Get Well Soon!

This coaster will help!

A friend of mine (one of my fellow Mermaid Paraders) had to have some pretty gnarly surgery to try to unblock the arteries leading to his hand. As he was semi-live Facebook-ing the event, he revealed that he would be undergoing surgery without knowing whether his hand would make it out the other side still attached. The absolute horror of that scenario had me hitting refresh more times than I'd like to admit to get a post-surgical update. Although things are not going as smoothly as anyone would like, the surgeons were able to open one artery so he still has his hand but will likely lose at a minimum a fingertip. So I made him a get well card. By first making a coaster, then velcro-ing that onto card stock.

This was completely improvised, using scraps in my friend and his wife's favourite red and black. Hopefully it will have a nice restorative beer resting on it soon.

Old Knits, New Photographs!

Somehow in the intervening 2 YEARS since I knit myself this looped loop I have never photographed it. I've worn it, and washed it and worn it some more, but never stopped to plonk it in front of the lens. So while I still had my tripod out I decided to take a quick snap. I knit this out of 3.5 skeins of Mirasol Miski, a wonderful 100% llama yarn in a beautiful copper colour that I got on sale in England. It's warm and soft and wonderful. As is the coat, a French Connection knee length wool number that I got for $36 from Goodwill. Thrifting FTW!

I knit the loop for myself a week after knitting a grey cashmere version for my boyfriend, which, gasp! I never blogged about either.

The yarn for this came from a thrifted sweater that I frogged a very, very long time ago. When I lived in Astoria. In 2005-6. I have a lot of yarn, what can I say. Every time I touch this scarf I want to steal it back because it is like butter it's so soft. My boyfriend wears it all the time so I think he likes it. I still have several large balls of the yarn leftover for some special use in the future, perhaps some mitts for myself, or a hat, or a shawl, or... or... or...

Minimalist Cardigan

I cast on for this cardigan in the departure lounge at JFK, getting mightily confused over my gauge swatch before boarding. The pattern said is was moss stitch, I knit moss stitch but my row gauge was way off. Then I checked the pattern and was very confused as to why there would be four lines of directions for moss stitch. Turns out I'm not as smart as I think I am and had been knitting seed stitch, problem solved! I knit half the back on the flight to Manchester, the fronts were knit in a few nights of jet lag, and I finished up the sleeves at home. The seaming took two hours. I am a perfectionist.

 

The yarn is Debbie Bliss cotton angora, an aran weight yarn I've had in my stash since before the pattern came out in Interweave Knits Sept 2007. A truly vintage knit! It sheds a bit but it's soft and I love the plum color. Good job since I have 6.5 balls left over. Knitting the 34" as written only took 8.5 balls (~730 yards).

I'd also like to point out the trousers I'm wearing. These are Theory wool pants that I got at my local Goodwill for a mere $14 (plus additional $ for dry cleaning, something I do before wearing with all my thrifted woolens and silks). I think that's a very small price to pay for such a flattering pair of pants. Heh.