Lots of knitting going on!

I really meant to write sooner, but I decided I wanted to finish some stuff before I did. And then things got kind of out of hand... So, lots and lots of knitting has happened these last few weeks! Just to warn you, this might be a quite long post!

First, I got loads of buttons in the mail. I found this Canadian shop on Etsy, Forbeadin' Treasures, that makes super cute plastic buttons. So I ordered four sets, because they are also super cheap:

As you can see, I went with the children theme. I had planned to use one of the sets on the Abernathy cardigan that I finished last time, but I finally decided that I wasn't completely happy with either set on that particular garment. So I chose to sew on a couple of sheep buttons that I had in my stash instead, and I'm super happy with this cardigan!

It's only three weeks until the baby is due, and I am slowly accumulating baby knits. You'll see them later in this post. After I had sewn on the buttons, I decided to finish off some socks. First I finished the vanilla goth socks that I made from Crazy Zauberball sock yarn:

They are almost knee highs, and I really like wearing them. They are just plain vanilla socks with afterthought heels, and as the yarn is labelled as striping I got to count them in the striping KAL (I asked in the forum, and got approval). So January socks are done!

Then I finished my Watermelon Slice socks:

I LOVE these! They are just so cute and whimsical, and the yarn softened at least some when I washed them. They feel very sturdy, so they'll probably last forever, and they are very warm and wooly. I have enough yarn left to make at least a pair of children's socks, but I'll wait with that. The yarn is still too scratchy to put on a small baby anyway.

Once I had finshed those socks, I only had two projects left to work on, the Mandala II shawl and the Stricken socks were left on the needles. I hadn't gotten my skein of Tosh lace from Eat.Sleep.Knit yet, so I cast on for a baby pyjama suit instead, the Hel dress pattern. I chose three colours of sock yarn from my stash, Two were the Knitting Goddess sock yarn that I got in the club last year, and one was Opal sock yarn. 

The green is called Trousers for a Fiend, and the brown is called Fun Fur. I discovered very soon that I HATE knitting with three colours, as the yarn just kept on tangling. I'm very happy that this was just a tiny baby knit! I made a lot of changes to the pattern, as I didn't realize that it was meant to be steeked. I've tried steeking superwash yarn before, and that's an experience I don't want to have again, so I decided to knit it flat instead. I also chose another colourwork band across the chest, the red dragon chart which is free on Ravelry, and this was my first time knitting colourwork flat. It turned out to be a little bit fiddly, but ok. finally, I picked up for the button bands and collar, and knit them in garter stitch. 

As an intermission, in the middle of knitting the pyjama I got the lace yarn from Eat.Sleep.Knit, but it turned out to be a lot paler than my two skeins. I knew this was a risk, since they are hand dyed and my old skeins had been in my stash for almost three years, so I decided to use it anyway. I really wanted to finish the shawl, so I knit, and knit, and knit, and finally it is done!

I'm way too heavy and non-mobile right now with my huge belly to spend an hour on the floor blocking this, so that will have to wait until the baby is here. As you can see it has a very pale border, and I can't decide if I should try over-dyeing the whole thing or leave it as it is. I want to decide before I block it, as blocking a circular shawl is a pain in the butt and I don't want to do it more than once. But right now I'm leaning towards not changing it, I think I can live with the paler border. Dyeing is always a risk, and I really don't want to destroy this thing!

Then I picked up the pyjama again, and finished it. 

I sewed on the buttons the other day (of course I chose the dragon buttons, as there were already knit dragons on it), and I'm very happy with this one! It is very soft, so it should be comfortable on the baby, and it is super cute. If I were to make another one (which I probably won't), I would probably just use two colours though.

Ok, I was finally down to just one project on the needles, the Cookie A socks. Which I really didn't feel like working on! So on Thursday this week I cast on all the things! First on the needles was the Star Leaves shawl:

I'm making it from two stash skeins of Chili Gredelin Madame yarn (55 % silk/45 % cashmere, 365 m/110 g), which might be my all time favourite lace yarn, and I also found some beads in the stash that I'm using. I don't think you can see the beads in the photo, but they're there. I had some problems getting this one started, and I've messaged the designer some times, but finally after finishing the first chart it turned out that the problem was my reading skills. The pattern is very clear and obviously correct, I just missed one line of text... Now it's fine, and I'm really enjoying this one.

