I Aten't Dead...

Which, for all of you Pratchett fans, should be obvious what it means. I'm sorry I've been absent for sooo long! Work has been crazy these past two weeks, and my husband has been out of town as well so I've been doing all of the cooking and cleaning by myself, after work. I've just been so tired in the evenings I haven't mustered up the energy to write. My parents were here visiting last weekend as well (both my mom and my sister had their birthdays this week), so the weekend was fairly busy as well. Thomas is finally coming back home tomorrow, and I can't wait to see him!

Thank you all who voted on my sock poll! Although only three of you left me a comment to tell me, so those are the only names I have for the draw of the prize. And what is the prize, you ask me? Well, I've decided to give away one skein of Malabrigio Sock yarn! Colourway: Violeta Africana:

So, do you wanna know who won? The lucky winner is Virginia, from Virinia is for...! Congratulations! I will need your adress (you can e-mail it to me at jenny(.)m(.)clifford(a)gmail(.)com), and then I can send the yarn out at the end of nexxt week (when my paycheck comes in, I'm a bit strapped for cash this week...). 

The poll was a bit weird, as I included the option "depends on what colour", but as that option got three votes, and the "yes absolutely dye the socks" got 4 votes, I guess I'll go ahead and dye them! I will use some of my Koolaid powder, I just need to decide which colour first (I don't even remember which colours I have any more, it's been so long since I looked at them!). But they will get dyed eventually.

I've been knitting a lot though, since I haven't needed to be entertaining in the evenings :) My Baby Cables and Big Ones Too sweater is almost done! I've decided to turn it into a dress/tunic, so it's fairly long. I had to frog a bit of it again though, as I had made the waist too small (which just goes to show you that I don't really have an accurate view of myself yet...), but now it fits me much better. Sadly, as I've been on my own these past few weeks, I haven't had anyone to help me with photos, so you'll have to wait until next week.

I also decided to cast on for a new pair of socks (I know I said I wouldn't but you know me. Abolutely no patience whatsoever...), and I chose the Lothlorien Socks from the Enchanted Sole book by Janel Laidman. I'm knitting them in Malabrigio Sock yarn (colourway Lettuce), but I think this pattern was written for bigger feet than mine! I'm still fairly new at knitting socks from the toe up, so I haven't really learned when to start increasing for the heel, so this sock has been frogged so many times! But now I've finally got it to fit me, even though I had to do A LOT of tweaking to make it so!

Aren't they gorgeous?! At first I wasn't very fond of the yarn, as I thought it was a bit on the stiff side, but the more I've used it (and frogged it, and used it, and frogged it...), the better I like it. I LOVE the colour, and it actually feels really nice on my hands now, so I've adjusted my opinion of it. That's why I've decided to give a skein away, as I'm really thrilled with it! And the purple colour is just so pretty too! So I'm not trying to get rid of something I don't like, rather the opposite.

That's about all of the knitting I've done since I last wrote. I'm really becoming an expert at frogging, at least...

I'l try not to be away for so long this time!

/ Jenny

It's...

...Been WAY too long! Again! And this time I have no real excuse, other than that life has been feeling a bit hectic these past two weeks. Lots to do at work, and last weekend was just spent relaxing at home. I simply haven't had the energy to blog! But as we're spending this weekend at home, and in the cabin, relaxing as well, I figured today would be a good day to get this done. Not that this is a chore or anything, but I still need to find the time and energy to get it done! Today I'm doing laundry, vacuuming and cleaning the bathrooms (and as I've now told you guys about it all, there's no escaping!), so I can find a little time in between :)

I haven't been knitting very much, but I've managed to finish a pair of socks at least. These are the Spring socks from my 10 patterns collection (I can't seem to find a direct link to the pattern, so you'll just have to look at the patterns collection site), and they are a bit wonky...

I think I told you that I'd managed to knit these from two different dye lots, and it really shows! The right sock in the photo is a lot darker, and greyer, than the left one. But that's not all. Somehow, even though they're knitted on the same set of DPN's, and the same number of pattern repeats, the right sock is a lot smaller than the left one too. Tell me that this shouldn't be a problem when you change dye lots? So I'm calling these ones a fair failure, but I guess I'll still wear them. If I wear them under jeans, the difference in length won't be noticable anyway. I'm thinking of trying to overdye them though, what do you guys think? I will add a gadget to the left side column where you guys can vote! If you leave me a comment on this post telling me you've voted, I'll even draw a random winner next weekend and have a small give-away (and no, you won't be getting the socks! I'll come up with a nicer price that involves yarn, I promise)!

I've also been working a lot on my Baby Cables and Big Ones Too sweater, and it's coming along nicely this time:

Since this photo I've actually finished both sleeves, so now it's mostly boring stockinette left. Because of that I'm making it into my work knitting, so it might take a while to actually get it done. I chose to make the sleeves before I finished the body, because I'm thinking of turning it into a dress instead. I just wanted to make sure that I had enough yarn to make both sleeves before I increased the lenght! But I think I'll be ok, as I've decreased the size considerably from the pattern instructions. I put the sleeves on hold much earlier than instructed, and I've added a lot more shaping to it as well as that suits my body better. I think I have about five whole skeins left! But now it's time to start the hip increases, so it will draw more yarn soon. We'll see what I decide, I'll have to try it on as I go.

Yesterday I also worked a little on my Brandywine shawl, although I have no new photo of it as it doesn't look very different from the last post. I've made 5 repeats (out of at least 15) on the main body chart. But I think I'll try to focus a bit on this one for now, before I start any new socks. Or gloves. Or something else... Startitis, anyone?

The last project that I have going is still the Panama shawl, and I do't really know why this one isn't really spekaing to me. I love the yarn (even though it is a bit fragile), and I like the pattern fine too. The projects on Ravelry are gorgeus, so the shawl will be lovely, and I'm actually in need of a purple shawl to match all of my purple clothes. But somehow I just don't feel like working on this one right now, so it's resting in the WIP bag for now. I'll get to it some day too.

Ok, time to get going on the cleaning. Maybe I'll have breakfast first?

/ Jenny