What a blast we had at Chatters Saturday night!  Whee!  I hadn’t put anything at all in my Ravelry queue for fear that I’d feel pressured to make things.  The group explained to me that the queue could simply be used to keep track of interesting things so that they were easy to find later on.

Aha!

So I spent a good deal of yesterday going through hats and adding some to my queue :)  I’m certain there will be more searching and queuing today!

On the skinny scarf front, I did complete one…

This is Paton’s One Skein Crochet Scarf and the pattern is free.  You may have to register at the site to get access but this involves nothing more than setting a user name and password - no big deal :)

It was really, really fast - maybe 2 hours all together - and it’s quite pretty.  I used some Lionbrand Cotton Ease that the marvelous Bron sent me as a contest prize a while back.  I hadn’t used it before and was surprised at how nice it was - works up well, frogs well (a necessity, I’m afraid, when it’s me doing the crocheting) and has a luscious, velvety feel.  Very nice!  I will, of course, want a hat to go with :)

And, I started another scarf…

...at the suggestion of the inimitable and creative Susan who thought an adaptation of the Harlot’s One Row Handspun Scarf might work.  She was right :) This scarf is only 12 stitches wide - about 2.5” and is coming along rapidly (Caron Simply Soft and size 8 US (4.00 mm) needles, if you’re curious).  I got to about 40” yesterday, but wasn’t working exclusively on it so it isn’t quite finished yet.  It will also have a hat to coordinate and I think I already know what I’m going to do for that one :)

The sock thing has, maybe, crystallized a little for me, thanks to Rob who has just finished a pair of simple stockinette socks out of Claudia handpaint.  I have generally eschewed stockinette socks because I don’t want wrinkles or bags or slouchiness.  On the other hand - what could be better for house socks?  Comfort on the hoof - literally!  So I think that’s going onto the agenda - plain and simple, comfort and color - what could be better?

The lace thing is still hovering in the periphery of my attention, not defining itself or getting any clearer.  But it did sit up and pay attention to Ev’s Evolution Shawl - an extraordinary piece of lace work.  As if that weren’t enough, Ev has kindly made the pattern available for free.  See her sidebar under “My Patterns”.

It is brilliantly sunny today - a nice change from yesterday’s intermittent white-out conditions and I believe last night was the coldest night we’ve had this winter so far.  When I woke up this morning, it was 55ºF in the living room!  We like it cool - but not quite that cool!

Stay warm everybody :)

Well, not a lot got done this week :)  I did a little more on the shawl, a little more on the blanket and have been perusing the net for hat (something besides watch caps and their variations) and skinny scarf patterns.  I borrowed one of Myria’s (scarves) a while back and really liked it - therefore I need to make some of my own :)  Actually, I’d like to make hat and scarf sets.  I’m still working that out in my head but it doesn’t seem like it should be terribly difficult.

We got ice and sleet on Wednesday and snow on top of that yesterday.  In fact the temperatures are lower than they’ve been for quite a while and there’s more snow floating down as I type.  It sure does look like winter out there but I’m betting on an early spring - just kind of feels that way somehow.

Dad is off on his 4th or 5th trip through the Panama Canal, a nice long cruise.  He’s spending a few days with his brother (my Uncle Howie) in Florida before the ship departs and I hope he has a wonderful time. 

See the “Knitting Chatter” button on the side bar for more information.

Chatters is on for tomorrow evening - hope to see you there!

I’m a little late today because of lots of morning running around and shopping - groceries, not fun stuff :)  There probably won’t be a post on Wednesday because I’m getting the works tomorrow and am not going to feel up to much for a couple of days.  C’est la vie :)

But this is what I’m working on :)

Finally, I just couldn’t leave the Manos alone and so I sat down and decided how I wanted to use the colors I have.  I decided that I need another “house” shawl because the Zen Garden Stole needs washing and I don’t want to be without a source of good, wool warmth while it dries.  Besides, I have to be honest here (and selfish) - I wanted something for myself out of this yarn.  I didn’t want to give it away.

So I evolved this procedure.

Cast on 7 stitches (first and last stitches are a slipped selvedge).  Increase at the beginning, on either side of the middle stitch and at the end on every right-side row.  Knit in garter stitch for 16 rows.  Purl the next wrong-side row.  Repeat until first color is used up.  Join second color (I spliced the yarn ends - I don’t want to lose a millimeter of this stuff!) and purl the next wrong-side row - then continue with the 16 rows of garter, purl next wrong-side row.

It’s making nice wide bands and I rather like the look.  Each color will be worked straight through and, of course, as the shawl widens, the color bands will narrow.  I’m very curious to see what it will look like at the end.

I’m having fun with it and got through the first and into the second color over the weekend.  I also, however, ran out of room on my size 10 US (5.75 mm) circular.  So. For now, I’ve got it on two circulars (do-able but awkward) and am waiting for a delivery of Knitpicks Options needles in sizes 9 US (5.25 mm) and 10.  I have longer cables for the Options needles so that will solve my problem and add to my set.  I love these needles and slowly, I find that I’m trying to knit everything on them.  Except for socks.  I’m still using my old aluminum double-points for those :)

A couple of colors have been added to the second panel of the blanket - the green, which I’ve talked about before, and the rest of the blue that I made the Horcrux socks out of plus a previously dyed strand of fingering weight.  I admit all these colors are going to look positively “chirpy” but I think I’m going to like that :)

Finally, I’m working on these…

...and I think of them as my Saturday-night-at-Chatters project because that’s when I work on them :)  They are mitts and I’m so nearly finished with the first one here that I may go ahead and complete it before next Saturday evening!  I’ll save the Saturday spot for casting on the second glove :)

In addition to this, I find I’ve been thinking about two other things - lace and socks.  I have yarn for both things…so, I’m thinking!

Have a great week all!

The Horcrux socks are finished…

They look a little funny when they’re empty because of the lace and because of the proportion of the length of the foot to the length of the leg.  I admit, with size 10 hooves like mine, that’s quite an amusing proportion :)

However, they look just fine when they’re on your feet!  These are going to be my house socks this winter - I’m just tickled to death with these :)  Nice pattern (see this post - scroll down - for pattern link) and beautiful yarn, if I may be so immodest as to say so.  The color may have been accidental, but it’s still pretty cool!

See the “Knitting Chatter” button on the side bar for more information.

While I have been in touch with my provider off and on this week, I have no reassurances about how stable things are likely to be for Chatters.  Never the less, I am hoping for the best and will be there should any of you good people decide to take the chance :)

Have a wonderful weekend!