Next I started the Dark and Stormy cardigan, with some Cascade 220 from stash (100 % wool, 201 m/100 g), in the colourway Liechen 9338.

I have literally just cast this one on, and then I haven't had time to work on it any more than the first row, I think, so this one doesn't look like much. But it will be very pretty!

And as if one cardigan wasn't enough, I decided to start yet another one for me. I started the Austin Hoodie about a year and a half ago, but it didn't work with the yarn I chose, so this time I picked a yarn that was a little bit thicker in my stash. I'm using Manos del Uruguay Fino (70 % merino/30 % silk, 225 m/50 g), in the colourway British 2334. I thought I had six skeins in total of this, which should be about what is needed for the hoodie, but when I started to wind the fourth or fifth skein, I discovered this:

Yeah, half of the strands in the skein had been cut! I had bought four of these skeins in a yarn store in Uppsala back in October 2012, but this skein came from Garnkorgen as I decided I wanted enough of the yarn to make a sweater and ordered some more later on. I have to admit that I hadn't opened the skein when I got it, but just put it in the stash with the other skeins. But all of the skeins had been sealed in a plastic bag together (and the bag was completely intact), and none of the other skeins were affected, so I doubt it was bugs. I contacted the shop, but as I had bought it so long ago I didn't think there was anything the owner could do either. She graciously offered me to buy another skein for half price though, which I thought was really nice. I've decided to wait a bit with ordering it though, to see if I can finish the cardigan with what I've got. I haven't tried to ball up the broken skein yet, so I don't know how much of it will be salvageable. 

I have made the folded hem on the cardigan though, so now it's just an eternity of stockinette knitting for a while:

I am enjoying working on it, as the yarn is super soft and it's completely mindless. I think it will take me a while to get done though, as I'm not focusing on this one at the moment. The project I am prioritizing right now is the fourth cast on I made on Thursday, namely the Puerperium baby cardigan:

I'm using the Wollmeise DK leftovers (100 % superwash wool, 428 m/200 g) in the colourway Pesto. This is the yarn I made my Gnarled Oak cardigan from, right before new year's, so now the baby and I will have matching sweaters! I wear mine all the time, I really love both the model and the yarn, and I think this baby cardigan will be very cute as well. I'm putting the sleeves on waste yarn today, so I'm almost half-way done already. DK baby clothes equal fast knitting!

Finally, I decided that I needed to think on what knitting I want to bring to the hospital when the baby comes. No, I can't imagine going there without knitting, why do you ask? So I started a pair of striping socks in some Regia sock yarn from stash (75 % superwash wool/25 % nylon, 420 m/100 g), in the colourway Cassis 04536.

The pattern is Fruit Stripe Gum socks, and I'm really liking it! It is completely mindless, I had to look at it twice before I had it memorized, but the results almost looks like entrelac! I have knit a little bit on them, just to get a feel for the pattern, but I'll probably save these in the hospital bag for now.

Ok, I think that's it on the knitting front! As I said, a lot! But I have had two really lousy stomach weeks, so knitting has been about the only thing I've done. It seems like it's getting marginally better this weekend (knock on wood), so hopefully I'll get three weeks of rest before the baby comes. I haven't done much these past few weeks, but yesterday my sister and mother came for a visit, and we went to see a Swedish production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar (we gave our mother tickets for Christmas). It was really, really good, and then we bought pizza and just hung out for a short while before they went home again. I think they both thought it was nice to see me one last time before the baby comes, so they could laugh at how ridiculous I look :)

We'll see if I get around to updating again before the baby. I'll probably want to show off the baby cardigan if I finish it! Otherwise you'll get some very different photos next time!

/ Jenny

A late Merry Christmas!

I hope you've all had a really lovely and relaxing week! We went to visit our parents on Sunday last week, and came back to Mantorp yesterday evening, so we've been gone for almost a week. It's been a really good Christmas for both of us, I've spent a lot of time with my family just hanging out and knitting a lot, and Thomas got to see his family a lot and spend lots of time with his brothers too. We got a lot of cute and functional baby stuff for Christmas gifts, which I won't show off here, and had lots of lovely food. Everyone was so pleased to see us this year too, especially me and my growing stomach!

Since the last time I wrote I've done a lot of knitting too. On the weekend of the first of Advent, Thomas helped his brother move, so I had the whole Saturday to put up the Christmas decoration and knit. I finished the Show-off Stranded socks in Friday Studios Monday base yarn (colourway Girl on Fire) in just about a week, which I'm very proud of!

