tentenknits

Like a poloroid*

There's seriously nothing better than instant gratification.

Pattern:  A Better Bucket
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Vetiver
Needles: Size 7s addi turbos

I can barely keep a straight face today.  I woke up late, did some Spring Cleaning, got a mani/pedi and am now sitting at Patricia's Yarns.  Pretty idyllic I know.  To top it off,  today is the first day of my Easter Break vacation from school.  My boyfriend and I are leaving on Sunday to go to Tampa for a little R&R and to catch one of the last Yankees spring training games.  I cannot wait to get to lovely 80 degree weather.

As for my Bucket Hat, I am so happy with it! It's particularly great for my curly head as it doesn't smoosh down the curls.  I did need to refresh my brain with the provisional cast on. (which is 3xs as fiddly when trying to knit a hat with Magic Loop) But beyond that this hat was very easy to knit - I will definitely be making more...

What's next... a FO that's Long Overdue for a blog post!

*can you believe that Poloroid is stopping production on their film and cameras! What a loss! I hope someone will take it up so we can Shake it like a Poloroid Picture for years to come!

Gretel

Pattern: Gretel by Ysolda
Yarn: Cascade 220 heathers... 2 balls (second one used about 2 yards of it!)
Needles: Size 5s and 7s circs

This hat is another Christmas knit - the one that's going to my secret santa.  Of course I'm risking the fact that she may look on this here blog and see it but I mean come on... you knew it was going to be something knitted! ;-)  I really loved the pattern and made the slouchy version.  I would absolutely make this again but next time will do the regular size instead.  I also just did my regular cast on instead of going tubular.  I definitely want to try that cast on for my next Gretel but where I was at the time I casted on I didn't have the proper tools - an extra needle - and I really just wanted to get it started.

I am so happy with this hat and I can't wait to gift it.  The knitted presents are still steadily coming along.  I just casted on for a Wallaby and am through the front pouch and will hopefully start on the first sleeve tomorrow.  I'm making it to fit a 1 year old so knitting is going somewhat fast.  I do though have a couple of knits that may need take priority this coming week though.  We're having a few "Christmas Dinners" next weekend which I kinda forgot about so Christmas is really the on 16th for me!   My brother is flying in from London and unfortunately can't be here for the 25th so we're doing a little Christmas observed next Sunday.  He's pretty much set but I thought I would make the Trinity Hat for his girlfriend.

I spent my weekend working at my LYS and knitting away on the Wallaby in great company.  Patricia the shop owner was finishing her own Drops A-line jacket (which looks great by the way!) and our friend David was working on a Koolhaas.  I have Dave to thank for the great Gretel shots!  It truly was a great weekend knitting, drinking wine and telling funny stories (oh and a few knock knock jokes.)

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend filled with great knits and friends.

Who spiked the eggnog?

Don't you just love those radio stations that decide come Thanksgiving that they are going to be playing Christmas music 24/7? It's O Holy, Santa Baby, Rockin' around the Tree all the time.  Do they know it's Christmas after all?  Well at this station... yes they do.

I mean throw them in every once in a while but constant holiday music for a month? Seems a little bit much to me.  I'm not not going to say though that if I'm driving and happen upon this particular station and hear a familiar poppy song you may find me behind the wheel ring-ting-tingeling too!

Those few moments of driving karaoke frankly happen more often than I let on.  You see, I must admit, I love Christmas.  I love the dinner parties, I love all the presents and mistletoe and snow!  I love the huge meal my mother cooks complete with her famous Coquito (egg nog Puerto Rican style, aka 151 Rum).  I love going shopping and trying to find that gift that will make the receiver realize a lot of thought was put into it.  I simply love the season of giving.

Of course for me most presents often mean they are going to be handmade.  Thus for me, knitted. My knit
plan this Christmas is sketchy at best.  I have one project completed and another on the needles.

