F is for Fascinating

Today, F is for fascinating. I've seen people doing some sort of alphabet thing in different blogs and haven't exactly figured out the pattern, but I decided today was an "F" to amuse myself AND because I'm really freakin excited about this whole modular knitting thing. Sunday night I finally started something I've been eyeing up for a while, the Tamareh shawl/scarf/drapey wrap.

I read the directions for the whole modular thing and it sort of makes sense. I mean, it's written in clear English, English is my mother tongue and I understand the whole "first 49 stitches" and "last 49 stitches" thing - but this is proving very difficult to imagine, so I'm knitting as fast as I can to see the how it all works out. It's like a knitting mystery......

Oh, gee, I just realized that my stitch marker is showing (how scandalous!!). I was trying to keep this on the down-low so as not unleash obnoxious bragging into Blogland, but since my little rose has peeked her nose into the photo, I get to show off my new original Kimberly in Berlin stitch markers. It all started when I forgot my only KIB strawberry at Mum's in Nova Scotia and begged Kim to stop her incredibly busy life, teaching job, mother of two, knitter and spinner extraordinaire and loving wife and make me another strawberry right this instant. To my surprise, she did actually stop the world and make me another strawberry, AND a little rose, AND a very Franconian beer mug and the sweetest little Georgia Peach Sunday Go To Meetin's Hat.

Thank you Kimberlolly!!! And there's another little thank you on it's little postal way to your door :)

'Tween the Toes!

Here's a shout out to all UGA fans! I found this Dawg-coloured sock yarn in the Czech Republic a couple of years ago and the spirit finally moved me to cast on last month in Canada. I knew I wanted to call them 'Tween the toes, so I waited until I could figure out a pattern to fit the name (one where I didn't have to knit individual toes).

I used a basic rib pattern from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks and continued until the fat lady kitchenered.

I Won! I Won! I Won!!!

I totally won the Has The Best Sister and Got The Best Knitter Gift award all in one holiday.

My awesome (and incredibly talented) sister Helen sewed up a bedside-hanging, stuff-holding caddy out of tea towels. How cute is this???

But my bed is a tad wonky (Europeans don't get too excited about box springs - I have a mattress and then slats) and the caddy doesn't fit on my bedside. So I administered a few minor adjustments.......
and Voila! a Sofa-Side Knitting Caddy

Glovelies

No, I didn't drop off of the face of the earth, but my camera did for a while. This is how my Fleece Artist socks turned out. A tad unusual as socks go, but the 2.25 circular needles gave me a denser fabric that was begging for gloves. This ensures maximum warmth if the temperatures over here ever reach something resembling winter.

I'm finally taking my new 2.25 circs on a true sock-making adventure. I've cast-on 72 stitches from Regia's new Nordic Color line. Same as I the Fleece Artist, I started knitting the diamond pattern, and then ripped them out as well. I keep thinking that diamonds are going to make me happy, but it turns out a nice woolly ribbing is more my style. So I'm twisting stitches in 2 x 2 ribbing and hope to have some progress pictures soon.

Cool colours, though. It looks kind of beachy in the winter. I keep thinking of the scenes in Montauk from The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

p.s. Pictured Regia yarn was bought at my local supermarket, seriously!!