Almost There

So much knitting has been going on around here in the last little while. I finished the knitting on my Mystery Stole. I have yet to get ahold of some blocking wires though, so here it sits:

Nothing like a lovely pile of knitted... something. I think it's going to look really great once it's blocked though. I've thoroughly enjoyed knitting this project and am sad to have it over. I was a little nervous toward the end. I'm always nervous about running out of yarn on every project I have ever worked on. As a result of this paranoia, I tend to buy too much yarn. This time, I stuck with the yardage recommended by the designer (Pink Lemon Twist, incidentally, check it out) and if you look at the top of the photo, you'll see what had me so nervous this time. Yeah. That's all that's left. Whew! Just squeaked it in. Next time I post this, it will be blocked. I might even be convinced to try a modeled shot. I'll think about it.

In the meantime, the weather (briefly) changed around here to a wee bit chilly. So I whipped out some of my UFOs. I looked at the Michael Kors one and was about to work on it, when I found a gross error in it which will require a great deal of fiddling, cursing and possible single malt scotch. Definately not television knitting. So I put it away again, and pulled out not-so-kakhi cables. And I finished the left front portion of the cardigan:

I also cast on and got to work on the right front half. Not too shabby for a couple of days knitting even if I do say so myself. I'm finding myself enchanted by this pattern again. It's really hard to tell with black, but the combination of cables and seed stitch is making me very happy. I don't tend to like cables with a lot of reverse stockingette, so this is a very good design for me. And the amount of seed stitch is fairly small, so I'm not going insane with the back and forth of the yarn. More on this in the not too distant future I think.

On the not quite knitting front:

I made stitch markers! Not too bad for a non-beader. I had no idea what I was doing, so I just used earring findings. I figured that they could work both as solid and split ring markers. Anyway, there are 8 of each style, and I like them. The ones in the middle were a pair of earrings that I had only worn once before they broke. Teach me to buy cheap earrings, but I was annoyed to say the least. Now they have new life and I feel much better about them. The ones on the right, could actually be worn as earrings. They're my favourite. I think I'd like to read up on beading and try again with something a little more complicated than this, but in the meantime. Woo Hoo, stitch markers!

Now back to some cabling and Supernatural DVDs!

Yikes!

Wow! So I was doing so well with my mystery stole. I kept plugging along, almost always on track. Now that the last clue has come and gone, the incentive to keep knitting is gone. I want to see it finished, but I don't want it to be over. Kinda crazy, huh? I have been working on it, just very slowly. I'm currently waiting to start row 188 of the final wing section. There are 193. The end is in sight. I didn't photograph it though, it looks pretty much the same as last time :) Next time it appears on here, it will be finished and (hopefully) blocked. I need to get me some blocking wires.

I've also been working away on a pair of socks for a very dear friend of mine. She asked for hot pink ankle socks, and I just happened to have some hot pink Regia in the stash. Sweet. Anyway, I don't think she reads this blog, but I couldn't say for certain, so those pics won't show until she gets them.

This all doesn't make for very good blog fodder, so I'll bring on the most recent purchases.

There's been stash enhancement:

Dale Stork sock yarn. 100% cotton in black and white. These are destined to be another pair of Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts for a co-worker. Also Tofutsies #724 - Foot the Bill. This is a yarn I've been reading a lot about in the blogosphere, and have been dying to try. I noticed this afternoon that in the September 2007 issue of Magknits, there is a gorgeous sock pattern using this exact yarn and colourway. Fate? Hmmmm...

There has also been library enhancement:

This is something I haven't really blogged about before. I usually prefer to get my patterns free online, because I like to spend my money on fibre, not books. I also am employed by a library, so I have feelings about borrowing books, not buying them :) But every once in a while a book is published that is so awesome, that I have to have it. These were not purchased at the same time (about a month or two apart), but I thought I ought to blog them both. Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel and Romantic Hand Knits by Annie Modesitt. With any luck, there will be projects out of these started before the year is up.

Other than that, there's been very little action in my stash. I've sworn to finish some things before I start new ones. That's a little daunting, so I don't count socks. As far as I'm concerned, socks don't count. Incidentally, neither does sock yarn. I can't be held responsible for what happens in the sock yarn department. I suspect it might be a little bit like Vegas. So on that note, I'll sign off and see if I can make some progress on a sweater.