Friday, September 14, 2007

Thank God!

Yesterday I was sad because I didn't have anything to say to you guys. When I got home from work, however, I decided to visit Knitty. I was plesantly surprised when I saw that they uploaded the Fall 2007 issue.

I know many of you guys are probably giving your personal reviews of the issue. I'm doing the same here. First I would like to say that this being their 5 year anniversary, this issue is pretty lack luster in terms of proclaiming that fact (unlike another certain publication that I do not really like right now).

The majority of the sweater patterns are flat out plain, boring, or too ugly to knit. However, I am somewhat interested in this sweater but it's not on my "I have to make that right now" knitting list.

What is refreshing is the amount of sock patterns. Many of the socks are plain to the eye but knit up in a not so conventional way (like this one and this one), which makes for interesting knitting.

However, one thing that I am completely in love with is this shawl. I think it is the best pattern in this issue. I can definetely see some KAL's popping up for this number.

Lastly, I just wanted to comment about this man's hair (you got to scroll down about mid-page to see it). I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIS HAIR!!! If only I were as disciplined as he to have my hair like that (I mean I cut my hair just so that even when I do not pass a comb through it, it still looks somewhat descent).

That's all for now. This weekend will be busy but I believe I'll have some time to knit this Sunday as I watch football.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Some Tidbits

So I had an especially wonderful weekend. Saturday I had to run some errands like grocery shop and things like that but on Sunday I spent the whole day knitting and watching some football! Here are some pictures of what I worked on this weekend:



I figured I get some Christmas knitting started with this wash cloth. I'm thinking I'm going to make several and then buy some nice soap, baskets, make some candles, and make a little nice homemade bath kit for the women in my life. Quick, easy, and tasteful.





Two scarves. Remember this scarf I was making for my sister this Christmas? Well I figured that it looked ugly so I ripped it out and started over again. The result is the Windy City scarf from the original Stitch 'n Bitch book. Since I had two different colors of Malabrigo that were within the red family, I figured I would alternate knitting from the two balls by knitting two rows from one than switching to the other for the whole scarf. Hopefully you guys can see the slight striping affect this made. This scarf is so soft, I wish it were for me! But I know my sister would love it and get some great use out of it.

The second is a chunky scarf made out of this stuff from Rowan. It's for me; perfect for brisk fall evenings and cold winter days. I love making scarves like these because they are quick. I used a stitch pattern from one of the Vogue Stitchionaries. BTW, there is another set of stichionaries that are ready to come out next month. I'm thinking of getting them all. Maybe not all at once but if I like one book, I think I'll like the rest.



Last but not least, progress on the Jaywalker socks for Auntie Dee. I'm about 1 inch away from the toe and I'm very excited. At the rate I'm going, I think the pair will be done by the end of this month or sooner. Which is perfect because Sascatchewan gets very cold very quickly.

Complaints

As of this writing, has anyone noticed that all of the knitting publications have released their fall issues instead of Knitty? Am I the only one bothered by this? Here we are already in September and Knitty has not updated its web content. I mean it's not like I need to add any more new projects to my queue but I still enjoy clicking through the website to look at the patterns that people have created. I did hear, however, that Amy Singer, the editor of the website, was sick last week, via Cast-On. But I would think that if this is her full time job, she would have a staff to depend on to ensure that the website is updated in a timely fashion. Thankfully those of you that need your new project fix, Magknits has updated and they have some pretty cute things to fantasize about and eventually knit.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

A Short Excursion

So I meant to tell you guys before I left, but with packing and all the craziness that a trip involves, I had no time to write a post. So here is a little recap on my weekend.

I went to a wedding of 2 friends of mine this weekend. They were getting married to each other in a town called Arnprior, about 20 minutes north of Ottawa, the capital of Canada and the home of this hockey team.





It was a very traditional wedding with a casual flair.









Afterward we ate, drank, and danced the night away.







All in all a good time.

Knitting

So remember I was knitting this boring sock for my boyfriend's aunt. Well I had enough of it and ripped it all out early Friday morning. Mind you I was almost done knitting the short rows for the toe on Thursday! I could have finished one sock and started the other the next day! But the mind numbing boredem I saw ahead of me was just too much to bear. I decided to make some Jaywalkers out of them. Boy am I happy I did. Look at my progress:



I'm already on the heal of the first sock and it's only been 4 days! I've made more progress in 4 days on this sock than I have on the plain ol' sock in 3 months! Now I am confident that these socks will not be forgotten because I actually enjoy the pattern.

Thats all for now. I got to unpack and readjust to the real world of work and drudgery.