Especially since September is coming in like a lion. A pissy, whiny, angry lion.

They're Cherry Tree Hill (my first!) and made by Miss Stricken Madchen (I think I parsed that correctly.) I've had them for a week an a half, but various events in my house have kept me from my camera. They are absolutely lovely, and I feel utterly spoiled.

close-up to show the colours

Thank you, generous wonderful sockpal! And your gifties rocked!

Labels: kal, socks, swap

My sock pal got her socks yesterday. Thank heaven she forgave me for not using cotton, as was her clear preference. Now it can be revealed that my pal is Allison, who was part of NaKniSewMo, my finish-a-thon last February. Fun!

Farewell, little socks. Have a good life. I'll miss you.

socks on film: the second sock strikes a cheesecake pose in sackett's harbour - or is that, sockett's harbour?

Labels: kal, naknisewmo, socks, swap

A delicious lacy confection in mouth-wateringly juicy shades of orange. I wish I didn't have to send these socks away. The yarn is the Koigu I bought during the fall TTC Knitalong, and though I wanted to keep it, no other sock plans worked out for this round of the 'palooza. Thus I gave in, grabbed the yummy orange and the trusty pattern (I hear the designer thinks just like me) and got to work. My housewarming party derailed my progress the week before the deadline, and so these socks are more than a week late going out. I hope the recipient thinks that they're worth it.

this is why I didn't take the pictures when I submitted the pattern.

Labels: design, fo, kal, socks, swap

The story is already told, but without visuals, it's so flat. All pictures originally uploaded by notanartist. Isn't she awesome?!

me & my spoils

resisting the blandishments of americo

isn't amy just the cutest thing going?

she's so tough, you'd think she was an artist or something.

clara is the most delicious baby EVER.

my reward for shoplifting

my reward for overindulgence

end of the day

Labels: friends, kal, outings

A hat for Hestia! I clearly like knitting for this family. This is made out of yarn given to me by her mother and with inspiration from Vogue Quick Knits & a d6. The Vogue hat was alternating bands of purls & knits, so I decided to geek out and use a die to determine the number of rows. The picot hem on the brim didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to, but that's ok. At least Hestia likes it.

she loves wearing hats, she's just not into being held in place

Despite swatching beforehand, it's a bit looser than I wanted it, which really makes it look like a flapper lid. Neat!

I love how the decreases and alternating bands turn the crown into a rosette

Labels: baby, fo, kal, stash

Remember when I was moaning about the UFO's that clutter my house? Well, yesterday when I was procrastinating marking final exams I cleaned up my stash area and was able to fill three bags with knit, unfinished projects. So I started a KAL called February is for Finishing or National Knitting Sew-up Month (NaKniSewMo).

So far three people have asked to come along. I'm very excited!

eta: 3 more have emailed! Eee!

I also have an addendum to my Knit Yer Stash Along Rules: I am allowed to spend unexpected income (i.e. cash from Grandma, money for food testing, a dollar I find in the street) on yarn. Cheques from the government don't count - it's my money anyway and it should prolly go to the student loan. But that quarter you dropped and didn't bother to pick up? Yarn, baby.

Labels: kal, naknisewmo

I'm a bit visually backlogged these days. The Boy's mittens, which were done in time for Christmas, await their closeup, as does Opera Sarah's flaming elf hat, finished last week. (I cheated on the gift-maker's code of ethics yesterday and test-drove it during a walk with Blake. It is G-E-W-D gewd.)

I can, however, offer one wee picture, and an observation. Observation: now that I'm knitting from my stash, I find myself digging really deep for inspiration. Not that I don't have lots of gaw-geous stash yarns awaiting their turns on the needles; in fact, I have so much yarn potential that going through my stash makes me feel vaguely nauseated with panic. The only thing I can liken the feeling to is my journalling, and how I feel guilty when I take an exciting trip and delay in the writing. Going though my stash makes me feel like I've taken a year's worth of trips and failed to even note the restaurants I liked or what colour of striped tights I scored. Some trips I've even forgotten altogether (hello, cheap Nova Gothic tweed).

But my core observation is this: I'm not only knitting from my stash this month, I'm knitting up my remnants. Left-over acrylic from my earliest days has become a storage issue and that Knitting For Peace book is a godsend; there are a million and one ways to use up my odds & ends of acrylic while feeling good about myself. The soft acrylic that I thought was going to hang around until I died is destined for the Hugs for Homeless Animals' Snuggles project. The bulky acrylic left over from my first scarf is almost completely gone, knit into a matching Scarf Rescue Hat (thanks to the Harlot for the inspiration & pattern), and what's left will also be a H4H blanket. The worsted acrylic? More bears for the Mother Bear Project, and through them, AIDS orphans & victims.

This is actually way more fun than I thought it would be. For one thing, it alleviates any guilt I may feel about Pre-resolution SEX (stash enhancing expeditions). For another, my stash bins are emptying, which means more room for the yarn I love. The only problem is that I'm knitting more than I'm finishing. I think I need a new KAL - February is for Finishing, maybe.

The other good news is that the latest pair of blue koigu booties have been photographed beautifully:

knit protection program

If only my yarn was as beautiful as him.

Labels: kal, stash

Seeing as my next major life-goal is to buy a house before I asphyxiate with irritation/shame living in my parents' basement at the age of 30, and

As yarn does constitute a major part of my soi-dit "frivolous" expenditures, and

As I certainly have enough yarn to last me through the next 9 1/2 months,

I declare myself a big knitastic joiner.

My Rules

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 8, 2007 and run through October 31, 2007. Longer, if I can take it.
   
2. I will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

   a) Yarn for Blake's projects does not count.
   b) I can buy yarn for a birthday project as long as the amount spent does not exceed what I may have reasonably spent on that present otherwise.
   c) If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project.
   d) Yarn for design projects does not count.
   e) Vacation yarn is allowed but must not exceed what I would have otherwise spent on souvenirs.

   
   
3. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
   
4. Knitting gadgets, tools, etc. are exempt.

Labels: kal, stash