Monday, August 13, 2007

Christmas swatching is in the air!

So after my sad, self-pitying Collins eulogy, life has continued. We have a sort-of new Collins in our neighborhood. Its not as good, and the bartenders are nowhere near as wonderful, but its a fun place to have a beer and it has the same capability to make people talk to one another. We've met interesting people on every visit, and best of all - they're neighbors!

Enough fooling around. Back to knitting! I placed a gigantic order with Webs (where did that bizarre name come from, anyway?) and it arrived last week, so I have been in yarny delight. I've also been winding a lot of skeins into balls...I really gotta get a ball winder and swift. My birthday is this week, but I highly doubt anyone giving me gifts even knows what a ball winder and swift is, much less would know that I need one! Except my mom, but I don't think she got me that.

So, my Christmas knitting list:
1. sweater for mom in Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool. Swatched all weekend, think I have settled on my stitch pattern. Now must decide sweater styling and details. Will post a photo soon (you've heard that one before! But really, I will, because I need input).
2. felted tote bag for my aunt
3. like 6 pairs of socks for assorted girls in the family - bought Tofutsies (silly name, right?), Shibui sock, Great Adirondack Silky sock (for a person whose taste is, lets say, different than mine. This makes it ironically easy to chose yarn for her, though, because I just pick what I personally like the least!), some Regia and something else I don't remember.
4. spiral scarf for another person I don't like. Using this weird sparkly yarn - but very excited to work this pattern. It will be good TV knitting, because mom's sweater stitch pattern is going to require some attention. Plus, it won't take too long and I don't like her enough to spend a lot of time on her gift. Am I awful????
5. Monkey cardigan for my nephew. Will this ever happen?
6. Hat to accompany scarf given last year - out of a bamboo yarn. Nice and soft, but splits like the dickens while knitting, and really looks bad if not taken care of.

But in the meantime, I'm working on baby gifts for my co-worker expecting in November. I will definitely post a photo of the darling booties I'm working up now. And I'm working on the Rossnyev cardigan for myself. Its been great, but since the sleeves are knitted in the round, not such transportable knitting anymore. Plus, I still don't have any place to block the completed pieces. I totally LOVE Koigu, though. Isn't it great when a yarn lives up to its hype?

3 comments:

Kathy said...

Hi! Just found your blog as I was doing some searches on Technorati.

My MIL Barbara gave "WEBS" our name. She is a life-long fiber artist, but weaving is her true passion. She started the business by teaching weaving and renting looms. It has grown from there over the years. When you are weaving, the interlocking yarns from the warp and weft create a "web".

Our eigh year old son Jackson thinks the name is not good and wants us to change it to "World of Yarn". He may have something there, but alas, there will be no changing anytime soon.

Thanks for shopping with us!

Kathy Elkins
WEBS

Stacey said...

Thanks, Kathy! Having you visit my site is the most exciting thing thats ever happened on it - and makes this perfect knitting day EVEN BETTER! What next? And now, I know the secret of the name Webs. Which is also my mom's maiden name (well, Webb). And is probably a big part of the reason I love spiders - that, and the Greek myth of Ariadne.

Stacey said...

Oops, I mean Arachne.