Mystery Swatch

I made some progress on my new project. I dug out that yarn I had earmarked for it. Three+ skeins of this but bare, which doesn't appear to be available right now.

I wound some up and knit myself a swatch.



So, anyone recognize it? I wasn't sure about casting on but my lovely enabling friend Lisa convinced me and I cast the actual item on. I am through the first chart and on the second, making some good progress.

Anyone know what it is? It's kind of fun to keep everyone guessing.

Other than that, I really haven't done much at all. I tripped and fell on my knee last week and so I've been taking a break from spinning because it hurts to walk, spinning can't be good for it. I also knit a bit on my purse socks but I just haven't felt the need to really work on anything else. I'm having too much fun with this big project. I want to make progress while it's still fresh and fun!

Deadline Free!

Last night I finished the super secret project (don't worry, all shall be revealed in the fullness of time) and I realized that I have absolutely nothing on the needles with a deadline.

Sure, I have a few socks going but who doesn't?

I even finished my first purse sock.



Isn't it pretty? I just love it. I have even cast on the second one, although i didn't get very far yet. The pattern is Hermione's Everyday socks. It's a free pattern on Ravelry and I love the simplicity of it. It has such an interesting texture too. The yarn is Plymouth yarn Happy Feet which I absolutely love. It gets a tiny bit pilly but it's so soft and lovely and squishy! The color is the ever-imaginative 31210 or as I like to call it; Berries!

I have a few other socks going as well but nothing that really needs to get done.  That means I can knit whatever I want.

I may have already printed a pattern and dug through the stash to find the yarn I had earmarked for this particular project. Any guesses?

(I also feel like I may have a wicked case of startitis now that I'm deadline-free. I can't guarantee that I'll still be ga ga over this project next week but I'm hoping to get started on it.)

I should also mention that there is a temporary peace treaty between the computer and the camera. I can't guarantee it will hold but for now they're on speaking terms.

Shrug it Off and Knit Hexipuffs

Blogger has changed some things, I'm not sure if I like it yet or not but here goes my first trial to get a post written using the new tools.

I promised pictures of the new shrug and so, here they are.

 
This is the whole thing. It really looks like a tiny short sweater. I really think it came out pretty much just what I wanted. I like how long the sleeves are, I started the ribbing earlier than I should have really because I kept feeling like I would run out of yarn but now that it's finished, I really like how long the ribbing is on the sleeves, it adds an unexpected element. The one thing I would have done a bit differently had I actually had more yarn? 



I would have made the body just a few rows longer, maybe added more ribbing. Really I would have gotten more into a cropped sweater territory and that's not what this is supposed to be. If you would like more information on this project, check out my Ravelry Project page. I just don't have the energy to say more about it.

I have been feeling a little bit mentally worn out lately. There has been a great deal of critter sitting as well as tons of other activities going on and it just burned me out a little bit. I'm taking a little bit of a mental break. The only thing I'm working on that requires mental power is my secret project. The other project I've been focusing on?

Yup, Hexipuffs. I fell down the beekeeper's quilt rabbit hole. I actually bought the pattern quite awhile ago (in September of last year according to my Ravelry Library), pretty soon after it first came out and I knit a few but then put them away, I had too many other commitments. I dug them out the other day and started up again.

 As you can see, I'm actually attaching mine as I go, I think it really helps to make it seem less daunting and each one really does feel like a finished object. A finished object that took very little time and very, very little brain power.

So far I'm having a lot of fun with it and I feel no pressure about it. I think I will just work on it until I feel like I've had enough, then start work on something else. It's slowly growing though and I set it on my leg the other day while attaching a hexipuff and was surprised how quickly and efficiently my leg warmed up there so I do think it will be a warm little lap blanket or whatever it ends up being when I find myself sick to death of it and call it finished.

Please note these are the promised crappy cell phone pictures since my computer still doesn't like my camera. I think for crappy cell phone pictures they actually aren't that bad!

In Which Technology is Bickering

I wanted to blog earlier this week and share the shrug that I did manage to finish, despite not attending the wedding where I had planned to wear it. My lovely husband still went to the wedding and did a lovely job singing but I got to stay home all weekend. It was quite decadent as a matter of fact.

The reason I didn't blog earlier this week and don't have any lovely photos right now is because my camera and computer have decided not to get along. For some reason the computer (who seems to be generally crabby lately) seems to think the camera gets "all the glory" and refuses to cooperate. The camera gets fussy then and refuses to talk to the computer at all. (Really I think there's a problem with the USB drive and the cord doesn't want to connect properly but I think my version sounds way better)

Until I get this situation figured out, photos will be few and far between and when there are photos, they might be crappy cell phone pictures. I apologize in advance.

I did finish the shrug as I said and now I'm full on focused on the secret project anyway so I can't share that. I did manage to finish the first braid of the Grinchy project too so I am making some headway with that as well.

I'm going to try using the camera to connect to the computer at the critter house tomorrow but either way, I'll hopefully have a better update later.

Catching Up with Nothing Interesting.

The last week sort of got away from me there. I meant to blog, I just didn't have much to say and it kinda fell by the wayside as I rushed to get everything done that needed doing.

This week, I'm focusing on less and trying to get my brainpower back. I'm not sure where it went but it certainly seems gone. I think too many projects, all with deadlines including the ever-important taxes has gotten me completely overwhelmed and burned out!

I did start spindle-spinning something. As Kasha suggested in the comments, I pulled out some cormo. It's not flicked locks but it is hand-processed.

I bought a bag with 2 pounds of raw cormo last year at Shepherd's Harvest. It was cheap, $12 but not clean at all. I washed it and then picked a large number of weed seeds out before it could be carded. I used my friend's drumcarder and made a lovely batt, then pulled it into roving. I absolutely love spinning it. It's still a teeny bit tacky from the lanolin but I think that gives it a little bit more grip when I spin and I am loving how it's turning out. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, I keep spinning a bit, then plying it so I have tiny little balls that aren't very useful.

I'm going to stop that and spin all 2 ounces that are currently processed and then get a useable amount of yarn. I still don't know what it wants to be but it's a lovely white 2-ply laceweight.

That's my spindle in the picture there as well. It's a Turkish spindle which means you wind a center-pull ball as you spin so you don't have to wind the singles off the spindle in order to ply. I really like it. As a matter of fact, I'm refinding my love of spindling and I'm thinking I may have to find another spindle at Shepherd's Harvest this year. We'll see, they can get spendy if you want a fancy one.

I'm also knitting up a quicky project. This is 2 skeins of Caron Country in Peacock and they're becoming a shrug that I hope to wear to a wedding where my husband is singing. The wedding is on Saturday, who thinks that next week we will disavow all knowledge of the shrug?

Anyone?

Also, the yarn is much darker than this picture, I'm not sure what happened there but it's not nearly that bright and it's much more peacock-blue.

Other than those few things, not much fiber-related has been happening this week. Just too many other things going on. Hopefully on Saturday I'll have a shrug and maybe on Friday, I'll have something more interesting to show you.