the whole thing.

replacement project contenders. ripped off from bonne marie: another shawl collar dealie, i think the cuddliness of the yarn is suited to a shawl or otherwise doubled collar. or, this is definitely a departure for me, cat bordhi's rimrock cape (pg. 5 and 22).

deposit to memory bank

gotta remember this little trick as a possible solution to the problem with dah's hat... it's too big. the pattern states, "add one inch 'for custom fit'". i wonder if they didn't mean subtract one inch 'for custom fit'?

yeti sighting

yeah well, the shawl wrap cardigan heap is getting mixed reviews from me. i love the top of it. i love the warmth and cuddliness of it. i hate the bottom of it. i tend to bind off too tightly, so i overcompensated, allowing the bottom to flare a bit.

no matter though, i plan on ripping several inches off the bottom as i feel it hits at a rather unflattering point. i'm hoping to salvage this as the yarn was more of an investment than i am used to. plus, i've simply been looking forward to wrapping myself inside it.

like a dope i let the broach i liked at j.jill sell out...

victory of a gift for 'de feet'

uncle mike comes through with another popular gift. your eyes don't deceive you, those are latex gloves; sorry, latex duck feet. last year it was stick horses. they're around 'somewhere'. thankfully, the boys can inflict less damage when using this particular gift inappropriately. they may even get some cleaning done by accident :o

not to leave out the other extremities, these accompany the annual gift of mittens for all the kids. though i generally toss them into the 'outdoor accessories bucket' in a heap and outfit each child in whatever gets grabbed first, beatrice has taken a shine to a green pair of mittens. she and des had a little tussle when i inadvertently put said pair on des' hands. things will get easier when the novelty wears off the new duds. these come at a good time as we are in that period of the year when we're losing mittens at a good one a week clip. thanks uncle mike!