Simply irresistible!

A few weeks ago, I went to Ariadne and spent an afternoon knitting with Molly Ann and Jennie.

Jennie was knitting a super cute Alan Dart toy (a sleepy hedgehog). The pattern was in Irresistible Gifts to Knit, which is filled with toy patterns from Alan Dart.

Now despite the fact that I've never knit a toy in my life, I couldn't resist and I ordered the book a few days later. And I got it today! Everything is SO cute! See the hedgehog! There's also a fantastic pirate, a very cute elephant, not to mention Noah's ark, Mr and Mrs Noah and a whole bunch of animals.

My favourite pattern, though, is defnitely the Yuletide Gnomes. Adorable!

So yeah, I've never knit toys, but now it's all I want to knit. I wish I didn't already have 162 items in my Ravelry queue because I'm about to add a dozen more.

(BTW, if anyone wants to order the book, I got it here for 11.95£ including shipping.

New yarn for your pleasure

WARNING: I'm going to talk about the May shipment of Lotus Yarn's sock club! Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled!

Ok, before I talk about the new yarn, I want to mention two patterns that I've discovered on Ravelry recently (thanks to the option that allows you to look at what your friends put in their queue!).

Numéro Un: Le Lapin Noir (Sorry I don't have a non-Ravelry link. If you're not on Ravelry, you need to get an account now!). Isn't it beautiful? I've never tried intarsia but this really makes me want to try it. And I'd probably use the same colours too, they're perfect.

Numéro Deux: B-side cardigan (non-Ravelers click here). This one showed up on many of my friends' queue so I have a feeling it's going to be très popular.

I also really like this pattern (here also), which I found on Lime and Violet's Daily Chum. Simple, yet very pretty.

Ok, so now I'm ready to show the yarn.



Pretty? I think so too. The name of the yarn is "The Clash" and it's 100% Superwash merino. I'm not sure which pattern I'll use with it. I think I may actually just knit it in plain stockinette and see how it looks.

Oh and is it bad that I can't wait till the June shipment already?

Shopping!

Yesterday, I realized that I had a gift certificate to Effiloché that expires on May 30th. So, what other choice did I have but to use it, right? Not to mention that I had to go to the store right in front of it to get a new passport picture.

Speaking of which: I know everyone thinks their passport pic is ugly, but mine truly is the ugliest! No one ever told me I had one eye so much higher than the other! It's almost on my forehead! Man! But oh well, the pic has been taken, it's now in the hands of the passport people (btw, fellow Canadians, don't you just love the new simplified passport renewal process?)

That being said, I'm sure you want me to get back to the point: the yarn! I looked at my Ravelry queue to figure out what project I wanted to knit soon that I didn't have yarn for. I found one: the Montego Bay scarf! I figured it could be a good project to bring along on a trip (aren't I the planner!) So I bought this beautiful Sea Silk:



It's going to be a beautiful scarf, let me tell you! I'm itching to cast on for it right away.

I had money left on my gift certificate so I also bought this:



Handmaiden Casbah. 80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% Nylon. It's going to be the most comfortable pair of socks ever. If I use it for socks. We'll see.

I am ashamed!

This is going to be a quick post because I need to go to work in an hour. Here's a FO!



Pattern: No pattern. Plain stockinette socks.
Yarn: Opal feelings, colour 1704
Needles: 2.25 mm bamboo dpns

I am very happy with them, they're very comfortable and cute. I just wish the brown sequence didn't go so long (it's actually a lightish brown, followed by a slightly darker brown, followed by the lightish brown again, but it just looks like a huge brown stripe).

That being said, I am ashamed. When I uploaded the pic in my Photobucket FO account, I realized that this pair of socks is only my SECOND finished project this year!!! The only other thing I've made in 2008 is a pair of fuzzy mittens (which I have lost, btw).

I know I had lost my knitting mojo for most of the year and there was a lot going on in my life, but seriously, two FOs by May? It's crazy!

I'm hoping to have #3 soon, as I have wound the yarn for Cable Net sock #2. It will probably take me a long time to finish them because of all the tiny cables, but I'll do my best.

Two FOs. I can't believe it.