Happy Thanksgiving

We are hanging hanging close to home today. It doesn't quite feel like a holiday since we are not officially starting our Turkey Day festivities until tomorrow.

D and the Bud went outside earlier to burn off some energy and came back in with some videos including much squealing and laughing that just made me smile.



There has been a chill in the air that makes wearing and creating handknits so enjoyable lately.

Many months ago I purchased a sweater's worth Dream in Color Classy (in the same wonderful green as my Farfalle socks) after being inspired by KnittingSchoolDropout's Garter Yoke Sweater. I got started my own version in October basing my design on her photos and brief description.



Her pattern will be included in this next issue of Knit. 1 Magazine.
I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I am hoping that it won't make me want to rip out my entire sweater and start over.
I bounce back and forth and between feeling excitement for a simple and wonderful sweater that will get tons of wear and doubt that this blob of knitted fabric will come even close to my expectations. It is knitting up quickly... when I work on it. Other smaller projects seem to be taking my attention away these days.



One thing (of many) that has hindered some sweater progress lately is my attempt to make good on a promise from August. My neighbor bought a spinning wheel this summer, and offered me some of her first handspun if I would make something with it. There is nothing like being at the right place at the right time.



I love the blend of greens and purples. The thick and thin of the yarn needed a simple pattern with garter stitch to really show it off. I got about 10 inches in on the Yarn Harlot's One Row Scarf pattern - enough to know it was a great fit - before I got tired of the "lather, rinse, repeat" and set it down for some other knitting. Really, I only intended to set it down for just a bit. Honestly.
There is something about knitting scarves - they suck me in at the start, and then the black hole of the middle seems never-ending. (See also example B - I started this one back in June!) I think I am a milestone knitter. I need some progress points along the way, like heels and gussets and whatnot.
Well... the other night I felt some motivation to work through the black hole a little bit and am up to about 40 inches long after a few episodes of Doctor Who.
Half the yarn took me to 34", so I am guessing the entire scarf will end up about 68". I prefer my scarves right in the 60" to 70" range - so that will be perfect.




I'm still very much in love with how the striping is turning out even though I have been a bit slow on the finishing.

Evangeline

Try her on
She fits like a glove...
Evangeline, Evangeline
I think I love you

I have been knitting, a fair amount actually, but I am in gift knitting mode and thus don't have much to show on the blog. (If you are curious to know what I am working on, I am keeping up with my project info on Ravelry).



This past Monday was almost unbearable at work in my library. The heat for the school gets turned off for the weekend, and it takes a bit for the building (especially a big space like the library) to warm up again.
I decided I needed to do something before the next Monday (tomorrow), and I took a break from my various other projects, and knit up a pair of Evangeline Mitts for myself.



I'm in love with these mitts. I did not even want to wash/block them, because I started wearing them right off the needles and didn't want to lose any "wearing time" due to dampness.
I am glad that I did decide to soak them - I think it made the cable pattern fill out just a bit more.
They were still a bit damp for photos, but I think they will be dry and ready to go to work with me tomorrow morning.


Pattern: Evangeline
Yarn: Cascade 200 Superwash
Needles: US 8
Ravelry

These knit up so quickly. The only mod I made to the pattern was to add one extra cable repeat to the "short" version for a total of 4 instead of 3. I really like the look of the longer version, but I think much longer than this would annoy me from a practical standpoint - most likely I would always be wearing them with something long-sleeved.
If I made them again, I might create a thumb gusset instead of just the thumb opening. They fit fine, but it does pull a bit across the palm, and I did some work on the inside to minimize the look of holes at the sides of where the thumb joins.

Here's hoping it's chilly again at work tomorrow.

The Budlet Says Boo

The Bud got it in his head early on that he would be a ghost for Halloween this year. I'm not sure where the idea came from - but he was totally decided.

I liked the idea... as far as Halloween costumes go, a ghost is pretty old school and recognizable to those out of touch with kid's pop culture - you don't get a lot of "and what are you supposed to be?" as a ghost.



I wasn't ready for a mask over the face yet, so we went with for the face paint.


(Thanks for the awesome Wildcats sweatshirt, Auntie S!)

With a limited amount of time, I needed to make it quick and easy, so for the body of the costume I cut two big circles out of a white sheet, one slightly smaller than the other. I cut a neck hole and a slit down the back (closed with velcro at the back of the neck). I made a casing for some elastic around the neck and cut staggered slits up the two layers of fabric for arms and "flowiness".
I used a pinking shears on everything and left raw edges everywhere - that's just how I roll.



We trick or treated with the cousins again this year. The Bud had a great time running with the bigger kids... although by the end he wasn't keeping up quite as well.



One thing that slowed him down was that he was totally intrigued by the spooky contraptions folks had for decorations: bubbling cauldrons and moving skeletons. I was so glad that he was interested in how they worked and not fearful.

This morning he asked if we could go trick or treating again today. He looked out the window at 7 a.m. with a twinkle in his eye and said, "it's getting dark outside."



Thanks for all the great comments on the Minnesota - Darth Vader - Watermelon cake.
It still cracks me up just to look at the photos.
We met an adult dressed as Darth Vader while out last night, and the look on the Bud's face was absolutely priceless.

Happy Halloween!