Just a quickie from me. I’ve got to travel tomorrow and I’m running off to get a haircut. I always wash my hair before haircuts because while I love the guy who cuts my hair, I do think his shampoo smells funny and I’d rather use mine. I’d have tons of time but for the winter. It’s cold enough here that going out with wet hair means frozen hair so I have to budget time to blow dry this mess. I recognize that the fact that this is all I have to tell you….that I’m drying my hair so that it doesn’t freeze solid is rather profoundly boring…so look!
Knitting!
My pair of Dashing was finished last night and are here modelled by Joe (who obviously missed his true calling as a hand model. Look at that elegant pose.)
Joe thinks they are rather good (though they are not for him) and I loved the wool. It’s a mystery two ply worsted from the stash, and I liked it before I washed it, but see below?
Swished in a warm bath the yarn bloomed and softened like nobodies business. (Wish I could remember what it was. A thousand curses on stray tags. This is the downside of a well-aged stash. I’d buy more of this if I had any idea what it was.) The astute among you will notice that my pair has cables crossing to the right on both hands…that’s a mistake. The pattern for Dashing actually indicates that they should cross left on the right and right on the left, but I didn’t see that particular instruction until I had knit both of them and although I can usually compete in the obsessive compulsive error correction category at the Olympic level, I snapped and chose to ignore it.
I’m all for perfection and good knitting, but I just didn’t see how it was a big enough error to rip one of them back. Actually, it not only seemed like it wasn’t a big enough error, but that it was sheer lunacy to care that much. They are good looking. They work fine, are very cozy indeed, and the recipient certainly isn’t going to take them out of the box and heave a sigh of regret that they don’t cable in opposite directions. As a matter of fact, since I am likely the only person who will ever notice, let alone actually care in any way at all… I’m letting it go.
It’s the 5th of December and that’s one item off the list…14 to go.
Yes, dear, let it go. They look great, are professionally modeled, and the yarn did indeed bloom.
If you still feel bad about it, cross ’em both to the left next time you knit a pair and your karma (or your OCD) will be all evened out.
Steph I think this shows real personal growth. LOL.
Congratulations on letting go. It gets easier, trust me.
BWahah! My Dashings cable in the same direction too. I feel so much better about myself.
On the ball, your yarn looks like something from Toots LeBlanc, maybe an angora blend she’s so good at and, bonus, she doesn’t do labels. Perhaps you found it at Madrona last year. Nice project!
So gorgeous! Both the snow and the dashing gloves are beautiful. I covet them both. 🙂
I have masses of naturally curly hair myself, but I historically have tended to let it freeze because when I blow it dry it really gets huge and I have trouble fitting under door frames.
(Yes, I’m exaggerating, but only slightly).
Being holiday gift knitting, I’d think that sanity and the schedule reminded you that there’s plenty of other wool to knit.
Mmmm…warm dashings in mystery wool! Lucky recipient!
And a big woo hoo on the knitting schedule! I purposefully planned very little Christmas knitting as I am such a new knitter…just the boys and hubby are getting items. I’ll work my way up to a frantic project laden December as the years go by. 🙂
You are to be HIGHLY commended for many things:
the beauty of the mitts, the letting it go, but mostly: the being/staying ON SCHEDULE. Thank you for helping me do the same.
Woohoo! I’m Comment #4!
These are great; like mittens without the mitt part. I might actually attempt to do this one myself.
Listened to the podcast today (finally) and I enjoyed it.
Like the gloves a lot, and I’m so impressed with your Christmas schedule so far! No IT for you! For me, it may have been a poor choice to start making the snowdrop shawl in December. I love it and don’t want to knit anything else, but there are presents to be finished (/started).
I made the same mistake and also debating on whether or not it was worth ripping back. Sometimes you just gotta let it go 🙂
Congrats on the finished mitts. Lovely indeed, and I didn’t even notice the cable thing til you pointed it out. Good for you not to obsess – very healthy.
I was really hoping for the stitch count on these – I bet they’re dooable even for me. Maybe if I abandon everything else….
Steph,
Did you ever think of taking your own shampoo to the hairdresser and asking them to use it instead of their own….. It would save you a lot time that you could then use to knit…..
Jane Wilson
My, what big (warm) hands Joe has.
Warm hands with his warm heart. Well modelled indeed.
