2 1/2 FO's

Check it out:
Jon's mom's scarf is done! We went to see Children of Men last Saturday (which I absolutely loved, by the by) and I finished it in the theater. Born in a movie, bound off in a movie, full cycle.
Yarn - 2 skeins of Patons Upcountry (100% wool, 78 yards) in deep steel blue. As a rule of thumb, I think that a good length for a scarf is roughly the height of the person who'll be wearing it. I used up both skeins with nothing left over, and it ended up being about 5' long (just a wee bit shorter than myself). As a general rule, I think that a good scarf length is roughly the height of the itended recipient (golden ration and all that), and Jon's mom is only a few inches taller than me, so it worked out ok.

Pattern - My own. Though, it's not exactly innovative or groundbreaking. It's a modified 2 x 2 rib with plain knit ribs alternating with twisted minicables. A left twist was made by knitting through the back of the second stitch, then knitting through the front of the first stitch, then pulling both of the needle together. A right twist (obviously enough) was made by knitting through the front of the second stitch, then through the back of the first stitch, and then pulling both off the needles together. So, I cast on 20 stitches and knit every row like this:

k2, p2, left twist, p2, k2, p2, right twist, p2, k2, p2

Needles - size 11 bamboo straights

In other news, I've completed one Bayerische sock and started the second:
I'm very attached to the completed one and have taken to wearing it around the apartment with my other foot bare and lonely.

And, I didn't post about this earlier, but guess what came in the mail last week...
....more sock yarn and knitting books! I got freaked out about the start of the new semester abd splurged. The take? Folk Shawls, the Vogue stitchionary of cables, 2 skeins of artyarns ultramerino 8 in various shades of red, 2 skeins lorna's laces in black pearl, 3 skeins of artyarns supermerino in various shades of green, and a skein of dk weight alpaca silk. Oh, retail therapy, how I love thee!

Year in review

So, I know it's been 2007 for about a week now, but this is the first chance I've had to really tally up everything. So how's 2006 been for me? Pretty eventful, I'd say. In knitting terms, I'm still a wee baby, as I started knitting in Novmember 2005. Just counting from January 2006, here's the final tally:

• I made about 10 hats (some for me, most for others)
• 4 scarves (1 for me 1 for each professor who wrote me reccommendation for grad school)
• 2 Clapotis (1 for me, 1 for my mom)
• 5 bags (2 for me, 3 as Christmas presents)
• 7 pairs of socks (3 pairs for me, 3 for others, and 1 tiny pair that will never fit me unless I ind my feet)
• 3 pairs of armwarmers (all Christmas presents)
  
• 6 nautiloids (for me and my friends)
• 2 cat toys (a wonton and a blue crab of my own design)
  
• 1 steering wheel cover and matching pocket for a car I no longer have
• And, last but not least, my very first sweater

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. I think I'm probably most proud of the sweater, since I was pretty convinced is was going to take me a good two or three years to work up to it. It did take me about 6 months to finish, though.

It was a pretty good year in non-knitting terms, too. I graduated college with a ridiculously intricate honors project under my belt and started grad school in my chosen field. I'm somewhat financially independent, and feel a little more like an adult. I drove around the country all summer with a finicky car that nearly stranded me in the vast, empty openness of Wyoming. I gained some weight and lost some weight. All in all, it was stressful and busy, but productive and ego-boosting at the same time.

And now for pictures of current projects!

_

I'm about halfway through a scarf I'm making for Jon's mom. Basically, it's a modified 2 x 2 rib with straight ribs alternating with twisted ribs. The twisted ribs are mirrored so they twist towards each other, which I think looks pretty cool (see in the closeup?). Because every row is the same, it's perfect mindless zombie knitting. In fact, the day after Jon and I got back from New York, we went to go see Apocalypto and I came up with the pattern in the dark during the movie. Ultimately, this was more satisfying than the movie itself, which mostly consisted of one dude running through the jungle being chased by other dudes.

I also started the Shedir hat a couple of days ago with this awesome wool and angora yarn I got from the Knitter's Anonymous destash. I had high hopes, but the yarn is too fuzzy and is completly obliterating the cable pattern. I'm going to frog it and try and do something that fits the yarn better. There's not that much, so I'll probably make a hat. Maybe something lacy? Or beaded? Who knows.

Meanwhile, I keep plugging away at the wee braids bolero. I'm just about halfway done with the body. Progress has been kind of slow because I hate the needles I'm using. I'm working with a 16" size 9 bamboo circular, and the yarn is sticking to the needles like glue. It also doesn't help that the stitches are all squished together because my bust size is considerably larger than 16".