Yarn Along and Busier than Usual

So it looks like I'm making this week's Yarn Along post do double duty.  It's interesting how, when I'm at my busiest, I have the strongest urge to craft, write and create. It's been hard keeping up at work (I'm a freelance writer with a steady gig for a great client) because of my nusing babe, and I've been using nights and weekends to catch up and stay afloat. (Does he really have to nurse every hour and a half? The answer is yes, and he has the rolls to prove it.)

When I should be coming up for air, I just want to make stuff. But there are kids to care for and play with, meals to cook, a husband to spend time with, and then I should be getting to bed earlier... I'm lucky that I have a husband that shares heavily in the duties around here. But I still pine for more free time. I know that someday all I'll have is time, so I'm trying to shake it off.  The creating is happening, just really slowly.

I'm coming up with a new sock design that is a women's version of my Handsome Men's Slipper Socks:

And have been slowly working on my first sewing pattern. You may have read about a silly little contest on my Facebook page to guess what the pattern will be, based on a photo of the pattern shape. Sally guessed it right -- it's going to be an owl lovey! -- and she will get the very first copy of the pattern when it's ready. Yay, Sally!!

Time to go rest.  And maybe knit a little bit.  Who knows, maybe sometime during 2013 I'll be able to release a new pattern! [I wrote this last night but posted this morning, oops!]

Happy knitting, my friends.

Kelly

Yarn Along -- Casting Off in Order to Cast On

If you're a more industrious knitter than I've been lately, you're going to think I'm nuts (or have a very short attention span) for getting so stinking close to finishing a hat and then putting it down and moving on to something else.  All I had to do was draw the yarn through the remaining stitches, secure and weave in ends!  It was so long ago that I can't even remember if it was before Thomas was born or after.  Maybe after.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

In my defense, I had put it down in a drawer that I never go in.  So.... there.  Yeah.  I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago, noted that the hat was in there (oh yeah, I remember this hat now!) and then promptly closed the drawer.  Wow, I really had lost interest. 

Just the other day I got an idea for a worsted weight cabled sock pattern and went looking for my size 7 DPNs... and found them in the hat.  So I sucked it up and finished the hat.  (You can see how threading the stitches onto waste yarn only to reclaim the needles would have been double work and a waste of time.)

And I'm so glad I did!  This hat is soooo silky soft, made of alpaca and silk yarns held together (yarn choices and pattern are listed on my Ravelry project) and the haze from the alpaca is warm and heavenly.

The pattern I'm creating is a women's version of my Handsome Men's Slipper Socks, so if you've been wishing for a pair for yourself, just hang on.  I look forward to knitting these again.

Try to ignore the fact that my Cadbury Egg gets center stage in the photograph.  And that it's an Instagram.  And that I Instagrammed a photo of a Cadbury Egg.  You get the idea.

Yarn Along -- Cupcake Mittens

Some of you might remember these Cupcake Mittens by Spillyjane.  This February it’ll have been two years since I started them.  I knew when I cast them on that they wouldn’t be done in time to wear that winter, but was sure I could have them done by the following winter.  But that winter came and went, and I was newly pregnant and had no interest in making mittens for myself.

Having already knitted a six-month-supply of baby clothes, this year I have no excuses.  I’m still not very interested in them, but it’s something to do during my measly half hour to myself at night.  

I’m more interested in the immediate gratification that comes with sewing projects, but 10:30 at night is not a great time to break out the sewing machine unless you really enjoy using a seam ripper.

Speaking of sewing, yesterday I announced the relaunch of my Etsy shop.  I now sell baby shoes made from woven wrap scraps, like Girasols.  My shop is now called Sew Sweet Studio and is open for business.  Please check it out!  Thanks, friends.

Yarn Along -- New Socks?

Even though I haven't been wearing my wool socks this winter -- I really doubt I'll be able to remember to not put them in the dryer -- I'm itching to knit a pair.  Rather, when I think about knitting, I'm itching to knit a pair.  Here's where I'm at now:

You can see I'm making awesome progress.

What are you knitting (or not knitting) these days?