Good girl! You know, some folks cable two matching items in the same direction on purpose. Assume that stance and move on before “It” rears it’s ugly little head.
And tell Joe his hands are indeed worthy of a pattern called “dashing.” Might have to knit those for my brother. Hm.
Those are some pretty fetchings. I have been working on a pair too! Of course, who hasn’t been working on a pair, right!? 🙂
Cool handwarmers!
Lovely handwarmers. Unless the person you give it to reads the blog, they won’t have any clue about the cable crossing issue.
For Cindy – I, too, am blessed/cursed with voluminous curls and have lately taken to washing my hair at night so I don’t have to blow-dry it. I also found an amazing Garnier product that is a combination styling creme and leave-in conditioner. It comes in a bottle with a push&pull top and I can’t remember what it’s called. On the rare occasions when I do blow-dry, I use a diffuser.
As if the wearer will inspect them before each wearing to ensure that the cable goes right on the left hand and left on the right. Suuure. They look great!
It’s best that they don’t go in opposite directions. Now, the wearer can wear them on either hand, though the thumbs will be wonky… but when you’re running late, it’s kinda how it can get sometimes.
As a dear friend of mine says, there are no mistakes; only design oppotunities. You’re doing great on your schedule – keep up the good work!
I did the same exact mistake when I made the Fetching pattern. And after staring at them in horror for a moment, I stashed them in the closet only to emerge to be wrapped for their recipient. If they were mine, I think I would’ve had to rip out the mistake. But hey – the recipient doesn’t know, and I seriously doubt anyone aside from me would give a damn.
You mean you can make cables go either way? Whodathunkit. Congrats on schedule keeping. It’s nice to see a peek of Joe’s nice shiny gold wedding band just in case some blog-barracuda might get ideas about those manly, yet elegant, hands.
You could bring your shampoo to him. That’s what I do. Just a suggestion…
Yup, just did the exact same thing with a pair of Knitty’s Fetching that I’m gifting to someone…cables going the “wrong way” on the second mitt. No biggie, like you said, noone will notice. Keep on stitchin’ woman! You’re on fire!
Dear Stephanie,
You are doing a wonderful job on your knitting schedule, but please, please stop and think what you’re doing to the rest of us. Each time I see one of your finished projects I want to do it, too! This is wrecking havoc with my own, originally much more modest, Christmas knitting goals. I’d hate to have to stop reading your blog until after Christmas, but it may come to that with your lovely, finished projects tantalizing me daily!
I’m a huge fan of fingerless gloves. I’m making Princess Mitts right now out of Clara Parkes’ Knitter’s Book of Yarn. I haven’t made Dashing yet, but just might now that I’ve seen them modeled!
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/pottercraftnews/nov07/pattern.html
I go out with wet hair to “set” my style in the winter. It’s short so that works out okay. (I should probably admit here that the use of the word style is somewhat misleading). Good luck with the holiday knitting. I’m sure you’ll make it without the craziness of past years what with the new schedule and all.
All I could think of was the Seinfeld episode where George became a hand model and wore oven mitts… LOL
Those look gorgeous. And yes, Joe missed his calling.
When I did my first pair of Fetching gloves I failed to notice the switching of the direction of the cables. No one knows it’s wrong but me. Definitely not worth ripping out and redoing.
Great job on the Dashings!!! My boss made some of these and they turned out well, also! You do realize that by you keeping on your list, you are inspiring all of us to stay on task, too! Thanks so much for that. Now if you could just tell me why I’m making my mom a sweater on size 5 needles with miles and miles of stockinette, I’d be ever so grateful! LOL!!!
Steph, you’re actually doing a really good thing by not giving them to someone who will then have to figure out which is left and which is right… Oh, wait, the thumbs would tell them that, right? Well, anyway, it’s way too much detail for the average person to have to notice. Plus, I’m pulling for you to stay right on Lene’s schedule.
Barb, who might have noticed the thumbs earlier but who just found out the house she’s considering buying on Long Island doesn’t have air-conditoning. Most people might have noticed that when they were examining the house, huh? Whoopsie.
Could that yarn be Briggs & Little????
