He loves me!

So, I have finally finished the Lovemeknot socks. I had zero problems with the first sock. But then I got *smart* and decided that I would reverse the colors in the second. No problem... until I turn the heel. For some reason, I had a hell of a time CONTINUING the illusion pattern and getting the colors right after doing so.

But, I frogged back to the heel twice and they are finally done.



I used two balls of Knitpicks Palette, because these have been on my needles for so long that there wasn't black essential back when I ordered them.

Incidentally, I think I'm done with illusion knitting for a long time to come.



Whoa! Look! Hearts! And according to the mystic riddle at the end of the end of the pattern (props to Alice for always writing interesting patterns), Steve does, in fact, love me. Whew. And, because they are finished, Virginia Woolf will not haunt me. This is accurate because my days in literature classes are over. Whew!

Two meh FOs; still here for your enjoyment.

So, first up we have a scarf:



This is the product of three balls of Joann Sensations Thick 'n' Thin that I found on clearance. Oh, and Steve wanted to pose in an "interesting" way, so we have a stapler attack, red eye, and a little something on the camera lens. I used regular old stockinette stitch, no border or anything, to get the curl. (Size 19 needles, hoo boy, they start to look a wee bit phallic after 13 or so, don't they?)



This is the fabric that it produced. The yarn itself is very thin, faux-mohair sort of, except for these GIGANTIC slubs in it.

And no, I cannot imagine making anything other than a simple scarf out of it. Simply put, if anyone has tried, they need to be shot, because anything else could not possibly look good!



Last, and much more awesomely, we have Knitty's Cigar. I'm going to gift these soon here. Because the recipient I have in mind probably wouldn't hand wash to save his life, they are made out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease and some scraps of black. It was a pretty good pattern, I'd say...

Malabrigo love

Hooray! I finally finished my super-easy top-down cardigan out of Malabrigo (four hanks, but barely using the fourth). The color name is Loro Barranquero. I fell in instant love with the yarn at my LYS when they got it in because the colors all wound up on the hanks looked like fire. You know, fire in yarn form...



Next one is me (sort of) modeling it.



And a close-up of the buttons...



I found these buttons at my LYS also; I was going to go with something plain and boring until my co-worker there coaxed me into some that were a bit more interesting. They sort of have the same shimmer to them as Paua shells or something... except orange.

I did not change much about the pattern itself; the main difference was longer sleeves and longer in length in general. I ripped the bottom out twice (past the two inches of seed stitch) to add about four inches to the overall length. A pain in the neck, but if I hadn't, I wouldn't be happy with the darn thing.

I am happy with it, by the way. I bought the yarn knowing that it will sooner or later pill like a bitch and I'll have to buy myself a sweater shaver. Such is life. But it is SO soft, it is good even up against bare skin! Seriously, this wool feels like butter.

A lot of small finished things.

Okay, so I'll admit it, I've been gearing up for the Dishcloth KAL. Big time. I've had so many people sign up that it's almost crazy. So when I found out that two friends of mine were holding an apartment-warming party in three days, I knew the only appropriate thing I could knit in time was, well, dishcloths.







These are the three I whipped up for them in as many days. From the top we have the Garterlac Dishcloth, the Petal Cloth, and the Bubble Wrap Dishcloth. The yarn is Lion Cotton in salt & pepper. When they got them, it was rather funny; they weren't sure if they were potholders, coasters, or what; although trying to balance a bottle of Smirnoff on the Bubble Wrap cloth proved amusing!

I also had a friend request blue dishcloths because she liked my first couple. I've only finished another Garterlac for her out of pool blue Sugar 'n' Cream Ombre:



I've got to finish one more and make a hat for her, as well; this friend is Claire, the recipient of the green knucks and scarf. She loved them, and I decided that I'd make her a hat out of the scrap Silky Wool left from her knucks and Steve's; problem is, I can't find the black 2/3 ball of Silky Wool ANYWHERE.

I also made one more just for me:



This is the Lacy Mock Cable cloth, which incidentally, I think, looks much better in a solid color. Oh well.

Amusingly enough, my mom has caught the dishcloth bug and made some for herself as well.

In non-dishcloth FOs, we have a third pair of knucks! These ones are mine, all mine! I made them out of Atacama Alpaca in this awesomely obnoxious bubblegum pink hand-dye. So delicious. So soft. No embroidery seems right on them, either.



And finally, I made a bag for my friend's birthday back in May, and submitted the pattern to Magknits. The editor magically started ignoring me, so I'll take it it was rejected without giving me the courtsey to say so:





You'd actually be pretty surprised how well grommits and a chain work as purse handles/closure. I quite liked the look, myself... I don't think Lisa hates it, either.

Fiber fest & Finished object

So I had a pretty neat weekend; I went to the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan. New experience, as I've never been to one before.



What have we here?

A massive ball of hot pink and black roving, and a drop spindle. I'm trying to learn, but I seem to be pretty klutzy with the thing. Any tips? I'm new to this spinning thing.

Just in case I hate it, I have backup: two balls of wool from a vendor called Lamb Lane, in hot pink and green (green for my mom). They're 400 yards each, sport-ish weight, and were only $6 each!

Also we have 200 yards of a 50/50 wool/silk blend that feels like butter! I'm picturing a nice lacy scarf ALL FOR ME.

Yeah, I'd say I was actually pretty good and didn't buy all that much.





This is my clapotis, out of my birthday gift yarn, seven balls of Noro Silk Garden #205. I know everyone and their mother has made one, and I felt sort of like a sellout doing one, but I really like how it turned out.