princessdeia

In between the shopping, wrapping and decorating this week I have been working on my Scarf and Socks, I am treating this as practice run in being a two-project-gal! My aim is to have them both finished by the 31st, so I can cast on two new projects in the New Year. But which projects, as I am enjoying this sock/scarf combination I searched my ravelry queue and narrowed down my choices – and decided to let you decide.

For Socks, I have narrowed it down to # One Husband Socks in Knit Picks Palette (for Jason), Broadripple Socks in some NDS yarn, Old Shale Two Yarn Socks in Lorna Lace for my sister or Rainbow Socks some Opal yarn I have had in my stash for ages. (All link are to Ravelry)

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I was tempted to have another go at knitting the Flower Basket Shawl, but instead have narrowed my scarf/shawl selection to…
Ene Shawl in Knit Picks Shimmer, Print O’ the Wave Stole also in Shimmer, Short Row Rib Scarf in Wendy Fusion and finally the Wisp Wrap in KSH.

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Tags: planning, scarf, Socks

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When I got my first “real” job, I was really looking forward to Christmas, I was finally going to have money to buy decent presents for my friends and family, a co-worker and I took an afternoon off work and walked up and down High Street Kensington, looking for gifts, as we brought all our gifts in an afternoon, we decided we needed a treat and brought a present for ourselves. Ever since then it has become a little tradition that when I am out Christmas shopping I buy a present for me. Normally, this is an outfit to wear on New Year’s Eve, but this year I opted for something to wear on Boxing Day whilst visiting family.

In the panic of not having enough yarn to finish my Hourglass Sweater, I ordered two extra balls of Classic Al, however, they are a different dye lot and the colour difference is really noticeable, so they were destined to sit in my stash, apart for that fact that they perfectly match my new outift! As it is freezing outside I know I would need some new gloves to wear, as I cast on some Dashing Mitts. I am adapting the pattern a lot to make them shorter more like Fetching.

Tags: Gloves, planning

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Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL in North Sea (Darker Blue) & Rooster Almerino DK in Sugared Almond.
Pattern: Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts .
Needles: 4.5 mm.
Notes: Well, I did finish this sweater in a month – even I am shocked. I loved this pattern, simple stocking stitch on the round on large-ish needles. I think my love of this sweater was doubled with the combination of my Addi Turbos and the lovely soft baby alpaca/merino yarn.
Modifications: I made the Medium (41) sized sweater for the body, but found the arms to be too wide, so I cast on the next side down for the sleeves, I also found the length of the arms to be way too long (about two inches). As mention on several blogs/boards, I had to add several more rows of decreasing, I am not sure how many I ended up doing, I just kept knitting and randomly trying it on until it fit.

1. Hourglass – Hem, 2. Hourglass – Side, 3. Hourglass – Raglan

Tags: Finished Project, Hourglass, LMKG, Sweaters

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Yarn: Wendy Fusion in White Pepper.
Pattern: Entrelac Scarf.
Needles: 5.5mm
Notes: I modified the pattern to make this scarf a little thinner, I did the squares over six stitches and rows instead of eight, so the scarf was made over 24 stitches.

As for the yarn, as I mentioned before, I was upset with the colour of this yarn, I was expecting it to be more grey-ish, also I am not sure if it great for this pattern, I think you need a yarn with more variegations, maybe this yarn is better suited to a Chevron or Multi-directional Scarf.

Tags: Finished Project, scarf, Scarves

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Over the weekend, I finished all my Christmas Chores, made and wrote all my card, ordered all the final presents, I even started wrapping some of them. On Saturday, Jason, I and my Monkey Socks went to Alice‘s Knitmas get-together, where we enjoyed mulled wine, wasibi peanuts, mince pies and of course cheese. It was a good night Jason got to met the SEAAL’D knitters and partners. Then on Sunday we went to my MIL’s annual tree decorating party. It was good weekend, good food, drink and company, but not a Christmas feeling to be had…all I can say is Humbug!

On the plus side, I have finished all those little projects, I have been putting off (I just need to take photos and blog about them). To celebrate, I cast on the Midwest Moonlight Scarf from Scarf Style. This was the project from Farrah as part of the Mystery Swap. as part of the package she sent my some Clover Takumi Bamboo Needles, and I love them – they aren’t sharp enough for complex lace but perfect for the odd SSK and K2tog this pattern calls for.

Tags: Mystery Swap, scarf

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Yarn: Knit Picks Palette in Brindle Heather.
Pattern: Baudelaire from Knitty.
Needles: 2.5mm
Notes:I actually finished these socks a while ago, but never blogged about them, and as I was wearing them today (with my Belle Shoes), I thought I should write about them. This was my first attempt at toe-up socks, I had a little problem with the cuff being too tight – but I changed to a thicker needle for the rib and it was fine.

Tags: Baudelaire, Cookie A, Finished Project, Knit Picks, Socks

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Well, I am still working on the Hourglass Sweater, I have finished both sleeves and am now working on the raglan decreases – this should be finished by the weekend.

I have been thinking about my new year’s resolutions for next year – I think I need to stash-bust (it is getting a little silly, that I keep buying yarn). I also think I need to control my startitis for next year. I am need to become a two-project gal, I figure I will always need a small project for carrying around, a major project to potter on at home.

So last night before, starting this new exciting knitting life, I decided I needed to finish what is on the needles. Attack the projects hibernating the bottom of my knitting bag, finally weave the ends on the Entrelac Scarf, sew the sleeves on my Central Park Hoodie. I thought I would start with the Flower Basket Shawl.

Now, I loved this pattern, and I like the yarn – I just don’t think they would well together. I think the pattern will look better with a solid coloured yarn, as for the yarn because it looks like water I am thinking it will be better suited for a River Stole or Print O’ the Wave Stole. So I frogged it – one project down – five to go!

Tags: Hourglass, LMKG, planning, Sweaters, WIP

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Taken from my Livejournal – orginially from fangirljen

Step One
- Make a post to your journal. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fun (“I’d love an avatar/layout for my journal”) to medium (“I wish for _____ on DVD”) to really big (“All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.”).
The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.
- If you wish for real possible things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it’s your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.
- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your journal, or link to this post (it’ll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.

Step Two
- Surf around your friends journals (or just random journals) to see who has posted their list. And now here’s the important part:
- If you see a wish you can grant, and it’s in your heart to do so, make someones wish come true. Sometimes someones trash is another’s treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don’t want or a gift certificate you won’t use–or even know where you could get someones dream pure bred Basset Hound for free–do it.
You needn’t spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn’t to put people out, it’s to provide everyone a chance to be someone else’s holiday elf–to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not–it’s your call.
There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just… wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you’ll have the joy of knowing you made someones holiday special.

My List

1. A new layout/Friends only Banner for my LJ.
2. Twin Peaks Season Two on DVD.
3. Tickets to see Swimming with Sharks (again).
4. Anything from my Amazon Wish List
5. Handmade Christmas Cards – I always make our Christmas cards and I’d like someone to make me one.
6. The WGA to make an agreement and the strike to end. To help this, there’s a pencil donation drive happening that sounds really cool! (Wish copied from Jen).
7. Donations to Cancer Research.
8. Jason to get a job in London.
9. Our website to do well.
10. I dream of a new house.

EDIT: Comment with your wish list or to get my contact details.

Tags: meme

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