Yarn Along

I thought I'd check in by way of a short Yarn Along post. Baby's estimated due date came and went yesterday, so now we wait.  Not like I haven't been waiting (and only waiting) for the past week or so for him to get here.

To make this boring time even more dull (I'm not exaggerating), I've picked up my Cupcake Mittens again, which I started in February 2011.  (Ravelry is such a great resource, isn't it? I didn't used to know how precisely old all my WIPs were...)  I'm knitting the thumbs and wouldn't mind it if baby came before all the ends are woven in.  Hint, hint, Baby.  The good news is I have a plan to avoid weaving in all 90+ ends in each mitten.  Stay tuned.

Apologies for the lame cell phone picture -- my real camera is packed in my hospital bag.  And so is my current book, so here are my husband's books.  They're apparently very good if you're into special forces/secret ops type reads. 

I just finished and loved The Star Garden, the third in the Sarah Agnes Prine series set in the Arizona Territory in the late 1800s/early 1900s.  They're the Best. Books. Ever. and I plan to own the series in hardcover someday soon.  I already can't wait to read them again, even though the story is still so fresh in my mind.

Okay, back to waiting!  Wish me luck!

Yarn Along: Starting and Finishing

While I wait for Baby #2 to arrive, I'm in a weird state of starting small projects (a pair of newborn socks, anyone?) and finishing a bunch of others.  And by finishing I mean a flurry of weaving in ends, blocking, seaming and sewing on buttons.  It's tedious work and my least favorite part of the knitting process... but if I don't do it now, I may never do it once the baby gets here.  And I already missed the boat with two sweaters and a pair of booties I'd started and never finished in time for Nathan to wear when he was a baby, so I don't want to make that mistake again.  (It's mostly the seaming that gets me, but I ask you this, how is it that someone who loves buttons so much hates sewing them on?  What a cruel twist of fate.)

That's mostly why I haven't posted a stash-busting update recently... it's hard to say, "look at all this stuff I've made from my stash" when it's a heap of unseamed, buttonless knitting with yarn tails all over the place.  But I'm planning a photo-heavy update for Friday, so please check back to link up your progress on knitting from your stash this year.

Despite all the finishing, I've recently cast on a pair of mittens for Nathan from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tots. It's my third pair from this book -- when these are done I'll have knitted a pair in all three sizes.  Baby #2 will get Nathan's hand-me-downs, but lucky Nathan will get a new pair every other year or so.  These are knitted with Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Toad and Jacquard, leftovers from Nathan's Milo vest and placket-neck pullover.  Don't the colors look great together?  Another stashbuster to add to my list!

I'm still enjoying James Herriot's well-written All Things Wise and Wonderful and am finishing up Dr. Sears' The Birth Book. Despite how long ago it was written -- and the fact that it was written by an M.D. and his R.N. wife (who gave birth to at least seven babies at home, I believe her eighth was adopted), it's full of the best and current information on having a natural birth in or out of a hospital setting and avoiding needless interventions.  I'm finding it even more useful and practical than Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth, which I also enjoyed.

Yarn Along: Big and Little Knits

I just finished Nathan's placket-neck pullover (Ravelry pattern link) minus the grafting the armpits and weaving in ends and I'm so relieved that it's not too big on him.  I did some major adjusting to the sleeve and body lengths to ensure he'd get more than one winter out of it -- and because the sizing is for this pattern is just plain absurd. 

The size I knitted for him, with a 25-inch chest circumference, states "2-4 years."  Um, that's a gigantic size range, dear pattern writer.  I measured Nathan's ever-lengthening limbs and just went for it.  And I'm still a little shocked at how well it panned out.  I wish I had a picture of him in it (yes, I tried it on him as soon as I cast off, with stitch holders and yarn ends dangling) -- he looks so cute in it.

I'm also finishing up a pair of newborn socks for baby #2, who should be here within the next few weeks.  The pattern is my own, and I plan to release it on the blog soon as a freebie, hopefully later this week or early next week.

After loving All Creatures Great and Small and All Things Bright and Beautiful, I'm enjoying the short snippets of All things Wise and Wonderful. It's perfect for my short attention span these days and the few minutes I can stay awake long enough to read in bed before turning out the light.

