Home again, home again

Well, Texas & I have survived each other.  No monster (14” long, 1.25” wide!!) millipedes this time, and our dear Princess T is thriving.  Miss A has had some setbacks, mostly due to being a teen now (and just a bit of a drama Queen? Maybe).  The warm weather has officially moved into middle Tennessee, so we’re sleeping with the window open.  The other human members of the Plaid Patrol did not cook any dinners while I was gone, but still managed to dirty every dish in the house.  That’s ok, they’re the ones that have to clean it up! 

Exciting news: I finished the Princess’ Bunny Hop sweater!  I got some heavy duty fusible binding tape, same width as the ribbon facing for the snap closures, used it to press on the ribbon quite firmly – and totally stabilized the fronts of the sweater.  Then measured & marked (Dog bless washable markers!) placement for 11 snaps, and pounded on those snaps.  Whew!  Such banging and bashing!  But it’s done like dinner (love that expression, thank you Stephanie).  I’m waiting on some ordered presents to arrive, and will ship the sweater to our Princess as soon as I can put them all together. 

 

(pay no attention to the dates on these pics; every time the battery dies the $&^% camera resets to a random date.)

I’m using one of my birthday presents from Sis, some Kertzer sock yarn in very parrot-y colors, to make a Cat’s Paw Scarf (Elizabeth Lovick, Northern Knitting).  I started another pattern in this and then found my copy was missing one line, so switched to this much simpler pattern.  Right now it looks like someone spilled food colors in a vat of cooked Ramen noodles….but blocking will sort it out.  I did get the Knitters Pride Trendz acrylic interchangeable needle set (Haus of Yarn ordered it for me J) , which I mean to use for swatching the Gramps Cardigan – as Dog is my witness, I will get gauge! – but I’m using the size 10 tips for this scarf.  It’s quite loose; mostly air with a bit of string run through it.  It’s been good travel knitting, since there are only 6 rows and only 3 have increases & decreases.  I've been working on it off & on almost two weeks now, and I'm still only half way thru the skein -- this puppy's gonna be long! 

Long overdue

I have finished the pair of Fetching Mitts I started oh ages ago! Couldn't remember how to do the picot bind off on the second one, so I just winged it--it looks the same as the first one LOL. I really detest the yarn, Schachenmeyer Nomotta Bolino! But these four balls were only $1 each at Threaded Bliss, way back when it was still Threaded Bliss. Anyway, I also finished another pair of Aunt Maggie's slippers, and cast on for yet another pair as well as another pair of mitts in the Bolino. No cables this time! For fun (!?!?!) the cuffs are corrugated ribbing, what a PITA. I'm glad the rest of the things are in stockinette, up to the knuckles, and plain 2X2 ribbing after that. I think the pattern calls for a thumb gusset, which should be interesting. So, the count of holiday gifts finished includes one (1) pair of slippers and one (1) pair of mitts. The holiday WIPS are a pair of mitts, a pair of slippers, four Grumpies (need to be felted),and one tall latte cozy to be felted. I still have to mail Dolly Blankie #2, and the books for The Amazing Abigail. I have two sets of metal bangle bracelets, which I'm thinking of using for bracelet bags for the nieces--but I'd really rather have plastic bangles for them. Depending on some financial footwork the Plaidman is supposed to be performing today, those plastic bangles could be bought this weekend. If the bracelet bags go pretty quickly, I may work a couple of them for office gifts.

Hey, y'all! Watch this! (Part Deux!)

Lookee, lookee! Brand new hand-knit socks! And it only took me 2 years and 3 months to produce these! I am so ready now to cast on another pair. Let's just have one more look, shall we: