It’s been a week already? Yikes. Warning: this post is semi-picture heavy. I’m not sure how coherent it is either. The trains hate me late at night these days…

A while back I made a little blue bird and I don’t think I’ve ever linked to him as he took the slow route through the US Mail.

It’s my own pattern, it’s not the best but he (she? melanie, what gender?) makes me really happy.

Also ending up that the same nest but making a faster trip to get there were the Bellatrix Socks, which I made for melanie and then added to the ink, paper, and fibre swap I was part of through a Ravelry group. I cast on these socks for a Ravelry Sock Knitters Anonymous challenge for May.
Pattern: Bellatrix by Monkey Toes
2mm needles
Oasis Yarn Aussi Sock in Atlantic weaves leftover from MIL’s socks (this and this) I knit last summer.
Regia 4-ply light grey for contrast heels, toes, cuff.
CO: 20080520
BO: 20080613
Changes: toe up & wendy’s toe/gusset
I loved knitting them. I love the yarn. I love the pattern. I love the recipient…

I haven’t seamed up the BSJ yet, which makes me really sad. I will try my best to do that tonight as I’m really worried the reciipient has outgrown it already. My energy is quite low today (I just took an unplanned 2,5 hour nap) so I’m a little hestitant. I also need to have E check the contrast on my monitor.. I don’t feel that even bright it is. Great, just what I needed. My main machine to go flunky on me. Anyway, moving along…

I’m knitting the little sister’s dress by Tora Frøseth. It’s not often that I make something in the same or a similar colour to the designer (oh wait I might do that again soon) but something about maroon for this dress spoke to me. I’m using Kroy Sock in Mahogany. I just joined the body in the round and have a nice large chunk of pretty straightforward (inc. every seventh row or so) stockinette to do. Once I figure out how long to make it. I went into a few stores today and tried to clandestinely measure the length of some 6-12 month dresses, but I’m not quite sure. I’ll do more research, as I have a bit of time before I think my need to know really matters but really want to get this off so I am not tempted to make it doll sized and keep it. I know I’ll make another one. I think this would be really yummy in a semi solid. If I had more brain cells I’d do the stockinette part of the horizontal welts in a contrast colour but that would require brain cells I can’t currently devote. We’ll see what the future brings.

I recently broke down and placed my third-ever Knit Picks order. I try to stay away from shopping and especially internet shopping. But sometimes you just need to. I have been wanting to try the harmony needles for quite some time. I now possess two 16" 2mm’s waiting for me to decide how to start SOS. I picked up a 4mm for the options “set”.. I have a metal 3.5mm and a cable which I picked up to knit swallowtail two years ago. I don’t own a full set in either period. I also picked up nine balls of Shine Sport in Fedora. Which, due to having a gorgeous shiney deep brown, I seem unable to photograph. Why did I purchase these things? I wanted some fiber to send to melanie for the swap and so I could knit Robin Melanson’s Fluted Rib Wrap, from Wrap Style to wear at the office or in the Library when the AC is high and I want some weight but not considerable extra warmth. This pattern is heaven to knit (the typos are just silly typos and aren’t hard to fix/ignore/move-on-from). I love the short rows. I love the yarn. I really hope that I have some leftover (I see on Ravelry that someone used 6 balls for this) because I’d love to make a hat of some sort (Odessa?) that I could wear to shul (I do not currently have a warm-weather appropriate hat). I know I started this without reaching the first Seraphim charrt, but I do see this being more practical for work. Also, Melanie gifted me with the Zephyros Shawl as part of her swap package so I have large incentive to finish Seraphim!

I’m still unsure what I’ll start with for Summer of Socks. The amazing swap package I received from melanie is definitely making it difficult. So much yummy yarn! We’ll see what happens. I know at some point this summer I’ll knit embossed leaves *properly* and send them off. I want to knit Pomatomus at some point this summer and it’s really hard not to just cast on for it now, but wait until motzei shabbos (because SoS starts at 12:01AM on the 21st). But I’m really picky as to what yarns I like it knit in. We’ll see.

I’m trying to spin 10 minutes a day on either a wheel or spindle. So far I’ve missed the past couple of days, but I hope to be better. I must have 10 minutes somewhere right?

Let’s see what this coming week will bring.