FO: There's nothing like garter stitch squares for instant gratification.

Last week was uncharacteristically warm in London, so I was able to pull an ostrich over the fact that my children don't wear coats unless they have too, and certainly don't put anything on their hands! This past Monday temperatures were more "seasonable" and I decided it was time to bite the bullet and get something for the girls' hands.

Some fingerless mitts for Devil, in some lovely Koigu KPPPM that she picked out at Stash on our very first visit way back in June. Cast on 35 stitches on US 3/3.25 mm needles, knit until the "square" was big enough to fit around her palm (~5.75 inches) and sewed them up the side, leaving a gap for the thumb.

I never would have picked out this yarn, but I love how it knitted up. The colors blended beautifully in a range of gorgeous jewel tones. Now I want enough to make a sweater. For me.

However, at £10 a skein, that is never happening. Maybe I can make some mitts for myself instead...

Fall roundup

Looking back at my posts, I realize that I never did a round up for September, so you get a twofer for the last two months.

Knitting:
Aestlight (S)
Nemo mittens (S)
Seablue playmate (O)
Jack-in-the-box mittens (O)
Bramblewood vest (O)
Eunice (not blogged, but O)
Handspun mittens to match this (also unblogged, but O)

Spinning:
BFL Jupiter (S)
Norway/brown BFL for another Christmas present (S)
October, alas, was spinning-free

Other:
Remade skirt for moi
Two princess costumes, finished before the very last minute. Wiktory!

Update on the Christmas list, which has undergone some revision:

4 pairs of mittens - 2 pairs down, 2 to go
2 pairs fingerless mitts - 1 pair started, to be gifted early
2 pairs felted clogs - these are a last minute deal
At least two hats - this has turned into three hats, but only one is in fingering weight and taking forever.
Added to the list: my Albatross, aka Veil of Isis, is destined as a gift. I'm on row 27 of 31 of the edging so the train is barreling down the tunnel. I also need something for Ironman. Who knows what that will be. But I don't think anyone is getting socks.

Oooof.

Status update

Well, the good news is that I seem to have broken my standard Halloween pattern, in so much as it is October 29th, and I have two small, un-frillified princess dresses sitting on my dining room table. I have also discovered that I seem to have retained some of the sewing instruction passed down from my mother since I was able to completely wing a "pattern", and cut out these things on the fly.

So, tonight is for putting on ribbons and flowers and other crap. Boo has been invited to wear her costume to school tomorrow, so I need to find a pale blue headband for her to lose as soon as possible.

Unfortunately my other deadline project is still 60+ rows from completion. Lovely yarn, lovely pattern, and they actually fit me, but it may be a rough haul to the finish line.

And just a warning: next month's blogging will be intermittent at best. Not only do I have lots of unbloggable sooper secret Christmas knitting, but I've also taken complete leave of my senses and signed up for this again. Last participated in 2004 before Devil was born, and for some reason, this seemed like the year to start back up again.

Stop looking at me like that!

Hey look! It's the last week in October again!

And y'all know what that means...

This year's costume requests lean heavily towards Disney princesses - Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella to be exact. Devil and I went out fabric store hunting last week, and made it back with all the supplies we need (I hope). We'll ignore the fact that, with the exchange rate, it was over $50 worth of stuff. Yikes!

Anywho...knitting and spinning are on hiatus until these two beauties are finished. The Brits don't really do Trick or Treating, but Boo has been invited to wear her costume to nursery on Friday, so at least one has to be done by then.

FO: It's not a V neck!

It is, however, blue. A step forward however...

Pattern: Bramblewood Vest, by Christina Wall
Yarn: Some random, recycled from a Goodwill sweater, navy yarn. I had 750 yds/300 gr, and I used ~670/268 gr.
Needles: US8/5.0 mm for body and bottom I cord edging, US 6/4.0 mm for arm and neck I cord edging.
Gauge: 4.25 sts/7 rows per inch, slightly tighter then recommended (4 sts/6 rows)
Start/finish: 7 Oct - 19 Oct 2009
Comments/mods: First off, the yarn. I have no idea what this stuff is, but it could be Cascade 220? Hard for me to say, since I've never knit anything with Cascade. Relatively coarse, 4 ply worsted weight, in dark dark navy blue. It was fine to knit with - the cable came out great - but my fingers got really really sore on the tips. The only thing I can really pinpoint as a potential culprit is the coarseness of the yarn. Perhaps I'm becoming a delicate lily of the valley in my old age, but this is a first! So, the yarn worked well, and was cheap, but I'm not sorry I'm done knitting with it. And the few balls I have left over will become...maybe nothing.

The pattern was a fun, quick knit. Top down, which is my new fave, mini-raglan seams, fairly mindless, but with a cable every so often to keep you on your toes.

This was my first I cord edging, and I really like how it turned out. What a nice option for finishing off an edge.

I didn't block this very emphatically. Just soaked it in some warm water and Soak, and laid flat to dry, smoothing it out to even out some of the stitches. I suspect that I could have gotten stitch gauge if I'd pushed it a bit, but it's fine as it is. A hard color to photograph in October in London, but it's a cosy vest that is going to see quite a bit of use.