These makes number eleven this year in the Stripey KAL that the Stockinette Zombies are hosting, and almost immediately I cast on for the last pair. I was actually thinking of using this yarn for a baby hat, but I decided that it wasn't quite soft enough for that so it got to become another pair of socks for me. This is the Georgia on My Mind socks, and I made them with Austermann Step sock yarn (75 % superwash wool/25 % nylon, 421 m/100 g), in the colourway 220.

I really, really like these socks! I think the yarn is a really good work horse yarn, and it has some Aloe Vera in it that makes your feet feel soft and pampered when you wear them. I made these socks really fast too, just under a week. and they completed the twelve pairs of striped socks this year! Yay!

Those are the projects that I finished, and I also chose to put one in hibernation on Ravelry. I was intending to make three Pikmin toys, but I decided to hold off on the second and third. I made the yellow one a while ago, and it is super cute, but I just don't enjoy crochet! It's very fiddly for me, and makes my hands hurt, so I'm going to wait. I do want the finished objects some day, just not right now.

And this means that I've only got two projects on the needles right now. I've actually been working a lot on my Mandala II shawl, and I'm a third through the last chart before the edging. I used up the first whole skein and switched to the second a while ago, but I think there should be enough. I really hope so!

I'm quite enjoying the lace knitting, it's just that each row is a little bit over 1100 stitches and takes me almost an hour. And there are no rest rows either, there is patterning on every row. I won't finish it this year, but hopefully in January.

I've also knit a lot on the Gnarled Oak cardigan, and that one is almost finished. I've knit and attached both sleeves, and I'm almost done with the leaf motives on the yoke. Then it's just button bands and collar bands left, which should go pretty quickly. The photo is taken just before I attached the sleeves, but I just couldn't be bothered with taking a new one today in the dreary dark weather (we've had the warmest Christmas in Sweden for fifty years, with more rain than has been measured since the country started keeping records...).

I'm enjoying this one very much, and since it's DK weight (I'm making it in Wollmeise DK, colourway Pesto) it's going really fast. I also ordered button off of Etsy a couple of weeks ago, from a store called Wooden Artist:

I'm so pleased with these! They are made from two different types of wood (Kozika to the left and Acacia to the right), and oiled, and they will fit this cardigan perfectly. I just haven't decided which set I'm going to use yet, I'll show them to you with the cardigan next time. I noticed after I got them that the one that is in the pattern on Ravelry also has wooden buttons, and it looks great.

I got my last shipments in both yarn clubs I'm in these past weeks too. First I got the December shipment in the Cookie A sock club, which was an absolutely gorgeous skein from Tanis Fiber Arts:

This is Purple Label Cashmere Sock yarn (70 % merino/20 % cashmere/10 % nylon, 366 m/115 g), in the colourway Julep. I've actually already skeined this one up, and it is becoming a baby hat. It is incredibly soft, and I really like the colour too.

Then I got the last shipment in the 7 Degrees of Kevin Bacon sock club too, which is a skein of the Knitting Goddess sock yarn in the colourway Everglot (which is from the movie Corpse Bride). It is a really pretty shade of silver grey, and I'm happy with this one too. I've been happy with almost all of the colours in this club, but I'm not going to join in for another round (I don't remember what the theme was next year, but it was something else). We're just not splurging on stuff like that next year, what with the baby coming.

Ok, I think that was it with the knitting. I was really hoping to get everything off the needles for the start of the new year, but I'm just not going to be able to finish the shawl. I think I'll finish the cardigan though, so I'll just have to be content with one thing on the needles. And once January comes along I'll start a new pair of socks (I haven't decided which pattern yet, but it will be something semisolid and cabled) and a baby hat. And probably a baby cardigan too. It's only a little more than two months until it's due to arrive so I better get a move on!

I'll not get back to you before New Year's Eve, so I'll talk to you again next year!

/ Jenny

Ok, I HAVE to stop buying yarn!

