Getting Back into the Swing of Things

So, I've been a bad knitting blogger.  I haven't been updating my knitting projects.  NaNoWriMo has really kept me busy.  There are a whole list of projects I'm working on or have finished that need to be updated.

For example, the Sailor's Rib Cowl was started, I don't know, sometime in November.  It's knit out of Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool, the request of the recipient.  It's an incredibly simple rib pattern.  I was able to work on it while watching television with no issues.  The effect is lovely too.  Best of all, it looks warm.

Now, personally I wouldn't want to wear it.  That wool is far to itchy for me, but the recipient likes it, and that's what matters.  I actually liked working on this project too.  It whipped up pretty quickly and was thankfully over before it got to the point of being tedious.

As for the recipient, he can't wear it until Christmas.  It's the only Christmas gift I'm making this year, at least to be delivered on Christmas.  He's also going to be getting a hat and gloves, but I'm not too stressed about getting those done in time.  I'm done with holiday knitting, I think.  I don't need another reason to stress out coming into the holidays.  There's plenty of reasons to stress out already.  This is just one more thing I can check off my list of finished projects.

The next project was a bit of an improvisation.  I decided after making a beret for Bear, then the cowl, Bear wanted a cowl too.  I decided to use the extra ball of yarn to make one matching the hat.  It took me a few tries to get the sizing right, but it finally came together.  It's a bit big for Bear, but at least there's room to grow.  It should fit all the way into adulthood, provided it doesn't get lost before then.  I'm kind of betting in it getting lost, but I'm trying to be hopeful.

Let me tell you, Bear loved this cowl.  The only down side was being unable to do any kind of fitting.  I constantly got "Mama, can I wear it?"  I kept having to say no.  Thankfully, it did get finished, so that's something positive.  Now it's a favorite article, even if it's not yet cold enough.

Best of all, this little cowl now makes a matching set.  There will be no doubt who it belongs to because of the matching hat and cowl.  They're only acrylic, so they won't be warm, but they'll definitely be fine underneath the hood of a jacket.  It's just an extra little layer of insulation.

And I finally dragged out the Nutkin socks again!  I kind of rage quit on them after having to take them out a couple times and size them up.  I felt like it meant I had fat legs.  I think it really just means that I knit excessively tight, because I know I have small feet.  I may always need to size my socks up on needles.  I think I'm going to have to check the gauge.  Then again, I know I have a high instep, so that might be my problem.

Aside from the new technique on the cuff, this pair also had a couple of other new techniques.  For example, it used a new way to do a short row heel.  There's also a short row toe on this one.  It's all polished off with a three needle bind off, which I'd heard of but never tried.  Now that I've done it, I actually really like it.  I also like how the short row toe leaves plenty of wiggle room for my toes.  It's definitely got a nicer look in my mind than a traditional toe would on this sock.  It makes for a nice, strong boundary line between the pattern and the toe.  This gives it a nice, sharp look.  It's also unlike any of the other socks I've ever knit.  I'm not sure how I feel about it for a sock, but we'll see how it wears.  Hopefully it'll be as nice as it looks.

Finally, I have a commission!  I've got to knit up another pair of Snuggle Paw Warmers for Sable to give as a gift.  They've got this funky pooling thing going on.  It's not my style, but Sable loves them, so that makes me happy.  It just means I've got to get flying on these things if I want them to be done early enough.  That's the one thing I both love and hate about commissions.  In some ways it's fantastic because it lights a fire under my tail.  In other ways, I hate the time crunch.  I'm a procrastinator for sure!

This one is definitely coming out funky.  The yarn looks really neat, but it does kind of make the pattern disappear.  The good news is the pattern itself is more functional for the fit rather than something decorative (though it certainly is decorative too!  The color pooling on this one seems to be falling on the cables, which really makes them pop, and the ribbing disappears.  I'm not sure I could have managed that if I tried!  We'll see how it all falls out on the second glove.  It shouldn't take me long to get those flying off the needles.  I'm almost halfway done with the first one already!