Blather, Rinse, Repeat

Still working on Yvonne from CocoKnits, I'm almost up to 10 increases. ((Out of 21, which makes me feel pretty slow.))
Technically I guess I'm not being that slow, but it feels that way. I am increasingly pleased with my results though, so I guess thats something. Since I've gotten into the swing of things I've only had to back up once or twice when I almost forgot to do an increase, and both times were fairly late at night.

I did end up loosing a bit of sleep last night, although this time not to patern-rage. This time I woke up for no particular reason, then couldn't get back to sleep. I had a vague idea for an knit pattern stuck in my head, inspired by the Briar Rose fable. ((I'd love to mock it up at some point but you'll have to forgive me if I don't do so immediately,)) and while I was combating that to try and get back to sleep, my brain decided it would be a blast to start cycling old show tunes in my head.
"Luck be a Lady" ((Guys and Dolls version)) was one, and there were at least two others. ((I think one was a song from Man of La Mancha I enjoy.))

Today was also novel in other departments: We had the artist of "Chaos Express", Her Husband and their adopted daughter over. Summer apparently thought my Blueberry Muffins were the best part of the trip.

My Husbands sister and her S.O. are downstairs at the moment getting rid of some concrete blocks that were left in our basement. They don't serve a purpose for us at all, and aren't even remotely structural, so away they go to people that can use them! I'm making them some Banana Bread as I type, since I can't help with the blocks. ((Which doesn't bother me that much. Moving my car is cold enough!))

It's actually so cold outside my Husband went out to shovel this morning, and when the wind blew the steam from his breath back in his face, his eyelashes froze together. NOT. FUN. His hair even froze from the same.
This especially for the man who's virtually impervious to cold. He went out for ten minutes later to do the roof rake, and lost the feeling in his fingers. This the man who can't wear a light sweater 99% of the year because it's 'too hot'.

Oh well, everyone's fine and mostly warm now. Thats a releif.

Onward

And I march onward with the "Yvonne" pattern from CocoKnits. I guess I must still be a little frustrated by my occasional interpretation issues, since last night I kept having dreams that people in my family were really getting my goat. To the extent where I woke up determined I was going to call one of them and give them what for, because how DARE they do what they'd been doing in my dream.... then I remembered I'd only been dreaming, and that calling them out for their activities in my sleep would probably only cause a huge amount of confusion. Especially in the middle of the night. Unfortunately I did apparently punt my husband once in the middle of it too. Not teribly hard though. ((PHEW)).

I'm off onto my second ball of "Rowan Wool-Cotton", and that feels like it's going fast, but then I'm increasing in the round, so of course it's going to. I still love the feel of this yarn, and the color. I think it's going to make a fantastic vest, in spite of my difficulty getting my head around the terms in the patern, and the placement of some definitions. It's definitely not a hard pattern once you get your head around the lay out and the abbreviations, so if this one comes out well I'd love to talk my husband into letting me pick some colors and make one for myself.

Well... I'll try on the finished project first and see if it looks ok. THEN I'll see about making Bambi Eyes at my husband.

Other plans for the day? I dunno, maybe finally catch up on some of the sleep I've been missing, or do some baking. We'll see.

Edit: Added a fish gadget at the top just for fun...and because I'll admit I'm sappy and I thought it was cute. I used to keep a fish tank but really I guess I'm not the type who gets so into my fish that I actually enjoy being elbow deep in stinky water. I'll stick to occasionally cleaning cat boxes.

Yvonne continued, and possible exchange attempt

Continuing onward with Yvonne. I'm doing pretty well so far other than the amount of time it took me to find out that "Welt Pattern" was described at the top of the sheet.
Welt is apparently an 'confuse the unenlightened' version of saying GARTER STITCH. Unfortunately this means I did the first set of four rows in all purl, because I was knitting late at night after a long day, and the Welt translation didn't ping on my radar. *facepalm*
I'm not planning on 'tinking' or 'frogging' the work I've done, but I'll continue from here with the -garter- stitch.

((For those who don't know the terms: Tink is a term someone coined ((Knit, backward)) to undo one stitch at a time, and frogging is to rip the whole thing out. ((Since "Rip it" sounds a little like Ribbit.)).

Otherwise I'm planning on seeing if I can join a bit of an exchange, and possibly another 'destash' afterward, and get rid of some of the yarn I'm unlikely to use. C_C;;
I'm developing a serious hoarde, and some of it should really go to someone more likely to use it. Or look good in it.

Yvonne and Cookies

Underway with knitting the "Yvonne" Vest from Cocoknits, after jotting down my translations of abbreviations so that, if I took the whole thing 'on the road' for some reason, I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting. So far it's a pretty easy knit, just requires a little bit of row-counting so that I don't loose track of when to decrease the strip that will become the back. ((And later increase the rows that will become everything else.)) I'm loving the cinnamony color of the yarn, and it feels -so- nice. I'd love to work with this stuff again. ((Rowan Wool-Cotton))
The other officially 'crafty' project for the day was a quick batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, two of which I've already sneakily eaten. Mmmm.

Mochi Shawl complete: casting on with Cocoknits!

So last night I completed my Mini Mochi Shawl!
It took roughly five balls of Mini Mochi, ((I used their "Intense Rainbow" yarn.)) Which actually came out incredibly nice. It's very soft, it's warm, and the intensity of the rainbow made it look like something from a travel show. ((I was jokingly calling it my "La Paz" shawl because when my husband and I were watching an old Top Gear special, we saw a woman in La Paz who had a big bag made in very similar colors. ))
So I was pleased to be able to say that I was able to finish a shawl from the broadest end down, even though most patterns go the other way and use an increasing stitch. The one thing you have to watch out for in doing it this way is that you're not decreasing too fast, and making a shawl thats too trunkated to be useful or fun.

I have also now cast on for a "Yvonne" vestm as by Coco Knits. It's a lovely looking pattern, and the end result will be for my mother. I'm knitting it in Rowans "Wool Cotton", though on a SLIGHTLY smaller needle size than called for by the pattern. ((Size five instead of size six)). Most of the vest will be a light cinnamon color, with an cream outer ring.
So far it looks like it should be pretty straight forward, but I have to note:
If you are planning on taking this pattern as a travel project: WRITE DOWN THE ABBREVIATION TRANSLATIONS.
They are not in fact included as part of the print out, so anyone who does not know this, and figures on taking it on a trip, could be in for a nasty surprise. Fortunately I don't have such limited access, but I figured it was still worth a heads up, since every other pattern I've worked with has included the translations as a foot note. Probably in case of ye old traveling knitter.
This by no means makes the pattern not worth trying, but if you're going to do it, just be aware of this little foible.

Looks like the site also has some cool other new patterns that will go up at some point, but it'll be a while before I can go after them. Limited budget and all, and after this month: probably limited time and attention span as I get used to being a mom.

I'll try and keep everyone posted, and if I can, I'll get my husband to help me take a picture of the Mini Mochi Shawl so people can actually see.