Well, no. Not really. But this week has been a good mail week! On Thursday I got my package from Chili Gredelin. She is a Swedish dyer, but she has decided to close up the shop for good (so I don't know for how long the link will work!). So last Saturday she put up all of her remaining yarn in the shop, and had a final sale. I have plenty of Chili Gredelin yarn in my stash, but most of it is lace. So this time I managed to snag some sock yarns instead. I got four skeins, and I was debating on whether to wait with ordering them or not, but decided I didn't want to miss them if they were sold. And all of the yarns in the shop sold out in less than 24 hours, so I'm glad I didn't wait! The first skein is Chili Gredlin Eliza sock yarn (80 % superwash merino/10 % nylon/10 % cashmere, 365 m/100 g), in the colourway Burnished:

Next up is Chili Gredelin Eliza sock yarn in the colourway Party People:

Third was Chili Gredelin Cassiopeia sock yarn (75 % superwash merino/20 % nylon/5 % stellina, 400 m/100 g) in the colourway Starry Night:

And lastly, a skein of Chili Gredelin Cassiopeia sock yarn in the colourway Glitter Canary:

The last two skeins are the first ones I own with stellina in them, and they will be so much fun to knit with. You can't really see the glitter in the photos, but they are really pretty. I'm very happy with all four of the skeins (and as you can see, so was Toki), and I look forward to making some really pretty socks this year. 

I also got another package on Thursday, which came from another Swedish dyer who is new to me. This is Friday Studios Self-striping sock yarn, Monday base (75 % superwash wool/25 % nylon, 425 m/100g), in the colourway Toothpaste:

I LOVE this yarn! When I was young we always used to have the Aquafresh striped toothpaste, and the yarn looks exactly like that! The socks I'll make from this yarn will be so much fun, and I think this might be my next self-striping socks. The yarn isn't the softest I've ever felt, but it's a lot softer than the one I'm working with now (The Four Seasons Gründl Hot Socks Nil yarn), and I think it will hold up very well. I'll definitely keep an eye on the shop in the future, she has lots of fun colours!

Then yesterday evening I went out for dinner with some work friends, which was really nice. We went to a new Thai restaurant in Mjölby (where I work), and it was really delicious. Although I feel like I smell a bit like curry today :). The restaurant seems to be doing really well, as it was fully booked. I got an awesome dessert, orange ice cream served in an emptied-out orange! Love the little umbrella (it might have followed me home)!

When I got home a new package was waiting for me in the mail box, which came from Mad Color Fiber Arts. The February shipment in the Mad Geek Tour Doctor Who club arrived, whit this insane beauty:

It's Mad Color Fiber Arts Slink yarn (75 % superwash merino/15 % nylon/10 % tencel, 366 m/100 g), in the colourway The Last Centurion. It's gorgeous, and very soft, and the tencel gives it just a little bit of shine. I'm definitely going to join this club again for the next three months. I think she opens up for sign-ups some time now in the beginning of March, so keep your eyes on the shop if you're interested!

So. Six new skeins of yarn this week. But I have to admit that the Chili Gredelin purchase hadn't happened if I didn't know it was my last chance to get her yarns. I think March will contain a lot less yarns than the past couple of months have!

Ok, knitting. I haven't gotten any new photos of the Julissa sweater, but I've only got about three repeats of the cable chart left on the second sleeve. Then I get to pick up the neck band, and that is only about five rows of ribbing, then the whole thing is done! So I think I'll get that done today, as I have no other plans for the day than to knit.

I'm also almost at the heel on the second of my Flecktone socks, and as these are my March entry for the self-striping KAL that the Stockinette Zombies are hosting, I'm way ahead. I think that once they are done I'll focus a bit on the Gördes socks before I cast on for another pair of self-striping, as I have all of March and April to finish the next pair. I worked a bit on the Gördes last weekend, and I really enjoy them. The yarn (Shibui Knits sock yarn) is really nice to work with, with a really high twist that gives it great stitch definition. I haven't gotten far enough to warrant a new photo though, so you'll have to wait for next time.

Yesterday was the first day of March, which means the day to start lots of new KAL projects! The Stockinette Zombies are hosting a MarigoldJen KAL, which means that you can make any project as long as it's MarigoldJen yarn. I got two skeins of her sock yarn a while ago, in the Apple of Megan's Eye colourway, and I think I'll make myself a pair of gloves. I think I'll cast on for the Glacier gloves by Julie Mueller, as I really love her designs. I just want to finish the Julissa sweater before I start anything new. 

