Losing it?

I think I am losing my marbles. I found my camera...under the couch. I don't know what this says about my housekeeping. I should have known it was near my little rabbit warren. Since the house is under renovation, I have very little organized space. So, this little area of my couch has my bills, my books, my cookbooks, and my knitting bag piled up on and around this little section. It is all set off by the task light my husband bought for me awhile ago. It is nearly the only place in the house where a person can see enough to read really well. I'd take a picture of it to show y'all, but it is too messy.

I started a pair of Woodsmen's Socks for my husband. I sure hope he likes them - he doesn't seem too impressed so far. But he did pretend to grab them, so maybe he is secretly happy about them.



Pattern: Woodsmen's Socks from Opinionated Knitter
Needles: size 6 dpn
Yarn: Raggi

And check out my new blocking station in the laundry room (currently one of the nicest areas in the house).



Here's the Einstein:


And see the difference between the previously knit yarn and the newly knit yarn?


I just got some new buttons yesterday and hope to get those on soon.

Ok, now for something fun. My husband found a website that allows you to take a photo of yourself and insert your face into hairstyles from various years.
Here I am in 1968:

This is my favorite...extra long neck.

Here I am in 1960:


Gypsies, tramps and thieves....Me in 1974:


And the best one yet? Me in 1978:

I seem to have developed a double chin.

Where is my bleepin' camera?

I'd like to show off my newly finished projects - Einstein (sans buttons) and the Tilted Duster. But I have no idea where the camera is. The husband might know where it is, but he's sleeping. hmmph.

I finished the Einstein Sweater on natural Ecowool. I only made one small modification - I knit into the back of the picked-up stitches for slightly tighter stitches. I think I picked that up as a tip for socks when you pick-up the gussets. I stopped at my LYS after work for buttons, but they didn't have any. I wanted some plain cream colored buttons and everything was a little fancier than I wanted. More good tips...I followed Sally Melville's tip for washing wool sweaters in a machine and I love it. I soaked the sweater for 45 minutes and then used the spin cycle (refer to Knit Stitch for complete details) and the sweater is nearly completely dry in a day. The soaking also got most of the kinkiness out of my previously knit yarn. My seam up the sleeve is kinda ugly really. I had such messy slipped stitch edges from my pre-used yarn. Those are the only seamed I haven't knit in. I might work on that a bit. And while I was looking for a picture of the Einstein sweater to link to, I found a new knitting blog: Obsessed with Knitting. My Einstein looks a lot like that nice lady's.

I am also 99.9% finished with the Tilted Duster. I sewed in the second sleeve last night and seamed up the seams. The arms are wayyyy too tight, but I can live with it I guess. I am only going to be able to wear a tank top under it. There is no way a shirt would fit under it. And it is just overall a little small. It isn't going to fit the way it fits the gorgeous model in Interweave, but it is still going to be cute. I could show a picture, but....I might make this again with a few more modifications - sleeves knit in the round until the cap sleeves - maybe I would pick up the sleeves and knit down. My seaming on the caps leaves a little to be desired. Oh, and I am going to try to remember to read people's comments about their projects on Ravelry before I start big projects. If I had done that, I would have heeded the advise of fellow knitters and made the sleeves larger.

And so I had to pick up another skein of Raggi wool for another pair of Woodsmen's socks for my husband. I hope he likes these things. I haven't made him very many things because he is a little fussy. I think the Raggi that I purchased today is going to be self fair-isling. I will have the cuffs, heel, and toe in another color - leftover from the first pair I made for him. Knitting pals say Raggi is very nice.

I am finishing things.....

I finished a pair of Woodsman's Socks from the Opinionated Knitter. I have made these once before and I made some modifications for this pair. These are for my husband and I think I will make him a few more pair. The socks are featured with Wrap Style by Pam Allen and Ann Budd during some kind of inventory reduction sale. I got it for about $5 - what a deal. I might be inspired to make something out of there.



Yarn: Jarbo Raggi Wool
Needles: size 6 dpns
Pattern: Woodsman's socks

I made the heel with a slip 1, knit, turn, slip 1, purl back - this makes a very sturdy heel which is important for a thick wool sock that might be rubbing inside of boots and leather slippers in the winter.



I also made the cuff with a 1x1 ribbing before switching to a 2x2 ribbing. And I skipped the garter stitch section on the ends of the heel flap. I know...several modifications...but EZ would say 'be the boss of your own knitting', right?

And look Sue, no holes:



I finished celebrating my going away with colleagues last Thursday where we had an ice cream sundae bar and and I got a couple very nice gifts. I work with graduate programs and my colleagues gave me a mug made by a third year graduate student in art:



And then the really thoughtful gift was the little bird below. The picture isn't very good - you can't really see that it opens up and has a note inside. It came in the pretty box with birds next to the mug. This was given to me by my friend at work - she's the one I made the lace leaf scarf for back in December as a thank you for how supportive she's been to me this past year...now going on two years.



I finished handing off most of my project work today and am detaching very nicely from this job, am clearing my head of this work and starting to think about preparing for the next position. Although that's just on my to-do list (much closer to the start date).

I will have be starting lots of new things in the coming weeks...have any of you read Eunny Jang's editorial in the new issue of Interweave Knits? All about fall and the beginning of things. That will be true for me this fall.