My mentality is the mantra of the procrastinator I am, "You'll have time, we'll just start it tomorrow".  Yes, so tomorrow we'll start a pair of mittens, a few baby hats, another scarf, and maybe a baby sized Wallaby.  I must be out of my mind.  I've got 25 days - 21 if I want to mail it out and have it arrive in time to make all these presents.  I'm trying to not stress out about it all so back up plans are always a good idea.  Maybe I'll do like the Handknit Holiday book tells me, send them a photo of the knitted item you just couldn't finish - it's the thought that counts right? ha!

Oh christmas knits, O christmas knits, why don't I start them earlier... 

On a much more positive note.  We've hit the goal of "squares" for the Hoboken Homeless Shelter Afghan!!  I am like doubled over in excitement!  I shamefully had a small pang of doubt that we were going to make the goal in time. But Knitta, please...  there are more than enough squares for a blanket!!

So if you want to know what I'll be doing this weekend - lots of mattress stitch.

Ps. Those slouchy berets are everywhere nowadays aren't they!? 

Happy happy joy joy

Dudes - once again I am humbled by your fabulous comments! I for sure thought this one was going to go semi in the undercurrent of the knits out there since there are so many TYs for you to see but Yowzers thank you!  I highly recommend the pattern and love the yarn - Rowan Felted Tweed.  However, did anyone else notice how easy it was to break the yarn?   I mean maybe my superhuman strength was more than enough for it's simple ply but for reals it broke so easily!

Anyway I'm obviously glued to the computer lately - every time I post I always obsess over it.  Refreshing my emails and blog site. I also cannot stop refreshing my Notebook page in Ravelry to see if the little numbers beside the hearts change.  I love getting more hearts the way I love getting comments, tee hee!   

AND speaking of comments we have broken the 1,000 comment milestone here at Tentenknits!!!    Congratulations Kate from Purlygirly you are my 1,000 commenter!!  Bob, tell her what she's won..

A new car!!

No really - I will have to put my thinking cap on and do something special.  This is a pretty huge deal, is it not? All my experienced contest givers... what say you - yarn? notions?  Hey Kate, what do you think? I love all your comments and they just make me so happy but honestly I'm an easy girl. I mean you could probably Burp in my comments and I would say, "Awe".  But please don't feel like you really have to ;-)

At the moment my boyfriend and I have just finished watching the latest episode of Heroes.  I won't give anything away but geeze can we get something going - I feel like all the episodes so far have just been "set-up" shows and not results - don't turn into Lost!! Please, talk about the biggest let down from Season 1.  Let me not even start on TV shows - let me show you what I was doing while watching... continuing the progress on my Koolhaas.  The little something on the side before I start yet another sweater.  Knitting sweaters makes knitting hats seem like knitting in light speed. 

Nothing makes Monday more tolerable than Malabrigo.

brrrrrrr

The winter weather has finally hit New Jersey.  I opened the door to my apartment on Friday morning surprised to see the white stuff covering the street and cars.  I even had an audible exclamation.  Helps too because I did not look outside my window or check the weather report so frankly I had no idea. I was completely and utterly unprepared for the snow and had to wipe off the powdery stuff with a flip flop that I found in the trunk of my car. (Note: It pays to leave random crap like that in trunks for moments like these).

A few hours later it melted when the sun came out.  There are still remnants of the stuff in shadowy corners but all that's left now is the bitter cold.  Just in time though I cranked out the hat for the BF. 

My first official out of nowhere FO of 07!  He loved it so much that he commissioned me to make another with a different color combination.  With the three skeins of Blue Sky I had more than enough for two.  I just made the pattern up (simple stockinette beanie), did a little gauge, casted on 88, worked the pattern and decreased evenly at the top.  Friday night cast on to Saturday morning wear - this puppy was quick!.

He sported his hat out on the town last night.  We walked 5 blocks in the freezing cold to a great Mexican restaurant, had a little red wine sangria and walked home  Despite the fact that we were both wearing warm wool hats our faces still turned red with runny noses.  I prefer this type of weather with the pretty precipitation...  I mean,  why have cold freezing weather without snow?

The only other consolation?  The urge to knit more! And having seen berets pretty much everywhere. I now have the extreme urge to make one.  Poor, CPH, will your sleeves ever get done?