Oh Shknit!

Yes, insert generic title up yonder.

My Christmas was wonderful.  I actually got some yarn from my mother who is constantly riding my ass about not buying more yarn, so that put a huge smile on my face.

I just finished her ruffled scarf this afternoon, so I will post some pics of those tomorrow.  I am on glove 2 for my brother’s friend, and have the index finger, thumb, and weaving in allllll those ends and I can get them off in the mail.  My brother and father both showed up for Christmas and I thought it was going to be a very melancholy holiday for my mother and I.  But it made it a wonderful Christmas.  I told them they could take all my presents back because I had what I wanted – my family together.  I found out the day before my brother was leaving (he only stayed for 3 days!) that he was indeed leaving, so I didn’t get a chance to finish the gloves to send home with him, unfortunately.  But they should be done in time for me mail off on Monday.  Then I only have to finish the 2nd twin sweaters and get those off.  Those who know me know I am a late runner always it seems, so I am hoping that the fact that these are handmade items will lend some forgiveness.

I have been cracking out on getting caught up on Knitmore Girls, and KIPing it Real podcasts.  Every night I listen to them without fail, and when I am cleaning and stuff, they are always playing.  I am thoroughly enjoying both of them.  It took me forever to get caught up on the CogKNITive podcast, and I did get caught up, so I found some others that I really enjoy, and the 2 mentioned above have been my onlies lately.  I am listening to Jackie’s darling voice as we speak, as a matter of fact!

Johnathan’s fingerless mitts were a hit, I have some pics of them and they are so comfy on him, he LOVES them.  So tomorrow, scarf FO, glove UFO update, and fingerless mitt FO pictures.  I hate blogs that don’t post pics, and I am horrible at posting them.  Pot calling the kettle black, much?

Back soon with more updates!  I have some exciting things coming up I hope, and knitting is at the top of that list!

He wants out.  Now.  He is not due for another month.  This has been a rough pregnancy, I am extremely uncomfortable and I am not getting around well these days.  So who knows when he will show up.  Sooner rather than later, I hope though.

I have been continually working on Christmas gifts.  I have abandoned the gloves that I originally was making for my brother’s friend.  They were coming out too small, the yarn just wasn’t working for the project, and I just wasn’t feeling it.  I can’t give away something I have made that I don’t feel 110% proud of.  So I went to plan B, picked up some Cascade 150 in this gorgeous red color (which was his friends first choice anyways), and am making the Lace Panel Gloves from the Vogue Knitting Fall 2009 issue.  I am almost done with the thumb increases and ready to start on the fingers.  This project is giving me much more of the warm and fuzzies.  It is the first time I have knit with this yarn and I ADORE it.  Great stitch definition, not splitty at all, and it just knits up so nicely.  I am excited to try it on another project one of these days when I’m not broke!

I still have to finish the sweater for Marie’s twin #2, and I am making a last minute hat for my son per his request that knits up on US 7’s, so it should be a fast project.  It’s the Batman Hat, and I just went and bought some acrylic for it.  He has several wool hats that I have made him, and I think that this hat is going to be more used to run around the house wearing his ‘Thing’ hands, a scythe, and an Iron Man costume.  Yes, you read right.  His outfit combos CRACK ME UP.

So I have just been knitting away, trying to stay off my feet, and ignore the contractions as much as I can.  That’s about where I am right now!

I have no pictures, sadly, at the moment…but hope to get them up soon.

First off, I did finish my first project that required picking up stitches.  I have shied away from those types of projects (we will pretend I don’t have a fully knitted Hey Teach that I haven’t seamed together yet!) where I have to pick up stitches or seam.  This one I have to do both!  I did pick up the stitches but have not seamed yet.  The picking up of the stitches actually turned out way better than I expected it to…and the seaming is such a small portion of the project I don’t really see it giving me much grief.

My friend Marie had VERY premature twins and they are finally both home.  I am making them matching Ribbed Baby Jackets.  I did a lot of researching the forums on Ravelry and found a couple of posts about specifically picking up stitches for this project.  I found a blog post today that does a really good job of figuring out how to calculate, and why, what your ratio of picked up stitches is.  Of course it is knitting goddess Amy Swenson, and it is a post from last month but oh how I think I will refer back to it.

My brother also called me out of the blue over the weekend and asked if I could make a friend of his some gloves.  Once again, a project that I have never delved into before, but I am going for it.  I am using a heavily modified version of Deborah Newton’s Garter-Cuff Gloves and Mittens from Weekend Knitting.  It’s a fun knit so far.

At least I have a little more focus now.  I have to finish another of the Baby Jackets and finish the fingers on the gloves and get moving on glove 2.  Let’s hope it works out the way I plan it to!