Stay tuned for the free newborn socks pattern AND and update on the 2012 Stash-busting Challenge (are you still in?).  I hope you've been putting a nice dent in your stashes, too!

Happy knitting,
Kelly

 

Yarn Along: Cast on and Cast off

This sweet little cardigan is the fastest thing I've cast on and cast off recently.  The pattern is Newborn Vertebrae and it was fast and easy, even with the motif I added from Knitting Stitches Visual Encyclopedia.

The best part is it held my attention, which is how I knitted it so quickly and cast off not too long after I'd cast on.  It's so typical for me to become bored and get distrated by another project, and I imagine the sweater's tiny size also helped.  Sometimes it's hard to believe I'll soon have someone so small in my family!

Someone casually tried playing with all the yarn ends I'd cut -- look at the look on his face!  Caught ya!

On the reading front, I recently finished One Thousand White Women and haven't had a chance to hit the library for my next book.  Does anyone have recommendations for similar reads?  I'm loving the Native American/Wild West/Pre-1900 genre(s) as of late.  Thanks for your recommendations!

I recently joined Goodreads and I'm still filling my queue.  Wanna be friends?

Until next time, Happy Knitting, my friends!

Yarn Along: Catching Up

Tonight I shared a photo of what I'm knitting and what I'm reading on my Facebook page without even realizing what I was doing -- Yarn Along!  So here I am with my first blog post in almost two weeks.  HEL-lo!

I took this blurry cell phone photo to help motivate me to finish some WIPs before getting tempted to cast on a new baby knit. On the left is EZ's Tomten Jacket for Nathan, middle is the free version of Newborn Vertebrae (with a colorwork motif from Knitting Stitches Visual Encyclopedia) and on the right is the inside-out Milo vest, showing all of the lovely ends I still need to weave in.  What a mistake that was, and not just because of all the loose ends -- these colors look hideous on the vest, but went together so well when I first bought them for Nathan's Sailboat Sweater.  Oh well!

All three are stash-busters.
I had also planned on catching up on some One Thousand White Women, but then my husband crashed the party, grabbed the remote and on came Deadliest Catch. Maybe tomorrow night.

What are you knitting and reading?

Yarn Along - Sweet Baby Things

After a few months away from knitting, I'm decidedly and happily back!  Especially because now I know we're having a baby boy, and I can choose the yarn and the patterns more wisely.

I'm almost finished with the Gift Wrap sweater in size 6 months, and I really enjoyed the pattern. It was so fast and easy (and seamless!), and I'm a sucker for stripes. I love the tone-on-tone brown of Lionbrand Fishermen's wool in Nature's Brown and Brown heather, both from my stash.
I'm in between books right now, but I recently read These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 and loved it.  It's set in the Arizona Territories and life at that time and place blew my mind.  The sequel is Sarah's Quilt; not as knock-your-socks-off awesome, but still a good read.  I've more recently read a few no-tears potty training books (potty training can involve tears?) -- do they count?

Next I will weave in the ends of the Gift Wrap sweater and search for some coordinating buttons... and see what else I can make from my stash. I'm seeing tiny, little fingering-weight baby socks in my future.  And a bulky-weight jacket to match Nathan's fall jacket, which is still incomplete thanks to not having size 10 DPNs or circs in my possession. (I almost couldn't believe I didn't already own every size DPN imaginable.  How is this possible?)

I look forward to writing a stash-busting update soon. Be sure to check back and link up!

PS. In case you missed it, check out yesterday's rant on blocking for my best blocking tips and instructions. They're finally out there for posterity's sake!

Yarn Along: Baby Stuff

I haven't written a Yarn Along post in a long time, partly because I haven't been knitting as much (see recent posts on sewing and embroidery), and partly because the stuff I've been knitting is all neutrally colored baby stuff.... and I wasn't ready to announce my pregnancy until earlier this week.  :)  So.  Now that the cat's outta the bag, I can start showing off all the bitty baby things I've been knitting.

First up is this sweet little newborn hat I'm knitting in Knit Picks Shine Sport on size 4 needles. It's Ginny's simple newborn hat with a touch of lace and I'm enjoying it, especially the lace portion.

