Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I'm back!

I've been away for the past few weeks, first on a cruise (yay!) and then for more job interviews (yay! but also boo!). My lack of posting on the blog has been an unfortunate by-product of the lack of knitting I've been able to do. Things looks like they are settling down for a bit, though, so I'm back with more inspiration than ever.

As you know, the biggest source of inspiration is my sister's new edition to the family, which we just found out yesterday is a BOY! We are all so excited we can't even contain it. Of course, I immediately cast on for a celebratory sweater with some gorgeous baby blue Rowan Calmer I had waiting, just in case...

Baby Placket Sweater in Calmer

I'm starting with the Baby Placket-Neck Sweater pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, but I may add a hood. We'll see how it all feels when we get there.

I was tooling around Ravelry yesterday and found the most gorgeous blanket EVER. It's from the folks over at Woolly Thoughts, who are "mathematical knitters". I kinda had my heart set on designing my own blanket for my first nephew, but after seeing this, it's all over. I mean seriously- look at this thing!

revolution

I will definitely make it using different colors...the pattern apparently has instructions for 2, 4, or 8 colors. I may do 4 shades of green, or 8 bright colors...I'll have to pick a yarn and start putting skeins next to one another. I'm so excited!

In other knitting news, I am using the materials the other Farrah sent me in our swap to make a pair of Uptown Boot Socks (from the Interweave Favorite Socks book that she sent). The yarn is Dream in Color sock yarn in the most gorgeous green-the picture doesn't do it justice. I never thought I would be one of those people who gets all crazy over sock yarn ($20 for a pair of socks, seriously? I mean, it's for your feet, right?) but the difference in both the knitting experience and the quality of the sock is so exponentially better with the DIC yarn, it's just ridiculous.

One Uptown Boot Sock

I have the cuff done on the second sock, so we're looking at about quite a bit of train knitting until I have a nice pair. I would like to have them done for our trip to the Smoky Mountains on President's Day weekend, though...I better get cracking.

So those are my WIPS so far, but I have my inspiration back, so watch out! I received some Socks That Rock yarn in a Ravelry trade that I believe I'm going to use to make Anastasia socks. Also, Raveler eyeloveit saw a gorgeous little cropped sweater at Anthropologie and gawddang it if she didn't go and figure out how to make it for herself-check it out on her blog.
I think I'm going to try my hand at this, too.