FO: Milo Vest + Booty Shorts for Stewart

yesterday and today i knit this! the Milo vest! My gauges was off (of course i didn't pre-check) and it turned out humongous. which kind of ruins my hope that it would be helvetica's coming home outfit. so, also because it's big and super girlie, if helvetica comes out as a boy then i'll be gifting this on to a friend's baby, well not so new born anymore, but whatevs. here's the ravelry link for my project.


yesterday morning i also finished stewart's booty shorts. hallelujah! the pattern's free on knitty and came out just in time for me to actually cast this on based on the Elizabeth Zimmerman leggings pattern. So, phew. My gauge was also off on this pattern (i'm a loose knitter maybe?) and i had to recast it on with way fewer stitches and made it to fit stewart like a glove. mainly because i wanted them to be tight fitting rather than loose and baggy in the pattern's pictures. my ravelry project for this one is here.


finishing this vest means that i still only have one work in progress, my hanami shawl, and am dedicated to knit it before i cast anything else on, which is going to be a challenge since i'm watching movies all day (and night) and will probably get distracted and fuck up, but whatever. today so far i've watched good hair, julie & julia, and am 1/2 way through the september issue. tonight stewart and i are going to watch human voice with ingrid bergman. tomorrow i'm going to go thrift shopping, actually paint (i didn't today because my back hurts blarg) some walls/ceilings (colours!!!), and cook something wonderful for a late dinner. what that will be i'm not sure yet. any ideas?

FO: clapotis!

i finally finished my clapotis! just over two weeks in the making this lovely lovely shawl (which i made with a hearty yarn, telemark from knitpicks) will be mine! i originally bought the yarn and the colour with someone else in mind and can't remember who that person was....hahaha. but i'm allured by it's beauty, warmth, and glowingness (and the fact that i've tackled a scarf for myself for the first time in a long time). the knitty pattern/article is here. and this is the link to the yarn i used. i used just over 7 balls (have enough left over to make a baby hat/toque or some booties...and this here link is the one for my ravelry project.

it's nice to get something off my to do list. i'm going to ramble my way through the MSP application right now, too. blarg. tomorrow brings planters/seeds/dirt (we've decided against a full blown garden b/c we're not sure if we'll be in this house next year (but will be in port alberni for sure), but i've decided to grow herbs (b/c i like using them a lot and they're expensive at the store) and i'll try some tomatoes... pictures of that set up tomorrow. now, all i have to do is wait for stewart to get up/wake up so i can open the blinds and play surfer blood really loud. xo

FO: foliage

well i finally took on foliage these past two days. it was such a fun knit, and quick, too. and, i got to use up most of a ball of malabrigo i had lying around. i will definitely be making it again with more malabrigo, and probably colours that match my wardrobe a bit better. the rav link to my project is here. and the pattern is FREE from knitty here!

these are my random instructions on how to slouch it (b/c it's a toque pattern). i searched ravelry high and low and could not find many ways to slouch this hat, so this is what i did:

after row 12 of leaf lace (on the last repeat) i switched from 4.5mm to 3.75mm and started my ribbing with a decrease row. decrease went like this:

k1, p2tog, k1, p2tog, k1, p1 the whole way around. basically p2tog on the outside of each “leaf”. you should start with 96sts and end up with 72sts. knit 7 more rows in k1,p1 rib and cast off using a bigger needle (to get a loose cast off). xo

FO: little arrowhead shawl

I love this shawl. Used Noro Silk Garden and was about 8 rows short, but alas. I didn't block it either, it's just been stretching out with wear. Rav link to my project//Rav link to the pattern// and Link to the pattern online (free!). It was refreshing to get a ME knit out of my system as I'm continuously still working on orders and gift knits and baby knits. yikes! xo

A few recent FOs

I've been knitting my heart out for custom orders and am about to start on xmas gifts (which won't be posted here until after xmas, but will be on ravelry if they person they're for isn't on rav). I have a long list of things I am knitting for xmas, and this is even less than normal because we're doing our first family exchange this year, meaning that I only have one person: my sister, to knit for. Except, I'm knitting for stewart, his mom+sister, my dad, and a few friends, plus small things for the grandparents. wooo! I'm psyched to get started on them, though.

I'm even getting more into the holiday spirit, yay! We bought holiday cards today and a bit of a package for friends and their kiddo. We have more projects planned but need more time and $$. Doesn't everyone? Anyway, without further ado, here's a sampling of the custom orders, some of which haven't even made it to their recipients yet! (Going to the post office tomorrow).
Someone ordered two custom stockings from me. This is the "mommy" one, but there's another one in green. I was really impressed with my ability to come up with pattern on the fly and do a double knit top!!

Meret, pattern by wooly wormhead: using an angora I got at a craft swap. such nice soft yarn.

Another Meret made with cascade 220 Heathers. I've never worked with this yarn before and i love it.
These mitts were a custom order through etsy and they are the piece de resistance!!! I have leftovers enough to make a small person sweater but the yarns include Silk Garden, Merino from Moorhouse, Hempwol, a upcycled handdyed from BirthdayEveryday, and some blue moon fibre arts, and then lily chin with angora double held, and to top it off (not in the picture) my own handdyed merino. These are the softest and sturdiest mitts I have ever made and I can't wait to see someone's kidlette with a matching sweater.

Well, off to make quinoa salad. Stewart made a big vat of chicken wings with special hot sauce (yikes!) and I said I'd pair the salad. I hear nintendo calling toooooo... xo