FO UPDATE!!!!

finally i can update you on my FO's (finished objects)



i feel like it has been forever since i have given you a knitting update and really it has been quite a while. but it is not lack of knitting that has kept me from updating all you lovely blog readers on my knitting progress but rather a birthday. my sis's birthday. she's one of my regular readers and i didn't want to spoil the surprise for her (even though a few time i could hardly contain my self) so i kept it off the blog. but now, finally (due to my inability to send things on time), she has received and opened her gifts. so i can tell you all about them : )

my first FO is my first lace project



the pattern is Leafy Reticule from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines. My mom sent me this book for my birthday back in september and when i saw this pattern i had to make it. my sister automatically came to mind because i know she likes options when it comes to purses and i have been knitting nearly exclusively for her daughter and i thought it was high time she got something her self!

here is the bag being blocked with two cans of A&W Rootbeer (yum)


and here is an up close of the leaf pattern in the lace


i will admit to starting over three times but i was only in the first 5 or 6 rows every time.... it was due to my inability to count which i found out is crucial in lace. my solution to the problem was to put a stitch marker after every single pattern repeat. the yarn i used was Rowan Tapestry in Lakeland colorway. the handles are from Tall Poppy Crafts in Australia... so these handles went from Australia to New York to Dubai UAE then back to New York! can you believe it? anyhow my procrastination paired with optimism in how longs things take to ship round and round the world is partly why there was a delay in getting the purse done in time but i'm digressing here. the modifications i made to the pattern was to make and extra repeat in the width because my circs weren't short enough and to also add a repeat in the length because it just wasn't long enough. over all i think this pattern is great for a first lace the only thing i would reconsider is the yarn... don't get me wrong it's gorgeous and it looks great in this pattern but it likes to stick to itself and that makes it harder to get it to do the lace things it needs to do at times

the second FO is my first cables!!!




this is Fetching by Cheryl Niamath
i thought these would be perfect for my sister as it's cold where she lives and i figured this way she could keep her hands warm but not loose the use of her fingers (as sometimes happens with gloves) so they seemed practical yet cute and kinda trendy (although i may not be up to date on trendy these days). i pretty much followed this pattern as-is except that they didn't look long enough in the other gajillion pics on ravelry to me so i made the center longer and the thumbs longer as well. i also added an extra repeat of the cables at the knuckles to make sure they stay warm. but these are definitely something i'm going to make more of. i don't know if i'll ever need a pair in the desert but i think i should have a pair just in case ; )

ooooh but i feel so much better now that i have given a full update on my FO's although i haven't told you about what i have on the needles now. it's late so i think i'll save that for the next post.