Monday, Monday...

... and what a very cold, snowy Monday it is! I had planned to get a review up today, but instead I'll bring you a little weekend wrap up report. First up, a couple of FO's!

The Reversible Cabled Brioche Stitch Scarf is finished and ready to ship off to my ISE 7 pal in Australia (yes, I got spoiled by an Australian ... but I also get to send to another!). I'm a couple of days late in my shipping, however the scarf and lots of goodies (which I hope are well worth the wait) will be on their way to her first thing tomorrow morning.

I really love this pattern and will definitely make it again. The result is beautiful. I used Classic Elite Provence cotton, since the theme of this swap was spring, but would most likely choose some super soft merino wool or alpaca for the next one (I already have a gift recipient in mind). Almost 2 skeins of the Provence resulted in a scarf just over 63" long... perfect for wrapping, however my star model was caught napping on the job (note the purple color in the pic with Lola is the more true yarn color which was hard to capture).

I also finished Emma's first hat, the Cabled Baby Hat in preemie size. This pattern does not include gauge or sizing information, just the Debbie Bliss yarn and needles suggested for either a preemie or newborn size. I used the called for yarn (Baby Cashmerino) and needles (size 3) and produced what seems to be a very teeny-tiny adorable hat.

It looks so tiny to me that I'm second guessing if it'll even fit teeny-preemie Emma, so I've already cast on #2, going up a size in needles. I'll probably bring them up to Mama later this week so we'll see what a preemie size really is.

Speaking of the beautiful princess, here are a couple pics from when I visited on Saturday. She was under a UV light, which helps get rid of the jaundice...

Baby's so cool, she's gotta wear shades!

Here are a couple of better pics passed on from her Mama & Dada...

Enjoy the rest of your Monday... I'll have some reviews coming up this week and I'll also be updating my Etsy shop throughout the week (3 new sets were posted today), so stay tuned!

Australia Calling

Yesterday I received my awesome ISE 7 swap box ... all the way from Australia and the wonderful Gemma! This is my second time participating in ISE and both times I was overly spoiled by an Australian... both sent not one, but two scarves! Gemma sent some pretty wrapped packages (you can click on photos to enlarge if you'd like)...

Here's the non-scarf goodies...

LOOK -- an authentic Australian boomerang!!! How stinking cool is that? Its even guaranteed to return... when thrown correctly (I'll have to read the instructions)! Gemma really did well with sending me things native to her land. Also included was a beautiful boomerang magnet, a kangaroo pin, an adorable koala bear, some yummy smelling T2 loose tea, the leftover Prism yarn from one of my scarves (2 1/2 skeins... what to make, what to make!?!?), Caramello Koalas (chocolate!) and some Vegemite spread. She tells me that Australian babies are fed Vegemite as soon as they're able to have solid foods... and they continue to eat it lifelong. Hmm... she also says that if I'm not daring enough to try it spread on buttered toast, it makes a great addition in soups. Matt already can't wait to try it... on buttered toast, of course!

Now for the scarves... not one, but two beautiful scarves!

For some reason she got a little worried and second guessed herself about the colors on her first creation (beautiful!) and decided to cast on a second (red!) scarf just in case.

The first is the gorgeous Lady Eleanor Entrelac stole scarf (that's her Ravelry project page) which not only do I love, but Matt really loves it too! He thought it was so cool!

Look how nice and long it is - I love long scarves for wrapping! I was trying to get a decent shot here to show you the length, but did not succeed. Even so, I couldn't resist showing you Sophie's curiosity of the camera (and Lola & Tut's noseyness of whatever was happening outside).

Hopefully Gemma doesn't mind that I got some 4-legged modeling help with her handknits... but given that she says she's read every single one of my blog posts since ISE 7 started, I think she knows what to expect from this crazy dog lady. Both Sophie and Zeus made this one their own (click their names for more pics)...

The second scarf is the Celtic Cable Scarf (her Ravelry project page again), made out of one of the softest, prettiest baby alpaca yarns I've ever seen (note to self: must find this yarn)! I love everything about this scarf... the pattern is beautiful, the color so vibrant and did I mention how soft the yarn is??!!

Lola was my star model for this one and even tried her best "true Dobie" impression...

She's such a great model... even when being pestered by her baby sister, who seemed to really like the smell of this scarf! Is Lola not giving the most diva look here or what??!!

Gemma, I truly love it all! Both scarves are beautiful and will be worn often! Thank you so much for everything!!!!

Knitting Right Along

Welcome to the home of 101 WIPs... some of which have been getting more attention than others lately...

There's the Reversible Cabled Brioche scarf (sorry for those of you not yet on Ravelry - but seriously, if you're not on by now, what's the hold up?) for my ISE 7 pal...

I've moved onto the second ball of yarn, but haven't decided if I'll use it all just yet. Here's a close up of the very cool cabled brioche pattern.

In other gift news, there's my friend's belated Christmas gift (before you heckle me, she did get other Christmas gifts, so these are really more of an Easter surprise at this point), the Nalu mitts...

This certainly wasn't the best match of a pattern for the custom dyed yarn - the cable would stand out much better in a solid - but it works. The biggest problem I had was matching a fingerless mitt pattern without hurting my brain doing too much math to the Sereknity Perfect Sock yarn, which falls between a heaving fingering and light DK. Oh Heather??!! Would you mind whipping up a new fingerless mitt pattern to custom fit?

