Ravelympics 2010!

The official events list has been released: click here!

I'm really excited about the Aerial Unwind, aka The Frogging Event.  I've got three projects that need frogging, and have needed it for years.  They will be tackled.  I think I am also going to make a scarf -- shocker, I know!

Are you participating?  What are your plans?

Branching Out

From socks and scarves, at least. To dishcloths, which I've never knit before. Nope. I wasn't planning on making more cloths any time soon, actually, 'cause I have quite a few, but then Kris started a mystery knit-a-long! I've never done a mystery KAL before, because they are usually for large projects (shawls, etc.) and I don't often have too much time to knit, and I don't want to spend that much time on a pattern that I might end up disliking. But one dishcloth per month? I can handle that. Kris's patterns are great, and even if it turns out awful, it will still wash my face or dishes very nicely. I can't wait to see what it ends up being. There's a photo of what it looks like after the first clue after the jump!

Smitten With Scarves

I wish I had exciting things to blog about, y'all. Really, I do. But I'm still on my Sock & Scarf kick, leaning heavily toward scarves. And shawlettes, which are basically scarves...and my current favorite way to use some of my FFtC yarn, which I've lately been completely unable to stop purchasing. I made a Lacy Baktus and a Multnomah. I don't like the LB pictures, but here's the Multnomah back when it was still in progress:


(Sporting awesome True Blood stitch markers by Knit Girl in Idaho)

I've currently got three scarves in progress, and once again, no pictures of them, or none that I really like. (Seeing a trend? Now you understand the lack of blogging...)


Parellel Lines, by the lovely Threadpanda (Mine)


Another Clapotis (Mine)


Flame Chevron Scarf in Leah's amazing handspun (Mine)

Now that it's 2010, I'm supposed to be working on a sweater, but...


This yarn is crying out to be my fourth scarf-in-progress...

Socks & Scarves

That's pretty much what I'm knitting these days! If you check out my Rav progress bars, you'll see that all of my currently-listed WIPs are either socks or scarves. Socks are perfect for the bus, and scarves are good for TV and movies. I've actually got a pair of wristers going that I haven't added in to Rav yet, but those are, so far, no different than socks. Instead of turning a heel and making a foot, I'll leave the end open and make a thumb!

Most recent pair of socks that I finished:



Oak Ribbed Socks



What's neat is how the stripe patterns line up:



It was two separate balls of yarn, and apparently they were either wound in opposite directions, or I started with a different end each time -- too funny!

Also, these are the socks during which I figured out my personal cure for SSS. I almost finished the first sock on one of my trips this summer, but I didn't want to graft it shut while I was away. That would be a recipe for disaster! I still didn't want to graft it after I got home, so I started on the second sock, and it went so quickly. It took significantly less time to knit than the first, and much less time than a second sock usually takes me. So I think my new plan is to never finish the first sock in the pair...we'll see if this works!

Dishcloths!

I've been on a bit of a dishcloth kick lately! They are fun, easy, cheap, and quick to make, and they don't take a lot of brainpower, which is nice. I started off making four for my brother and his camp to use this summer. They get green scrubbies for washing dishes, and while those are great for some things, there's nothing like some good dishcloth cotton to really get the grease off the pots and pans. Unfortunately, the photoshoot for most of them was rushed and in really confusing light - inside, under a yellow-ish fluorescent, with sunlight coming in through the windows, and with my Leica, which is...not the greatest when it comes to sorting out different lights. I like to play with white balance, but I'm no expert, so please forgive the non-fantastic colors:



For more on the patterns, yarn, etc., see the Ravelry project pages:
Light Turquoise Blue Crater Dishcloth #1
Cream Crater Dishcloth #2
Baby Blue Crater Dishcloth #3

(Crater Lake is the name of my brother's camp, which is why they are all called Crater Dishcloth #Whatever.)

You'll notice that in the "group photo" there is a little bit of yellow sticking out. At the time of that photo, it was not finished, and so I ended up bringing it home with me (I had been out at camp, too, helping with training) and mailing it back to them. Thus, it got to take part in the slightly nicer photoshoot with a bunch of other dishcloths that I've made recently:



Again, details on Rav:
Blue & Yellow Dishcloth
Yellow Crater Dishcloth #4
Teal Dishcloth Slash Yarn Test
Blue & Green Striped Dishcloth
(And, more pictures on Flickr - start here.)

That little teal one was the first time I've used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Cotton yarn, and I really liked it. It costs about the same as the standards (Peaches & Creme and Sugar'n Cream), but is much softer. I've actually got another plain garter cloth on the needles right now, with more of that teal yarn (movie knitting!), but I haven't used either of them yet. I'm waiting to pass judgment on the yarn until I see how well the colors hold, but as of now, I'm really liking it.

I also may have figured out a potential cure for Second Sock Syndrome...but that's another post. Hopefully soon.

A Little Behind

I love to travel, but it really throws me for a loop, schedule-wise! I'm behind on reading, writing, cleaning, knitting, etc. I'm actually kind of caught up on work, though - woo! I'll be spending the next few weeks catching up...maybe I'll even return to regular blogging! Wouldn't that be fun? =)

Traveling

It's bad for my free time, but good for my knitting! I spent last week in AZ at an astronomy conference. I didn't have any good, small projects to bring that were at a "low brainpower" level, so I got to cast on for something new - yay! I wanted to do it before I left, but time wasn't on my side, so I did it as we were taxiing down the runway and taking off:




A better look:



It's a simple 2x2 rib sock, made with absolutely scrumptious sock yarn from Knitivity, which I purchased at Knitting Asylum. The colorway is Carina, and it's inspired by the Carina Nebula, which is one of the most stunning deep sky objects, in my opinion.


Click here to embiggen. Image credit: NASA, ESA, N. Smith (U. California, Berkeley) et al., and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

I didn't do too much knitting during the actual conference, but four plane rides and a long bus trip up to Kitt Peak Observatory add up, and I touched down back in LA with half a sock!



I know that pace is really slow for some people, but it's pretty good for me, so I'm happy! =)

I've got a ton of backlogged FOs...I'm hoping to get 'em into Ravelry today, and maybe even blog about them soon! ;)