Free sock pattern -- this week only!

I've never had something seem like a good idea this early on a Sunday morning, but here goes. I was thinking about Mokira, what I consider to be one of my prettiest sock patterns, and how it seems to have flown under the collective consciousness for whatever reason.Anyway, I'd like to try to change that, at least a little. I'd love to see other knitters making and enjoying these quick and easy socks!

So! For one week only, (22 February until 28 February 2009,) Mokira will be offered as a free(!) download, available both here on Ravelry and here on my blog. After this week, it's back up to $6.00 USD. Grab it while you can!

A quickie...

The back of my Central Park Hoodie is growing! The Bertha Bag 2.0 is still available! My wrists hurt, can I stop now??Argh, no, I can't, despite the hated(!) circular needles. I actually want to keep going. I can't believe how much I'm enjoying knitting this sweater -- it makes me wonder why I never got around to making one sooner.

A finished thing

I put the finishing touches on Bertha Bag 2.0 today. Here's the front: and the back: As for the specifics, it's approximately 8" long, 5" tall and 3.5" deep. It's been hand knit from 100% wool, fulled, pieced, cut, entirely hand sewn, pleated, embroidered and finished off with a large pearly vintage button. Each of the two handles is 15" from end to end. This time, the side panels have been pleated to give the bag more shape. It really is quite a fancy little handbag with plenty of room for all your essentials (and maybe even your essentials and your pocket novel, if you get creative. Being able to carry books along is important to me.)

Best of all, it's done. The process is fun and very rewarding, but oftentimes i just get antsy to see the finished object already.

Now, should you like this one of a kind bag enough to want to make it your own you may be happy to learn that it is up for sale right over here in my Etsy shop. Act fast, as I'm starting to get attached to her a bit myself!

Things in Progress

Two quick things, for your viewing pleasure...

Number One:Bertha Bag 2.0 is progressing nicely! It's been knit, fulled, fulled again, fulled some more, cut, pieced, sewn and now embroidered upon, all by me. If all goes well (and I don't get distracted,) tonight she's getting a button and handles. Then it's off to my Etsy shop with her!

This series of bags (of which there is another on the way soon,) is, of course, named after Bertha. When I made the original bag a milion years ago (or January 2006, whichever you prefer,) she liked it enough to snap it up when it first went on sale. I really hope she doesn't mind that I've named my bags after her!

Here's the original bag, since it was never posted about on this blog:Total serendipity, that. I only had a rough idea of what I was going to end up with when I made that one. Now, I have a little more experience with the making and construction of the bags, but it's still a pretty random process.

Number Two:I cast on today for my first sweater EVER, the Central Park Hoodie. There's not too much to see just yet, but that's enough evidence for me that I'm actually knitting a sweater. I am in love with this pattern and have been for quite some time. Here's hoping that it goes well!

Wanna buy some mittens?

Yes, it's late in the season, but it's still cold where I live! Maybe it's still cold (or at least cool) where you are too? Maybe you'd just like to get your hands on something ready-to-wear? Maybe you'd just like to take these home?Yes, the Folky Latvian Mittens are up for sale in my Etsy shop.Instant Latvian mittens? Always a good thing!

Oh, mitten

Dear Mitten,

Why do I get the feeling that our relationship was doomed from the start? You had to know that you were only a diversion -- a plaything, if you will -- to tide me over until I settle into a Serious Relationship with The Sweater. I even told you as much at the outset of our affair. You were right next to me that night as I sighed over the pattern and groped its yarn. All things considered, I suppose I should be thankful that you're taking this as well as you are.

But coming out huge like this? I wasn't expecting that at all. I'm half a stitch off gauge for these needles and suddenly you're the biggest mitten ever. I even considered frogging you entirely and then trying this relationship on a smaller scale, but then I decided that I didn't want to throw away all the effort that we've put into it so far.

Why the sudden embiggenment? Is this because you've been hanging around that Swatch? Clearly you want me to abuse you the same way I did him. You may be pleased to learn that there is a scalding-hot Dr. Bronner's bath in your future. Maybe that's all it will take to get us to suit one another better. I'm more than willing to give it a shot -- after these past few days we've spent together I'm starting to get attached.

Sincerely,

Spilly

Can it be? WIP Wednesday!

Check it on out -- I'm actually doing one of those "blog things" -- in this case, WIP Wednesday. This is total coincidence, I promise you, but I'm going with it anyway.

You haven't seen The Swatch in a while! This is what he looked like the last time we saw him:Well, last night I decided that it would be more fun to waste my Dr. Bronner's soap and scald my hands than to knit another row of boring, BORING Swatch. Here he is after his first bath:He shrunk a bit, which is to be expected in the fulling process. I'm still debating on whether to give him another bath or to start turning him into something else now.

And now for a true WIP (this being WIP Wednesday and all,) the Komi mitten from the other day has grown a bit:Ohhh, Mitten. You just might not get abandoned after all.

For reals this time

Allow me to begin by saying "thanks!" for all the lovely birthday wishes. It's a good feeling to know that there are nice people out there who care enough to write...so, thanks!

Now look at this mitten:I'm about 2" in to the 3 1/2" inches of ribbing prescribed by the pattern. Somehow, it is going impossibly slow. I'm almost out of the woods, though, and that's about the only thing that's keeping me from giving up on the whole thing. I have bad news for you, mitten: unless you happen to have the good fortune of being finished within the next little while (which, luckily for you, is a distinct possibility.) Yes, you will be abandoned and the production of your mate might not occur for some time. No, it's not your fault. Things are happening around here mitten. Big knitterly things.

Wonderfully big and social knitterly things! This is because in the next little while I'll be making the trip north to join Heather and Adriana, at which point I will cast on for my first sweater, the ever-popular Central Park Hoodie.

Now, this is an Event in and of itself -- those of you who know me (or at least know my knitting habits) are probably aware that my introduction to sweater-knitting is long overdue. So overdue, in fact, that last June Heather actually shoved a bag of wool at me in a valiant attempt to get me going. Strangely enough, it didn't take then, but now...O! now...

Now I'm lining up sweaters that I want to make. I want the Wanderlust Hoodie (scroll down) sans bobbles and Hooded Pullover from the Fall 2008 issue of Vogue Knitting. I have even been thinking of finally attempting Sweet Mary Jane with that laceweight that I bought so long ago (years ago, now!) for that very purpose.

It's as if a whole new corner of the knitting world has just opened before me (which I suppose it has, really, and it's one of the biggest "corners" out there, too.) I can't wait to dive in.