the knitting party

So last night around 8 o'clock, my house was swarming with knitters eating, drinking, checking gauge, and sitting on the edge of their seats for 9 o'clock, when we could officially cast on for the opening of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. We had a great time despite a couple of us having colds (I'm now one of them) and I was so happy everyone could finally meet my little Madeline. She had a great time running around and checking everyone's projects out before having a little nap on my lap. Now almost 24 hours in to the Olympics, I have a good chunk of a hat done (I had to start over last night after I realized my pattern SUCKED. I hate paying for a pattern that sucks. Really hate it.) But anyhoo, have a new hat on the needles which I will try to finish tonight on the treadmill. Naturally I don't have pictures of it yet, because that would be the organized thing to do. But I can finally show you some of the projects I've recently finished!

Let's start with some of the handspun. This is most affectionately called "pepto pink". I'm really happy with how it spun up, but the gorgeous black cherry color that I bought it for barely shows up in this, which is a little dissapointing. That being said, it's a heavy fingering and eventually, I will spin up the remaining 5 ounces and have socks and probably a beret. I'm diggin' a beret right now.

These are the color-me-happy socks, started in the middle of a creative slump (which I like to think is on it's way out). Yarn is Kaffee Fasset Regia sock yarn. I love the colors, but I wish it were more self-striping than self-patterning, but whatever. They're really nice and warm.

This is the "Sweet November" sweater, mostly because it was started and meant to be finished in November and I even told myself I was going to wear in on Thanksgiving. And then I got sick. And then I didn't knit for like 3 weeks. But it's finished now and I adore it. Yarn is Patons Classic Merino from the Michaels clearance rack, pattern was made up as I went. I have 4 whole skeins left (this sweater took 5) and if you're interested in the remaining 4, I'd pass them on for dirt cheap.

Here we have a shawl that I'm absolutely thrilled with, my Candle Light Shawl by Lucy, one of my BFFs from my year in Colchester. It's her first published shawl pattern and I saw it and knew what the Dream in Color Starry in my stash had been waiting for. The pattern in really well written and was such a nice little knit. Well done Lucy! You can find more info on my ravelry notebook or you can go ask Bearium about it. But you should totally make one. Seriously.

And lastly, here's my Ishbel that I finished back in November but hadn't taken pictures of until now. I'm madly in love with this too. Yarn is Cariad Yarns from Soctopus in London, colorway is Mulberry Wine. It's got a little cashmere in it and it's seriously sexy. Love it.