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Fingerless Mitt Time

I made these while I watched Dexter Season 2 again (totally improved on a second viewing, btw), so I am calling them Rita Mitts after Dexter’s long-suffering girlfriend:

Rita Mitts - complete!

They turned out nice. I like the yarn. I like using the folded over cuff, they’re much stretchier than they would be with a cast on (like long tail or something) edge.

Now I’m working on some other ones that I’m calling Roadhouse Mitts (because I’m watching Supernatural Season 2) that are utilizing the bluebell stitch from Charlene Schurch’s Sensational Knitted Socks. The yarn is some weird stuff I got at the Webs booth at Stitches this year. I think it’s Kangaroo Dyer, but there was no colorway.  And it’s really hard to photograph.

Roadhouse Mitts

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Actually Knitting

So, I am starting to ponder gift knitting for Christmas.  In all honesty, I don’t really think too hard about gift knitting until December 15th and it’s a mad dash of insanity to finish everything up before Christmas.  This dates back to 2005 when I was unemployed and had no money, but totally had a stash! So I sat around in my dark little apartment in San Antonio and knit like a fiend.

Right now I’m working on something else, something that is not for me (I know, right? I am a selfish knitter, yes I am).

Purple Lace Mitt

Just sort of messing around with a pattern.  I’m working on the second fingerless mitt and am about halfway up the cuff. It’s the second time I’m started it, because apparently I can’t count.  I thought that I had cast on 60 for the above mitt, but apparently not, it is actually 54 stitches around. 

The basic pattern is a picot cuff followed by a row of eyelets, then the lace pattern (I think) from the Go-With-The-Flow socks from the Interweave Favorite Socks book. I kind of made up the thumb gusset, but it turned out right, so that works. I have kind of short stubby hands (thanks, Germanic ancestors!) so the hand part of the mitt is a little long for myself. 

The yarn is Pagewood Farms sock yarn.  I don’t think it’s any special line from them; I bought it at TKGA (I think) a year or so ago (whenever TKGA blew through the Bay Area, since it’s different every year.  It was at the Oakland Marriott). There is a lot of it – I may be able to get another pair of mitts out of it for myself, since the yarn sure is lovely.

Purple Lace MittAnyway, it’s coming along nicely – only took a couple nights of television knitting to complete.  There may be something to this fingerless mitt business. 

Other Christmas projects I am contemplating include two pairs of mittens and that’s pretty much it! My friends don’t seem too overly interesting in handknits, so they will most likely not be getting anything in that regard.  I wish I had more crafty friends.  Or rather, ANY crafty friends, haha.

So in other news, it looks like my high school class is actually going to have a 10-yr reunion.  During its 11th year.  Well, that’ s nice I guess.  There are a few people I’d like to see with whom I lost touch after I was done at DVC and moved 2,000 miles away.  Back in those olden days not everyone was on the internets (I KNOW, right?) so it makes more sense that you’d lose contact with people.

I am really sleepy.  I basically am going to go home and eat dinner and watch What Not to Wear tonight.  I am definitely not up for any Friday night shenanigans.  Not that I ever am. 😛 

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ARGH

When did it become November?

And OMG it’s election time.

I cannot wait for this shit to be over. And I’ve been having these horrible daymares wherein we have a repeat of the 2000 election where the counting goes on and on and on and oh my god, I am surprised I haven’t given myself a migraine.

***

To counteract my nerves, which are all over the place, I’ve been crocheting on Babette, which soothes all ills. I’ve been working on this project since March, but never blogged about it, but since then I’ve finished more squares:

Babette Blanket

I’m using leftover sock yarn, and I think you will probably recognize many of the yarns used. The yellow is from the Swallowtail shawl, the purple from Sarah’s waving lace socks, etc. I didn’t show the really ass-ugly squares, but they do exist. Variegated yarn is kinda iffy when you crochet it.

This project moves pretty slowly, as I add in new yarns when I finish a pair of socks. I want the old yarn to be interspersed with the new yarn, so I can’t really use everything up all at once. But, it’s moving along.

I’m also working on a pair of Popsicle Socks (rav link).

Popsicle Socks Popsicle Socks

I really like this pattern. It’s written incredibly well, and it’s very clever! I like how the pattern moves across the instep, and it’s my first Eye of Partidge heel. Much like the Lizzy socks, there is something to pay attention to in every part of the sock, which doesn’t make it boring at all. You can also see how the gusset decreases move along the bottom of the foot, which is new and different, at least for me. Very a la Cat Bordhi, I’m thinking. I’m knitting it out of Dream in Color Smooshy (yes, I finally got into one of my six or so skeins :P) and it’s moving along nicely. I started this sock before I even made the Lizzy socks, so it’s actually been around for awhile.

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And finally, I am working on another Nanowrimo novel. I didn’t finish last years, due to work stress and vacations and whatnot, so I’m giving it another go this year. I’m 5 for 6 years, so I think I can make it work (in the wise words of Tim Gunn) this year, though it’s a totally different story. So far, here’s my word count:

3470 / 50000 words. 7% done!

Hopefully I will be successful this year!