3 day shawl

ishbel, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Started this on a Thursday, bound off on a Saturday... world record for fastest shawl?! Of course, I made the smaller size, and currently have nothing better to do... so at least I get something out of all my tv watching time!

Pattern is Ishbel.
Yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in logwood.
Needles: US 5
Mods: none, except that I blocked it wrong... there shouldn't be a point at the bottom, but rather two points on either side of the center, which seems counterintuitive to me. But for now I'm going to leave it as is.

So many things...

OppAtt #1, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

It's been a busy week and the needles have been flying! I finished the first of the OppAtt Socks a few days ago and I am thrilled that they fit me. I was a bit concerned since the pattern really puckers in when not on, and makes the sock look really small. But it fits really really well, which makes me really really happy!

Here's another angle, for better pattern viewing:



Also on (and then rapidly off) the needles this week were a couple of baby hats:


The first was of my own design, a little elfish-style number, that may go to my niece's soon-to-be cousin (no, not ME... my SIL's brother's wife is due in August).


And a scrappy gnome hat, which is going to a friend who has an up-and-coming photography business and wanted some props. There might be a few more of these in the future... there are lots of babies being born in my circle of family and friends and this was an awesome stash buster for all those bits and bobs of leftovers that I would never get around to using otherwise.

just in time... for summer?

hoodie front, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

yes, it did cool off here this weekend. no, it did not cool off that much!

I've been holding off on posting about this sweater for some time. I was hoping when I knit it (late Jan/early Feb, which probably makes more sense for the pictures, yes?) that I would find the time to write up the pattern and send it in somewhere for potential publication. Well, it's almost summer now, so I don't think that's going to happen. And since there has been a serious dearth of knitting around here lately, I figured it was as good a time as any to share it.

DH was extremely patient and a very good knit model, so I took a number of pictures from various angles:

the side...


the back...

And the quintessential knitwear model pose:



The pattern was my own, based on/adapted from a picture we saw online, from diesel I believe. The yarn was some dorset sheep's wool that I got last September at the WNY Fiber Festival, approximately 1155 yards. Raveled here.

return of the mojo

ishbel unblocked, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I did a lot of traveling in April (more on that in the not-so-distant, but not today, future), which one would think would give me plenty of airport knitting time... which it did. But aside from airports, I really didn't knit much. Nor did I knit the above shawl. That happened over the course of the past 3 days. After more than a months hiatus (or at least semi-hiatus, but airport time never counts for anything, does it?) I knit a shawl in less than 3 days. Started Thursday AM and bound off just a short time ago. Obviously it will need some major blocking, but that's the easy part.

So what about those lost airport hours? Well, they yielded this:



And not even all of that. I meant to cast on for the shawl Wednesday night, but forgot to bring the pattern (which is Ysolda Teague's Ishbel by the way) with me to knit night. Instead, I kept plugging away at this sock that won't seem to ever end, the first of the OppAtt socks. I'm a little concerned (ok, a lot concerned) that the pattern is going to make for a tight fit... in which case these will be put away for someone's birthday or holiday gift, someone with skinnier ankles than I.

swap package!!!

kai mei socks, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

Squeeee! Just got my swap package from the 9th international sock swap! These socks flew to me all the way from New Zealand, and just in time! The pattern is the memorable Kai-Mei from Cookie A's first sock book. I had knit a pair of these for myself several years ago and just (as in less than a week ago) threw them out because a giant hole had formed in one of the toes and unraveled a large section of the underside of the foot. Irreparable. And somehow, my swap partner had the foresight to replace them for me!

The rest of the package was awesome too, as you will see:


100% NZ merino! And the colour! Swoon!


A project bag...


... filled with goodies!


And another, bigger bag, with a drawstring and a NZ pin!

Big thanks to my swap buddy! I love everything!

Want your OWN swap partner and goodies from anywhere in the world?! We are currently holding sign-ups for our next swaps, until May 31! You can check us out on ravelry!!