Yes, let it go-they look great! Why do I get the idea that you are gritting your teeth as you say”they look fine”??? 😉 I get more compulsive all the time and find it scary-I used to be able to look at something out of place and ignore it-now, not so much, although my husband throws all magazines he has read on the floor in the middle of the living room. By breathing very deeply and slowly I can now ignore them for literally days-which is how long it takes him to figure out that I won’t be picking them up for him. 🙂
first it is the cable twisting the same way on both the mittens… the knitting gods are toying with you… neeener neeeener
Love the mitts! I’m takin a few min from christmas knitting to say hi, hello, and good wishes in keeping the schedule goin!! Can I borrow, Lene I seem to have planned a few to many things?
My hair dryer is made by Toyota. Otherwise, my hair freezes into white-girl dreadlocks down almost to my waist. My students laugh at me for starting the day with wet hair until I remind them that they have proof that I bathe regularly, but not everyone else provides evidence, even if we wish they would.
I’m making a pair for my father and just finished the first one and hadn’t even noticed the cable switch… Thank you. Yours look absolutely fine. I assure you that the recipient probably won’t even notice, especially if it’s a nonknitting male. 🙂 My boyfriend knits and he probably wouldn’t even notice.
14!!!! You have 14 (!!!) knitty-things on your gift list to do? How did I miss that? Oi-vey girlie, you some spl’ knittin’ to do. Very brave indeed. And for geez sake, forget about the cables! They’re lovely… keep going!
I think Joe might have an additional career to fall back on! Nicely done Joe.
I must say that I would never have noticed the cable crossings if you didn’t mention it. I think that pair of Dashing looks, well, dashing. Very nice and cozy. I think I want a pair, so I must go search the stash for appropriate yarn. 🙂
They are beautiful. I, for one, like the cables both going the same.
So glad you can let that go. I would do the same.
And I know all about having frozen hair! When I was on the swim team in college, our practices in the winter would let out so late, we had to run to dinner with wet hair because we’d miss it if we took the time to dry it. So yeah, my hair would freeze, but I thought it was kinda neat, but a bit cold! Thanks for bringing back that fond memory. 🙂
I finished a pair of self striping socks last night and the pattern matches all the way down to the toes, they are truly identical twins. I am amazed at how obsessed I became at making them match completely. I hope this phase passes soon. Keep up with your schedule, your doing better than me…I just keep adding to my list.
To be honest, I’m surprised that you didn’t cable them opposite, what with your need for the beautiful symmetry in other things. I think I must be channeling it because I just finished a pair of rotating rib socks and I knit the ribs to rotate in opposite directions because I thought it would look nicer. I’m pretty sure my hunting brother-in-law won’t care but I did.
Have a lovely trip.
Ooh, they’re lovely! Honestly, I wouldn’t even have noticed the cable boo-boo if you hadn’t pointed it out. And I’m making Fetching right now! So you’re fine. =)
Have a safe trip!!!
Cable crosses? What cable crosses? Since they’re for a guy, he’ll likely A) never notice, as all he’ll be caring about is they’re *warm*; and B) look at all those sweater patterns out there with every single cable crossed the same direction. Fuhgeddaboudit, yeah. Besides, the yarn looks so purty and warm and fluffy! Er, I meant manly and rugged and strong, but subduedly elegant. You know. 😉 And way to go, Joe – excellent modeling! The man has flair.
(I’m sitting here with wet hair prior to going out too, but it’s not anywhere near freezing over here, and mine has no curl whatsoever anyway. [g] Frankly, I don’t even know where my hair dryer *is* any more…)
Steph, honestly, if the recipient has the unmitigated gall to notice that, scratch them off your list and send them to me! While NJ could never be confused with Canada, it does get a bit nip here now and then. They are totally lovely in all ways!
Your speed and organization are an inspiration. You might even have time to knit a Christmas gift for yourself…
How cool to get a knitted gift from the Yarn Harlot herself. I don’t knit nuttin for nobody — well, I do, but not very much!
Congrats! Does this mean you are still on schedule? And yes, Joe definitely missed his calling there . . .
I love the way you left that ’14’ till the end..!! Am rapidly feeling better about my 8 unstarted items…
I heard the best expression this morning while watching this show called “B. Original” which is on the Home and Garden TV Channel. The woman being interview referred to mistakes as “happy accidents” and that is the way I would look at it. Unless the recipient has seen the pattern on the Kitty.com website, I doubt they would even notice your “happy accident”.
If it really bugs you (and you have more of this yarn), you could knit two more with cables crossing in the opposite direction and have two pairs! Then Joe could keep one.
