So far so good on the new challenges

I've project overloaded again. My ISE7 scarf is completed, just unblocked. And I can't wet block it because it's merino DK and a lace pattern and I'm afraid that wet blocking would mess that up. I'm torn between steam blocking (which I'd have to take the scarf over to the future MIL's house for that because her steamer is much nicer than my iron with steam coming out of it) and using a spray bottle and stretching. I also had this board that would have been GREAT for blocking that the future MIL gave me when I was sewing in my tiny tiny tiny apartment and no space. I haven't sewn anything in so long... I want to bust my machine out and take it for a spin so it doesn't forget how to work. Anyway. I can't find the board. So I've been using my spare bed and just sticking rust-proof pins in that. Whatever. It works just fine. I guess I could use the futon also, since the bed is a pillow top and sometimes things don't lay flat.

My first sweater that was SUPPOSED to be the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts has turned instead into the February Lady Sweater. The yarn I picked is SO PRETTY!! It's Brown Sheep Superwash Worsted in Bon Vivant Blue, which is this bright royal blue. So far I'm on the ENDLESS yoke. I've completed the 3 buttonholes and am about to add the final increases for the sleeves before I start the gull lace pattern. I'm taking a class on the sweater at Stitches with Style in Newark DE, and at my first class I learned 3 new things! I learned how to cable cast-on, how to M1, and how to make a buttonhole. The buttonhole that this pattern uses is awesome. My only wish is that I learned the cable cast-on when I was casting-on so that I could have that nice edge. Linda (the store owner) taught me the cable CO when I needed to re-CO during the buttonholes. I did use the cable CO for Lea's Big Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch N' Bitch. I'm using a bare undyed superwash yarn for that from Knitpicks and it's SUPER soft. I'm so jealous of this unborn sexless baby. Lea is due in July, so I have plenty of time.

I don't know why I'm so addicted to making baby blankets. I guess because it's mostly mindless knitting and it gets such a big wow factor. There's no mistaking that a lot of time was put into it. I did adjust the pattern for the BBBB. Since I'm using a chunky weight instead of a fingering weight, I only CO 100 stitches and I'm using sz 11 instead of sz 9. I tried using 15s because it would go really fast, but the border looked too loose. I like a tighter seed stitch.

And I promise to try REALLY hard to add pictures. I'm really bad at that. I also haven't done the socks yet. I tried casting on with 2s and it was WAY tight, so I may move up to 3s. Also my dpns that I have are big. I wish I had 6" DPNS instead. It would make it a lot easier. I really want the harmony DPN set, but those are 'spensive.

New Challenges

I made a resolution this year to challenge myself. I've already listed some things that I'm going to try. Some of them I've completed, some I'm still working on. I've starting the International Scarf Exchange 7... and so far it's going well. I'm doing my first lace-ish project, I'm working with a new fiber, and I bought far too much of it... so when I'm finished with this project I'm going to make a camisole for myself out of my left over 3 skeins (I bought far too much... I got a little excited because it was 100% merino for $5 a skein.)

I also bought SOCK YARN. I'm all kinds of excited. When I finish the ISE scarf, Olivia's scarf (which I'm almost done, actually... except I'm not crazy about this yarn. I will never buy it again. Lion Brand Microspun. It's DK weight and very stretchy for acrylic, but no matter what my gauge is or what stitch I use IT CURLS LIKE ITS LIFE DEPENDS ON IT and that upsets me), and Brian's scarf if he ever gives me yarn for it I will make socks for myself. Oh boy!!

I also bought a crapton of yarn from knitpicks... lots of bare superwash merino for a baby blanket... and 10 skeins of this wool blend that was on clearance for $1.99 for my first sweater! If only the book I needed to buy (Last Minute Knitted Gifts) wasn't sold out of every Barnes & Noble and Borders in Delaware. Balls.