My Action vest hasn't exactly seen much stitch action lately, but I did work a few more rows over the weekend.

This is knitting up quite nicely and quickly, it just needs some more TLC knitting time. Here's a close up...

Do you get the Polar Knit emails announcing their funky, cute hats new patterns? If so, then you've probably seen the adorable Sweet On You pattern! As soon as I saw it, I frogged the Elf hat I had started for a sweet little lady in December (other gift knitting got in the way and I just never finished it) and decided the red would be better suited for a special Valentine!

I cast on last night while watching The Big Bang Theory and by the end of 24 (with many doggy scratchies, a water bowl refill and some munching in between), had finished off the colorwork chart. I didn't have the right size circular needle, so I'm doing the whole thing on DPNs and just hope my floats aren't too tight when it comes OTN! I'll finish it up tonight and have it ready to gift when I see the sweet girl on Sunday. Said sweet girl makes it easy to want to knit for her, as I've been told she loved the last hat I made for her so much that she wouldn't take it off and often wears it inside... now that's a kiddo worth knitting for!

So what has the pack been up to while Mama's busy not paying any attention to, nor giving any scratchies to trying to knit while a dog or two (sometimes three!) are trying to cuddle?

Is Daddy coming?!?!

Or maybe Mr. UPS with something for us to review?

No FO Friday Today

No FOs to show you today, however I do have several WIPs to prove that I actually do knit...

A belated Christmas gift in the works for a well deserving friend - who may or may not read the blog, so for those of you in-the-know, you can check the Ravelry project link here. As I'm knitting it with the custom dyed Sereknity yarn, I'm thinking perhaps I should have had Heather make the blue darker (more navy), but ah well... I'm hoping my friend will love them just the same!

I'm doing the ISE 7 exchange and am very excited about where I get to send to this year! I'm tackling the very cool Reversible Cabled Brioche Stitch scarf for my pal and am really loving it (I had a family request for a "nice red scarf" for Christmas next year and am already thinking this is the pattern for her... now to find some luxurious red yarn). Since the theme of ISE7 is spring, I opted to use a cotton yarn and found some Classic Elite Yarns Provence in my stash that seemed fitting (I am making a big effort to knit from the stash in 2009!).

I'll admit that I've ripped it out once... and cast off about 5" to use as a dust rag the second time.... The pattern isn't that difficult, but you need to pay attention to what you're doing because it is very difficult to tink back if you miss a stitch (or worse if you drop one!). Bringing said scarf to your other half's gig and working on it during soundcheck, while talking to 10 people, is not a good idea.... nor is working on it while paying more attention to what's on TV. With that in mind, I cast on my third Cross Stitch scarf, which is a very mindless scarf project for me...

I had picked up a gorgeous skein of Seacoast Handpainted Llama/Wool in the Colorado colorway at the NH Sheep & Wool festival this year ... at a discount ... with no real intentions for it. On Sunday night it seemed like a good fit for one of my favorite go-to scarf patterns! This will most likely be a gift.

See.... she really does knit... she won't tell you just how many other WIPs she has going right now, but these are the latest to be cast on.

Now for some Friday Fill-Ins...

1. It's January; I wish I could hibernate til Spring.

2. A new mattress & a good night's sleep is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like a door to a yarn shop... you've got to open it to get in and get the good stuff.

4. A good glass of wine (without any cork) is so nourishing.

5. Let us dare to say that 2009 will be far better than 2008 was....

6. Will the fairies please come and clean my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a new episode of Ghost Whisperer, tomorrow my plans include going to see the Bruins beat up on Carolina and Sunday, I want to hang out at home with the dogs... after all, we're supposed to get more snow Saturday evening into Sunday!

Felting In A Winter Wonderland

First of all, let me say... December already??!! WTH??

Now, with that said... Remember the couple of felted bags I tried to pass off as finished objects here? Well, now they're officially finished!

Here's the nearly-year-long Booga bag...

After felting this bag, I've come to decide that Nuro Kureyon really isn't all that its cracked up to be. Some of the colorways may be fantastic, but I recall at least three times setting this project aside due to my dry skin not liking it slide across my fingers... and it just does not felt all that well!

A yarn that felts fantastically??? Patons Classic Wool! This stuff felts fast and well (read - these little buggers truly stand up on their own!)! I'll definitely use it for more felted projects in the future. Here are the mini felted totes #3 & #4 (and I'll get another from what's still left of the second skein).

Back to not-so-great felting. Here's the mini felted tote in SWS. I absolutley loved this tote... that is, before it was felted. I even went out and bought some more of this colorway... since this was going to go in my Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap box and I needed to make another for me... until this happened.

Sorry Chan (don't get too excited... Chan & I actually asked to spoil each other in the coffee swap, so we already know), but I just didn't like it so much after felting! The yarn felted some... and fuzzed a tun. It was soooooo much prettier in the pre-felting stages, see?

On that note, I did felt a little something else for Chan but since she won't receive it until tomorrow or Thursday, I'll leave it off the blog for now.

Public Service Announcement...... ISE 7 (International Scarf Exchange) sign ups are slow and they have extended the deadline. Hope on over here for more information. Sign ups are open until they reach 100 or until Monday, Dec 8th. Don't miss out! ISE 6 was my first experience and it was so much fun - I can't wait for this round.