Just an OCD suggestion. 🙂
I just had to share, I am so proud. Both my daughter and son-in-law were raised in households without gender bias. My daughter, Tricia gets excited over working on the car and power tools, while my son-in-law, Pete, crochets, beads, cross stitches and now has learned to knit. When I asked what my Grandson wanted for christmas my daughter told me he was trying to learn to knit and could use a good book to show him how. He will now be getting his own knitting kit along with book and video. At last someone I can knit with.
I wonder if the yarn is Sweetgrass Wool? I own some of that and it’s fabulous stuff, blooms beautifully after washing, etc. etc.
Count me as another one who forgot to reverse the cables. They are still warm, though, and very helpful in a frigid office.
Gorgeous mitts! Also, gorgeous hands. (I must say, for the picture I’ve gotten of Joe in reading your blog, his hands are unexpectedly elegant and well-groomed. If you have gotten him to allow his hands to be manicured, please do share your methods.)
Although I almost never buy machine-made knitted objects, I do check them for cable symmetry. When I design cabled things, not only are left and right mirror images, but each member of a pair is internally symmetrical. Mostly. I’ll admit that now and then I put a big honking braided cable in the center of a single something and live with it just fine.
All of this is of course entirely irrelevant if those lovely Dashings are not for me. Except that now I must make a pair of handwear with mirrored braided cables. Dang.
next time take your shampoo with you to the hair dresser’s. for me, there’s nothing like a really good shampoo/scalp massage. almost makes the high price of the cut worthwhile. hope your “dashing” are being gifted to someone you won’t have to ‘witness’ wearing. that would drive me crazy…I’d want to rip them off of the ‘giftee’ and fix them. they’re beautiful.
Heh, I was looking at Joe’s hands and thinking how nice they were before I read what you wrote, hehe, Joe is a Saint! (he does have very nice hands)
Congratulations on letting it go. I agree, great personal growth.
Forget the shampoo. Take him a bottle of your favorite hand lotion.
(P.S. for all you other curly-heads out there. Last time I had my driver’s licence photo taken, my hair had gone so horizontal that they couldn’t get the camera to go off (b/c it only goes off if your head is appropriately all in the shot). They finally gave up and made me put it in a ponytail. With a regular rubber band from someon’s desk. Ouch.)
ack! FOURTEEN gift items to make for CHRISTMAS??? i’m sweating over the deadline for TWO!!! Godspeed wonder knitter!
Letting go, sticking with the schedule, realistic time management…. It’s like you are moving to a higher plane of existence!
I totally let my hair freeze. I haven’t seen a blowdryer in years, and it’s only a mile walk to the train (or two blocks to the bus, depending on how late I am. Believe it or not, the train is faster).
I have decided to find the tinkle, tinkle, tinkle of frozen hair charming. But I do wear a loose-fitting hat.
Joe has a nicer manicure than I do.
Actually, you were doing the recipient a HUGE favor by having both cross the same way, because you’re saving them time EACH AND EVERY time they go to put them on! Because they do not have to decide which should go on which hand! (Should they cross to the outside? or the inside? I know I tried both ways, which way was it that I liked again? Should I maybe put them on the opposite hands each time so they wear evenly? Which way did I have them yesterday?) (What? You wouldn’t think any of those things? Well, la-di-da…)
Dashing indeed and the snow looks fabulous. Maybe you could bring your shampoo in to the hair cutter…save time on the home front?
Ugh, I’m a dope, thumbholes only on one side per mitt would relieve one of the pressure to choose which to put on which hand. I blame my miserable case of the sniffles.
They are not just “good enough.” They are beautiful! (Anyway, perhaps the recipient would prefer the cables to cross in the same direction!)
Good job on the letting go. Perfectionism is a harsh taskmaster.
Fourteen to go? I bow to your knitting prowess! I have three projects for the month: one scarf a little more than halfway done, one scarf not yet cast on, and a baby sweater that’s on the needles and due on December 20 – well, the baby’s theoretically coming on that day. I hope the sweater will be done by then.
They look so warm I’m wishing I had a pair. I decided I was being silly today with temps in the house. I was weaving and my hands were so cold I couldn’t do it. I turned the heat up 3 degrees. I have enough of a nice angora blend that would make a great pair of hand/wrist warmers like that. After Christmas… or maybe before if I get all these projects done.
Ooh, lovely Dashings! And good for you for sticking to a schedule — heck, good for you for HAVING a schedule!
