Today was actually a very productive day, something I haven't had much of lately. I had a lovely breakfast with a friend, did some yard work, bought food and a new cat tree for the kittehs (their old cat tree finally died), and grocery shopped (long overdue). Not much by many people's standards (or my old ones), but recently it seems like a lot. Now I'm catching up on some TV and writing. I do need to put that cat stand together...
I had a lovely date (in two parts) on Saturday with a new lady who also knits and spins. She has a spinning wheel. Is it strange to find that very alluring? :) We seemed to have a connection, so we will be having another date this weekend, she has offered to cook and show me her wheel. Oooooo! I probably have another date on Tuesday night, with a different person, who also knits. I'm not quite ready to settle down yet, but I am enjoying meeting new people.
It is sunny, quiet, and cool in the house. Just one of those gorgeous days that Portland gives you to remind you that 1) she can be kind and 2) why you decided to move here in the first place. When the rain and cold of winter make you dream of moving to southern AZ, she pulls out a day like this and says,"It's so hot down there...don't you want to stay here with lush, beautiful me? See how I shine in the sun?" And you sigh as you agree that moving to the desert is a horrible idea. Of course, the next day, she may slap you with a freezing rain, or clouds for a week, but you remember how stunning she is in that sun and you hunker down to wait for summer. I love it here.
Here are some of the projects I've finished in the last year or so. I haven't been very prolific, but I have been happy with what has come off of my needles.
This is what I have dubbed the Harry Potter Blanket. The colored squares were designed by Marie Wright as individual squares, I think a lot of people may use them as washcloths. I designed the black squares, I posted a picture of them a couple of posts ago. They have a lightening HP on them, like the movies have. Unfortunately, the black makes it difficult to see. The blanket turned out really well. I made it with Shine and this is probably one of my favorite cotton blends to work with. I'm repeating some of this information from the previous post, but I thought it would be nice to have it with the finished picture. I am considering selling this, but I haven't decided yet. I may just bundle it off to Seattle to my friend K.
Got some baby blankets done this past year too. The following two are both the same design, Pine Forest Baby Blanket. It is simple and lovely and really easy to do without a lot of thought once you get the pattern down. The yarn is Madelinetosh Vintage, which has recently become a big favorite. It is cushy and lush and the colors are brilliant! This one is in Norway Spruce:
And this is in Byzantine:
Another baby blanket (yes they have been arriving all year!) This is the Sheldon blanket again, but in Lion Brand Homespun. Hate the yarn, liked the final product. Famile likes it too. :)
The hats that I currently have are awful and it is always a good idea to have a good cap (or three) here in cold, wet Portland. I grabbed some Madelinetosh chunky (in Charcoal and Ox Blood) and made Andrea Goutier's Hurricane Hat. It was simple and I get lots of complements. :) The Ox Blood one isn't done. I also had enough to make a wee hat for my nephew!
Now for a mess of socks. I didn't do anything special on any of them except the last two:
Serenity in Cinnamon. These are a bit loose, so I am adjusting for other socks made with this yarn.
We wear flip-flops as shoes in this house (old old wooden floor with tiny nails that pop up, one needs to stay shod), so Tabi socks are the way to go when it comes to winter socks. (it also stays chilly in the house so we definitely want socks with our flip-flops!!) I'll probably start a few for my new housemate at some point...
The final product of the toe I showed earlier. Mini Mochi in Earthy Tones.
Cascade yarns Eco Alpaca in Chestnut Twist, which is ridiculously soft and I've already worn a hole in these over the winter!! My ex requested a full body suit complete with feet, mittens and a hood after she touched it. I dubbed these the Alpaca Socks of Yumminess.
Chroma Yarn from Knit Picks, in New England.
These are my "sunshine socks". The color made me think of sunshine, something that is usually in short supply here in the winter. I adore them. More Madelinetosh! This time in Chamomile, which seems just right for a naturopath...calming, sunny, herbal. :)
I used the tail end of the Chamomile to make these wee socks for my nephew (need to mail them before his feet get too big) and finished the cuff with the purple left over from my niece's socks. They are adorable. Oh, and for size reference, those are tiny daffodils.
For my dear friend A, who does not wear wool well, but has a perfect foot size for experimenting with different sock ideas, Crystal Palace often comes to the rescue. This colorway is BBQ sauce. I adore it. The pattern is a modification of one I have in a stitch dictionary called a Turkish Chain. I like how it turned out, though it doesn't have quite the same look as the original stitch. My housemate modeled for me (as I have gargantuan feet) and then one of the socks promptly disappeared during their pre-mailing wash. I hope it comes back soon.
That's all for now. I've got a lace shawl on the needles as well as some plain socks. Neither is really ready for the camera. I hope I can properly block the shawl...I'm not a big blocker. I guess that is what the intarwebs are for huh? :)
Have a lovely day, to anyone who might read this.
