I had started another Candle Flame scarf, using some Smile yarn, but I only have two skeins of it. The last two Candle Flame scarves I knitted with Smile took 4 skeins each. I wonder if I have enough for another Shifting Sands scarf...

I finished another Ruffled Scarf.

I turned the heel on my Wasabi Socks - again. This time, I threw in a life line, just in case.

My attempt at being artsy.

I have a disciple. I mean follower. I have a follower.

Hey, look. Another Koolhaas Hat. A friend at work asked me to knit him a Koolhaas Hat. He asked for black, I used black, but in the pic it looks either gray, green or blue depending on your monitor.

Finished another Everlasting Bagstopper. I'm planning on making a few more. I want to stop using plastic bags when I go grocery shopping.

Pumpkin. A little bright...

My friend Jackie had Lara's mother make an awesome skull project bag for me.

Skull patter on the outside...


A different pattern on the inside


And, she used the same inside material for the inner part of the strap

Last night, I turned the heels on my Wasabi Socks - YAY!



But, today I realized that I turned the heel too soon - needed to go another ½ inch - BOO. And, when frogging back to the start of the heel, I kept dropping stitch after stitch after stitch and got soo frustrated that I just started over - CRAP!

I finished my Shifting Sands Scarf on Friday. Since I basically only used 1¼ skeins, it’s really short. A lot shorter than I usually like to knit scarves. 46” long, 7” wide. I still love the way it looks. I might have to knit another one.

I finished another BagStopper.

Some women from the Simpatico group got together and had a Fiber Garage Sale. I picked up some Cascade Sierra yarn. 80% Pima Cotton and 20% Merino Wool.

I finished Melissa's Scarf.

Scout's Swag! Rocks!! and so does Scout.

Last week, I ordered a large GoKnit Pouch in red and a medium in purple. First of all, I placed the online order on Friday - like late Friday - and it arrived the following Monday. But, by mistake, I received a pink medium, instead of purple. I emailed Scout and she suggested sending the pink pouch back and she would refund my shipping cost. Instead, I just ordered another purple - I also wanted to order another medium pouch, but in red and I'll just give the pink pouch to someone in my SnB group. So, she didn't charge me for shipping AND she even threw in a little something extra... A stitch saver and 3 of the mini-Soak packets.

MONKEY!

BOOBS!

MONKEY-BOOBS!!

Hey, look. Magic Loop.

I had some Malabrigo Cabernet left over, so I decided to knit a matching scarf for my Malabrigo Koolhaas Hat. I thought about trying to use the Koolhaas pattern, but then I saw brooklyntweed's version of Grumperina's Shifting Sands Scarf and decided to go with it instead.



The pattern doesn't 'pop' like Jared's, but I think it's due to my yarn. I did a knitting-no-no the first time I did the Koolhaas pattern in Malabrigo. I wasn't happy with the results - I should have run through the chart one more time, and I totally messed up the crown - so I ripped it out and started over. Yes, I ripped out Malabrigo. I know, I know. I'm going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.

Also, I'm using Grumperina's Cabling Without a Cable Needle Method. It's actually not as hard as it sounds.

I finished another Koolhaas Hat. This one is for me.

I really love the way the crown looks

I couldn't resist.

The color is called 'Marine'


And, this color is called 'Vermillion'

I decided that 61 sts was going to be just a little big for Melissa's Scarf, so I ripped it out and started over with 41 sts.

I started knitting a scarf for a friend at work who's always cold. I started out by casting on 61 sts and had planned to do something like 10 rows of seed stitch on either end. Since she's not really a girly-girl and I don't think she's into too much foofaraw, I couldn't decide on a pattern. So, I'm just going to do the whole thing in seed stitch. I'm crazy like that.

Here's a pic of B in his new Koolhaas Hat. I finished it last night.



I love the way the crown looks

I finished B's hat last night, but it was too short. So I ripped back to the life line that I had put in right before starting the decrease for the crown and I'm going to run through the chart one more time. I ran through the chart 4 times - like I did with my Evergreen hat - but it was too short.

Since the yarn is sock weight or somesuch, I had decided to use size 4 and 6 needles, instead of the size 6 and 8 called for in the pattern (as mentioned in a previous post). The first time I tried it with an additional 8 sts (the chart is worked in 8's or stitches of 8. Get it? "Stitches of 8" Like, "Pieces of 8" Anyway), but after running through the 10 rounds of 2x2 ribbing, it seemed too big. So, I ripped it out and went with the called-for 104 sts, even though I'm using needles that are two sizes smaller than called-for.