Why not make 2 more with left crossing cables and then you have 2 pairs.
You are amazing! A holiday knitting schedule that is actually occurring on schedule. I am very envious (if only I could stop getting caught up in the new patterns over at knitspot, alas…). They look great!
Having just finished a pair of these myself, I only reversed the cables so I could try cabling without a cable needle in both directions. Other than my excuse this comes under the heading of “a difference that makes no difference is no difference”. Either that, or a design feature whose subtlety is wasted on me. It was fun, and I am sure that even on a human strolling slowly by, 99.9% of the world’s citizenry would be hard pressed to see the difference.
You are on a roll – keep up the good work!
I totally thought I had the wrong blog (letting it go? seriously?) until you said you had 14 gifts left to go. I looked at your first Christmas post, and here is the list of items:
One small shawl.
One smallish sweater
One pair adult mittens
Two pairs of children’s mittens
Two hats
Four (or maybe five) pairs of socks
Which is clearly 12 items, with the shawl already completed. Meaning that you’ve added items… so this is really the Yarn Harlot we all know and love. 🙂
Well, if it came in a honking big skein, that looks like Baabaajoes 10 ply to me.
I love the Dashing they look great! I have knit 2 pair of fetching and they too require that you turn the cables differently for each hand. But when I look at them, honestly I can’t tell the difference. The next pair I do will match in cable direction because it is easier to do 2 at once without having to think about it. So, I think you are safe! They look great, and no one will notice which way the cable moves.
My fetchings cable in the same direction and I left the cable off the finger tip part of the second one. Are any two things truly identical? Love the Dashings just as they are!
Just hearing that you have 14 remaining gives me a tummy ache. Once again I am reminded that I’m soooo not worthy in your presence, Knitting Goddess!
The Dashing Mitts are dashing, but even more impressing is your ability to let go of your perfectionism in the interest of sticking to a schedule. Nice job, you’ve come a long way! 🙂
Wow! You’re really flying along. I feel the need to cast on a pair of Dashing tonight, because 27 wip’s(ufo’s) isn’t quite enough.
Hey, those look great! I think knitting all the cables the same is better than knitting one solitary backwards cable out of a whole pair of fetchings (yeah, I did that). And I totally understand about the frozen hair thing.
Dashing are very Beautiful – oh, I suppose I mean handsome!
I know of frozen hair. Whilst in college I routinely had frozen curls at my 8 AM classes – shower at 7:45 followed by a mad dash to class = frozen curls! 🙂
I did the same mistake – both right crossed cables – on Fetching. Glad to know I’m in good company. hehehehe
Love the Dashings! …and I am very jealous of your knitting speed. Myself? I have knit a few scarves and 5 pair of “Fetchings” as well as spending time sewing gifts and I, my dear, am approaching “the crazy place” with my gifting expectations. Oh- and one pair of Fetching ended up bigger than the others…same needles, same yarn, go figure. At least the PAIR is bigger, not just one mitt. There is always something to be thankful for, heh?
I like the look of the cables going the same way. I tried this pattern once before and it drove me nuts that the cables were different so I frogged and haven’t tried again. Not sure why. Knitting ADD I guess. Those are making me want to give it another go, for sure.
Go Christmas knitting!
Your hair talk reminded me that I meant to suggest this to you before but forgot. Have you considered the no-shampoo method for washing your hair? I’ve been doing it since April and I’ve found that I don’t get the frizz anymore.
Oh, right, it might be good to include the link: http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html
It did take my hair a couple of months to adjust, but it’s healthier now than it ever was.
Absolutely, dear–let it go (let it go, let it go…) I mean, besides the fact that you just told us, who would know? (The look fabulous!!!!)
Those are mighty dashing hand warmers. I would have not changed the cables either. The tough part would be for me not to point it out an apologise for my blunder.
I have only two scarves and a shawl left….the shawl is all of 8inches long…gotta go faster.
Off to knit…
Sure, you SAY you let go. But has the twitch above your left eye settled down yet?
Let’s see. Yesterday, you poked at the Fates and neenered your Mom.
Today you chose to ignore a knitting glitch that thousands of knitters would also choose to ignore.
Who are you, and what have you done with the Harlot?
I’m so proud of you for accepting the cables the way they are. They’re beautiful. I wish you knew what the yarn was too.
Rationalisation of pattern glitches, you are an inspiration to us all!!!!
