Showing off.

Veste Everest is finished. I actually finished it the day before I was supposed to give it to my MIL, talk about getting in under the wire! I don't have a picture of her in it yet, she hasn't tried it on, but here's one of my mom modeling it. She made me promise not to put her hair or pants in the picture, hence the Marie Antionette look (please also note my own shadow in this very fine photo, prize-winning photography here at Stuff I Typed, I know it's why I have all 5 of my fans). Yarn: I used Patons Decor in Barn Red. I purchased five balls, thought I was going to run out and got two more, and only ended up using four and a half. Needles: Cheapass Susan Bates pink aluminum needles in size 7, Addi Turbo size 5s for the ribbing. Things I learned from this project: purling through the back loop blows (ribbing). Adjustments: I did an extra pattern repeat to make the body longer, I could have even done one more it would seem, that is one short vest. I think I switched needle sizes to get gauge, I can't recall now. I haven't looked at the pattern in awhile. All in all I'm happy with it, I only made one mistake and only I can see it and when it's on no one can see it. I think I did a nice job on it and I feel very accomplished at having completed an entire garment, especially one with cables. It was an easy pattern to memorize and very good to take along different places. I reccomend it as a good cable starter pattern. In other news, I've cast on for the sleeves of my nephew's sweater and there's not a moment to lose since there's a baby shower on Sunday. I'm going to have to haul ass. I will never do that project again. I'm knitting in the ends as I go and I still want to just scream or puke or both. Too many fucking ends!!! You'd think I'd have noticed that before, right? Next up will be Red Todd Kidd's other sock, I supose I should reward him for getting that new job! And then I might, just might, make a sweater for Lucky. That boy is in need of some clothes that fit. Also he wears a size small (if you add six inches in length to the thing, lol) so it's not the usual miles of boring that most guy sweaters end up being. We'll see.

Get a job, Mom.

I've finished the back of Veste Everest and it's perfect. Seriously, it looks like someone else entirely knit the thing. That ought to skyrocket my pride up into the overconfident stratosphere leading to all manner of trouble with the front, don't you think? Well, I can't be too proud with Darth around to knock me back to reality. Today he asked (for the zillionth time) when we'd be going to Disneyland. It finally broke down and gave him a more straight answer than the one I had been using ("When Lola Beans gets bigger, so you can both ride the rides.") and said, "Disneyland costs a lot of money and we don't have a lot of money." Then he told me to get a job. Fantastic. You know me, I told that kindergartener in no uncertain terms what exactly my job entails and how if I wasn't here to do my job that he'd be really sad, unclothed, lonely, etc. You know, really put him in his place. He started crying. Fantastic. By the time we got to school he was over it, though through the course of the conversation he got more upset before he got better. I suppose I didn't have to tell him that he had 12 more years of school to look forward to before college and that he has to go to college to make lots of money so he can take his kids to Disneyland but somehow, it just came out. I never know the right thing to say so I think I'm just trudging through life trying to say the MOST wrong thing. On to the knitting: I'm planning projects. My new nephew to be is getting the Auspicious Coincidences Baby Sweater from Compassionate Knitting (If you take a look at the inside pages, it's the top left on the very first page of pics). I have a bunch of cotton oddballs that are perfect for this thing so I'm forgoing the Ninja Suit idea for the time being in favor of the idea that will only cost me $4.50 (a few extra whole balls to use for the trim). I have succumbed to the awesomeness that is Eunny Jang. I will be knitting up her Endpaper Mitts for my mom sooner or later, I just ordered the yarn. If I don't completely suck at those I'm going to make a go at the Anemoi Mittens even though I have absolutely no need for mittens basically ever. I can't help it, they're just so freaking awesome! If I go really insane I'll also make ones that have earth, water, and fire motifs. I don't anticipate anyone needing to worry about that happening. I don't think I'll even make it to buying the pattern letalone knitting it up or designing my own. I have an Aran sweater to design and knit this year.

And the camera is back!

All that lovely stuff is from Pam. She sends a fantabulous package doesn't she? Some of the stuff isn't even there, the kids had already high-tailed it with the candy bracelets and little pills that turn into animal shaped sponges when you put them in water. They could have died from the awesomeness, by the way. Both of them love stuff that turns into other stuff. Does anyone else remember how fast you could transform a Transformer as a kid only to grow up to totally suck at it? That's what I learned from Christmas: Mom can't figure out the Transformers for crap. Anyway, Pam sent me a ton of stuff including some Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes) which I've wanted to try, frou frou smelly vanilla stuff, bomb homemade hot chocolate mix and marshmallows (one of my son's favorite things), a spiffy new knitting bag, the aforementioned treats for the kids, and last but not least: my very own pair of knitting gloves! I was totally stoked to get them I've been thinking of cannibalizing and old sweater to make some mitts for my freezing fingers but now I don't have to. Truly an awesome gift that I was practically giddy over. They room in my knitting caddy so that I can pull them on when the temperature drops. I'm toying with the idea of moving one of the fingers over because I had no idea I used my right ring finger while I knit but I do. Though now that I'm working on something other than the socks for RTK, it's not as much of an issue. The naughts (size 0 DPNs for the uninitiated) really got tangled up but I think it's because there were so many as oposed to just the two size 7s I've got going now. Yeah, I've got a dead line for Veste Everest so the other sock can wait a bit. To tell the truth I'm still mad that I had to rip out that beautiful top to replace it with plain old boring ribbing. Okay, I didn't even rip it out, I had to cut it off and pray I didn't lose the whole damn thing. As you can see I didn't but I'm not in a huge hurry to start the next one. It's one of those projects you can't take with you since you carry the yarn through most of it you have three balls attatched to tangle up around each other.I've included a nice close up of the yarn here so you could see the pretty colors. I really do like them, so at least something worked out. Red Todd Kidd tried this one on and ended up wearing it the whole night, it was pretty funny. I mentioned the peg-leg to him but I don't think he's going to go for it. Of course one of you all pointed out that if he did have a peg leg I'd probably have to knit it a cozy. I fell off the ground last night. I was walking out to the car to put groceries away and just fell right off the walk into the grass. Yet, somehow I still managed to slam both my knees down on the concrete. That's the kind of thing that never happens when you're by yourself but when you have both your parents, little brother, best friend, and husband standing there... How was that for a non sequitor? Lastly, I'll leave you with the begginings of Veste Everest for my MIL. She likes red but rather than the darker tones I enjoy she likes the really bright reds. I'm using Patons Decor because it's soft, bright, and washable while still containing enough wool that it will block well. If this turns our well I'm going to use the same yarn in a white or off white for my mom's aran sweater if I ever get around to it. I've discovered that I do like cables. They don't vex me like lace work or color work. I've been having a fairly relaxing time knitting this up so far. Though, now that I've said it, I'm sure disaster looms just ahead, you know how that goes.