It's Pram-tastic!

This, my dear friends, is a pram blankie. No corners to be trod upon by a stroller wheel, the perfect size to tuck around a baby in a car seat to keep the air conditioner from blowing on them. http://www.knitlist.com/00gift/round-baby-blanket.htm

This is the Mystery present for my cousin. I got impatient so she already saw it. Whatever. She wears a women's size 12, so I think she deserves some comfy, pretty socks. Happy birthday (Christmas, whatever).

Plain Vanilla sock pattern, Lion Brand Magic Stripes, Size 1 needles

This is some lace I made. Size 0 needles and fingering weight yarn, but it's not what the pattern calls for. I ran out of yarn shortly after this, so it's finished, but not much longer. I pinned it to my backpack, cause I'm awesome like that.

http://www.knittingdaily.com/freepatterns/edgings_insertions/lace_edging99-1.html

• Still working on Clessidra, and I'm gonna finish it by the end of the week, cause it's driving me crazy.
• I'm going to finish the Cabled Baby Sweater too. It will be finished by the time I go back to school in the Fall.
• I've given up on finding that size 6 cable needle, so I'll just do the hood in a size 5 needle. Whatever, I just want to get that baby blocked so I can wear it. It's a little scratchy inside, I can't imagine why since it has silk in it and it's soft on the outside, but I'm sure blocking will fix that. It had better.
• I don't really have anything else on the needles right now, oh except Amanda's other sock. That'll get finished soon too. Sigh, so much to do, so little time.

I've looked at Knitting from Both Sides Now

So far, I've made two baby sweaters and I'm making an afghan with this one needle. It's metal, and it's circular. I hate it. The only good thing I can say about it is that it's easy to carry places. Other than that, it's been getting on my last nerve.
I can't knit with it for more than 2 hours at a time. If I try to, my left hand starts cramping. This has never happened to me with any other needle, but I've only ever used straight needles before this. Now, you might be saying, "Dude, it's because you've been knitting for 2 hours straight! Take a break and eat a sandwich or something, man. It's obvious that knitting too long is hazardous to your health!"
No, sir, you are mistaken. I've knit for 5 and 6 hours at a time without a hand cramp, but this is on straight needles, or dpns, which are essentially straight needles. I've finished a sock in one sitting before. No hand cramps. But every time I pick up this thing, after a couple hours of knitting my hand starts cramping. Sigh. I'll never finish this blanket in time. No, I probably will, but it will be at the expense of my hand. Why, oh why are we forced to make these painful decisions in life?
Also, as this afghan goes on, since it's circular it started out too small for the needle, and now that it's getting bigger, it's too big to fit well on the needle. They just aren't as usable as straight needles. If they made giant double point needles for afghans, I would totally use them instead of circulars. At least then I could finish things in a normal amount of time. I mean, jeez.

Present tense

Spanish classes are eating my brain. I slept through three alarms this morning, because I was so worried about a project that I couldn't sleep, and just laid there and thought about how I'd do it until 3 am. By the time I finish college, I swear I'll be entirely grey-haired. I'd be going nuts if it weren't for knitting.

I'm making a present for someone who reads this and so I won't post a pic until the present is finished, but it's gonna be cool.

I was working on Clessidra last night and realized that I had three size 1 needles and one size 0 needle. The needles are the same color, so at first glance it's easy to see how I mixed them up, but they feel completely different when you knit with them. I don't see how I knit the entire foot of this sock with a wrong needle. Gracious.

I need to work more on the baby sweater, but I like socks right now. Little needles are so fun.

Dang. I forgot to call the library and ask them to recheck out these books for me. Again. I'm so forgetful. I'll never make it as an adult.

Here's what else came in the bag with the magazines:
Some laceweightish acrylic 80s mohairy yarn from Mexico (I'm so descriptive)
This was, of course, in the shape of a half-knit sweater that I forgot to get a picture of. I rewound it and am trying to decide upon a suitable outcome for it. It's fairly soft, and so I might make a shawl out of it.

There were also knitting needles:
Aluminum needles in size 9, unmarked brand
Aluminum needles in size 3, and some in size 4, from Imra and Alemi respectively (the threes are making a sweater presently and are the same color as the 4s, so I'm just using the one pic for both)
Brass needles in 2mm (which on the internet says is size 0 but I compared it to the size 0s I already had and they're smaller so don't know what that's about), by Inoxal

I also got some fingering weight Peruvian yarn in the mail from Knitpicks.

They will eventually become mittens for by from the Selbuvotter book. I can't remember if I posted a pic of it, but if not I'll do it next time, along with the other book that arrived in the mail. Here's a hint: it concerns lace...

Te adoro, suéteres mexicanos viejos!!

So Mom got me a bag of secondhand knitting things, and in the bag were two knitting magazines in Spanish from the 80s. The pictures are hilarious. Seriously, check this out:

This is the least offensive pattern in either book. It's the one that was sitting in the bag, half knit, although in different colors.

These are workout clothes and the worst thing in the first magazine.

They designed a headband with a strap OVER THE HEAD. Why would you do this to yourself? WHY???

This is the worst thing in the second magazine. It is the most
horrible thing that I have ever seen.

Frilly Collar.

Leg O'Mutton sleeves.

I will be emotionally scarred by this forever. You don't even understand the horror that entered my heart when I saw this monstrosity. It is a crime against humanity.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but sticks and string excite me.

• After the last few months' pit stop, Clessidra has bounced back from the loser's circle and back into the forefront of this race. The heel is done, the foot is half finished, and soon, hopefully, the second sock will be on the needles.

• Here, Baby Yoda sweater shows off in its victory lap. Lacking only ties and weaved-in ends, it's out for the count in a beautiful forest green color. After a minor trip-up, where it learned that both (!) the front sides were a half inch too short, it compensated for this by leaving a cute little V-flap at the bottom of the sides. Fabulous!

• A newcomer, Ballet Slipper, isn't doing too well. Its heel is too high, and it is very thick, and its partner isn't even cast on yet! We don't see it coming in anything but last place at this point.

• This sweater hasn't even made one lap yet, but is looking good in a bright teal accented by black. Made with a traditional V-neck in mind, the modern colors have it as one of the favorites in this race. Started yesterday, it's gaining on first place at an alarming rate, due to its beautiful colors and fun pattern.

• Two others planned, a gift not to be mentioned here and a new sock, have not been heard from yet. Could it be that they haven't even started yet? Did they sleep through their alarm? Or are they so confident in their ability to win this race that they are voluntarily playing hooky on the first day?

Tune in next time to see the results of this thrilling race!

O Hai! I ben bak fore a wile but ben lazie two!

Heh. Sorry for the week vacation. Been back at college for a week, but too lazy to take pics. Here are a few things that been happening here at Tech:

Finished a baby sweater. I got it done in about a week, mainly because my gauge was off and I threw it against the wall for a couple days till it learned its lesson. Now it's ok, although the buttons aren't actually sewed on yet. They'll be on by November, I swear! Oh, and don't tell who it's for! (if you know) (which you shouldn't, because I've been very close-mouthed about it) (Ok, I really haven't, but dang it, I'm excited)

Close-up of lace insert. It's a boy sweater, so I think the buttons really masculinize (?) it.

I started another sweater, in a dark forest green. It's going to be a Baby Yoda Sweater, and it's very quick to knit if I stop putting it down. I've got an inch on the last sleeve, two I-cords, and sewing it together and it'll be done.

Oh, and I got bangs.

Cool, huh?