Xmas!

By now my family knows that anything knit related will be warmly received on Christmas-an of course, responded in kind :) Here's what I scored this year...

• Lion Brand Homespun in the Mediterranean colorway.
• Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky. One skein Oatmeal, two Charcoal, and an olive-y color I forgot the name of.
• An 11oz skein of colorful brushed yarn
• The book Cables, Diamonds, Herringbone on the construction of Fisher men's sweaters.
• $50 to my local Ben Franklin :0
• Two skeins of Red Heart Classic in white and an electric blue

Not bad...not bad...lol I already have plans for some of it! The Wool-Ease has already been turned ino half a scarf for my dad. The brushed rainbow is already on the needles for a knit Fall Shawl. It's meant to mimic the crochet version, and isn't the funnest pattern I've ever worked on by any means. I'm still debating whether to frog it or keep going.

Here you tell me...if you were working on a shawl with 75% of the rows being purled (ew) when you knit continental, and the few knit rows only contained ONE plain knit stitch each, and you loathe the pattern with every fiber of your being...but the picture really looks warm...what would you do? Oh, and the yarn doesn't frog well. But you don't have any square, rectangular, or circular shawls and want to give one a try. Well? Lemme know!

Let It Snow!!!

Hoo boy! The snow is here! We had to go to school, but left a little early to compensate for any busing delay. As is, plows can't keep up, cars are stuck, and the tree outside my window is barely visible. On the plus side however, a full foot of the fluffy stuff sure is pretty, and great for sledding once the storm abates :)

I had forgotten that in the back of the Chicks With Sticks books is always a few knitting patterns, and once I rediscovered this I started the Butterfly Socks with a denim multi of sock yarn, one of Emily's contributions. I also found some leftover turquoise Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, and made a test swatch of the Edge-Anything Lace. I'm dying to knit up some Selbuvotter items, but I have yet to find any kind of dk wool in decent colors locally. Will have to go on Knitpicks and wait for the mail...

Anyway back to knitting gifts. Time is running out!

Birthday Bliss!

Ahhh what a day! At school I was the lucky recipient of hugs and well wishes from many of my friends, and will be again tonight at the Music Department Christmas party :) I was going to have my party around now, but who can throw a better or bigger bash than all my chorus and musical friends?

Before I left for school though, I was already treated to chocolate cake for breakfast and a bunch of new knitting books!

• Chicks with Sticks (Knit Two Together)
• Charmed Knits
• Selbuvotter
• Knitting Without Tears

My dad also picked me up a copy of Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice, which is so great already and will become this marking period's English project subject.

Some of my friends know me better than others-my neighbor Andy, who I've known for practically forever, showed up to carpool with two skeins of Light and Lofty yarn, in blue and white. He was rewarded with cake. Later in chorus, Emily showed up with two colorways of sock yarn! Yay!

Haha I'm going to go sift through all of my new books and yarn now...and then get ready to go see my friends all over again! Woot!

A Warm Reception

Sensai loved the socks! Yay! I gave them to her after class on Monday, and got several hugs in return :) I had to leave a bit after that, but on the way out I saw my other sensai's incredulous look (the no-knitting-in-karate sensai) when he saw them. It was the funniest thing ever. Priceless. I wish I had brought my camera. One of my friends there who stayed later than I did said after I left she was sliding across the wooden floor of the dojo and almost fell backwards! Sounds like her. Glad she likes them. Here's a pic of them a few days before I gifted them-

Lot's of stripes! I may have to make myself a pair!

Congrats Socks Are Done!

Yeah you heard me-DONE! Have been for a day or two now! The only problem is having the patience to wait until Tuesday (or more likely Thursday) until I see Sensai Nancy. I'll probably get mocked beyond belief by everyone else, but whatever she'll appreciate them!

In the meantime...Muscari Socks drove me up the wall, so I frogged them in favor of another Monkey pair for the same friend. Branching Out scarf soon maybe...new Interweave Knits is in my possession. Overall, just knitting away until my birthday sometime this month, when I'm hoping my rents will supply me with all the knitting books I asked for! Wish me luck!