I'll showcase some of the other baby knits soon, including what I made with that beautiful sunshine-yellow yarn from Creating a Family Home sponsor Brambleberry Yarns.  I hope you didn't think I'd finish an object knitted with such lovely yarn and not report about it here.  ;)

I finished reading The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse that Inspired a Nation, and I've officially classified it as the best book I've ever read.  It's an amazing true story that is so well-written it's hard to believe it's all true.  I look forward to reading it again someday.

Now I'm on to The Help, which I'm enjoying immensely even though I only just started the second chapter.  More on this book next week.  This one's gonna fly!

What are you reading and knitting these days?

Yarn Along: Finishing up and Casting on

This is my first Yarn Along post in a few weeks, and it feels good to be back!  (And knitting again.)  After a brief hiatus to embroider and do some sewing machine research (and to learn to sew -- check out my post on my first and sentimental sewing lesson), I finished a little butternut squash and cast on a new sweater for Nathan.

You might think it's a little nuts that I cast on a sweater for my son during the same month Spring will begin, but I have two theories that support my decision:

1)  It'll still be sweater weather for a while yet, and he can wear it as a jacket as it gradually gets warmer out.

2)  He'll be able to wear it again next year.  The size says ages 2-4 and the finished garment has a 25-inch chest circumference -- so I think I'll be in good shape.

If he grows like a weed this year and it doesn't pan out, I'll have learned a lesson, and hopefully someone else will be able to wear the sweater someday.  I'm still enjoying knitting it, and after all, that's why I knit.  Don't you?

The pattern is Child's Placket-neck Pullover and I'm knitting it in Knit Picks DK City Tweed in colorway Jacquard.  I like the pattern and I love the yarn, but that pattern really needed something.  It's a simple knit, which I wanted, but it's pretty boring as written.  And simple doesn't equal boring in my universe.

I was itching to knit some cables, so I did a bold thing, and by bold I mean potentially stupid and/or risky.  I added a chain cable from the book Knitting Stitches, and at the moment there's no way to know how it'll work out out when I get to the placket.  I might not be able to pull off a smooth transition and it might look comlpetely stupid; or I might be able to forecast how long I can knit the body to get a smoother join.  Or no matter what I do it might not look right... but that's a risk I'm willing to take in order to use my brain a little while I knit.

I guess the good news is that I can always rip it out and start over.  The sweater is clearly boring simple enough for that.  I resisted the urge to put narrower cables on the plain sleeves -- phew!  Wish me luck!

P.S. At the moment I'm reading an array of sewing books.  In a sewing-related post I'll let you know which ones are good for learning to use a sewing machine.  It's still too soon to tell! 

Linking up to:

Yarn Along

Last weekend I broke out my yarn swift for the first time and wound a ball of wool for a secret project.  So clearly I can't say much about the knitting, but I can show off the luxurious yarn.

It's worsted weight wool I had in my stash from Brambleberry Yarns and it's been dyed with goldenrod.  The color is called Sunshine and it's an intoxicating shade of yellow that seems to change in the light in ways I've never seen yarn colors change before.  Sometimes it's really warm and buttery, and other times it's cool and lemony, and other times it's shades in between.  Each one is lovely, and the yarn is knitting up so beautifully that I can't wait to see this garment on the recipient.  You'll get a more complete view of the finished object someday.

Tonight I hope to cast on a butternut squash for Nathan's kitchen set.  The apple and pear I knitted him recently are so sweet, and he actually plays with them -- a first for a knitted object.  Even if he didn't play with them, I like looking at them in his kitchen set from across the room so much that I'd still enjoy them immensely.  I can't wait to get started!  All three free patterns are from Linda at Natural Suburbia. 

I don't think I ever shared my pear finished object report.  The pattern is fun to work, easy to execute and knits up fast -- it was a real joy to knit and I highly recommend it!  The apple was fun, too, but for some reason the pear was slightly more fun.  Maybe it's because of its fun, really cute shape.  (You can see the apple in my 2012 Stash-busting Challenge graphic at the bottom of this post.)  All are great stash-busters.

