{WIP} Big Pink Butt (or Heart)

I have a small WIP I've been working on this week.  I haven't picked up a crochet hook since my candy corn amigurumi so I was a wee bit rusty.  I met up with my BFF Jackie over the weekend and started a heart amigurumi.  The pattern is very cute and easy - here you go. 

Tonight while watching Brave with Nate I finished the body of the heart; once I remember how to figure out decreasing I will finish it.

I think it looks slightly inappropriate at this stage in its creation

{FO} - Hats for Boys

Hat knitting is very rewarding.  And addicting, especially when you should be getting ready to go to bed because you have work in the morning but one more set of decreases won't hurt...right?? 

When I was knitting Nate's Turn a Square I kept thinking I chose the wrong end of the Noro to work from, but in the end I am very happy with the end result.

I blocked this one and Nate let it air dry on his head. Mainly because he said it felt like it was going to pop off like a shriveled balloon.  

I am hoping to finish my Hitchhiker shawl soon :) More on that on Wednesday's WIP post.

Blocking

Inside out

{WIP} You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round

Nate has been nagging subtly hinting for a hat pretty much since I finished his scarf in September.  And then joking it will take me a year like his scarf. Well, jokes on you Nate -- I LIKE knitting hats. I don't like knitting scarves.

I had purchased some Noro a month or so back for his hat, and had leftover cascade from my Turn A Square.  So I  decided to make one for him! Not only is this a super cute pattern but it is simple as well.  

So there Nate. 

{WIP} Deja Vu?

I have a good feeling about 2013.  But, being the natural worrier that I am (seriously, if worrying was an Olympic Sport I would be the gold winner) I hope history does not repeat it's self.  One titanium metal plate is enough thank you very much.  With that said...my first project of 2013 is....a shawl! Ha! Last year I had started my Multnomah Shawl before the dreaded car accident of 2012.  And this year I am working on the Hitchhiker shawl.  Although, the Hitchhiker is more of a scarf in my opinion. 

Technically, I started the Hitchhiker in 2012 but as it was in the last couple of days of 2012 I am counting it as a 2013 project.

This is such a fun and EASY knit.  I haven't had a good bit of mindless knitting in awhile.  That I enjoyed making (I did do a whole bunch of coffee sleeves the last month and a half).  I had forgotten how pleasing simple garter stitch is.  And the 8 rows that make up the pattern go by relatively quickly - the first ten teeth flew by but now that I have longer rows they are taking longer.  It's hard to believe that this project only starts with 2 stitches. 

The yarn I am using makes this a pleasure to knit as well. Seriously, if you haven't tried any of Tami's Candy Skein yarn you don't know what you are missing! The colors are very vibrant and the yarn is just so squishy.  It's fantastic! I will definitely be purchasing more in the future. 

New Year Resolutions

It is hard to believe that 2012 is almost over.  It started with a crash (literally...remember my car accident and broken wrist?) and ended with snow.  I am hoping that 2013 will treat me a little bit better. 

Part of my knitting resolution for 2013 will be to blog more often and therefore I am looking forward to participating in WIP Wednesday and FO Fridays again.  I am also hoping to participate in the Year of Projects for 2013 but we will see how that goes (and I need to figure out how it works womp womp) 

To celebrate my blogginess I will leave this teaser picture and will touch base with y'all on Wednesday!

We interrupt holiday knitting with baby knitting

I pretty much only have one week left of knitting...and I've fallen behind! But for a good cause - Nate's coworker recently had a baby girl and he asked me to knit something for her. And my co-worker is having a baby boy in January and we're throwing him a surprise baby shower at work this upcoming week.

Owl tuque hat

bitty cabled hat

The Dreaded Kitchener Stitch

I've been knitting now for almost two years and there is still so much I do not know...and I still love the thrill of accomplishment when I tackle a new trick.  

My goal was to mail out my swap gift on December 1st (side note: holy crud, where did the time go?!) but alas, I've procrastinated starting the legs because 1)three yarns at once makes me twitchy and 2)I was terrified of the kitchener stitch.

Ah, yes, the kitchener stitch.  That feared method of grafting that has so many steps for one single stitch that one begins to wonder if anyone would notice that instead of an invisible seam there was a row of shiny staples.  You may have noticed that after nearly two years of knitting, the closest I've come to socks were toeless, heelless yoga socks.  Ahem.

But, tonight with the realization that it's December and I really need to finish my swap gift and get that in the mail ASAP I started the first leg.  After about ten rows I found my rhythm of working with the three yarns and it progressed smoothly. And then I got to the end. With a gulp I pulled my Knit Aid by Vicki Howell book off the shelf, watched a few videos on youtube and sucked it up.  Tapestry needle in hand I began the slow going chant of "knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on" and amazingly did not mess up!  

Tomorrow night I will tackle the last leg :)