SomerKnits

Ok, so I went to look at all the soft and luscious things at the cashmere sale at Loops today. I was really going to just browse, only buy if it was one hell of a deal and then head home to start cleaning since I am having company tonight. But then I found a really pretty silvery colored Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, so I had to buy enough to make a sweater. I had to, I couldn't help it. And I got some really awesome yarn for a gift, but I can't really post about it now because then it wouldn't be much of a surprise. The sale was a really good deal though and the damage came out really, really low compared to what it could have been. The cashmerino aran is usually a pretty good deal anyway and with 30% off, that really helped. So I think I am going to use it for the wheat-ear cabled yoke sweater. I've been wanting to make it forever. Really forever. I think its been in my queue since I got the magazine it was in. The Pfiefer Falls hooded scarf is going well. ...

There are 2 skeins of malabrigo being given away on this blog:http://salihan.com/2009/malabrigo-giveaway/ Go check it out and enter. I love malabrigo yarn!

I'm working on the Pfeifer Falls Hooded Scarf from a past issue of Interweave Knits. Ever since I first saw it in the magazine, I've know I just had to make it. I bought a bag of Royal Llama Silk at an estate sale over the summer and it turned out to be just the right guage and just the right yardage. At first I thought that it was going to be slow going because I rarely work from charts, but the cable repeat was really easy to memorize. The giant cable draws the already really soft yarn together just enough to make it super squishy feeling. I love how the pocket doesn't have to be sewn on because you cast on twice as much as you need to start and then separate the stitches onto two needles or a put one set on a stitch holder. Haha, I didn't realize this one was upside down, oh well. When I took this picture I was just past the back of the first pocket. Now I am much farther up the scarf itself. :-) I can't wait to have this done so I can wear it. I don'...

A couple weeks ago I whipped out this quick little neck kerchief pattern. Its the Chastain Park Shawl. It went so quickly, even though I went to 100 stitches across instead of stopping at 77, that I sent it to my sister for her birthday. I picked out the colors with her in mind, but since I am not giving myself deadlines this year, I didn't decide it was definitely a birthday present until it was done. And how, I used 3 lace weight yarns held together. They were all mystery yarns from that estate sale in the summer. It really was a super fast and fun pattern. And its really cozy wrapped around the neck, which was, after all, my goal. So i went ahead and started one for myself in cream, brown, and white. I think it will be great for wearing to the office, warding off the morning chill. I've helped one person in my monday group start one and I think a couple more people are planning to try the pattern. The picture above was pre-blocking, btw. The lace smoothes out a lot ...

I wanted to make something my partner would really like and could use, but I didn't have weeks and weeks to dedicate to it. I decided to make another Calorimetry. I keep saying I am going to make one for myself, but it still hasn't happened. It seems a little wide, or it did when I put it on to model for the photo, but lengthwise it buttoned in place perfectly. I just happened to have a burgundy button that exactly matched the yarn, very fortuitous. I've really been enjoying the flat rate box swaps. You are required to stuff a medium flat rate box with goodies, at least one of which must be handmade. See the pretty copper colored yarn? Bridget dyed that and its a bamboo yarn. So soft and really pretty! So I am still determined to make a calorimetry for myself. I was looking this morning and some single skeins I had received in various swaps and I think that might be a perfect project for one of those. I am also thinking that I might need to go down to size 6 needles ...

I needed a good instant gratification project, so I took a couple of days and whipped out a hat for Ben's brother for his birthday. I didn't want it to be completely boring in a solid color and Ben suggested earth tones, so I did a section of single row stripes with the blue and the brown. Its a very squooshy alpaca, so it should be nice and warm for the upcoming winter. No other exciting updates, really. Although I have started a really cool cabled hooded pocket scarf for myself out of a lovely llama and silk yarn that I got at that estate sale a while back, so I got a great price on it. The only good thing about it getting cold right now is that I get to wear my Vacation Clap. :-) I did get my things back from the fair also, so I suppose I can wear my Indian Summer hat now as well.

Go here and enter this nice blogger's giveaway! http://www.annettesacre.com/stitchblog/?p=199

I got two second place ribbons at the fair. One for my hat and one for my baby blanket. Its odd how they displayed the beret so that it looks pointy, but oh well. And you only get to see half the baby blanket because its folded over a bar, but I do think they displayed a lot of the prettiest part. Congrats to everyone else who one a ribbon! The entries were awesome and I'm glad competition is strong, it makes the recognition that much nicer. I do hope they do a separate lace category next year, I really think we need it. There were so many beautiful lace pieces this year. Congrats to Rori and Kellie and Sarah and Kat and everyone else who won!!!!!

Not that we weren't planning on it. In fact, I think we're going tomorrow. But some very reliable sources have said I won some ribbons so now I am totally impatient to go! And I didn't expect to win anything at all, so I am super excited. I'll have to take pictures and post them. I finished up a surprise for my exchange partner this morning, but missed the postman, so I will have to mail that out first thing monday morning and I really hope she likes it! More about all that after she opens the package, I don't want to spoil the surprise. I am working on a couple of projects right now of the longer scarf-y variety and then I think I might start the Every Way Wrap. Its in my queue and now a number of people in the Tulsa Knitters Ravelry group are talking about doing a KAL and starting November 1st. It would be a very loose KAL, so I think it would be fun to start mine when everyone else does, even if it takes me a while to get it done. Its turned cold here, s...