I tend to just wrap my scarf around my hair–it freezes less when it’s close to my head. (But I also really hate hair dryers.)
So you’re saying you have 14 more projects to go with just 19 days to do it? Excuse me while I ponder this ability to drive yourself insane.
i feel sure that although we’ve never met (well, except for about 5 seconds at the tail end of the line at Knitch when you were exhausted) i am somehow magically on your christmas list and will find these under my tree. they really are beautiful and i can almost feel how soft they must be looking at the post-washing picture.
What nicely cared-for nails Joe has, too.
You know, in most of the places I’ve lived, having your hair freeze if you went out with it wet would sound exotic. Maybe not the kind of exotic that you’d want to experience, but still not a run-of-the-mill daily concern. Good thing, too, as I don’t blow dry my somewhat curly hair.
Score! Well done. They are beautiful.
Stephanie, I am your compulsivity twin and probably the only other person in the world that thinks the “I don’t like their shampoo” logic is perfectly reasonable. But may I suggest, next time… that you just bring your own to the salon and let them wash it there?
–Amy who loves having someone else wash her hair.
Do you ever get knitters cramp?!
By the way I am a beginning knitter and your sock cheat sheet has allowed me to make several pairs of socks or slippers socks (depending on ankle length and bulkiness of yarn). I’m sure they will be a big hit at Christmas and I didn’t spend much either! (And got free stress relief!)
Nobody’s
Whooo Stephanie!! Keep up the good work!!!
Also, good on ya for keeping the OCD at bay and letting the cables go. They look marvelous, and rather than thinking of them as a mistake, might I suggest looking upon that as a “variation on the pattern”? 🙂
Oy! I’m on my third pair of Fetching (Hannukah party at my house this Sunday – knitting fast and furious) and until I read your blog, didn’t even realize I missed the direction about reversing the cables on the second mitt. I’m sure the giftees won’t even know the difference.
I did read the directions correctly when I made a pair of Dashing, though. Hmmm, will never know why I read one pattern correctly and not the other.
Must get a little sleep now. Much more knitting to do before Sunday.
I’m still operating under the delusion that I’ll be able to finish one pair of socks that’s already in progress, before Christmas, and you have FOURTEEN to do?
Plus family, blogging, and laundry? Ok, so maybe the laundry will take a bck seat, but still!
If Lene can get you through this, I will bow to the both of you as knitting goddesses made flesh.
I’m with Cindy, right at the top. Masses of unruly curly hair (I don’t wear it – it wears me). I gave up blow-drying it and brushing it in high school; the downside was that not-brushing means I have to wash it EVERY day, so I used to develop frost on my hair in winter on the way to school (not a problem now as I drive a nice warm car).
The mittens look lovely.
– Pam
Oh my goodness! You can knit 15 different things in one month!!!! Oh what a slacker (I’m just a incredibly slow knitting slug LOL!) I am! Here I was basking in the glow of finishing a Christmas scarf last night, and realizing that I might actually get two more pieces of knitting done BEFORE Christmas, and you blow me right out of the water! You are amazing. Thanks for the giggle about the hair. I have always had long wash and go hair, and grew up in upstate NY so I know exactly what you mean about hair icicles LOL! The gloves are awesome and I agree with an earlier comment about knitting another pair with both cables going in the opposite direction to balance out the karma. Honestly if you hadn’t told us you had made a mistake I would have never known. Happy and safe traveling!
great mitts.
and I’m all for letting go of “absolute perfection” (whatever that might be) on items like socks and mittens. usefulness, beauty and softness count for so much more.
as Charlene Schurch once said – ‘They’re only socks’.. so we might translate – ‘they’re only mitts’ AND very wonderful exactly as they are.
congrats on more completions.
Fourteen? The other day you said you had:
“One small shawl (1)
One smallish sweater (1)
One pair adult mittens (1)
Two pairs of children’s mittens (2)
Two hats (2)
Four (or maybe five) pairs of socks” (4 or 5)
Now I make that 11 or 12 items (unless you count the mittens and socks individually, which clearly you didn’t since the number would have been a lot higher. And you finished the shawl before you even started. So that suggests that you have added one or two items. Possibly three.
So, I gotta ask- does Lene know about this? Because you’ve tweaked the knitting fates *and* your mom, you cannot mess with Lene’s schedule too! It just wouldn’t be safe!
