FO: Xs and Os

Remember how February was devoted to a Finishing Frenzy around here?  This seems to be the theme for April, too. I dug out a little design that I had abandoned at least a year ago -- there wasn't much left to knit, so finishing really only took a couple of hours.

 pattern: love letter baby vest, by yours truly

yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 2 skeins

needles: US 5 and US 7 Clover bamboo 16" circs and DPNs

notes: 

My favorite touch is the ribbed cable border at the hem. I'm not thrilled with the neckline, but this project had been languishing far too long, and I didn't have it in me to re-work the details.  It should be cute and cozy on a little guy!

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The Noro giant granny square has also been unearthed. The natural brown border is deadly dull to work (I miss all the lovely Noro color changes), but it would be awesome to finish this up and actually use it! My fingers are just itching to start a new crochet project (ruby hexagon blanket, perhaps?), but I'll hold off for a while longer.

More baby showers are on the horizon, so expect a few wee projects as part of my April Finishing Frenzy. I seamed and blocked a little hooded cardigan early this morning!

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random whatnot

- Already made it to a Cubs game this season!  A friend from my knitting circle had extra tickets to a luxury box with a great view. Oooo la la, now that's the way to watch the game. Plus the Cubs actually won. :-)

- The new Knitty is up! The Corinne cardigan is quite nice. 

- Have you seen the show Party Down? It's quite the hoot, especially the second season. A motley crew of aspiring actors and writers pay the bills by working for a catering company. Each episode centers around a catered event, and some of them can be rather off color, so consider yourself forewarned if you have delicate sensibilities. You can stream it on Netflix.

- FYI: Cascade Eco Wool is on sale at Webs this month. I ordered enough for the Dude Sweater, ostensibly for Paul (but that doesn't mean a certain knitter can't borrow it from time to time).

busy, busy

There are lots of baby showers on the horizon, so I'm back to knitting wee little sweaters and the like. This is my favorite kind of knitting --  baby knits go quickly, use small amounts of yarn, and let you try out new techniques, as well as styles that are just too twee for grown-ups. Here's a Pebbles baby vest in progress.  Just a couple more ends to weave in, plus buttons and blocking.

This doesn't take much yarn at all!  I'm using a skein of Brooklyn Handspun Instant Gratification DK-weight merino sock yarn that has been marinating in the stash for quite some time. The colorway is "slate." I actually think I could squeeze a second vest out of the skein, too!  Really a neat little (free) pattern -- I like the garter stitch details. We'll see how well I like sewing on all the buttons, though.

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This is a busy week.  The start of the quarter has seen me running around like crazy, including a few frantic, crabby days. Poor Paul... our suburban Ikea odyssey (to look at bookcases) was not our best Sunday. That said, almost every Ikea trip makes me nuts.  I always feel a bit like a salmon swimming upstream, surrounded by all the carts, frantic people in decision-making mode, and cheaply-made goods.  

The one upshot of our shopping trip? I'm very much looking forward to cracking open this bottle of Crispin hard cider, an artisanal reserve edition fermented with Trappist yeasts (called "The Saint"), on Friday night. Crispin is a Minneapolis-based business (short Star Trib blub here).

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The Elsie cardigan was hastily blocked and finished (with little white flower buttons), just in time for a certain someone's first birthday:

Yep, it's too big... and it was too darn hot to get good modeled shots of a baby in an overly large wool sweater on an 85-degree fall day.  Hopefully her mom will send me a better photo this winter! 

The details are on my Ravelry project page.  I loved the pattern, and the crochet edging was very easy and quick.  I'll definitely try more of Jane Richmond's designs. In fact, I'm already dreaming of an Oatmeal Pullover, just like Amanda Soule's. When I'm done with my Greenfield cardigan, of course...

besotted...

Apparently I'm not the only one who looks back fondly on those 1980s John Hughes movies... Judging from your comments, Andrew McCarthy had quite the following. Pretty in Pink's one of my favorites, too, but I always wanted Andy to end up with Duckie.

Pretty in Pink + Xs and Os = besotted

Pattern: Besotted, by Adrian Bizilia
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted, Amoroso, 2 skeins
Needles: Clover US 8 bamboo straights

Well, if I can't get Paul into a sweater vest, I can at least finish up my second go at my owl vaby vest pattern. Just needs ribbed edging around the V-neck and arm holes.

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An amazing bounty arrived on my doorstep recently. The ever generous knitter, quilter, and photographer extraordinaire, Mia, sent me all this gorgeous yarn:
Holy cow, I was blown away. This is enough yarn for not just one, but two sweaters for me! The ruby red yarn is Kimmett Croft (mmm... angora/merino), and the lovely lavender on the right is Manos. This is one of the best gifts I've ever received. :-) I'm thinking about using the Manos for a Button Me Up raglan , and maybe an EZ percentage sweater with the luxurious Fairy Hare. Thanks again, Mia!

Speaking of how nice knitters are, Rachael over at Cattywampus gave me this blue ribbon:

Aw, thanks! I'm passing the blue ribbon along to some of my favorite blogs:
- Knit & Play with Fire
- Indigo Mouse
- The A.D.D. Knitter
- Cocoknits
- In Stitches
It's awfully difficult to pick just 4 -- so I picked 5! So many knit bloggers are just amazing.

real men wear sweater vests

and here's the proof:

Jake Ryan? He doesn't even know you exist.

I don't think I can talk Paul into it. I'll be back tomorrow with photos, hopefully an FO, and some WIPs. In the meantime, enjoy this homage to one of the best movies ever. Period.

BTW, who was your 80s crush? It's pretty obvious who mine was.