This is my new blog!

We're now in Portland, which is something we've talked about for a long time. We decided to move at the end of August, and we moved in here October 11. It's been fun to explore Portland together. Powell's was first stop on the list, but we've also gone to the Saturday Market and a couple of yarn stores (of course). The weather is cool and mostly sunny, so wool socks and sweaters are in major rotation and I am really motivated to knit.

I started a cabled sweater, but I need to check my gauge before I continue. I just knit up one ball of yarn for part of a sleeve. I am going to wash it and block it so that I can see how it fits so far.

This from a Dale of Norway pattern booklet with mostly Aran-style patterns. Book NR 144, copyright 2004. The design I'm working on is called "Pullover 14403", and I'm using Dale of Norway's Heilo yarn, just pure new wool in Barn Red color 4137.

While we were on vacation in Oregon, I wanted a "vacation project". This is Shedir (pdf download) from the Knitty Fall 2004 surprise.

I had some leftover Rowan RYC Cashsoft Baby DK from a baby sweater,so I thought this would we a good use for it.

I cast on during our flight to Portland, but I left my pattern on the plane! Fortunately I had saved the pdf to our laptop, so I could still see the pattern and keep knitting.

• Pattern: Shedir (pdf download)

• Yarn: Rowan RYC Cashsoft Baby DK in color 802 Limone, a little more than one ball

• Needles size 3 circular and dpns

I did most of the cabling without a cable needle. There is one row in which you cable and decrease at the same time which was easier with a cable needle, but 1 row out of 40-odd rows with cabling is not too bad.

I did all 5 repeats before decreasing, because I have a large head. This fits just fine over all my hair and massive skull. I will make this hat again!

Sweet smelling roses

Sockapalooza Socks!

My socks are here at last. I got an email earlier in the week from my sock pal letting me know that they were on the way. Unfortunately, I don't have a blog address for her -- but Anita from Georgia, thank you! They fit great!

(edited to add: Anita's Blog! ) Anita sent some wonderful goodies, too.

Besides the socks, I got some very nice stitch markers, little hearts and leaves. The yarn is dyed by Anita's friend. It's superwash merino, bamboo (!), and nylon. Shiny and soft, in great colors--blue, purple, charcoal and green. I am really excited to make some socks with it! Thanks again, Anita!

I have some projects on the needles that I can't blog about. I can talk about the vest I'm making, though. The front will have diamond color patterns, but the back is just plain, and that is the part I'm making first. I present plain stockinette:

Can you stand the excitement? It's going fast, when I actually work on it. The nice thing about the vest is that after the front and back are done, you're 95% finished! All that remains is the edging on the neck and armholes.

I am spending so much time on Ravelry, I think it's cutting into my knitting time. Oh, that and Pokemon. Yes, actually I am serious. It's fun because Walker and I can trade and help each other out. I have actually won the game. heh.

I need to send out my Sockapalooza socks to my pal. I want to get a little package together. It's too bad she is sort of local, because nothing I can send is going to be very exotic. Oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?

Of course, that means that hopefully my socks shoud be coming from my pal, whomever that may be. It looks like a lot of people aren't done knitting yet! I had an easy time deciding on the pattern for my pal, and the yarn clinched the deal.

Guess who's excited about the Simpsons movie?

(This is from the Simpsons movie site, where you can make your own avatar. It is a Flash site, just FYI.)

I know this doesn't look that much like me. I don't have an overbite, in fact my "shapely" face is one of my distinguishing features. I look more like Japanese manga characters than anyone in Springfield.

I have wanted to post about knitting I've been doing, but it seems like I've mostly been untangling yarn and ripping out projects (insert frowny face). I don't have any pictures of the carnage, so I'll spare you the details. Let it suffice to say that 400+ yards of sock yarn is too much to mess with when you're in a hurry.