KnitWars and Finished Socks

So, I finished the first Hedera sock (the green ones I posted before):


And it came out pretty good! *very* soft, and I really like the way it fits my foot. A nice toe - not too pointy.

I also happened to come across (through Lime and Violet) this Chore Wars business... it's like D&D, with housework. Now, I think this is a fabulous thing. It's like FlyLady, only with XP and monsters and gold. Lime and Violet found it and, in their cleverness, thought "ooh! I bet we could do that for knitting!"... and so they did. And I'm involved. Finishing a sock got me 50XP (if I finish the second one, I get another 100XP). I'm a level 1 Sorcerer (Annalira), and at 200XP I'll get to be level 2.

Yeah, it's dorky. *really* dorky. But hey - it's fun, it'll keep me on my knitting, and I may just sign up to motivate myself about the housework too :)

Finally!

I got in to Ravelry today! Find me there as sentineledfirs. I spent way too much time there this afternoon, joined a pile of groups, and found about 15 things that I want to knit. rightnow.

But I'm still working away at the Luna Moth shawl for my grandmother, so that's going to take up my knitting time for now (and my housework time, it seems >.>) I've finished three and a half repeats of the four and a half that I"m going to do (I think - I may do 5 and a half... still not really sure on that one), and it's moving along well, but as with most triangular lace shawls, the longer you work, the longer the rows, the more slogging it takes to keep going. I'm doing the shawl in the yarn that that particular pattern also used, but in the colorway "Atlantic Mist" - it's a grey blue, with iridescent green and purple tones in it. Gorgeous, and soft.



I don't have any good pictures of the knitting itself so far, but I'll take some when it's finished. Of course, even in worsted weight, it looks like a rumply tangled mess of nothing, so it's not really all that much to look at.

I also still need to finish those Hedera socks... I'm turning the heel on the first one, but I can't seem to get into them right now. Probably shawl fever and a serious case of startitis. That and my love of bags are conspiring against me. Though I do have some of the wool left from finishing the Cozy throw, so I have to find *something* to do with that, right?

Instant Gratification Knitting

So I've not been feeling so well for the past few days - the allergies are winning. On top of that, yesterday I had a fight with the health insurance, and then proceeded to lose my driver's license, credit card, and health insurance card. Followed, of course, by scrambling all over town looking for it, tearing apart my car and my purse and my desk... it was stressful.

(Karl did find the cards in my car last night though - no idea how, as I'd torn the thing apart, but he found them!)

So I've been knitting dishcloths. They're contagious too. Instant gratification - you make them, they only take a few hours to knit up, and they're just so useful. I'm hooked on using them, which means I'm now also hooked on making them >.> So far, only two made (a ballband dishcloth, and a "nubbins" dishcloth), but I have lots more cotton for others. The stuff is dirt cheap and comes in such bright pretty colors! Nubbins has some other variations, and I've found another waffle/slipstitch pattern that I want to try. I have lots of dark blue cotton, so I'm trying to pair that with brighter colors so it doesn't get too crazy (:

I also just received the Charmed Knits book from amazon - Harry Potter Knitting! I'm not sure what to make first, but I think it will be some "book scarf bookmarks" in the house colors, since I think I have enough scrap yarn around here to make them. I know LTKQ is making some Ravenclaw socks too. Such a fun book, and fun knits - there really is a good bit of knitting in Harry Potter. After that, I may try a house sweater... or I have no idea. Too many patterns that I want to make right now.

In other life stuff - I'm getting ready to register an SCA name. I've used the name Elianora for the last few years (which is documentable, and from the right time period 1325-1400, Southern England). However, I'm... well just not sure how fond I am of it. I'm thinking of looking at other first names. Fortunately for me, there are lots to look at online (as well as my local Herald letting me dig through the books). Currently pondering the name Anna. No clue on last names. Should be fun though. One instance of the name Elianora is from the book of English surnames, and her last name (according to the website) was Thimblebee. Which I happen to think is a fabulous last name, if a bit silly.

Coronation approaches quickly though, and I need to get my new wimple/veil sewn up. I may just make a new wimple and use the old veil (to save time), but the material I have is a 60% linen/40% cotton lightweight and it's very drapey and nice. My old veil and wimple are made of 100% cotton, so smoother and less troublesome to iron, but not as period. I guess it'll depend on how much I want to hand hem.

The Orange Monstrosity

So I went to Michaels this morning to kill some time (anyone else think of The Phantom Tollbooth every time they say that?) and grab some more paintbrushes for scribal stuff. And I noticed there was a bag on sale, for about 60% off. It was called the "Knitters tote" and was rather nicely packaged. I grabbed it and carried it around with me, contemplating, and grabbing some Royal mercerized cotton in the process (i want to try a new lace pattern... aka I'm gonna make a dishcloth).

I sprung for it.





as you can see... it's quite large. It is 15'' tall by 14'' long, the base is 5'' on the inside, plus the huge skein pockets. It has pockets everywhere. the exterior project pockets will fit several skeins of yarn (I have two sockotta skeins in one pocket, easily, and about 5 balls of Kathmandu Aran smushed into another) and have grommets going to the inside of the bag so you can feed the yarn through. Right now I have to projects on the needles so they're not fed through, but you can see the grey Kathmandu Aran for my lacy throw in the above picture.

Pockets!


there are at least this many pockets over again on the other side. The scissor pocket is particularly well made and lined with double canvas - since scissors are pointy, you know.

Six skein pockets are on the outside (3 on each side) as well as a small pocket on the outside of the main compartment:


On the needles: green Hedera sock; dove grey Kathmandu lacy shawl; and future dishcloth.



Not on the needles yet: Regia Silk for Clessidra cabled knee socks; Sockotta "fawn" variegated sock yarn; Regia Classic Cashmere - two balls. not sure for what yet. :D

It's huge. It's orange (I hope nobody assumes I'm from UTexas!) and I now, for the first time, have all of my active knitting (plus a few extra needles and such) in ONE PLACE. ONE! I have yarn in the closet, and some yarn in the living room. And knitting books on the shelf. But the knitting I need - everything I could possibly want for making one of my current projects is all there, in the Orange Monster.

(No, I've not shown Karl yet >.>)