bite me.

This beauty will be mine in a few days' time.
Oh yeah baby.

X-mas Counts
Queued - 1 hat, 1 pair of mitts (Possibly 4 dishcloths)
WIP's - 1 hat, 1 pair of mittens
Finished - 5 hats, 2 dishcloths, 1 pair of mittens, 1 bag, 1 scarf

Down to the wire as is my custom. Last year when I began knitting, I posted in a forum on Ravelry inquiring about when people usually began their Christmas knitting. The overwhelming majority said December 26, the day after Christmas or, more sensibly, January (for the next Christmas). I think I'll give myself a bit of a break for not listening, seeing as I had just started knitting at the time. I needed this year to gain some knowledge and I have done that. My skills have improved 100-fold.

Now I know better and have the ability to start my Christmas knitting months in advance. That will not, however, stop me from procrastinating. Mark my words, I'll be doing the same thing next year. You have to love it though. The pressure of a deadline. It's kind of exciting in a twisted sort of way. [I'm trying to justify my lack of planning ahead here.]

Anyway, boo MSU for only giving me one week off before Christmas. I swear I had 2 weeks last year. MSU, you are not more important than Christmas cookies and woolly goodness. Sorry.

Spin, Span, Spun

Today, I purchased my first drop spindle (a medium top-whorl, Octo Dropspindle from Louet). I've been wanting to trying spinning for a while now, but I cannot afford to buy a spinning wheel at the moment, so I decided it was high time I bought a drop spindle.

I also purchased an ounce of blue merino for practice and another 4 ounces of natural superwash merino for when I felt more comfortable and had already blundered through the biggest mistakes I could make.

During the drafting process, I found that I wasn't gentle enough and I tore about half of the roving up. I may have weak arms, but I can pulverize wool. Next time I will have to be very careful.

This is my final product - a little skein of merino to cherish. I would definitely consider it a bulky weight yarn. The roving cost me $2.50, but I learned lessons that will last me a lifetime from that ounce of wool.


God bless merino.

Startitis

It's a pretty bad case..

Here's the latest addition to my ever-growing WIP pile.
I think these have satiated my cast-on frenzy.

Now to finish the current X-mas WIP's
and cast-on only for the remaining X-mas pressies.

Current Counts
Queued - 9 hats, 1 pair of mitts, 3 sets of dishcloths
WIP's - 1 hat, 2 pairs of mittens, 1 bag
Finished - 4 hats, 2 dishcloths

I will only bid happy knitting when I finish my sweater. Bah humbug!