In Which I Rub in My Progress

This is probably the least stressful holiday I will ever have.

I was at the mall the other day, and I watched as shoppers scurried past me. I meandered through packed stores, mostly emerging empty-handed.

It felt so good!

There was no rush to buy anything, no rush to get back home to finish any knitting projects. I lounged on the couch on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Good deals, eh? Ha! I like the deal where I stay on my couch and don't shell out any money.

Last year, I was frantically finishing projects as I made my way through Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. I knitted in rest stops and tollway oases. I knitted my boyfriend's birthday/Hannukah socks while he wasn't looking. But not this year.

Everything is blocked, wrapped, tagged, and in some cases, delivered.

Now, it's back to business. Time to plan what will be on my needles and hooks for 2014. I've got a stash to use up!

Taking the Challenge

I've made two sweaters in my eight-year adventure in knitting. My first one took almost three years. It took me a year just to block the darned thing. The other went a little faster: I whipped up that baby up in around 4 months.

It was almost worse than knitting a pair of socks (I get turned off at having to create that second, yet crucial sock).

I vowed two things after gifting the wooly wonders to my parents: 1) I would always, always do a gauge swatch no matter how painful it would be to make multiple swatches, wash them, and wait for them to dry; and 2) I would likely never venture into Sweater Land again.

But thanks to the 30 Day Sweater Challenge, I'm well on my way to eating my words. I'm not using their framework, but I am using the challenge to motivate myself. 

So far, it's been great! I've even ventured back into social media; I revived my Instagram and Twitter accounts.

The sweater I've chosen to knit is the Anisette Cardi. I found the pattern a couple years back and bought four skeins of Bamboo Ewe a year and a half ago. I love the idea of a short-sleeve cardigan! It's cute, functional and has a little bit of cabling and lacework, but not so much that I'd lose my mind. I finished the back (in just four days!) and started the front right panel. I can't wait to see how the rest of the sweater goes!

Fruits of I Love Yarn Day

I celebrated I Love Yarn Day by working on some crocheted bunny slippers with the help of some fine coffee at a local shop. I officially started on July 30 of this year, but I bought the yarn while I was in college. It hasn't been an easy road. I frogged plenty of pieces multiples times. At one point, I was convinced the pattern was for banana, not bunny, slippers.

The pattern I'm using is Fluffy Bunny Slippers, from Debbie Stoller's "The Happy Hooker." It uses two balls each of Classic Elite LaGran Mohair and Lambs Pride Worsted. There was errata, and lucky for me someone on Ravelry caught another error, so they are starting to look like actual slippers!

As you can see, I haven't added the bunny parts, but those are next!

Late night 'aha'

I've been staring at this pattern for months. I finally figured it out. It's a wonderful feeling. California Spring Scarf, you've been hooked. Fluffy Bunny Slippers and Reversible Cables Scarf beware. And one of you might end up on planes to and from L.A. Let the stash busting and Christmas present flurry continue!