Soleil!

Today is the last day of June. Seriously? I'd like for time to please stop flying, I need to catch my breath.

So the weather around here has been less than stellar, but we've had a few nice days here and there. We sure are hoping to see a bit more of the sun in the upcoming months because last weekend, Chris and I decided to buy this:



Isn't it beautiful? See, we have a great terrasse (pictured above) on top of our building. But we never use it because we didn't have a table. Well now we have one and we want to spend some time there this summer so we need sun (of course, the sun is shining as I'm writing this, but it's supposed to rain later today. We'll see).

Ok, enough about the non-knitting content. I have a FO to share!



Sorry I look like a butt on this pic.

Pattern: Parrotfish/Pomatomus hat by Kristy Pedersen
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in Vera
Needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm (circular + dpns)

I think it's a cute hat. It'll go to my aunt, who has unfortunately lost all of her hair due to chemotherapy. I hope I can give it to her soon.

Can't blog, Must knit.

Hey friends! I'm only taking a few minutes to update on my current WIPs. I'm taking advantage of the fact that I just want to knit (and plan what to knit next) all the time.

I cast on for the Ishbel shawl on June 19 and I'm loving the project, even though the yarn is not the softest I've ever worked with. I think the FO will be beautiful and it's all I care about.



Sorry there isn't much to see yet. I had to set it aside so I can keep working on the Parrotfish/Pomatomus Hat. My aunt is undergoing chemotherapy treatments right now and she's already losing hair. I promised her a hat so I must finish it. I'll probably be visiting my mom this weekend and I want it finished by then. I'm almost done though, I'll get to the decreases in a couple of rows.



Thanks to those of you who complimented my choice of yarn. It's Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock Multi in Vera. I got one skein during a Secret Pal exchange so I didn't have enough for socks. I'm glad I found a nice hat pattern to use the yarn with!

Startitis

That knitting mojo I've been talking about? Yeah it's back. I've been knitting like a mad woman these past couple of days. I'm getting ready to cast on for Ishbel on Friday, and in the meantime, I've been working on a hat.



It shouldn't take too long to finish.

I've been hit by startitis. I just want to start new projects. I need to control my self. I'm also sick with "Addittomyravelryqueueitis". I want to make lots of cute scarves and shawls even though I know I won't ever have the time to make everything I want. I even added a Christmas stocking to my Ravelry queue! Crazy. I'm already starting to think about what I want to make for Christmas gifts. I think I'm a bit nuts.

Oh... and startitis usually comes with yarn lust so I put in a small order with Knitpicks. Nothing much, just a skein of laceweight and two of sock yarn. I'm reasonnable right? Right?

Phlox that!

Pattern: Phlox socks, by Jennifer Lori.
Yarn: Biscotte & Cie Alexandrite (from Robyn's Nest sock club).
Needles: 2.25 mm (US1) DPN
Note: The cuff looks shorter on one sock. It's just the pic. I'm not really sure what happened there.

I think my sister will like them. Can you believe I have one Christmas gift done already? Woohoo!

Summer!

You know summer is close when Skeins her Way is having her Summer knitting goals contest!

I now consider it a tradition to list my summer knitting goals (even though I've never actually managed to reach all my goals). Anyways, here you go. This summer, I want to knit:

1. The Ishbel shawl, of course.





I'm pretty sure I'm going to use the above yarn (wool from unknown origin, that I got for free when Véronik destashed. Woohoo!)

2. Parrotfish/Pomatomus hat. I actually cast on for it this afternoon, using a skein of Lorna's Lace that I got during a round of Secret Pal. This is going to go to my aunt who'll be undergoing chemotherapy treatments this summer.

3. I'd really like to finish at least one of my UFOs/current WIPs. Believe it or not, I only have three things (not counting the hat) on the needles right now: Cardigan for Merry, Kiri Shawl and the Montego Bay scarf. I'd like to finish one. My money is on the scarf.

4. A pair of socks. I haven't decided on the pattern yet. Froot Loop, perhaps. Or a Nancy Bush pattern? Or Spring Cable? We'll see.

That's it for goals!

In other news, I realized that we can now organize our queue on Ravelry. How long have we been able to do that? I've been using tags for a while so I could just search "socks" when I only want my queued sock patterns, but now we have TABS! How cool! I have almost 300 items in my queue, so I need organization!



See? I now even have a tab for "things I want to knit soon" (Ishbel and Parrotfish are in it). Very practical. Ravelry is the best!

Ps/The Phlox socks are currently blocking! Pics soon!

Lace it up

So Ms Tara advised me to just give in to the lace lust and I'll admit I was tempted, but it wasn't until I got a comment from Robyn that I really got THE CALL.

Robyn casually mentionned hosting an Ishbel knitalong and I, not knowing what I was in for, looked up the pattern on Ravelry.

Instant. love. I want. I need. Must make now.

I can't fight it. I must give in to the call of the lace.

I joined the knitalong and will cast on on June 19. Anyone else want to join? You know you want to...

Twisted

Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post, I really appreciate it. And don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I like to blog and everyone who read it and comment are people I have come to really care about (even those of you I haven't yet met).

Blogless-Kate and Tara asked which pattern I liked the most in the latest issue of Twist Collective. I like Bernhardt and Uhura. I think Niles and Cleo are the cutest toys Jennie's ever designed (and she makes great toys).

But for some reason, I'm really finding myself drawned to the lace. Aphrodite. Artichaut.

It is weird considering I've never been able to finish the lace shawl I started three years ago. Maybe I should get back to it...

(And I know I promised pics last time, but I really am almost done with the socks and I kind of want to wait until I'm done with them to share. Stay tuned).

I've been blogging for a while

I just realized that this blog will be 5 years old in August. It's crazy! Everything I've ever knit is on there, as well as most of the yarn I've ever bought or received. This past year, I've been writing about non-knitting subjects almost as much as knitting ones, but it remains mainly a knitting blog and I hope I can continue to keep it for a long time.

I do feel, however, that I'm having a hard time keeping things interesting. My life really is pretty boring. I don't have cute kids to take pictures of. And I'm not a really good photographer in the first place anyways. I don't knit as much as I used to and I try not to spend too much money on yarn. So what is there to write about, I'm asking you.

Still, I like to keep the blog. I like the interaction. I like to get comments. I only have a few regular readers, but I appreciate each and every one of them (seriously people. your comments make my day).

All that being said, I am happy to report that I've been knitting more this past week. I finally turned the heel on the second Phlox sock and I frogged and restarted the Montego Bay scarf.

I'm itching to start something new, maybe because the new issue of Twist collective is online and filled with beautiful patterns...

My next post will have a pic of a WIP (or FO, who knows?).