Another project finished!

I've finished my Cypri shawl, and I can't be happier about it. I enjoyed knitting it, but, seriously, 382 stitches for something like 1000 rows (just kidding, it was probably more like 70 rows) is a lot. It didn't help that I forgot some decreases that were supposed to happen right after I started on the first chart. And the confusion I had near the end of the second chart, that caused me to have to un-knit about a dozen rows. And almost running out of yarn before I finished binding off - I finished with 18". I had another skein in reserve, but who wants to add new yarn just for a bind off? I'd probably have un-knit the last four rows before I'd have chosen that. Ugh.

I have also finished my State Fair socks, but I'm not ready to show them just yet. Maybe in a couple weeks or so. I can say that they practically flew off my needles, the pattern is gorgeous, and I love the yarn. Aside from that, mum's the word.

So it's a short post tonight, Friends. Until next time.

My favorite gloves are about to bite the dust.

I'll have to darn them, so I can wear them until I can knit myself another pair. I knew this day was coming; the last few times I'd worn them last season I noticed that the fingertips were showing quite a lot of wear. Today a hole appeared in the thumb. It was small this morning when I got on the bus, and when I put them on this afternoon to go home, the hole was about the size of a dime. By the time I got to Stitch 'n' Bitch, it was the size of a quarter.

These gloves have gotten me through two winters and they are the warmest freaking gloves I've ever owned. I'm not kidding. I only ever want to wear gloves like these for the rest of my life. According to their Ravelry project page, I started them in mid-October 2009 and finished them on Novermber 1. It took a mere two and a half weeks to knit the gloves that have served me so well.

The pattern was Rococo, by Julia Mueller, which I purchased from the Fall 2009 issue of Twist Collective. As soon as I saw the photos of the gloves, I knew I had to make them. The complexity of the cables was the big draw, as well as their color. I couldn't wait to cast on! I ended up knitting them two at a time through the fingers, then did those one by one with double points. I'm sure I'll knit these gloves again, but not with the same yarn. I have some Canopy fingering by The Fibre Company which I think would knit up with better stitch definition to show off all those gorgeous cables.

The yarn I used for the gloves was Great Northern Yarn's 70% mink/30% cashmere DK weight in jet black. I know now that it was sheer lunacy to knit cabled gloves in black yarn that blooms. I've learned my lesson. The thing was that when I knit them, I had no earthly idea how much more the yarn would bloom after I started wearing them. After just a short period of time, it looked like the hands of a silverback gorilla were at the ends of my arms. These gloves are seriously hairy, but I keep wearing them because they are the warmest. freaking. gloves. Ever. I think my next pair of mink/cashmere gloves will be plain stockinette in a light color. I'll be checking out the Great Northern Yarns website posthaste.

Well, that's all I have this time. Next time I hope to be able to show off a completed baby cardigan. Until then, friends!