Finished Objects!

I have some finished objects to share with you today!

First, here is the finished Tree Jacket in all its glory...I LOVE this sweater!!Second, I just finished these about 20 minutes ago, and have successfully updated the SAM 5 KAL and Ravelry. These are the Nutkin pattern from knitzi.com. It is a great pattern, albeit a little on the tight side for me. I even had to go up to a size 3 needle to make them fit, but that's ok, since I am a super tight knitter anyway. They do fit, and are comfortable, just a little tricky to get over the heel and instep. I used Dream in Color Smooshy, In Vino Veritas is the color. LOVE this yarn!! I have already bought another hank of it for a future pair of socks. I really love the semi-solid nature of it, and it is super duper soft to knit with.

In other knitting news, I was invited to join a new KAL (and it did not take much convincing, either!). This is the Sock Knitters Pentathalon 2008. You can find this on Yahoo! Groups. It sounds really fun, and challenging. The idea is that we will knit 5 pairs of socks over the next year. Each sock will be allotted 2 months to complete. The sock patterns are supposed to be challenging, which I am both a little nervous and excited about. It could possibly push me to knit socks that I would normally think are too hard. And, sometimes the methods for knitting them are specific, so it could also force me into knitting on dpn's, which I don't really like, and I knit my socks on 2 circular needles. I have just learned the Magic Loop method as well, and think my next, simple pair of socks will be done this way. But I digress. The first pattern comes out tonight at midnight! I am really anxious to see what it is! I do think that I am going to have simpler patterned socks on the needles along with this, just in case I get a little overwhelmed or frustrated! My next pair is going to be plain simple stockinette out of some Regia yarn I have stashed in the Kaffe Fassett self striping colorway.

I have also started a new sweater using this pattern. I am using Patons Classic Merino Wool in a slightly off white color. I am also planning on doing this in a V-Neck. Here is a picture of my progress thus far... (sorry its a litte crappy in quality!)

So, I am back on a roll with knitting and it feels really good! Once I get the pattern for the SKP2008, I will post a picture of the yarn I am planning to use...it's amazing!!!

Loosen Up!!

Well, I am happy to report that the mojo has been found! It took a lot of prodding, and a lot of begging, and quite a bit of immersion therapy, but its back, and I am happy! Here's what finally got it out of its hiding place....

I FINALLY finished the Tree Jacket!!! I don't have a picture yet to post, so you will have to take my word for it. Basically, I sat myself down with the sweater, and we had a discussion. It went a little like this: Me: "I will finish you this weekend!!!" Sweater: "Yeah, OK, Whatever!" Me: "Yeah, whatever yourself...I will finish you this weekend!!!" Sweater: "OK, well let's get crackin' then!" And sure enough, it was finished, not this weekend, but Monday afternoon. 99% of the finishing was accomplished this weekend, and then the final stockinette cuff on the sleeve was done Monday, and it was promptly thrown into a cold basin of soapy water, rinsed and blocked! Its funny that once a project is finished, how quickly a new project emerges from the shadows.

I looked at my Ravelry queue, and nothing really jumped out at me. I REALLY want to do the Central Park Hoodie, but I feel as though I would be tempting the mojo back into hiding with this project. I have knit very few sweaters, and all two of them have been seamless. The CPH is not seamless, and I am not confident enough in my skills as a knitter to try and modify it as such. I think I may wait to knit this for next fall, so I may start on it in a couple of months...we will see. I really like the idea of knitting a seamless sweater. Right now I am torn between knitting a sweater from The Incredible Custom Fit Raglan Pattern or the Hour Glass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Haverson. Both are seamless raglan sweaters, but the idea of using the cusom pattern gives a little more freedom with pattern and style...do I want a crew neck, a V-neck, a turtle-neck, a cardigan??? The options are endless!! And I am comfortable with the construction of a raglan sweater as well. So, one of these will be showing up quite soon.

But, like I said, the mojo is still easily startled off, so we are taking things slow. I started a new pair of socks in Dream in Color Smooshy (LOVE IT!). The pattern is Nutkin from Knitzi.com. It is a great pattern, easy to memorize, and looks great with the yarn! I have learned something from this pattern though, and it will be a good lesson to take forward with me on future sock knitting expeditions. I am a super duper tight knitter! I had this problem with Monkey, which I started out knitting on US 2, and they wouldn't go over my instep, so I frogged. Same problem with the Nutkin pattern. I think it is anything other than ribbing, and stockinette that causes the problem. I knit a pair of socks for myself on US 2 1/2's and a pair of socks for my mom on US 2's, and they both fit great. But once you introduce some sort of intricate-type pattern, I must need to go up a needle size to US 3's. In some of my other projects I have noticed that I usually use one needle size larger than called for, sometimes 2, and sometimes am still half a stitch more that recommended gauge. I try to fool myself that I could just loosen up, but once I get in the groove, it's too hard to loosen up...so I will try the next size up. I ripped Nutkin out after almost 2 pattern repeats to the hemmed cuff, and will start up with the pattern in US 3's and see what happens. I intend to switch to US 2's for the heel, toe, and sole of the sock for extra wearability. We will see what happens! This is my February sock for SAM 5.

Overall, the last couple of weeks have been good for my knitting mojo, and I will keep you posted on my next project selection! Maybe a trip to the yarn shop will help me decide!