Yarn Along

I'm writing from my special place, which has been taken over by knitting only for the purpose of these photographs.

I'm knitting the second sleeve on a baby sweater for my friend's church's mission. It's the mission's suggested pattern, only I modified it for sport weight yarn instead of worsted, and it's coming out a little bit small.  Okay, a lot small.  So a needy family is going to get a sweater that their new baby can only wear for a max of eight weeks, but it's something.  Right?  Right?!

Maybe next time I'll switch back to worsted, or find a similar pattern that's a tad less boring in its endless garter stitchiness.

The yarn is Knit Picks Organic Cotton in Marshmallow, and you can contact me for the mission's pattern (please consider making one for the Lehigh Valley Outreach Depot -- it's making an impact in my community!)

I'm still reading The Eighty Dollar Champion and I'm loving every second I savor the words and the story.  An amazing pick by my mom.

In case you missed it, yesterday I wrote an update post on our 2012 Stash-busting Challenge.  Check out a few views of my stash and see what I've knitted from it lately -- and link up your own stash-busting projects and WIPs.  I hope to post an update each month, so stay tuned for the next one!

Happy Knitting.

Yarn Along

As always, I'm linking up with Ginny's Yarn Along on Small Things on Wednesday.

Today marks one month on my winter shawl, and I'm not done yet.  (I thought I had a chance, okay?)  With less than half of the edging left to go, it should only be a matter of days at this point.  It's Aestlight Shawl in Knit Picks Chorma Fingering in colorway Midwinter, and I'm still loving the pattern and the yarn.  (And I'm excited that I'll have a bunch of Chroma leftover to leave in my stash -- more than one and a half balls!)  I can't wait to block it and show the power of blocking through photographs.  I know, I know -- am I a knitting geek or what?  But really, until you've blocked something lace (or a shawl), you won't truly understand how amazing blocking really is -- I didn't!

My other projects did derail me a bit, but it was worthy derailment, as Nathan needed a new hat and we just happened to have a few inches of snow over the weekend that he was determined to play in.  For hours.  Although the hat is perfectly servicable, I don't love how the top of the hat looks so I'll rip it out and reknit it soon.  I'll show some action photos when it's done and the top no longer looks like a nipple.  Yeah, I really goofed on that one.

My sample Sneaky Snake scarf is coming along quickly (it looks more tangly than it really is), and it's making me want to write a little colorwork tutorial or write up some colorwork tips, at the very least.  This project is great for someone new to stranded colorwork, and I love how the vertical stripes don't leave you with tons of ends to weave in like horizontal ones do.  I'm thinking about adding some of the tips to my Sneaky Snake pattern, so all this good info is in one place.  If you've already bought the pattern and can use some help, stay tuned for the tutorial!

Also, stay tuned for an update on our 2012 Stash-busting challenge.  I promise to have an update soon with a linky party -- get ready to share what you've been working on from your stash!  Thanks for joining in.

I thought I'd also mention how much I love reading your comments, especially on Yarn Along days.  I look forward to reading them throughout the day.  So thank you for reading and commenting.  It's great knowing I have such knitterly friends out there!

Yarn Along: Better Late than Never!

My yarn along post is way late, if you ask me. I've been battling yet another sinus headache, and last night wasn't the time to be squinting at a laptop screen.  That said, I still have the headache, but I'm front of my computer now for work anyway, so I might as well bang out the post real quick.  Sorry it's so brief!

Nathan's new hat (and a small amount of Sneaky Snake scarf knitting) has derailed my progress on my winter shawl.  The edging is going slowly, partly because I'm not able to memorize the 16-row pattern repeat and partly because if I'm too tired at night I'm afraid I'll mess it up....so I'm going rather slowly (for me). 

But the hat has turned out great!  All I need to do is run a tapestry needle through the stitches in the icord stem (I can't seem to knit a child's hat without an icord stem), weave in the ends and slap it on his head to see how the decreases have worked out. 

It's my own design that I'll save for when I write a knitting book...someday.  It's a large hat that he'll grow into, with an interesting stripe pattern that stays the same how matter how you fold the brim over a little or big(ger) head.

