Thanksgiving projects

Thanksgiving week was supposed to be a time of catching up on homework and researching papers for me. Do you think any of that actually got done? NOPE! Well I did start off with good intentions and went to that library on Sunday night. THIS is what I really did over break:



A cowl scarf in a pattern from Knitty.



And a scarf from Berroco.com's monthly newsletter.

Yup, both are for me to cover up aganist the mean Iowa winds. We've been pretty spoiled here with a nice long Indian summer.




Here is further evidence that it is winter: christmas cards and candy canes!! I am determined to actually send them out this year and not just write the cards, address them and let them sit on my desk until Feburary.

I finished knitting Jan's purse, too, now I can't wait to get back home to felt it!! I'm a little worried about the straps being too short, but I guess time will tell. I'll make sure to post before and after pics for your viewing pleasure!

Why it's a FO!

A puppy sweater for my friend Sara's chihuahua, Chloe. For her birthday Sara's mom commissioned me to make her a bag in these colors so I used the leftovers to make this for her puppy! The verigated yarn is hand dyed Lamb's Pride from the LYS (Crazy Girl Yarn Shop) and and the trim is Cascade 220 in brown. ISN'T SHE CUTE???

Next on the menu is a felted bag for Sara's mom, Jan, who is my mom's best friend. I'm doing Booga J's Sophie Bag from Magknits with a few minor alterations of strap and a button thingy. Hopefully pictures will follow in a week or so - I want to get it done before school starts up again. Oh? I didnt mention I was on Thanksgiving Break?? Whoop Whoop! A whole week to myself! No homework! I get to sleep in everyday and do nothing but knit!

LOL - who are we kidding? I'll be at work every morning at 7am and at night I'll be taking up residence in the library.

OOOOOOO BABY!

(warning: cute and adorable content only, if you're looking for knitting, come back another day)



Today I bring you Hannah, the cutest baby in the whole wide world! Look at that hair?? We Hamptons are usually blonde or brunette or bald, so Hannah's black hair is splendidly unusual.

Here she is in the log cabin blanket I made for her over the summer.

Two sisters! My sister has two babies! I can hardly believe it. Isabel was the first to call her "Hannah-Banana", so if Hannah doesn't like it when she gets old, we can blame it on Isabel. I don't think any sister could be more excited than my little Izzi....


And the final "proud auntie" picture. This is just a few days after she was born, with open eyes and everything! Doesn't she look smart?? I'm sure she'lll be reciting Chaucer in a month or two...

The List

The reason I haven't written in so long is I can't get my camera/computer to cooperate and I feel bad about not having any pictures to show you. I will try harder this weekend, maybe from my parent's computer.

Without pictures to illustrate, it's kinda hard to tell ya what I've been working on but I'll try:

1) Baby sweater for Hannah Mae - this project is like 99.9% finished, all I have to do is sew it up and weave in a few ends. That's it. Why is the last part so HARD??

2) Cutaway Sweater from Chicknits.com - Ever since Bonne Marie put up a picture of herself in this sweater, I've wanted, no, longed, no, CRAVED to have one in my own closet. I love black sweaters!

3) Blue scarf - just a plain ribbed blue wool scarf, it's sooooo pretty though! (I wear a lot of blue b/c I have blue eyes) I'm hoping to find another skien of it for mittens, but that's highly unlikely.

4) Pink Doggie Sweater - one of my first projects was a pink acrylic sweater for my puppy Lillie Ann from Stitch n' Bitch. But of course, since it was one of my first projects the gauge is wrong, seaming is crap and it's way too big for her. So I've ripped it all out and started again modeling it after a pet store sweater which fits her nicely.

5) The Blue Sweater - striped sweater from a free Berrco pattern. This one was supposed to be done this summer, and has migrated back into my drawer for the winter. The front and back are done, but sleeves?? I'm not too good at sleeves.

6) The Never-Gonna-Get-Done Sweater - a while back I bought some Rowan Cotton Glace from Becky of skinnyrabbit.com and suddenly realized that it was the same yarn used to make her Pepermint Sweater from Stitch n' Bitch. Now there wasn't enough to make the sweater as the pattern says, but I've just swapped the colors, bought some more white and a sparkly red and I've started a sleeve. However, knitting on #3's when I'm used to #8's is a hard bridge to cross.

7) Psychedelic Square Blanket - I stole this idea from Kay of masondixonknitting.com and started knitting up mitered squares for a huge blanket. I'm hoping I'll have the whole thing done by the time I'm thirty (aka nine years from now). LOL! I'm using this pattern and Lion Brand Cotton Ease (which I snatched up and horded away before it was discontinuned this summer) in every color that is pretty and springy and beautiful.

8) geez, do I really have this many things going on at once?? The Green Baby Sweater - I started making this when my sister was pregnant and we didn't know the sex of her baby but I stopped because some said it was too girlie and we were all hoping for a boy (we're not sexist, there's just A LOT of girls in my family). So now that Hannah is here, I want to finish up this thing before spring so she can wear it for Easter. It's the exact same pattern as #1 on this list, but in a bigger size.

Anyway, I have good news!! There is a new knitting store opening in my hometown, Davenport Iowa. It's called The Knitting Shoppe and its in the cutest little shopping mall! It opens officially on Tuesday, but I've heard little bird whispering that the owner will let people in to look around this afternoon!! I.AM.SO.THERE.