Look – I’m not working!

It’s rare, but sometimes I do manage to not work all the time. I did have to work in the morning, and did send some Blackberry messages from the bleachers, but I did attend the Red Sox game yesterday. It was fun, but I am clearly bad juju for Dice-K at home. I’ve seen him pitch a lot at Fenway, and the Sox never seen to win those games.

Let’s see what happens on Patriots Day (my next game).

Rinse and Repeat

The two sweater projects are languishing on the needles, but I’ve been whipping out the cowls and scarves! My brain needed simple patterns and my travel schedule required small, portable projects.

Up above is my Darkside Cowl in a lovely bulky alpaca yarn that a bought at last year’s Gore Place festival. It is the perfect pairing of yarn and pattern. I love the Darkside pattern (I’m currently working on my fourth one). Just complex enough to keep you on your toes and produce an interesting geometric pattern and just simple enough that all I need is a simple cheat sheet every other row.

I’m kinda sad to see winter end, I’ll have to pack this away for next year.

St. Lou

All the traveling and plane knitting has given me a headstart on the 2009 gwfgwf knitting.

Here’s the Sherbrooke Cowl that I worked on during my first trip tp St. Louis. Only modification was for gauge, I cast on 140 stitches using Araucania Nature Wool and knit the pattern as written.

Not sure who is going to get this one. The original plan was to give it to my orange loving brother, but I’m wondering if it’s too delicate for a manly man to wear. Thoughts?

I’ve missed you

Dear Blogdom,

I’ve missed you. I’ve spent the past two months traveling like a minor league baseball player. Two days here, three days there, a four day home away from home-stand. Long days and lots of stress. Thank god for my iPhone and the knitting breaks or I would have lost my mind.

I’m going to ease back into posting and commenting, but it’s really, really good to be back.

Love,
SuperGuppy

finally got the photos off the point and shoot

Yes, it’s another pair of fingerless mitts from Weekend Knitting. These will be tucked into my brother’s stocking next gwfgwf. Nothing like getting a head start on all that holiday knitting.

Another FO

FO #4, originally uploaded by katken.

Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns in the Indian Corn colorway
Needles: US 10.5
Pattern: Mistake Rib (k2, p2 over an odd number of stitches)

This scarf was started last Saturday night when I went to the movies. The simplicity of mistake rib allowed me to knit throughout the showing of ‘Milk’ (Sean Penn was brilliant!) I finished weaving in the ends last night. It still needs a soak and a blocking as the yarn is a bit stinky and the scarf a bit shorter than I like. But it’s quite thick and will keep me nice and warm during the colder days this winter.

The pup and I are hibernating today. We ventured out for a walk in the Arboretum and some errands this morning and took our SP, but are now settled in. Java has her rawhide, I’ve got my knitting, and there is a beef stew in the crock pot. Life is good.

Stay warm.

second FO of 2009

Pattern: Darkside Cowl
Yarn: Alpaca Bulky
Needles: US 10.5
Mods:  worked over 72 stitches instead of 88
Ravelery details here.

I am on a roll!

Mom loved the cowl I knit for her riding instructor so much, she asked for one of her own. Luckily, I had another skein of the same bulky alpaca yarn. I’m putting it in the mail this afternoon. Appreciative Moms don’t have to wait until gwfgwf for handknits, they get them as requested.

Believe it or not, I’m ‘this close’ to FO #3 (fingerless mitts for my brother). And by the end of January I should finish FO #4, York. Only the top of the sleeve caps and the collar are left to be knit and then it’s a bit seaming and voila, an almost finished sweater for me. Almost finished because I still have to locate, and install, a zipper. I’ve never done that before, so look for some SOS blog posts in a few weeks.

first FO of ‘09

Pattern: Weekend Knitting’s Fingerless Mitts
Yarn: Cascade 128 in Black
Needles: US 10
Mods: None
Ravelry details here.

Started these for my BIL on Christmas Eve, they came close to being put in his stocking, but didn’t quite make it. The knitting was finished the day after Christmas and I finally got around to weaving in the ends yesterday. These have been tucked into the gwfgwf tote bag for next year. Now, to finish the pair I started for my brother….

a lovely day

The pup wanted to play outside, but I needed to finish de-cluttering surfaces inside. Much was accomplished – one big bag for the trash, two shopping bags of recycling, two computers (ancient laptops) donated, and one FO (so far).

I finished up a pair of fingerless mitts for my BIL. They’re also the first gwfgwf gift for 2009. (Yes, I am one of those freaks who shops and stockpiles throughout the year.) I hope to finish up Mom’s Darkside Cowl tonight too. So far 2009 has been quite productive.

tradition

Penitential Pilgrimage Crew (aka Guinness Pour Quality Assurance Team)
Ward’s Pond, JP/Brookline Line
January 1, 2009
(please excuse the poor framing – it was the best I could do with the gorillapod in the snowy woods)

For the past several years a group of friends has gathered for a brisk walk around Jamaica Plain with periodic stops at various pubs. We’ve all got such hectic lives, it’s nice to take at least one day to catch up with each other. Along the way, the crowd changes as folks drop off or catch up to us. I even managed to make some progress on the latest Darkside Cowl at our second stop.

No knitting yet today, I’ve been too busy continuing with the de-cluttering effort and playing with the Wii (I’m horrible but it is fun). Once I get everything put away again, I hope to sit down this evening and get it finished. Only an hour or so of knitting before the first FO of 2009.

Tomorrow I may head to Webs to catch up with some of the Sox Knitters from Ravelry. I certainly don’t need any more yarn, but I’ve never been there and it would be fun to meet some of the Sox Knitters. We spend so much time on line chatting with each other, it would be great to put some faces to the Ravatars. Only glitch (besides the not needing any more yarn bit), is that I am supposed to be on the South Shore for a party at my cousins’ in the afternoon. Not sure if I am up to all that driving in one day. I’ll decide when I get up in the morning. I like living on the edge like that.