The Knitting in Circles Podcast is also hosting a very fun March KAL, called the March Pop Culture Madness KAL. Here you can use any yarn to knit any pattern that is pop culture related, and if you use yarn or fiber that is also pop culture related you get extra points in the prize drawing at the end of the month. This is a very fun theme, and I'm actually thinking of going really all out and cast on for a sweater! I want to make the Arya's Needlework sweater (That's a Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire reference, for those of you who haven't read the books or seen the TV series), with my Sheepy Time Knits Panda Feet yarn that I got in the Time Traveler yarn club in November, in the colourway Exterminate! (And that's Doctor Who, if you hadn't guessed).

I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish all of the sweater in only a month, but as this is something that I really want to make anyway, I think I'll just make it anyway and not be too concerned about the prize drawings. I don't know if I told you, but I got two more skeins of the yarn when the club members were offered to buy more of the exclusive colourway, and the yarn is just so pretty! It has a really metallic sheen to it, and I plan on using my steampunk cogwheel buttons that I got from TimberGreen Woods on Etsy a while ago. I think they will look awesome with the metallic yarn!

So it looks like March will be filled with knitting too. I've really been on a knitting craze this year! I think it might actually be because I finished up all of my projects at the end of last year. That really gave me inspiration to start lots of new projects, and I've really enjoyed knitting lots and lots since then.

Finally, if you're wondering: I've decided not to start a podcast. There are so many good ones out there, And I felt like I almost had to choose between keeping up the blog and making the podcast, otherwise I'd just be repeating myself. And I really enjoy the blog more, so I'll stick with this one instead. Plus, I'm really bad at keeping up with a regular weekly schedule, so blogging suits me much better.

Now I'll make some breakfast/lunch and then knit for the rest of the day. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with an FO for you!

/ Jenny

Knitting like a maniac!

As you can see, I've made some changes to the blog. It's a new year, and I decided that things needed to be freshened up a little bit. The contents will not vary much though :)

I've been knitting like crazy since the new year began! I think it was probably good for me to finish off all of my old projects before the end of December, as I now want to do nothing but knit, all the time! Thomas has been away for three days this week too, which has meant three evenings of uninterrupted knitting time for me.

I'll start by showing you the Gray Havens sweater, that I'm making out of Medelinetosh Pashmina yarn, in the colourway Dried Rose:

I've made all of the decreases for the waist, and actually I had made all of the increases for the bust too, when I noticed that it was a bit short. I tried it on, and it barely reached my belly-button... So I ripped it back to the decreases, and now I'm elongating the straight part a bit. I think my row-gauge is probably off, but that doesn't really matter. I think I'll need to make six repeats of the chart instead of the intended four, and I'll be all right. I LOVE this sweater though! The pattern is great, and the yarn is awesome! I really want to finish it so I can wear it. I'm focusing mostly on this one right now, as I'm hoping to have it done by the end of the month. 

I started the Julissa scoop-necked sweater with the Wollmeise DK yarn in Sabrina a couple of days ago too, and that one is flying off the needles! It's knitted top-down, and I've already set the sleeves aside.

It is a really fun and easy knit, despite it looking pretty complicated with both cables and lace, but I haven't touched it since last weekend I think. I love it though, and that one will get a lot more attention once the Gray Havens sweater is done.

On Wednesday night I actually turned the heel on two different socks! First, the Ill Met by Moonlight socks:

I've made most of the leg part at work, during my breaks, but now I only have a couple of centimeters left until I'll start the cable on the foot. And that is a bit too complicated to make at work. The socks fit me perfectly, and that is actually something that I love about Claire Ellen's designs. All of them that I've made have a perfect fit on me.

The other sock that I turned the heel on was the Aquaphobia socks:

I'm very happy with these, even though I apparently haven't followed the pattern at all! I didn't look too closely on the pattern photos, but somehow made the assumption that the stitch pattern was the same weave pattern that I used on the Bobbie gloves (where you slip every other stitch with the yarn in front). When I had a closer look at the descriptions on how to turn the heel, it told me to slip with the yarn in back, and that's when I got suspicious. I went back in the pattern and checked, and sure enough it told me to do that all the time. I'm calling mine a design feature! I like the way mine look, so I definitely won't frog it!

I also noticed that about half-way down the leg I had somehow stopped making the cables mirrored, so after that they are just the same. Luckily the cables can't really be seen with the very busy yarn, so I decided to ignore that as well. I think I'll just make the cables identical on the second sock. I also had to decrease some stitches when I neared the ankle part, as it was turning out way too big otherwise. But with the decreases it fits me perfectly, so I'll just repeat that on the second sock too.

