last day!

Today is the last day to sign up for the International Sock Swap. It's also the first day of a week and a half of flying around back and forth, first to Nashville for a conference this weekend and then back for a couple days next week and then to Canada for my first real Canadian thanksgiving in 6 years!! So forgive me some radio silence... I'll post if and when I can!

angel socks

angel sock, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Due to a couple of flakers over in the International Sock Swap I'm knitting a pair of socks for an "angel" package. I'd like to get them out asap so that none of our good swappers miss out. I'd be sad to see anyone work so hard to put a beautiful package together and not get anything in return.

The good news is that 99% of the group is a great bunch and a ton of them stepped up to the "angel" plate. The 3 missing packages are already being taken care of (can I just mention that one of the missing packages is mine, so even moderators are not immune to flakers!) and lots of people have volunteered to be on standby for the next swap! (Which starts this Friday! So exciting!)

Anyway, the socks! Pattern is Blackrose from Knitty, Winter '08; yarn is mini mochi and needles are US 1s.

Mods: Only worked lace pattern on the cuff for two reasons: speed - plain round foot is faster and easier to work on and because I just couldn't seem to memorize the pattern. Maybe because it's only worked in a panel rather than around the entire sock? I don't know, but this one just evaded me.

Hope to have the second one done by the end of the week so I can post it early next week! It has a bit of a journey ahead of it, so I'd like to have it on it's way as soon as possible!

we all need a little elf in our lives

P1020427, originally uploaded by toastbrot27.

To insure there is no confusion, no this is not my hat. It was knit by toastbrot on ravlery. Click it to go to toastbrot's flickr page!

For her prize, Susie chose the ribba cap by Wooly Wormhead.

Isn't it so cute and elven-like?!

Happy knitting Susie!

drum roll please...

this is post 400!!! Which means........ PRIZES!!!

The first prize is easy: Susie, of useless beauty designs gets the prize for directing the most commenters. Susie: you get a paid-for gifted pattern from ravelry. When you know which one you want, send me a message with your ravelry name and a link, and I will send it right along!

The second prize, that of the most creative commenter, is a little more difficult to decide. Everyone had great suggestions... So, I'm going to cop-out and use a random number generator to pick the winner. So... the winner is........

SILVER of quicksilver crafter! Once you let me know your favorite colour I'll be sending you a skein of locally dyed yarn!

Thanks for playing guys! And for reading! Let's hope we're here in another 400!

something else new

multicoloured rose, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

startitis? I don't know what you're talking about!

Yes, ok, so I just showed you something new in the last post. But, sometimes knitting is born out of necessity and since we had a few flakers (including my partner, and I organized the thing... so yeah...) in the sock swap, I'm knitting a sock for a participant who didn't get a package yet. We're still holding the new swap starting Oct 1, so if you want to sign up, don't get turned off by a couple bad apples... it really is a great group and they're heeding the call for "angel" knitters, just in case this happens again.

So, hence the need for yet another project on the needles. (Don't ask how many, it isn't polite.)

Pattern is Blackrose
Yarn is mini mochi, sent to me by crystal palace (to make up for some socks that felted, so let's hope that isn't a problem with these!!)
Needles are US 1 dpns

P.S. If you've been counting you'd know that this is post 399! Which means that I'll be closing comments on the contest post shortly and posting the winners of the 400th post contest in a day or two!!

something new

l'anniversaire, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

why yes, it does look like it's smiling at you, doesn't it?

For our one year anniversary, which (especially gauged in knitting time) is coming up quickly, I decided to make the bf a new scarf. If you recognize the stitch pattern that's because it is the same one used in the recently completed barcelona socks, with a seed-stitch border.

Pattern: adapted from Barcelona socks (rav link)
Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm)
Yarn: Woolarina's Lux Sock 2 skeins (knitting 2 rows from one skien, 2 rows from the other to blend the colours a bit).

2 skeins of lux sock is quite a bit of yardage (500 to be exact) so I'm pretty sure I'll have lots of yarn left over. And yes, I already have plans. *Cue evil laughter*

95% done

95% done, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

The mojo-inducing textured shawl is all done, minus a good blocking. And while I'm not always the biggest proponent of blocking, I think this shawl will really benefit from it, both in terms of size and to straighten out the kinks a bit.

Will post a pic when it's all blocked and pretty!

it's back!

mojo maker, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

I'm in love with this project! And, the best part, is that I totally want to knit it alllllllll the time. Like, really.

It's the texture shawl recipe following chotda's notes for the set up rows. (it's a very loose recipe, I don't think she even states a cast-on #, so if you want to make it you should check out some of the finished scarves and follow someone's notes.)

I was really inspired by the two textured shawls recently made by one of my madrid knitting buddies, Siona.

The yarn is the zitron unisono that was sent to me by Susan a while back.

Needles: US 9 metal (wish they were wooden) circs

I hope this means my mojo is back for good, but for now I'm content knitting away on this shawl!

death of a robot

death of a robot, originally uploaded by gradschoolknitter.

Legs, check. Arms, check. Giant mess of intarsia - er, body......

I really had high-hopes for the knit picks Mr. Roboto Kit but I didn't count on hating intarsia with the passion of a thousand burning suns. I like fairisle just fine, knitting round and round with 2 skeins sitting side by side, great... but the messiness of one full skein + four little balls of yarn being flipped back and forth, yuck.

I think this project was a major contributor in my knitting malaise. My intentions were good, the outcome is cute, but me and this project just weren't meant for each other.

Speaking of malaise-inducing projects:


why yes, that is quite an awkward angle

I have one of my leg warmers done! Don't get me wrong, I really like these, but they're a little boring to work on.

The good news is this: I'm actually starting to get excited about some holiday projects. I'm thinking I might spent a bit of this long weekend re-organizing the stash and seeing if I can't find some stash-busting, holiday gifting type projects to start working on. I'm also excited about the Second Sock Swap and all the new members who have joined in the last week. There's still plenty of time if you've been hemming and hawing!

sans computer

Well, I've been without my computer for a few days, nothing big, all for external fixes as opposed to the "omg my harddrive blew up!" type of fix.

In the mean time, my knitting mojo is still MIA. So I don't really have much to show in that area, BUT I did want to let people know that the second International Sock Swap is underway over on ravelry. Anytime between now and Sept 30 you can sign up by filling out the questionnaire.

Hope you can join us!!