Gettin' Ziggy With It

Towards the end of the Spring semester I got a teeny, tiny bit bogged down with all of the grading and whining and packing and moving and selling and contracts that I really wasn't knitting a whole lot. I did start and finish a Hemlock Ring Blanket, which I am very proud of, but otherwise there was very little knitting going on.I am proud to say that the Spring semester is over, I will not be teaching again for at least a year, the house is sold, Luke and I are moved into our new places and (ignoring that little thing called a dissertation) I am free to knit!
I have been working on the Circular Shrug since March for a co-worker. She bought the yarn and then we tried to find a pattern. I'm still not sure if it's going to fit her, but it looks awfully nice on me:Pattern: Circular Shrug by Julia Allen
Yarn: Plymouth Yarns Suri Merino - 5.5 skeins
Needles: US 7s

Comments: This pattern is well written and fairly easy to understand. You have to do a little mental gymnastics to figure out exactly what it's going to look like when it's finished and even then it's still not quite what you had imagined. If you do attempt this one be warned that you will also have to find ways to explain the architecture of this to knitters and non-knitters alike. Things can get complicated and you may dislocate your shoulder in the process.

My only other complaint with this one is just that it was SOOOOOO boring. Twenty inches of mock rib brought me to my knees and made me want to cry every time that I looked at this project over the past 3 months. Should it have been finished sooner? Absolutely. Am I glad that it's finished now -- HELL YES!

Gettin' Ziggy

Unlike the last project, I am madly in love with Get Ziggy. I CO for this during my cousin's high school graduation and I am pleased to say that I was more than 3/4 of the way finished with the back by the time she was throwing her hat in the air and taking her first steps into the "real world" (of college ) - HA!
I love the cable on the front and if you haven't checked out this pattern recently, you have to see the adorable matching hat! It makes the whole outfit. I am making this out of pretty craptastic yarn, but it's in my stash and it's pink and my future niece will probably not mind. The irony of the whole situation is that out of all of the knitted gifts for future niece that I have started, this lovely wintery 12 month sized sweater is the closest thing to being completed. Future niece arrives at the beginning of July! Ha. Guess I should finish up the February sweater, baby kimono, baby blanket and start on that Baby Bobbi Bear .....

Sorry for the crappier than normal pictures, but I'm learning to work with my built in iSight camera ... we are learning to work well together. Next time, hopefully more FOs and a report from Luke's place in Birmingham - did I mention that he has Max with him? I miss my beaglemutt and husband, but I get to see both of them this Thursday! Hooray!

Knitting Fame!

My knitting group is FAMOUS -- in Baltimore :)

Check out our new story here.

I did actually finish a knitted item, but I have no camera so it'll have to wait until later! Have a nice weekend!

I'm Still Here!

March 11, 2008? Really? Wow.

We went to Hawaii sometime after that. It was fun :)So, Luke (HD) is in Birmingham now for grad school. We sold our condo in Baltimore 3 weeks ago and I have moved in with a co-worker who lives 15 minutes away from campus! There was much rejoicing and loading and unloading of a 16' Budget truck. And driving it to Alabama. From Maryland.

I got a new computer that doesn't freak out every time I try to type out a blog post. It's a Mac. I got it yesterday and I heart it.

I left my camera in Birmingham due to luggage constraints on the plane ride back to DC.

I completed a Hemlock Ring Blanket and I am currently working on a Circular Shrug.My knitting group will be in the Baltimore Sun at some point in the near future and maybe there will be a quote from me! The writer and photographer came to interview/photograph our group tonight and when I left the writer had been taught how to knit by our leader. I'm seeing a front page spread. Depending on how successful the writer was at learning to knit the headline will be one of the following: "Knitter's Spread Joy of Knitting" or "Knitter's Terrify Customers at Local Panera's with Yarn Swift and Pointy Needles." Let's hope for the first one!