I have gotten a lot of stuff in the mail recently too, I think almost all of the stuff I told you about last time arrived. I now have four new project bags, and possibly there might be two more coming that I ordered from JessaLu... And I might order one from JavaJennie on Etsy soon too, as I really love the snap closure on hers...

In the photo, from the left is the one I got from A Needle Runs through It, and it's currently holding the Julissa sweater. Next to it is the cone from CackleBerry Creations, which is now holding the Gray Heavens sweater. The third one is from Miss FiberFox, and that's holding the Aquaphobia socks, and out on the right is the one I got from Elizabeth Quintan Design, and it's holding the Ill Met By Moonlight socks. 

I also got some yarn in the mail this week. The first was five skeins of Cascade 220 in the Liechen 9338 colourway:

These skeins were totally not my fault. As I'm right now making four different projects with cables on them, I really needed some new cable needles as I hate having to move the ones I have between the bags all the time. So I went to Garnkorgen and ordered a set of KnitPicks wooden cable needles. But you can't order from a yarn shop without getting some actual yarn right? So I got the Cascade. I think this might be the yarn I'll use for the Dark and Stormy cardigan, but don't hold me to that.

I also got a great deal on some Garnstudio Drops Lima yarn (65 % wool/35 % alpaca) in the Ruby Red colourway:

This is a DK yarn, and I don't really know what to make with it. I got 12 skeins, which is about a sweater's worth, so it will probably become some kind of garment for me.

Oh, and my mom asked me if I could make her a slouchy hat in blue, so I'm thinking of using some of my KnitPicks Stroll yarn for that, in the Saphire Heather colourway:

She picked the Sofie's Slouch pattern, so I'll probably cast this one on fairly soon. The pattern calls for a DK, but I think I might achieve that with the fingering held double. That way it will be warmer too.

I'm also itching to start a new lace project, and I already have yarn wound for one! I want to start the Mandala II round shawl, and I have two skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh lace in the Rose colourway all geared up. I might hold off on starting these two projects until the JessaLu project bags arrive though, so I have something to put them in :)

I also got all of my buttons in the mail, and I love them all! I sewed two of the ones I got from Orit Dotan onto the For Good Hat, and it turned out super cute!

And still no new podcast episode! Today I'm in my PJ's, and I haven't showered, so you won't get to see me. I'm thinking possibly tomorrow, if I can just figure out how to set up the camera! Thomas got a new one for Christmas, which I think will get me a lot better quality. I just need to learn how to use it...

I'll be back once my next bags arrive. And possibly some club yarn as well :)

/ Jenny

Christmas shopping!

Happy New Year, everybody! I hope that you all had a wonderful New Year's Eve. We had some friends over for dinner and board games, and it was a very nice evening. Thomas spent two days in the kitchen, and he really outdid himself on this one! We served spring rolls with shrimp and cilantro, and mini quiche with saffron for starters. Then for the main course he did rice noodles with sesame oil-fried salmon, and red-boiled side pork (we saw a show on Swedish TV about Chinese food, and apparently red-boiled pork was Mao Zedong's favourite dish). Finally for dessert we had berries and fruit with ice cream and home-made sesame crackers. It was all delicious! We toasted on the stroke of midnight, and I think all of the guests left around 2 in the morning. I was really tired the day after, but it was well worth it.

I got some money this Christmas from my grandparents, and I think I told you last time that I spent some of it on Etsy. Some of it has arrived, and I figured I could tell you about it. Beware though, as there is a lot! Oh, and I totally swiped the photos of stuff from the respective Etsy shops.

First, yesterday I got a package from CackleBerryCreations, which contained a new project bag:

It is gorgeous, and I have already put a project in it! I started a new pair of socks yesterday, for the Self Striping Addicts KAL that the Stockinette Zombies are hosting (one each month all year long). I chose the Aquaphobia socks by Chrystal Flanagan, and I'm making mine in Regia Design Line by Kristin Nicholas Garden Effects, colourway Spring.

I very quickly realized that the yarn is not striping but variegated, so I'm not sure if they will count for the KAL, but I'll make them anyway. I love them! The colour of the yarn is so much fun to work with, and I think they are turning out great. You can't really tell that there are cables on each side of the leg though, as the colours kind of eat them up!

