Last Minute = One Year

It was just about a year ago... I was sitting in a hotel room in Montana starting the Men's Zipped Raglan. Little did I know, the stupid zipper would be the end of me. Not really. I was just lazy. It took me three tries to get the thing in there since I ended up not liking the brown thread with the orange zipper. The clear thread stuff proved to be the perfect fit for this project. Behold:





Scott isn't totally in love with it, but he likes it. Good enough for me. I really don't like the collar. The pattern isn't written well in that regards and now that I am a more experienced knitter, I know things like that! It looks a little bit nicer open and will probably end up being used as more of a jacket. I am happy. It is done.

Pattern: Men's Zipped Raglan from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay in #G (coffee)
Measurements: 42" chest, Medium
Started: October 28, 2005
Finished: October 28, 2006
Other Details: This project was a good knit overall. There were a few major mistakes in the pattern, and the zipper was a pain, but it was fine overall. You really can't pass up on the Manos, its just so beautiful in the rib!

The Royal Baby

While traveling through Colorado and Utah, I managed to knit up this cute little Blue Sky Alpaca baby set. I mean, with all the girls on the way, who could resist?!




Pattern: Blue Sky Alpaca Royal Baby Set
Yarn: Blue Sky Royal Alpaca in pale pink
Measurements: 0-3 month size
Started: October 7, 2006
Finished: October 24, 2006
Other Details: This was a super cute 1 skein project, but I had enough yarn leftover to knit it a bit tighter. Its knit really loosly on US5's but could have been written on US4's for a better overall look :)

I've been dyeing yarn here and there this week. I received a huge 120lb order of yarn last week that not only included sock yarn, but some laceweight as well. Behold, silk...

Good Times

I'm finally back! The trip was fun, but there was definitely too much work involved to call it a vacation. Either way, it was a nice break from city life and gave me a chance to see family and friends.







Unlike my last few trips, I did manage to knit a substantial amount while away. I knit up these lovely Hedera socks in one of my NSS (Not So Solid) colorways. There are a few wonky spots where I picked up stitches, but that is because alot of it was done in the car or on the plane. Owell--I'm sure the person that is getting these will like them just the same.





Project specs:
Pattern: Hedera from Knitty.com
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns in the Cornflower NSS colorway
Measurements: Made to fit a women's US9
Started: October 5, 2006
Finished: October 23, 2006
Other Details: Knit these on a 2.5mm using the magic loop method. I really enjoyed this lace pattern and found it alot less boring than similar patterns. I will definitely be making another pair of these for myself in the future.

Multiplying

After reading Cara's post the other day, it occurred to me that I am also a creature of familiarity. I buy multiples of the perfect fitting bra, the same fabulous tank in three different colors, six copies of the hilarious Hallmark card, and I certainly don't mind knitting the same baby hat over and over again. The Cashmere hats have multiplied... why ruin a good thing?!




Pattern: Cashmere Cable and Seed Hat
Yarn: 1 skein Cape Cod Fibers Cashmere 6 Ply, or 1 skein Mongolian Cashmere 6 Ply
Measurements: Made to fit an average baby to toddler
Started: August 7, 2006
Finished: October 3, 2006
Other Details: I've been knitting these little guys slowly over the past two months or so. I figure it can't hurt to have extra baby hats floating around since so many people are having babies right now! I've got the pattern down all right, but still can't manage to count to 8 (the babies won't notice my few mistakes, will they?!)

Soon I will be off on an airplane joining Scott on a business trip for the next few weeks. Fortunately for me, we will be spending lots of time in a familiar place with familiar people :)

Take Note

A few quick notes for today...

First off, thank you for all the wonderful comments on yesterdays post! I had no idea so many of you were interested in school colored socks. If you do want to place an order for any school color, please send me an email! I would be happy to fill custom orders.

Second, I'll be leaving on vacation at the butt crack of dawn on Thursday, but will still be checking the email and updating the blog. Sunshine Yarns is still open, but nothing will be shipped until I return on October 20th.

And last but not least, Sunshine Yarns is now available at Black Sheep in Needham, MA! I just dropped off a big order today, so feel free to stop by or call them to see what they have in stock!

I have one more post before I leave.. and its super, super cute.. But, you'll have to wait until tomorrow!

Two For The Team

I've been a busy little knitting bee these past few weeks. Scott left for a two week business trip mid-September, which meant that I could knit him a surprise pair of socks while he was gone! Cute, huh?! Well, a Sunshine Yarns customer recently requested Ohio State custom dyed sock yarn... and, Ohio State happens to be one of the three teams Scott is obsessed with in college football. Put the two together and you get this...




He came home on Friday to a pair of Ohio State socks.. custom dyed and knit to fit his super wide foot. He wore them all weekend with his OHS jersey. Luckily they beat Iowa on Saturday or they might have been deemed unlucky socks! Phew!

Project specs:
Pattern: Just a basic top down sock with a twisted rib cuff and a short row heel and toe
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns in a custom dyed Ohio state colorway!
Measurements: Made to fit a men's US11 double E foot.
Started: September 18, 2006
Finished: September 28, 2006
Other Details: Knit on a 2.5mm with 70 sts for the leg and 74 for the foot. I also wanted to see how far a 450 yard ball of Sunshine Yarns will go (I knew I had 25 repeats to play with). I managed to do an 11" or so leg and had about 20 yards leftover.

Now, if only I had time to knit myself some Broncos or Avalanche socks....hmm....