Happy Knitting, everyone!

Yarn Along

Although I cast on my Aestlight Shawl on Christmas day with new Christmas yarn, I'm really into the stash-busting spirit -- I've already dipped into one of my WIP baskets and finished the body of an organic cotton baby sweater for my friend's charity.

The Christmas yarn is Knit Picks Chroma in colorway Midwinter and I love the yarn, the colorway and the Aestlight pattern -- they're a great combination that I can't wait to wear all winter long.  Here's a close-up of the colorway:

I plunged into The Eighty-dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation, a Christmas gift from my mom, and I love it.  It's a true story about a horse that was rescued from the knackers at the very last minute; and although the title of the book seems like it's giving away the ending, I can already tell that this is one of those great books that you read for the rich story,  not the ending.  I'm only on the fifth chapter, but I'd already recommend it to anyone who loves and knows anything about horses.

For anyone who missed it, yesterday I kicked off the 2012 Stash-busting Challenge.  Thank you to those who signed up -- I can't wait to see what you'll make from your stashes!  For those who haven't signed up yet or want to find out more about the challenge, you can sign up and read more about it here.  I hope you'll join in!

(I'm using the challenge graphic and linking to the challenge each time I show something I've knitted from my stash.  I hope you will, too!)

Until next time,
Happy Knitting! 

Yarn Along & A Christmas Message

I'm keeping it short today, but wanted to pop in with a quick update.  (I'm joining in on Ginny's Yarn Along over at Small Things.)

Here's just one of the Christmas gifts I'm knitting:

This is all you get to see until after Christmas (sorry), since I don't want to give it away.  If you like cables (who doesn't?) and you like warm things that go on your feet (ditto), come back in 2012 for the pattern.  : )

I haven't been in this space in a week, but I'm rather enjoying my time away from the computer, both for work and for personal things, and I'm especially enjoying being in the moment with my family as Christmas approaches.

Since I won't be back here before Christmas -- or maybe even before the end of 2011 -- I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

In case you missed it, consider joining in on my 2012 stash busting challenge starting on January 1.  My goal is to finish all of my WIPs and knit from my stash for as long as I can in 2012, and I'm encouraging you to join me!  (This goes for any other kind of crafting, too.)  If you have a stash, let's use it up in 2012 as a show of resourcefulness, innovation, creativity and thrift.  I'll come back with more information, a graphic to post on your blog and maybe even a linky list for those who want to join in.  For more details until then, please read this post.

Happy knitting and crafting, my friends!

P.S. The photos were taken with Instagram for iPhone.  Anyone else using Instagram?  My username is kellypatla -- if you care to follow me, I'll follow you back!  I love seeing other peoples' photos.

Yarn Along

Over the weekend I cast on my final Christmas gift project.  It's the most difficult one yet, so I don't know what possessed me to knit it last.  I hope I can get it done in time.  In a fit of uncertainty I looked for a comparable item to gift just in case, but I couldn't find one I thought my gift recipient would like.  So.  The pressure's really on!

Since I can't show it or any of my Christmas knitting -- yet -- I thought I'd instead share two things. 1) My Finished Object Report on Nathan's Big Birthday Owl and 2) this amazing amazing hand-dyed yarn that arrived today from Brambleberry Yarns:

The color is called Sunshine Yellow, and as it sat in the car next to me on the trip home from the post office (yes, I opened it in the car) it reflected back the warm yellow light of the sun.  It's beautiful!

Cynthia from Brambleberry Yarns dyes her yarns and fibers with plants she grows in her garden and finds in the wilderness around her.  Does that intrigue you the way it does me?  This yarn was dyed with goldenrod.  All of a sudden I'm a sucker for yellow, but I've always been a sucker for blue, and she has some gorgeous blues and purples in her shop right now.  If you're in the market for new yarn, I hope you'll stop by her shop!

