Casting on ALL THE THINGS!

On Wednesday evening, really really late, I finally finished the Omelet shawl!

I started this one in August, so I've been working on it for a long time. Well, I haven't touched it in forever until I picked it up a month ago, but now it's finally done. I have about 25 grams left of the yarn now that I ripped it back, but that yarn is just going in the leftovers bag! I'm very happy with the shawl though, it's very pretty, even though it isn't very soft. I'll wear it anyway, because I'm not bothered when wearing scratchy wool. I'll not buy that yarn again though!

Then on Thursday, me and Thomas got our tree up!

We bought a very nice tree, as this is the first year that we have a tree, and decorated it for most of that evening. I have bought a TON of decorations this year, and we had to leave a lot of them down since it would have been way too much. But it looks really good now, and we're both happy with it. No presents underneath it though, as Toki would just shred the paper. That cat gets into everything and eats anything he can get his tiny mouth on! He's a real handful, but oh so cute and cuddly too.

Yesterday evening after work I hunkered down and finished the Christmas ball too, which left me with zero projects on the needles!

I'm blocking the ball just a little bit, as I think it will stretch a bit when I stuff it, but that will have to wait until tomorrow when it's dry. I decided to just make one of the balls for now, as I've been dying to cast on new stuff. But I'm very happy that I finished the Crazy KAL and actually got down to zero projects. I've re-affirmed that I really don't like having too few projects going as I prefer the variety of different sized needles and different thicknesses of yarn. 

So, yesterday evening I got crazy, and cast on ALL THE THINGS instead! First off were the Ill Met by Moonlight socks, by Claire Ellen.

I was going to do these as a KAL, but that ended yesterday so I was a bit too late. I still love the patten though, so I cast on as soon as I was able. I chose Mackintosh Celtic Sock yarn (90 % superwash wool/10 % nylon, 366 m/100 g) that I got from Eat.Sleep.Knit over a year ago, in the colourway Black Plum. This yarn is amazing! It has awesome stitch definition, and it is super soft and springy at the same time. As you can see I've only knit a tiny bit of the cuff, but I am already smitten.

Next, I started my For Good hat by Megan Williams. Megan is one of the Stockinette Zombies duo, and she designed this hat in honour of her dead sister. All the profits go to charity, and the hat is beautiful. There is a KAL going for this one too, that ends on December 31st, and I think I might focus on this one to try and get it done until then.

I'm using my Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted (100 % merino, 206 m/114 g) in the colourway Berry, and this yarn is also pretty nice. It's super soft, and also has pretty good definition, even though it isn't quite as awesome as the Mackintosh yarn. I love working with it though, and since it's a worsted weight it feels like it's flying off the needles. I just have to find a really cute button for the hat!

The third project I started was the Morning Echo Cardigan, by Elizabeth Sullivan. I finally got to wind and use my Wollmeise DK (100 % superwash Merino, 428 m /200 g) in the Sabrina colourway.

It took me a while to wind, but it is really a wonderful yarn. It is a lot softer to work with than the lace weight Wollmeise, and the stitch definition is still the best I've ever seen. I don't know why the Wollmeise yarns are so exceptional when it comes to stitch definition, but they are definitely the masters. I think this cardigan is going to be very pretty!

The last project I started yesterday was the Gray Havens sweater, by Maria Olson. 

I'm using my Madelinetosh Pashmina yarn (75 % merino/ 15 % silk/10 % cashmere, 329 m/113 g) in the colourway Dried Rose, and once again I can see why people rave about this yarn. It is very soft and nice to work with, although I did get an incredible yarn barf from the ball! I managed to untangle it though, so now it's going smoothly again. I don't have as much yarn as the pattern calls for, but I plan on making it shorter, and I've read some of the pattern notes that states that it took way less yarn than called for. So I hope I'll be all right! Otherwise I guess I'll have to try to get one more skein from Eat.Sleep.Knit!

So, yesterday was really a cast on hollapalooza! And when I went to bed I was still not completely satisfied, so today I've wound yarn for the Mandala II shawl (Madelinetosh Tosh Lace, in the Rose Colourway) and the Archer tunic (more Wollmeise DK, in the pesto colourway).

I don't know if I'll cast on for those two today, or if I'll wait a couple of days. Tomorrow we're leaving for Borås for Christmas, so I guess I'll just bring everything along with me and see what I'll have time for! I had planned to start a pair of self-striping socks as well, but the Stockinette Zombies are having a monthly self-striping KAL starting in January, so I'll wait with those until after New Year's. I also think I'll wait with the shawl until then, so I can enter it in the 12 shawls forever group on Ravelry too. That's the group that's been 10 shawls in 2010, 11 shawls in 2011 and 12 shawls in 2012, but now they don't want to increase the number any more, so the new group name will be 12 shawls forever. I'm not going to make 12 shawls next year either (I made four this year), but it's a fun and active group that I like to keep up with.

Oh, on Thursday, after we got our tree up, Thomas got his Companion Cube! I couldn't keep quiet any longer, so he got it a bit early, and he loves it! He didn't believe me when I told him I had worked on it with him sitting next to me! But it was very well received so I'm pleased. 

Also, at the beginning of the week, I finally got my Time Traveller's yarn club sock yarn! It's Sheepy Time Knits Panda Feet yarn (60 % merino/30 % bamboo/10 % nylon, 397 m/113 g), and the colourway is called Exterminate!

It is an amazing colour, all bronze and gold hues, and the bamboo makes it really shiny! I'm going to have to find a really special pattern for this yarn! I'm so glad it finally arrived, apparently it came back to the dyer so she sent it again, and the second time it arrived really fast. I can't wait for the next shipment in February!

On that day I went into Linköping before I picked up the mail, to finish my Christmas shopping, and I just happened to go by the yarn store and pick up a skein of sock yarn there too. I got a skein of Shoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball sock yarn (75 % superwash wool/25 % nylon, 420 m/100 g) in the colourway Charisma. It is a really cool self-striping yarn!

Ok, now I have to start packing for our trip tomorrow. We'll only be gone for a couple of days, but there are gifts to be wrapped and all the cat stuff to be packed as well, so I better get going. I'll try to be back with a new post before New Year's!

You all have a very Merry Christmas!

/ Jenny