Finishing and starting

Sorry I've been AWOL for a while. I've been busy at work and, after I get home, I don't want to sit in front of a computer. That has been a slight problem for the online class I am taking this semester. Hmm, should get on that. Anyway, I have been knitting, finishing and starting a lot during my slight blogging interim.

First up, a finished object! I finished the EMU shawl on Feb. 10th. It was a very fast knit and I enjoyed making it. The beads really make it look special. Too bad none of them really showed up in any of these pictures.





I might have mentioned that I was donating this shawl to a staff silent auction. I took it in on Tuesday. Ever since then, I've had so many people saying how much they liked it and how they were definitely going to bid on it. What I find funny is that this shawl isn't complex. Know what I mean? It is just a simple ktog or ssk and a yarn over pattern. Mom thought that I can't see how impressive it is because I have other ones that are more impressive to me. Because other people can't see the other shawls/stoles, they think this one is super impressive. I guess everything has a context.

Next up, finished afghan square!


I told you about the afghan a group on Ravelry is making for Terry Pratchett. This square is my contribution. It was influenced by the Tiffany Aching series. The sheep were really fun to make. I ended up duplicate stitching the black legs and faces on because I couldn't keep the tension even with three different colors. I sent it off on Friday to Scotland. Hope it make it there before the 29th (which is the deadline).

Next, a WIP. I'm on a fingerless glove jag. This one is the Princess Mitts from the Knitters Book of Yarn (though this is a free pattern online). I really have to get that book.


I just have to finish the thumb on the first glove and start the second one.

So instead, I started another pair. Good solution, huh?

The pattern was written for a DK weight yarn. This mitten is actually DK. The first one (the green one) is worsted so it is quite a bit bigger. I was going to give the multi-colored pair away as a gift but I think I like the yarn too much to give it away! The yarn came from a store in AZ that my aunt bought me a while ago when she was visiting there. It is Zitron Ecco and is knitting up sooooo well.

I've been working on a pair of alpaca socks for a friend. She is allergic to wool but wants warm socks. The Alpaca Sox yarn is wonderful to use but I think I need to go down a needle size. I've been making a pair of Monkey socks (top down, gasp) and it just isn't the fabric I want it to be. They might be frogged and started in a new pattern or, if I stay with the Monkey pattern, with a new needle size.

Other than that, I've been playing with stitch dictionaries and trying to find a stitch that I like for an alpaca neckwarmer. The alpaca yarn is a fingering weight and a natural brown. It came from a local farm. I haven't been happy yet with any of the stitches/needle sizes.