FO Friday: Thanks to Kirsten

I have finally finished the mitts "recipe" offered up by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops:

It is perfect TV knitting. I used a skein of Pidgeonroof Studios yarn I picked up a few years ago in San Francisco. It is soft and silky -- and very pretty. I think this is a great pattern when you want the yarn to take center stage.

I made the hand a bit longer than called for. Hey, it's been cold around here! I am happy to say that we hit 20 degrees F yesterday. It's almost like summer!

I'm looking forward to a great weekend. My daughter is visiting from Washington, D.C.  She's in the state on business, but was sweet enough to set her trip up so that she'd have some family time.

Don't forget to check out other FOs with Tami Amis!

WIP Wednesday: Pink

No, I never do seem to tire of mitered squares. So, I'm gradually adding to a pink baby blanket:

Unlike the last two blankets, this one is not being knit under a deadline. I'm just assuming that someone will have a baby girl one of these days ... but not before I finish this blanket.

All three baby blankets have been made from Lion Brand Jiffy. One of my goals is to knit up all the Jiffy in my stash. It'll be interesting to see what I do with the left-overs from both the boy and girl blankets.

What's on your needles? Check out more WIPs with Tami Amis.

On My Dream List

I am absolutely dying to knit this:

I rarely buy Vogue Knitting. The patterns tend to be too "runway" for me. Not quite right for a down-to-Earth Midwestern girl. The minute this cover caught my eye, I knew I'd be purchasing this issue.

Even the downside wasn't a problem. This gorgeous cowl uses an armful of Koigu sock yarn. Kind of pricey. However, I had a gift certificate that I had held onto since my birthday in September -- is that self-control, or what? -- and that same store is selling kits of yarn for this pattern!

Apparently I'm not the only one who is swooning over this cowl. The staff at the store told me that these kits are flying off the shelf!

What are you dying to knit?

Saturday Sketch

I drew this young woman last weekend when I met with Draw Madison at the Fitchburg Public Library. Fitchburg is a Madison suburb. The amazing thing is that she never noticed that I was drawing her -- and I draw slowly!

WIP Wednesday: The Second Sock

Is it just me or does the second sock go faster than the first?

Actually, a lot of knitters complain about SSS -- Second Sock Syndrome -- which implies that they find the second one harder to push through.

At any rate, I'm already on the gusset of the second Hermione's Everyday Socks, and I'm looking forward to being done. This yarn (which I'll discuss in another post) is lovely but kind of boring. I'd like to try this pattern with a wilder yarn.

See what other knitters are knitting via Tami Amis.

Saturday Sketch

Perhaps if I were a knitting designer, knitting would meet all my creative needs. For some reason, I am perfectly happy to knit other people's designs. I also think I lack the kind of engineering brain required to design patterns.

Pigma Micron 02 with Inktense Pencils

Drawing satisfies an entirely different part of my brain and heart. My partner likes to say that my drawings "are out-of-proportion and lack detail." I can't disagree with that, but I like them anyway. To keep my drawing mojo going, I've decided to post a drawing or painting every Saturday. 

Feel free to join me!

FO Friday: Baby Blanket

Two of my teammates from school have had babies in the last year, so I just finished the second blanket:

I

I have to say that it isn't really this crooked, but rather the camera angle is a bit wonky.

I made it up -- though I'm sure many people have made up this same pattern -- using metered blocks. I like the way it looks and the fact that you pick up stitches for new squares. I don't think I could handle sewing together this many pieces!

I used Lion Brand Jiffy because it's thick and cozy and machine-washable. The drawback of acrylic, of course, is that it can't be used for a sleeping baby as it is flammable.

What have you finished this week?

Languishing WIP

I hate posting bad photos, but it's still pretty dark here at 7:00 a.m. so I had to use flash:

This finished section of the Colorbox Jacket has been sitting in my knitting basket for about a year. The sleeves are finished, too. I can't seem to find the mojo to seam it all together. Then there is the issue of all those loose ends.

But I think the biggest block for me is that I think it came out, well, garish! I can't look at it without thinking: What was I thinking? Still, I have yet to knit a sweater that fits, so I do want to sew this one together. If it turns into a wearable item, I know I'll be happy with it, even as loud as the colors are!

When I checked this morning, Tami hadn't posted yet, but I hope to see what everyone is working on her blog this morning.

Almost Only Counts in Horseshoes

I started this on Christmas eve and knit religiously (pun unintended) over winter break, but got stuck at the very end:

These handwarmers are based on Kirsten Kapur's Recipe for Mitts, which you can find here.  It is an adorable pattern. I guess one should never put aside a project this close to the end -- it's just too hard to pick it up, especially when you are working on something fiddley, like a thumb.

The yarn is from Pigeonroof Studios. I lost the ball band so I have no idea what the colorway is, but it is beautiful yarn. The gorgeous colors prevented the rounds of stockinette stitch from getting too boring.

As much as I like these, they will definitely be a gift. The colors are just not me. However, living in the polar vortex, as I seem to do these days, I'll certainly make a second pair for myself.

Thanks to Bobby

Last night's Robert Burns party was quite fun. There was no haggis, but there was "chaggis," Percy's riff on the Scottish traditional dish. She combined a variety of meats -- no organ meat -- and stuffed it into chicken skin:

A good time was had by all, even our fabulous cook: