Tuesday, December 19, 2006

homestretch...

Finished the Paris Night collection on Sunday morning. Behold:






















There's something nice about a set, and I hope my mom likes it. It's Grumperina's Shifting Sands stitch pattern, but I used Malabrigo worsted (in the Paris Night colourway) and adjusted for that. About 1 1/2 skeins for the scarf, 1/2 skein for the hat. The hat is pretty basic - I just used my wily math skills to work out a cast-on and system of decreasing that accommodated the stitch pattern. Something about the teddy bear photo makes me think paparazzi. As though he went on a mad Christmas candy binge, the stole the hat to try to hide the sugar hangover or something. I may not be getting enough sleep.

The lack of sleep is due to the festive deadline. I knit a swatch Sunday for my last knit-gift, and it was perfect. I left it alone, collected the right supplies and went off to my knit-meet-up last night to start on it. I re-measured the swatch, and it had grown. On its own. Somehow? I have visions of evil-unChristmas-elves coming in the night to pull at the sample and screw with my gauge. I went ahead and cast on the eleventy-million stitches required for this project, but had a moment of clarity this morning as I worked out the math and figured out how much too-big it would be if my gauge were really that off. Rather than find myself in tears on Christmas eve, frantically tearing at the garment, I decided to knit another gauge swatch. Okay. Smaller needles. This looks better. Now before it grows I have to go out and pick up the corresponding circular needle and get started on this. I hope I can finish it. And let's hope the gauge gremlins do not strike again. Wish me luck.

May the force be with us all at this festively frantic knitting time.

PS: Have you seen these? Pattern here. Too flippin' cute. (Thanks for the tip, Allegra!)
I must knit some. I must... finish this gift first!

7 Comments:

At 1:20 p.m., Blogger froggiemeanie said...

Good luck! Christmas knitting is rough. It's not to late to head to the mall you know....

As for those ornaments - seriously cute. Now I want me one. Which is bad because I have all the stuff to make these instead:

http://www.polkadotmittens.com/journal/archives/2005/11/thing_two_is_fi.html

Cute, no?

 
At 1:21 p.m., Blogger froggiemeanie said...

That link didn't show up in full. Lemme try again:

http://www.polkadotmittens.com/journal/archives/2005/11/thing_two_is_fi.html

 
At 1:23 p.m., Blogger froggiemeanie said...

Crap! Ok, one more time. You have to turn it back into one long word.

http://www.polkadotmittens.com/
journal/
archives/
2005/
11/
thing_two_is_fi.html

This is embarassing.

 
At 2:23 p.m., Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you want my weekly Michael's coupon for your circs??? Mmmmmmm... 40% off!

 
At 3:34 p.m., Anonymous Anonymous said...

The set looks wonderful! Would you like it to be featured in the Shifting Sands gallery? I'm about to start one for this pattern... :)

 
At 6:46 p.m., Blogger Jen said...

Gorgeous, miss ewe!

Hope to see you before the holidays!

Jen

 
At 10:43 p.m., Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for my new scarf & hat.
I love the set and have worn them both. They are gorgeous & very warm.

xo, MOM

 

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