In which I am still alive...and knitting!

Prepare to clutch your pearls, everyone, because I am BACK. Sort of.

Apparently all it takes for me to get back in a knitting mood is super cold weather! All I want right now is a pair of giant mittens (I should probably finish the ones I started), and ALL the warms things to wrap around my neck.

I had started a Brickless back at the end of August, hoping that something a little less complicated would get me back into the groove, but seeing as it is now November, that apparently wasn't enough. But I did knit on it yesterday, and am thankful that the pattern is pretty easy.

The yarn I'm using is an old colorway from the Mean Girls Yarn Club, called "Hoity Toity" (named for Lady Catherine de Bourgh from Pride and Prejudice). I traded my soul purchased it from a club member who didn't want it, since it was from the episode before I joined the club. SO PRETTY.

Bad knitting, BAD!

My knitting is in a time out. 

It's a shame, really, because I was super excited about working on the Ripple Effect shawl, designed by my friend Rachel at Unraveled Designs.  I loved it so much when I saw it, that I immediately went out and bought yarn, despite the fact that I was supposed to be finishing my second Raphaelite sock. 

I had grand knitting plans, because my mom was having surgery and I was going to be staying at the hospital with her, and figured I'd have plenty of knitting time.  It was not meant to be.  Between getting her water, helping her adjust things, and talking to nurses, I couldn't fully concentrate on it, which is BAD NEWS.  I should have just stopped and played on my iPad, or read a book.  But no, Sam's voice was in my head scolding me about my lack of knitting, so I kept plugging away...and then totally mucked it up.  So much, I have to pull it all out and restart.

I was ticked.  So its sitting in a knitting bag by my couch and I refuse to even look at it.  Any of it.

We're supposed to have tea and knitting this coming Saturday, and I might actually bring a cross-stitch or something instead, I'm still so annoyed.  I mean...have you seen this adorable Halloween sampler?  Super adorbs!  [I am in denial].

A Tale about Knit Picks

It's been pretty well established that Knit Picks has awesome customer service, but somehow I was surprised when I experienced their awesomeness first hand.

Those of you who have followed me for awhile may know that I have a scarf project that has been on-going for decades, because it is my "easy-peasey when I'm not motivated to knit anything complicated/travel" project.  I cast it on in December of 2011, and I'm not even halfway done with the thing.

I'm knitting it with two colors of Chroma Worsted from Knit Picks, and while attempting to knit on it while traveling recently, one of the skeins revealed itself to be the most knot-filled, grumpy skein in all existence.  I am not kidding--I've used maybe 30g of the skein and found five knots, and two giant unspun/fat chunks.

Not ideal when one is on a plane sans scissors.

Knots of DOOOOM!

Since it had been two, nearly three years at that point, I didn't really expect anything to come of it, but I did send them an email expressing my disappointment and frustration, and suggesting better quality control in the future (I tried to make it light hearted and funny, but one never knows how things are read over the internet).

But because Knit Picks is great, they emailed me back and totally sent me a NEW SKEIN.  TWO YEARS LATER.

Thank you, Knit Picks.  You rock!  Now if only I could finish this scarf....

Tada!

On Sunday, I finished knitting my Peacock Shawlette (it spent overnight and most of yesterday blocking).

 

I ended up making it a bit bigger than the original pattern called for, because I got a gradient kit from Black Trillium Fibres that was over 600 yards total (the original pattern calls for 300-550 yards). I loved the yarn (my gradient was the colorway "Ice"), and once I got over my lace issues in the beginning, the pattern was easy to follow (especially if I made sure to have no distractions!)

Overall, I'm very pleased with how it turned out! 
 

Drat.

Obviously, the title of this post has likely clued you in to the fact that I didn't make the Ravellenic deadline yesterday.  This was not for lack of trying, because I power knit my brains out Friday, Saturday and even Sunday morning, but it was all for naught.  Apparently this is what happens when you pick a tricky project, make it BIGGER, and then mess it up at the beginning twice. 

That being said, I'm hoping to still finish it this week.  Nothing like a goal, right?

False Start

I managed to start my 345-stitch cast on for the Peacock Shawlette (I'm doing a larger version) on Friday afternoon (the official Ravellenic start day), and even spent some of Friday night casting on as well.

My Saturday knitting plans were thwarted by my mother and the art museum in town, but Sunday I somehow managed to finish my cast on and start knitting. 

Alas, things did not start well, because when I picked it up again the other day and purled back, something seemed weird, even though my stitch count was right.  Knitting across again, I had an extra stitch.  I brought it into work for Sam to look at, and she noticed weirdness right away and suggested I "read my knitting" back and figure out where/if there were other mistakes.  I tried, only to realize that something had likely happened on either the first row, OR the purl row, and I was going to have to rip it all back and start again.

So I'm in the middle of casting on again right now.  Likelihood I'll finish by the end of the Olympics?  SLIM.

Ready, set....

My yarn is wound, my notions and needles are gathered, my pattern is marked.  Let's do this thing. (On Friday, of course)

P.S. The yarn is from Black Trillium Fibres, and is a gradient set in the "Ice" colorway.