First Glynis is done!

Yup, can you believe it?! Yesterday I finally finished the first Glynis sock! I started it in December, but had to frog it and start over right after Christmas because it came out too small. I decided to give them to my best friend Christine, but now that I see the finished one, I'm not so sure about it...

It is completely hysterical! The yarn is WAY too busy for the lace pattern, and it has pooled something horrible on the leg part! I think I'll make another pair for Christine (probably a pair of green ones, as we are both huge green-fans). I think I'll keep the Glynis ones for myself, as they are so crazy only an avid knitter would actually wear them :). I really love the pattern though, and the book, Sock Innovation by Cookie A., is absolutely amazing. I think I'll just work through all the patterns one by one, and make them all.

Oh, and when I finished the sock yesterday, I got to use Kitchener stitch for the first time! When I followed the instructions in the book I did something wrong, and the stitches came out looking like purl stitches. I then went online and found a tutorial by The KnitWitch on Youtube, and it was just smooth sailing from then on. I'm so happy I finally tried this grafting technique, as I've been a bit intimidated by it before. But it wasn't hard at all, so now I think I'll use it on all my socks from now on. Until I start the toe-up socks, that is.

In my last post I mentioned in passing that I'd cast on for two new shawls. I'm working on the orange Murdered by Lace shawl for my mom, and so far it isn't very difficult. The charts are huge though, but that's ok. Since I got my pattern holder a while back, I'm not at all intimidated by charts. Not that I was before, but it is even easier now. I would like to finish this one as soon as possible, so my mom gets to wear it during the spring weather!

The other shawl I cast on for is the Haruni, that I'm making in the pink KnitPick's Shadow. I chatted with Nalamienea (of The Student Knitter) on Skype for several hours this past weekend, and we decided to make a mini-KAL out of this one, as she also wants to make one. I think she is making hers in purple, if I'm not mistaken. Possibly Malabrigo yarn? Yeesh, I'm confused.... Anyway, she decided to make it with a stockinette body, and I was really tempted to make this version too, as it is truly beautiful. But after some deep soulsearching I decided that: 1) The stockinette version probably looks better in fingering weight yarn and 2) I actually prefer te lacy shawls (if you hadn't noticed that before). So I'm making the lacy part, and so far I love it. It has sort of taken a second place though, as I want to finish the orange one first. Hopefully I can finish both in April!

And yesterday me and Thomas went on a small shopping round in the city center. I feel like I haven't been out of the apartment for months, which of course isn't true, but yesterday I actually felt ok enough to enjoy a little city walking! It was so much fun to be outside in the spring sunshine, and just doing some window shopping. I was in three yarn stores, and didn't buy one single skein of yarn! Aren't you proud of me?! Anyhow, I'm hoping that this means I'm finally getting back on my feet. (knock on wood). I'm actually feeling ok today too, so I've taken the opportunity to do a little apartment cleaning. It was WAY overdue, but now it's looking better. 

And today I've cast on for the second Glynis sock too, and I've already made two pattern repeats of the nine needed for the leg. It's pretty fast going, and if I keep at it I might actually finish it this week! Yay!

/ Jenny