On to the Finished Object Report: Big Birthday Owl

Pattern: Big Snowy Owl by the Purl Bee
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Bare, Porchini, Hazelnut and Chocholate
Needles: Size 11 circular and size 11 DPNs
Rating & fun factor: 5 out of 5 stars

This pattern is clever, interesting and fun to execute.  What more could I want in a pattern?  I know, a finished object that my son will actually play with!  But really, I went into this knowing he'd never play with the owl.  It was 10 days before Nathan's second birthday and I realized that I didn't have a gift for him -- or even one in mind -- and when I came across this pattern I knew I had it figured out.  And I had an idea that he wouldn't really play with the owl -- yet.  Someday, sure.  All he does for now is throw him around or toss him out of the way to get to the more interesting toys.

But the good news is, the owl is super squishy and he gets to live in my house so I can hug him whenever I want.

Two things I'd do differently if I knitted him again:

1.  I'd use smaller needles so I don't see so much stuffing through the stitches.  The pattern calls for super bulky yarn, but I only had bulky, so I went down two needle sizes.  I could have gone down another size or two, but I didn't want the owl to get smaller, too.

2.  If I used smaller needles and had tighter stitches, I would have added a lot more stuffing.  I like how downright squishy he is -- I did it intentionally -- and adding more stuffing wouldn't have made him less squishy... but it would have stretched the stitches further and shown off even more stuffing than it already does.

It was a fun and easy knit.  I hope you'll give him a chance for a little (or big) one in your life.  Just make sure he or she is older than two.  :)

Yarn Along & Pottery Update

I must have felt like I had my Christmas knitting licked (I don't) when I cast on my Hitchhiker shawl.  I started it because I needed something easy to knit in between the more difficult projects, but then decided I needed it to wear to a holiday lunch with my clients and colleauges.  On December 9.  This is a very Yarn Harlot-y thing for me to do, and I don't think it's something I've ever done before.

I counted the points on this bad boy (the pattern says there are 44 of them) and divided by 10, which was way more days than I had left to knit.  Sure, I can knit 4.4 points a day, I told myself. 

Tonight I was going to write about how I look at my knitting glass as half-full.  I'm not one of those "when is this scarf going to be over?!" types of knitters -- I just knit until it's done, and knit quickly.  I would knit 4.4 points a day and then have a completed shawl in 10 days. 

Well.  Tonight I counted the points on my WIP shawl and counted only 28 points.  Gulp.  That's 16 points left, but 9 nights left in which to knit them.  This should work out okay, but clearly I didn't take into account the Thanksgiving holiday, work, and, oh, I don't know, taking care of a toddler 27/4!  Plus, as the shawl gets wider as I knit, the points take longer to complete -- there's no way I could knit four points a day at this... point juncture.

The good news is, I only need to knit 1.777777 points per day if I don't mind knitting up to the last minute.  Or maybe I'll make it an even 2 points per day and relax the night before the lunch.  And of course there's the Christmas knitting I'll have to dive back into after this crazy thing's over.

On the pottery front, I wish I had all kinds of exciting things to show you.  My teacher forgot to bring some of her glazes to class tonight (tonight was the last class of the fall session) so two of my best pieces will have to wait until March to be glazed and fired.  I'm totally bummed because they had to do with the inspiration board I have planned (peep the fabric I bought for it here).  Who knows, maybe it'll take me that long to get it together and learn to sew and piece the thing together.  I also ran out of time to glaze some of my ceramic Christmas ornaments, which I wanted to hang on my handmade tree this year.  Oh well.

And now I just realized that I can't show the few things I bought back from the kiln tonight because they're going to be Christmas gifts.  Sigh.  So I guess all I have to show is this one little doo-dad I plan to incorporate into my inpiration board.  Pathetic?  Kinda.

But after next week I'll be able to show you some of the ornaments I did get a chance to finish.  If you follow me on Facebook you already saw some of the ceramic snowmen ornaments over the weekend when I was glazing them.   The rest will have to wait until after Christmas, after all the pieces have been gifted.  I'll also have a bunch of knitting to show you post-Christmas -- I'm looking forward to it!

I hope you'll check out Rhythm of the Home's winter edition when it goes live on December 1 -- I'll have two pieces published in it, and I'd love to know what you think!

As always, I'm linking up with Ginny at Small Things on Wednesday.

P.S.  My Cherries and Champagne Scarf pattern went live yesterday in case you missed it!