The Current Cast of Characters

Might as well just jump right in and get everyone caught up, yes? First, though, please notice the new header I added this morning, featuring the Threadpanda mascot.

The little guy doesn’t have a name, but he does love yarn.

I’m working hard to get a few projects finished before I go on a trip to Washington, D.C.  next week. The first being the Sweet Honey Beret from the Winter 2008 issue of Interweave Knits.

This photo makes it look a little more purple-y than it really is. In reality, the yarn is a nice grey-blue. This is what I get for trying to photograph things late in the afternoon. The yarn is Imperial Stock Ranch Sock in Canyon Shadow Blue, purchased from Sonny and Shear. I’m knitting with the yarn held double, as the pattern calls for either DK or Worsted (I can’t remember right now). I’m loving the way it’s knitting up. The fabric is dense, but still supple and squishy, and I think it will really be awesome once it’s washed and blocked. I’ve actually switched to a size 8 circular needle and knit another 1/2 inch or so since I took that photo.

This is the other project I really want to finish before my trip. I’m designing this pair of gloves for myself, hopefully with the intent of writing up a pattern for it in the near future. I just sort of free-formed the cable design as I went along–I’d tried mapping one out before I started, but it wasn’t really making me happy, so I just let it do what it wanted to do. Since the design reminds me of the  way that thistle looks in silhouette, I’m calling them Thistle Gloves. I’m happy with the cable part, but there is room for improvement (the way it comes out of the ribbing and some small tweaks that need to be fixed because I didn’t plan ahead). The yarn is Berocco Comfort, which is 100% synthetic and yet still so soft and comfy.

I also need to knit a pair of baby booties, as the friend I’m going to visit requested them, but I haven’t started and so have no picture to show.

This sock and its eventual mate have no deadline, and so they’ve sort of been pushed to the wayside. Which makes me kind of sad, because I love it. The pattern is Fluke (Ravelry link), and the yarn is Fresh from the Cauldron Silver Sock in the Alice Cullen colorway. You’ll definitely see a lot more of Jen’s vampire-inspired yarn here. This is a really quick knit, and I’m even further up the foot than that picture shows.

I call this my Tuna Tartare sock. Yarnissima’s Spina di Pesce pattern (Ravelry link) worked in a glorious red color in Plymouth Yarns Happy Feet. It’s sort of hibernating. I unfortunately cast on for them when work was getting busy and the holidays were fast approaching, and I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and work these out. The pattern is really quite intense, one of the most intricate (possibly the most) patterns I’ve ever used. I love the way they’re turning out, I simply haven’t had the motivation and energy to get back to them.

The first of my Hiphopomatomus socks, using Cookie A’s Pomatomus pattern. (I think it’s fairly safe to assume that all pattern links are going to lead to Ravelry pages.) The yarn is Yarn Love’s Juliet sock in Bayfield Apple, also purchased from Sonny and Shear. Again, misleading photo, as I’m actually turning the heel of the second sock and then just have to do the leg/cuff.

Finally, a blanket that I am crocheting for my mother. This was originally a blanket that I was knitting for my mother, to give to her as a Christmas present. For Christmas 2007. Yeah. I finished the blanket and was really unhappy with how it had turned out. But I showed it to her, said “I’m going to fix this,” and then started ripping it apart and got frustrated. So it sat. And sat. And sat some more. And then finally, I had the epiphany: crochet squares, and then seam them together! And I am happy with the way the squares are turning out.

So those are the various projects keeping me busy right now. What’s on your needles or hooks?