Beautiful!
When I lived in Boston, I discovered that when my hair froze solid, it became very very soft. Better than any conditioner. Wild.
Way to combat the OCD – I’m impressed. And excellent progress on the list!
I’m one with the frozen hair thing. I just make sure it’s not sticking up wierdly before I go out and it (freeze) dries quite nicely.
Those look great. I’ve been thinking about knitting a pair of these for Anna Grace’s teacher as a Christmas present. Of course… I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this and not a lot of casting on as the holiday creeps closer and closer and closer. Better stop thinking and start doing some knitting or this isn’t going to happen!
I did the counting too and wondered how you still had 14 projects to go. Hmmm how did that happen? I was feeling so good about finishing just one project that wasn’t even for Christmas or for anyone else. Now just depressed that I can’t knit as fast (or stay on a schedule) as the Harlot.
I too have curly hair and only see my blowdryer if I forget to wash with plenty of time to dry in the winter. Otherwise it’s wash and go mostly. Keep up the good work and don’t mess with the knitting gods. The Dashings look great. Fetchings are on my list of to do (soon)items.
love those! I want to knit some fetchings for myself after xmas. This is the first year that it occured to me to knit xmas gifts! 😉 I’m knitting Knucks (from knitty) for my bro and dad (and hubby, but he got his pair early). Decided to delve into a little embroidery!
Joe has very lovely hands indeed.
I’m so proud that you let it go! I need to get in that mood on my Autumn Rose.
“Let it go,
Let it go,
Let it go..”
A new Christmas Carol for knitters world wide.
The pattern looks lovely in that yarn. It inspires me to consider knitting them up some time in something natural or tweedy. And Joe seems to be quite the natural hand model. 🙂
I figure that this will be lost in the shuffle but I just had to comment and say Congratulations on winning the 2007 Blogger’s Choice Awards!
http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/main/winners?page=3
Man the DSB has been hinting like mad that he wants some fingerless mitts for x-mas. He’s decided the breakup curse only applies to items that take more than 5 balls of yarn so the requests for a hat, scarf and mitts have been sprinkled all over the place. “Hey honey i’t’d be easier to swap out the rear end on the truck if I had fingerless mitts to keep my hands warm yet my fingers free”
What a great gift idea – I might have to knit those up for my brother in law… Great work keeping up with that schedule too! I wish I had someone who could organize my life into something cohesive. I used to be very organized before I had kids… Now I just take it day by day and hope it all gets done. 🙂 Yesterday (the 5th) was my 30th birthday, so I took the day off from Christmas knitting and made a scarf for myself!
Man, if only I could so casually remark that I had fourteen (!!) items left to knit in a mere twenty (oh wait, nineteen) days. You truly are an inspiration. I have a sweater that needs the other half of a sleeve and some seaming, as well as a shawl to knit before the big day and I’m on the verge of panic…
I too, am making the dashing, and the bit around the thumb is a titch confusing, maintaining the pattern not quite working, any tricks or maybe I should just persevere…how do you maintain the stitch pattern? did it work for you?
Heck, I made a set of Dashing for my husband and completely forgot to add the last cable on the second mitt. I was going to rip back, but after he put them on, I realized that the cables are high enough up his wrists that nobody will ever see them! They are gorgeous, and I wish I could get them back from him for a few days so that I could block them. I have a feeling that the yarn I used would also soften up in a soak.
One reason I love reading your blog so much is that you make me feel so normal.
You’re great!
Not having a scheduler on hand, I took today off to MAKE COOKIES… and my knitting is horribly behind. My behind is horrible (too many cookies). I DID let my OCD make me rip back one of a pair of Princess Mitts (Knitter’s Book of Yarns) MORE THAN ONCE. But I’m glad your hair won’t freeze before your cut. Loved this post.
Those are beautiful and you are very wise.
I just love them! Have to check out this blog again.
love this pattern! i want to make for my amante, but i don’t think the will wear them… which leads me to think about other guys i know who might wear them… aha! i know a joe who would love these!!! i have officially added another project to my already too full schedule. thanks a lot! 😉
I just finished a pair of Fetchings which also have the cables crossing elegantly towards the left and right thumbs. I briefly toyed with the idea of putting L and R on them somewhere so my sister would appreciate it, but then I got to my senses and realized that she just wouldn’t care that much and that it would probably piss her off.
Tee hee! Great pattern too!