One of the reasons I started knitting was because I used to watch my friend Jodi knit and was fascinated by it. But, ever since she had her daughter, her hands have been too full to knit. A few days ago, I asked if I could stop by and plunder her stash. She mentioned that she might have me knit up a couple projects for her, in exchange for yarn. And, remembering that her husband had asked her to knit him a hat, I offered to do that project.

He and I work together, so I my Evergreen Koolhaas Hat to work to have him try it on for size. Later, I asked Jodi if she had a pattern in mind for B's hat and she said he really liked the one I had him try on.

He had picked out some Wool Bam Boo in gray. It's 50% wool and 50% bamboo, and not all that easy to work with - very stretchy. And, since it's more a sock weight, I'm using size 4 and 6 needles, instead of the size 6 and 8 called for in the pattern.

I ordered these GoKnit Pouches last week, from Scout's Swag.

Navy


Camo


These are the small, and they're great for small project like socks or a hat.

Wasabi Socks in Navy GoKnit Pouch

Here is a pic of my Malabrigo Koolhaas Hat. So far, I've done the 2x2 band and 2 rounds of the chart.




And, here's a pic of my Wasabi Socks. I'm not planning to do anything special - just generic toe-up socks and 2x2 ribbing at the cuff.

Last night I started over on my first Malabrigo Koolhaas Hat (formerly known as just 'Koolhaas Hat'). And, with how good my Evergreen Koolhaas Hat turned out, I'm really hopeful with this one.

I had to rip out the Hooded Alpaca Parka sweater (from Knitting with Balls by Micael del Vecchio). I deviated slightly from the pattern and the project has been hibernating for so long, that I can't remember what my plan was going to be.

The pattern called for starting with (sl1, p2) and ending with (p2, k1) and for some reason, I started and ended with 5 sts. Plus, the pattern called for 5X2 rib on the RS and purl the WS and I had done all rows in 5X2 rib.

I'm still not following the pattern to the letter - I prefer doing all rows in 5X2 rib (instead of purling every-other row). Plus, it calls for sport weight yarn and I'm using Aran weight.

And, for some reason, back in November I posted the following about this project. "This is a slight variation on the Hooded Alpaca Parka pattern from Knitting With Balls (by Michael del Vecchio). It's done in 5X2 rib and the pattern calls for the 2 stitches to be cabled on the right side, but I'm doing it straight." I have no idea why I said the pattern called for cabling - it doesn't.

I finished my first Everlasting Bagstopper. I used handles from this pattern.

I recently ordered a Ravelry bag from the Ravelry Mini-Mart.

Wow. That's some green


I also bought Ravelry and Bob pins


As well as a "Hello. My Name Is (Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die) button

I finally finished the Hot pair of my Hot & Cold Socks project. I had planned to do some type of cable along the outside of the leg, but couldn't decide which cable to use. Instead, I just finished the leg in 2x2 ribbing.

I'm still working on Mercy. Just about the only time I work on this project is during my lunch hour at work.

The inner pocket


The strap. I'm planning to make it adjustable.


Part of the completed body. I'll definitely need to do some blocking before putting all the pieces together


And, another view of the completed body


The outer pocket - sorry for the blur

In an email to Jackie... "Ravelry.... down.... for maintenance.... Can't... get to forums.... Strength... failing.... Must have... forums...

"I can only get away with knitting at work during lunch. But, I can get away with browsing the Ravelry forums which gives me my knitting fix while I'm at work."

Seriously, when I'm at work, I get my knitting fix by reading the forums on Ravelry. And, when I'm at home, I knit. And yes, that's pretty much my life. I also read various knitting blogs - Crazy Aunt Purl - Brookytweed and those of my friends. My other option would be checking out what's new or on sale at KnitPicks, like the way cool Straight Harmony needles, but that would be a mistake.

I've finished the Hot Cold pair of my Hot & Cold Socks. After the heel, I continued several rounds in stockinette and then stitched to 2x2 ribbing. I only wanted a short sock, so I only went a few inches up the leg.

I haven't washed or blocked them yet but I couldn't help myself and I'm wearing them today.



Look ma, no holes

Nothing really new to report. I've made it past the heels on my Hot & Cold Socks. Originally, I was going to knit both pairs of socks at the same time, on the same two circular needles. But, since one pair will be 2x2 ribbing for the leg and the other will be stockinette with a cable on one side, I decided to move each pair to their own needles. Knowing me, I would have goofed something up going from one pair to the other.

I'm still working on Mercy (Man Percy). I've gotten the body and the outside pocket done and I'm working on the strap and the inside pocket.

I'm about halfway through the heels on my Hot & Cold Socks - which are toe up with short row heels and I just found the best pattern/technique for Short Row Heels without holes. (Pictures to follow shortly) For my first socks with short row heels, I used this technique and the hole are hideous.

Well, it's done.



Even the crown turned out great