Today I woke up with a fever and a really achy body, so I've been home from work all day. This winter has not been good to me! I've had several times where I had to stay home with my stomach, plus several colds and stuff. Let's hope this spring will be better! Anyway, I actually had three packages arrive in the mail today too. The first one contained a set of interchangeable ChiaoGoo bamboo needles for my Spin set, which I ordered from Grandma's Knit and Crochet. This is really my go-to shop for the ChiaoGoo needles, and the shipping is always fast. I got a pair of size 3 mm needles, as this was the one size that didn't come in my set. 

The second package was a second project bag, this one from MissFiberFox:

It is super cute, and also very well made. It is perfectly sized for a smaller project, like a pair of socks, but I haven't put anything in it yet. It sits on the couch looking pretty, so far.

The last package was a small envelope from BerryNiceCrafts, and oh my God does she have lots and lots of buttons! I got a set of 10 small ones that I planned to use on my Morning Echo cardigan that I'm making with my Wollmeise DK. Well, I say I'm making, but I've actually frogged it. I just couldn't get gauge! The DK knits up more like a worsted, so I've decided to make something else with it. I think it will be the Julissa scooped neck sweater instead. Anyway, the buttons:

I love the little pale teal paisley! They are just so cute! Right now I don't know what I'll use them for, as I frogged the cardigan, but I'm sure I'll find something. They cost barely nothing, so it was well worth it anyway.

Ok, that was the stuff that did arrive already. I figured I could as well tell you about the stuff on the way too, and get it all out of the way. I'm waiting for a small bag from ElizabethQuintan, with owls on it:

I am waiting for a large box bag as well, with Russian dolls on it, from A Needle Runs Through It:

This will probably hold my Grey Havens sweater once it arrives, as that one will soon be too big for the RoseKnits bag it's currently residing in (RoseKnits doesn't exist any more, it was an Etsy shop that I got two bags from a couple of years ago). The Grey Havens sweater is coming along very nicely, now that I've changed needle size. I've been working on it for most of the day today while sitting on the couch (when I've not been sleeping), and the pashmina is working out really well with the cables. Unfortunately, you can barely see them in the photo:

But they are there, and in real life they are very clear. The yarn is a dream to work with, and I'm really glad I got a sweater quantity of it. I think I might actually rip out the cast on though, as that is a bit too loose for my taste. I have to wait until I try it on though, to see how it will look stretched. I bought some buttons for this one too, from a shop called FeiYa (that's the next package I'm waiting on). Aren't they cute! I bought a set of 10.

While searching for suitable buttons I also found these super cool, steam punk cogwheel buttons:

They are from the shop TimberGreenWoods, and of course they had to come home to me too (they are also in transit). I got 12 of them.

I also got 3 buttons from Oritdotan, that I'm going to put on my For Good hat. I will probably only use one or two of them, but they were a set of three and I loved them!

Soooo, obviously I went a little over board... But it was so much fun! I also found some yarn clubs that I've joined, so I'll also be getting some yarn this year. I know I told you about the Sheepy Time Knits Time Traveller yarn club, which I joined last year. That one is three shipments, the first in December, the second in February and the last in April. A couple of days ago I also found Mad Colour Fiber Artist's Mad Geek yarn club, that also feature Doctor Who! This one will ship in January, February and March, and in the last shipment you also get a project bag from JessaLu! I've been raving one of her bags for ages, so I might actually buy one more later on. She has so many cool fabrics with geeky themes!

I told you about the Cookie A sock club a while ago, where I'll get yarn and patterns every other month for all of 2013. It will be awesome! I also joined the Knitting Godess' yarn club for 2013, which is called 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon. Instead of starting and ending with Kevin Bacon, she'll start with Helena Bonham Carter, and you'll get yarn and a sock pattern each month. The best thing is that this one can be paid for monthly, so I didn't have to fork out hundreds of dollars at once. 

I'm so excited about getting all of this mail during the year! As I don't knit a lot of lace any longer (I haven't stopped all together though, just slowed down on the lace knitting bit), I don't think I'll buy very much lace yarn during 2013 (don't hold me to that though!). And with all the clubs, I should be set for sock yarn too (and don't hold me to that either). So hopefully I'll only buy sweater yarn this year (and we all know how that's going to go, but I can have intentions, right?!).

Ok, this turned into a very long post, and my head is pounding! I had planned to do a podcast episode today too, but as I'm sick and in my PJ's you'll have to wait until I feel batter. I think I'll go turn in, and see if the fever is down tomorrow when I wake up. Let's hope!

/ Jenny