I Finished Something

I wanted a new ski sweater. I made a bottom up circle yoke sweater ala Elizabeth Zimmerman. I used some Noro Silk Garden I got from a friend for Christmas and the chart for Amy King's Fake Isle Hat. The black is Paton's Classic Merino.

The most surprising thing about this sweater is its amazing fit. I knit it exactly to my measurements without any bust or waist shaping. It fits great over my snow bibs and a thermal, but drapes in a lovely and flattering way next to the skin.

I'd show you some action shots, but I wore this sweater skiing on Wing Ski Day. I decided to wear it under my coat since it was zero degrees outside. Bad idea. There is a reason Americans call the sweat-ers. I actually sweat through my coat from skiing so hard. Then I froze all the way home on the bus. There is a reason they are called apres ski wear. You're supposed to put them on afterwards. Anyway, it's getting a much needed bath.

I love this sweater. It's my favorite thing I've knit in years.

B is for Beaverslide

B is for Beaverslide, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

The ABC Along is keeping me blogging. I love this roving. It's grown in Montana, it's soft, it's close to the earth...

I've spun two pounds of roving already. I'll post photos soon. I sometimes pick up this pink roving and give it a big hug. So nice...

Knitting Knightmares

I know that other people's dreams are boring, but I keep having awful knitting anxiety dreams. I reach for my needles and the tips break off. I go to the grocery store and the clerk is wearing my favorite sweater--only she's ripped big holes in it. Awful.

David and I are about to celebrate our first anniversary. We made it official on January 26, 2007. Since the first anniversary is traditionally paper, I'm knitting him a desk accessory suitable for an Air Force cop. Yup, toilet paper.

Why aren't you listening to Ingrid Michaelson--singer to knitters everywhere?

"The Hat" is a song about first love and first knitting. I'd recommend it to anyone.

A is for Alpaca

ravelry 002, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

I'm having a hard time writing these days. I've decided to join the A-B-C along on Flickr to give myself some inspiration.

I love alpaca. It's very fun and lovely to spin.

I met an airman (a female airman) on a snowshoeing trip last month and promised to knit her something with my handspun yarn. She has long black hair and I thought this snow white headwrap would frame her face perfectly.

Calorimetry headwrap made with my handspun alpaca...

Stocking cap

blog 004, originally uploaded by alexcateye.

I tried to knit Lacy Bed Socks, but the shaping was horrible. They ended up looking like the pants male gymnasts wear with the weird stirrup ankles. I unraveled them and salvaged a baby hat from one sock. I like it.

I plan to give it to a nonknitter at my church. I used my hand spun yarn. It's so soft. I hate to give handwash only items to new moms, but a hat shouldn't need too much washing. (Unless that baby is a real puker.) Especially a spring hat for a new baby. Sigh. Life moves on...

I'm still knitting...

I don't know what to do with myself these days. I'm starting a knitting circle at my church. That should be fun. I'm pushing forward all of the time.

I finished a pair of socks from the yarn I spun with Spunky Eclectic's roving. Ordinarily I am quite picky about personal cleanliness, but I have worn these babies three days in a row. I love worsted weight socks! I've never knit socks so thick and warm before. I live in Montana. I need big socks.

This was my first afterthought heel. Not bad. Not my favorite.

Pardon me, do you mind if I burst out of your chest?

I finished my Center Motif Pullover I started this summer. I wanted some mindless knitting and it was nice to get this done. I ignored the instruction to block the panel before knitting the sleeves and the sweater looks like an alien is about to bust out of my abdominal cavity. I'll post a better picture when it's done blocking.

This sweater has grown considerably with blocking. Yikes. It's still lovely and I know I'll wear it a lot because it's a big warm sack to crawl into.

Knit On

"Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises." --Elizabeth Zimmerman

Here I am, knitting on...

Thank you to all for the kind thoughts and comments.

I have shivered all of 2008. I could not feel warm knowing that my brother and baby niece were gone. Somehow, wool in my lap is a tremendous comfort.

I'll never really believe it

I keep saying it to people, but I just can't believe it. My brother and ten month old niece died in a car accident New Year's Eve.

They were just here.

I am so lost. I have never cried so much in my life.

Whew! That's over, too!

I finished the Swallowtail Shawl! It's right purty. I wore it to church this morning and my pastor kept grabbing the edging and telling me how beautiful it was and what a great job I did with it.

I'm starting a knitting ministry at my church. We are progressive, so we have a coffee shop next door and we'll be knitting there. I'm really excited. Now that I have the Knitpicks needles, I'm destashing a bunch of circulars and I know they will go to good use. I'm not going to get rid of my smaller, metal needles because I used them as blocking wires for one side of the shawl and it was way better and crisper than the other.

Whew! It's over!

That's me! The fat lady in the puffy, non-flattering, red coat. My mother is in the aqua/purple shirt. My grandmother and daughter should be obvious.

I managed to survive Christmas quite well. I got a ton of knitting related stuff that I really wanted, but didn't ask for. I now have a ball winder and swift. My yarn dresser is now full of perfectly stacked cakes of yarn. I also got the Knit Picks Options Needle Set, the sock yarn sampler in Warm, and a knitter's charm bracelet. I raked it in.

I love the Knit Picks needles. They are sharp, the cords are flexible, and the tips make a really delicate and pretty noise when they click.

We spent Christmas with my family in Havre. We visited my grandmother in the nursing home. Everyone liked their knitted gifts. My stepdaughter loved the footie pajamas (The red and black prisoner stripes--appropriate for a teenager) I sewed for her. It was just a lovely holiday.