...and I'm thinking about how I'm going to spend my nights at home this week. Thanks for the idea, Mum!

Posted by Molly at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday during some much needed time at home, I finished the 8th square for my log cabin blanket. I've been working on so many projects lately that this is growing very slowly, and in my mind I keep trying to cut down the number of squares I want for the final product. I started out thinking I would make 25 squares for a 5 by 5 blanket. But at the rate I'm going, I wouldn't finish that in the next year and a half before I move home. So more recently I started thinking that maybe I would make a 3 by 4 rectangle. But now that I have the blocks laid out on the back of my couch like this (they really brighten up the room!) I know that I want to make a 4 by 4 square. I'm halfway there, but that is not counting the mistake square in the bottom right-hand corner that I will almost definitely have to re-knit.

I thought I'd be moping around all weekend since my friends went snowboarding and I can't go because of the silly tailbone injury. But it's already noon on Sunday and as usual, the weekend went by too fast! A night out with my co-workers on Friday left me sleeping late yesterday, and then dedicating the rest of the day to a big cleaning/reorganization of the apartment. It's nice to change things around every now and then and this new setup feels good. Now my place is clean and free of dustbunnies (even behind the couch!), my laundry is washed and folded, I have fresh sheets on my futon and I even got to talk with my mom and dad for a few hours last night. It's easy to forget that these weekends in are always great. Tonight I am having a Veronica Mars marathon and dinner with my friends in the newly cleaned apartment so that should mean even more log-cabining time.

If I could finish one block per week from now on, I would be done by the end of April. Looking at my busy calendar, it doesn't seem like a feasible goal, but I'll see what I can do. I want that finished blanket on my couch for spring!

Posted by Molly at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Wearing my favorite handknit socks (Trekking ribbed sock, right) and working on a new pair (Koigu ribbed sock, left) is the best way to spend this Thursday night. I've been unbelieveably tired lately from my new 6:30 am powerwalking routine, so it's nice to have a night in to knit and catch up on the ER tapes that have been piling up here for a while (thanks, Mum!).

I've finished BOTH of my stripy Project Spectrum fingerless gloves and they have even been passed on to their happy recipient, but I was too lazy to take a photo before handing them off. Unfortunately, I think I cut all the ends too closely on the wrong side and I've been shown on webcam that there are little bits poking through to the right side. Oops! I'm sure they look very homemade (in the negative sense) so they will be back in my hands for improvement (and photo op) soon.

Question: After you weave in ends, especially on projects with oh-so-many of them, how long of a tail do you leave on the wrong side when you do your trimming? I clearly haven't figured this one out yet.

Posted by Molly at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll be spending my night with some chocolate, knitting and then an early flop on these new pillowcases that I got from my mom this weekend. Aren't they great? The pink one is my favorite. Thanks Mum! Hope everyone has a fun day (if you care about that sort of thing)!

Finished Project Spectrum knits coming soon--this might be a real record!

Posted by Molly at 06:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Just as most of the stories in my WIP parade begin, I started this sock long, long ago, with some fun and colorful Koigu that I'd had in my stash for a while. This Tropicana pattern looked fun and challenging, and it definitely proved to be true. But as fun and challenging as it is, I don't actually like wearing socks like this. I've never worn my beautiful jaywalkers out of the house!

So I rrrrrrrrrrripped it out and it became this. There's nothing I love more than curly koigu. I strrrretched
it out with my foolproof technique and next thing you know, I was ready to start on a new sock.

I'm using the "Sock Pattern to End All Sock Patterns" from knitspot and so far, so good! I really do prefer the toe-up sock because I can be sure to use all the yarn and not worry about running out, but I guess a little bit of uncertainty never killed anyone. Knitting this sock has starting to bring the enthusiasm back to my knitting, who would have thought!? I just can't stop that "one-more-row" thinking. I'm off to work on it tonight!

Posted by Molly at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I don't really have the time for knit alongs these days, but I couldn't resist signing up for Lolly's Project Spectrum again this year because I love the whole idea. This year there are more colors for every two months, and the first set of colors is right up my alley! I have always been a lover of blue and grey, and I just happened to be gifted the leftovers from my birthday present so I cast on for a pair of fingerless striped gloves.*

I'm going patternless on these and haven't decided exactly how I'm going to shape the fingers yet. After some mishaps with the fingers of my fairisle glove the other night, I'm thinking I might just knit a tube and cast off around the first knuckles. Though individual fingers do look really hardcore...

Oh, and HOORAY for staying on top of cleaning at home and lessons at school... I'm amazed at the time I find to post now that I'm finally organized. This is the life!

*I'm back into the routine of posting and have gotten over the so-much-to-knit-so-little-time worries (at least temporarily), so what's one more project?

Posted by Molly at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)