Pages

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Work in Progress Wednesday v.70

Greetings from the frozen land!  It got just north of 20 degrees farenheit here today (that's -7 celsius) and it felt like picnic weather.  Yesterday, it didn't get much past 3, which is really freaking cold regardless of the scale you use.  I had to knit just to keep warm.  Sacrifices...

Last week, Lorna Suzanne was just a tiny little seed of a sweater, and it looked like this:

Today, I'm about 2" from stopping at the armpits and knitting up the sleeves.  I LOVE this pattern.  I do not LOVE making these cute little berries in the lace.  They're kind of fiddly.  But I can totally live with it if the sweater turns out half as well as it's looking at the moment.

Gauge is still running a tiny bit bigger than the pattern, so I remain ever hopeful that it will fit like a glove when it's all finished.  Everyone cross your fingers, please!

Since lightning fast (at least for me) sweater production didn't seem like enough to keep me busy, I went yarn shopping.  What?  It was 20% off Saturday.  I had no choice.  I bought this:

It's Kia Ora Rimu fingering by Zealana.  Quite a mouthful.  I found it on clearance at my LYS, and had passed it up a few times already.  But it's 60% New Zealand Merino and 40% possum (!) and soooooooo soft.  It's kind of ridiculous.  Know what's ridiculous-er?  I bought it to make a baby dress.  For a baby.  Crazy, yes?  I couldn't help it, it's exactly the right shade (It's a heathery dark denim color.  Honest.) for what I wanted and did I mention soft?  So soft.  It's going to grow up to be Fiona's Top, a ridiculously -- sensing a theme here? -- expensive pattern that I justified by convincing myself I'll knit it for every girl baby who comes along.  It's that cute. 

I also ordered, because 20%!  Off! -- 5 skeins of Cascade 220 in Cordovan to knit an Idlewood.  It was totally an impulse buy, but I think it'll be pretty. 

And, over Thanksgiving, I ordered a set of Candy Skein minis for my Power Puff Quilt, which are totally amazing.  Look...

It's a whole rainbow of puff ingredients.  You get enough of each color to make 2 of each puff, but I'm planning on one solid puff of each color, then some stripey puffs and some rainbow puffs, and, and, and...

Also, they come with these eensy little candy beads!  I have no idea what I'll do with them but they are adorable.  Seriously. And you'll just have to believe me on this one, because every single picture turned out blurry.  Sorry!

Also, they came with (Suddenly, I'm doing a Ginsu knives commercial* here...) this sample of Candy Skein Delicious, which might be the softest thing I've ever touched. 

I'm going to have to find a pattern to justify ordering a pile of it after Christmas, because at the moment the queue is a bit backed up.  Luckily, Christmas vacation is just around the corner.

...which doesn't in any way mean that Christmas is just around the corner.   I'm sure you still have plenty of time.  No need to panic.  Yet.  In fact, you should treat yourself with a visit to WIP Wednesday to see what everyone else is up to.  Rushing around can start next week or so.  (Is it working?  Are you less stressed now?)

*I <3 the internet.  It's amazing what you can dig up!

17 comments:

  1. Your sweater is looking fantastic, so much progress! Which totally justifies buying new yarn... I love the sound of the possum yarn, I bet it is gorgeously soft :) And the Candy Skein minis are so cute :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I knit a hat out of possum yarn Megan bought me on her trip to Australia, then the first day I wore it I promptly lost it. It was great yarn. BB

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the color of your sweater! It's looking amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Candy Skein minis look super yummy! I bet your beekeeper quilt will be awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, so much gorgeous yarn. I'm particularly jealous of your Candy Skein minis - I've been eyeing them and telling myself to wait until after Christmas.

    Fabulous progress on the sweater. Those berries look suspiciously like big bobbles .. poor you, they are painful to work!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The sweater looks great! I also love the colors of the candy skein yarn. That is going to work up realllly pretty-Tori

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love your mini skeins! And the lace is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oooo, love that rainbow of colors in your candy skeins! (and when yarn is 20% off, it is a MUST to purchase!)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love Tami's Candy Skein yarn. They really are yummy and delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your sweater looks terrific and the color is gorgeous. The mini-skein colors will make such pretty puffs.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sweater looks fab! congratulations.
    Looking forward to seeing those colours as puffs. Am fighting the urge to join the puff gang. ;)
    take care

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loving your sweater and your new yarn! And what is it with being completely stressed about Christmas projects on one hand and starting new ones at the same time? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. The sweater is looking amazing so far. The lace is gorgeous and those fiddly berries are a lovely detail. I am totally drooling over your new yarn loot. Especially the Candy Skein minis. Idlewood has been in my queue for a long time. Such a great sweater. Let me know if you decide to knit it and maybe we can do a KAL.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks awesome, lovely color and your cables are awesome plus. I'm going to try my hand after another cup of coffee at making a very simple small cable, my first. Worked my way last night to the row where it begins on a cotton washcloth...thought I'd start small for the first attempt.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm jealous of all that delicious looking yarn. Seriously good stuff. Your sweater looks wonderful, you ARE fast!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow! So many beautiful things to look at!

    ReplyDelete
  17. hey hey hey
    look what i found:
    http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/2011/12/making-winter-december.html#comments

    ReplyDelete