The Barbara shawl has started to feel very overwhelming. I’ve also decided that if I’m going to spend so much time on it, I’m going to keep it for myself. It’s also in Jaeger Cashmere, which is very scumptious yarn. So mom is getting a Barbara scarf, I think she’ll be happy with a scarf. Maybe I’ll make her a shawl similar to the one that I designed in my shawls class at Stitches 2002. It’s a very simple pattern but it looks great! Also the scarf for Aunt Nan has been scrapped. I’m going to make her a felted bag instead. Something in the grey and black range. I think I’ll do one in the dark grey and the lighter grey with a red stripe in the middle.

I put most of the Lang pullover together in Kansas this past weekend. I have to do one side seam and then I’ll be finished. It went together quite quickly. I think I’ve really gotten the hang of sewing in set-in sleeves. :) I’m about a third of the way through on the back of the matching cardigan. It’s amazing how much knitting I get done while talking on the phone. I don’t even have to think about what I’m doing and after I get off the phone, I realize how much I’ve actually done. :)

Also this past weekend, my main project was mittens for Brandi. I decided to use a lot of Estonian inspired stuff on the mittens. I bought some red yarn to add a bit of flair. :) I have the nupps at the bottom of the cuff, a two-color horizontal braid, some two-color knitting, a one-color horizontal braid then a neat snowflake pattern on the back of the hand. The thumb is also two-color knitting. It looks really great! I can’t wait to give them to her. I’m sure she figures she’ll get just basic mittens, I think she’s in for a surprise. :) I’ll post the photos as soon as I can.

Bryan, who I didn’t think even read this page, found out that he’s getting a hat. :) Well, that will teach me to post anything for him here. :)

Happy Knitting!

This weekend I got quite a bit of knitting done. Poor Bryan was sick on Saturday, so I went to the Knitting Workshop and hung out for a while. I’m still working on the Barbara shawl and will be for quite a while.

I finished the front of the Lang pullover and both sleeves. I think I’ll block the front and the sleeves tonight so that I can sew it together soon. I would like to take it to Kansas with me this weekend finished, but that might be a bit too ambitious. With this pullover done, I think I can concentrate more on Christmas stuff now.

I feel like I’ve made my planned Christmas presents more than just knitting that I can just pick up and work on when I please. Almost everything I’m working on requires me to pay attention to what I’m knitting. The mittens for Brandi will probably be easy and quick knitting once I get past the horizontal Estonian braid. It’s looking pretty cool so far. I used a special cast-on for the bottom edge. Then I put nupps around the cuff, now I’m putting a horizontal braid around it, then maybe another section of nupps, another horizontal braid and then the hand of the mitten. I’ll have to see how it looks. I might buy some red yarn to give the mittens a bit more color than they have right now - they’re currently a boring grey, which is fine, but I want to add some color to make the Estonian stuff really pop out!

I’m trying to think of yarn for Bryan’s hat and I think I might use alpaca or even the Cashmir Anny. Zara would be nice too. I’ll just have to think about it.

Happy Knitting to all!

I feel like I haven’t been knitting much lately, but looking at what I’ve done in the last week, I’ve actually done a lot. I’ve been reading more. I’ve worked on about six rows of the Barbara shawl. I started the Anne scarf for Christmas.

Last week at work, I was in Microsoft .NET (dot net) training for two days and to make myself pay attention, I started the front of the pullover from a Lang Fatto a Mano pattern book. I got a lot done - I got to the shaping for the armhole on Friday. :) It’s amazing how much you can get done when you aren’t really paying attention to how much you’re knitting.

My project class ended last week, the new session starts next Wednesday, the 16th. I like to take a week off between class sessions. My beginning class ends next Monday and a new class starts October 28.

I am going to try to get a lot done tonight at Knit Night.

I haven’t done enough knitting recently to update my site. When I finish the front of the Lang pullover, I’ll update my page. The Christmas crunch is really getting intense! Must work on Christmas items, but they are all lacey. I think I can get them done! I also have mittens for Brandi to do and possibly a hat for the Library Boy Bryan. :) I’ve designed the mittens that I’m going to knit for Brandi. I think I’ll use some of the techniques that I learned in Nancy Bush’s Estonian Knitting class at Stitches 2002.

Wow! How time flies! It’s already been two weeks since I last wrote.

I’ve worn the Rebecca Fisherman’s Rib sweater twice already. I figure I need to wear it while it’s still warm outside.

I finally finished the front of the Glint sweater last Thursday. I finished the sleeve part of the Hobo sweater and cast on all of my stitches for the body of the sweater.

I started the Suzy sweater from Rowan’s “Big Wool” in the Big Wool on September 22 and finished knitting it on the 24th. I finished putting it together and knitted the collar on the 26th. I don’t think I’ve ever made a complete sweater in that short amount of time. I haven’t even made a baby sweater that quickly.It still needs buttons. I’ll post the finished sweater soon.