Happy Leap Day!!

I finished the leap-day surprise project, and with time to spare!
It is the Karkauspäivän pipo - Leap Day hat. I love it!  Don't worry, the pattern is in Finnish, you haven't forgotten how to read English.
I was afraid that something went wrong with the design because the ribbed band was so big.  All the cabling pulled the knitting in and made it so nice and thick and smushy.

I can't seem to get the colors right in the picture. It is a more pinky-purple, or a dark magenta.

I did learn that Finnish is a cool language.  As I was playing around with the translator I found that one work meant one thing, but together with a second word, it meant something else.

Time to go play with some color change yarn!

Less than expected

I went over to my parent's house today to go and get my skeins of yarn.  I then learned that none of the colors I was very excited about was there, but that was fine because the color that I got was perfect for the pattern I had in mind. The one thing that was a bit disappointing for me was that each person only got 1 skein each.
I can understand why that would be a good idea.  Some people might just hear about the yarn and say that they will make hats out of it, but for one reason or another, don't manage to use all the yarn.  I'm hoping that once I use all that I have, that I will be able to get at least one more.

(picture from Universal Yarns website)

I got the color Chili Peppers(near the bottom of the page), and I think it will work perfectly for the Leafy Tops Hat(Ravelry link) I will be making with it.
I am so excited about this hat that I:

• powered through the surprise project to get it to a good place so I will be able to finish it on time
• put the pink hat on hold (doesn't help that the hat and surprise need the same needles)
• ignored my purse knitting
• moved my friend's mittens onto some scrap yarn because finding my other set of size 8 needles was taking too long

I really did consider finishing the first mitten before casting on the hat, I really did, but the pretty colors were calling to me too loudly.  My only defense on it is that if I knit the mittens one after the other, I have the best chance of them coming out the same size, where if I take a hat break, I'm just asking for giant gauge differences.
I also know that this hat will work-up quickly.  Each row might be 96 stitches, but since the yarn changes colors I tend to knit faster.  I am very entertained by color change.  I love seeing the color I am working will diminish on the skein, and I get excited because every stitch brings me closer to a new color.  Then I get to wonder how far in a row I will get before I actually get to the new color.  Once I am into the new color, I want to see how big of an area it will be.  Then I get to start it all over again as I get closer to yet another color.

Some fun for CHINS

I got a call from my mom to go and check Ravelry.  I saw a post on the Knitters and Crocheters Care Ravelry page that mentioned that CHINS (Children in Need of Smiles) is going donate some Universal Yarn: Classic Shades yarn.  They want teen, children, and toddler hats.
I love making hats with funky yarn!  It is especially exciting because I want to start planning, but I don't know what colors they are going to give.
I have one pattern I know I will be making, but I will need more.  I would not mind if anyone wants to take a look at the link to the yarn and give me some suggestions.

A couple of projects and a surprise.

I started another project today.  This is my third one I am working on now (that I am actively working on).

This is what I have been carrying around in my purse.  I now know the benefits of this.  I sometimes find myself needing some knitting, but since I didn't know that before, I didn't think to bring any.  Now I will usually have some with me.

This is the first ear flap/scarf that will soon have a friend.  It is a remake of a hat I saw in the store.  The one in the store was $32, and none of the colors they had (bright blue, or bright pink) made me want to spend that much.

This is going to be the surprise project.  I know I just started a new project earlier today, but I have big plans for this.  I hope to either start it later today, or tomorrow.  I'm also really hoping that I will get it done on time.

The project I started earlier today isn't pictured because it is for a friend, and not for charity.  Though if it goes well, I will probably make another pair to give away.

Mittens are easy!

I started the mittens Fri morning, had to go to work for 8 hrs on Sat, and finished them today!  They might not be a perfect size (a bit short for their width) but I know they will fit someone.  They are also very warm, my hand became sweaty in the time it took for me to take the picture of one of them.
The pattern is Simple Braided Mitts (Ravelry link) that I turned into mittens.

The colors are a bit light here, but it lets you see the stitches better.

The colors are still a bit more yellow here than they are in person, but this is a lot closer for the color.  They were so fast, easy, and fun to knit!  I also have an idea on how to make the braids look a bit better.

I think I am going to try something a bit different on the next hand-covers I make.  I think I will only add a braid where the colors change.  That will, hopefully, let the ribbing pull in a bit tighter.

Now the hard part...picking out yarn!

Something almost done, and something started.

The caplet is off the needles. I just need to weave in ends and find a closure so it can be worn.
I have promised some people knitted things, but no one has given me any yarn.  I figured I could work on smaller things in the meantime. I've started on a pair of mittens.  They are turning out bigger than I had thought, but people have different sized hands.
After a quick post on my facebook it was decided that I should add some Latvian braids to my mittens.  I was a bit nervous since I had never done them before.  Except for the fact that the yarns are different(their bands claim to be the same) I had nothing to worry about.  I think they look really good and I can't wait to finish the first one.

No pictures this post, but I hope to completely finish some things so I can fix this problem.

The joy of purling

I finished the present this morning and took it in. I had put it in a shopping-bag from work and I was going to claim that it was a return and surprise her with the jacket.  When I got there the line was too long and I didn't want to wait, so I just went looking for her.  When I saw her I said "Oh, there you are.  Here." and handed her the bag like she should have been expecting it.
She loved it and wished it was in her size.  She has promised me pictures of her Little Man in it!

To reward myself I have done a few things so far.  I took myself shopping in my stash.  I came out with enough yarn for 1.5 sweaters, a shawl, some fingerless mitts, and a few pairs of socks. I may have overdone it a bit.  Also, while watching Julia Child hack at a turkey breast (sending bones flying though the air) I ate a giant shortbread cookie.  I am now back to the caplet.
The only real reason I have gone straight back to something big is because I couldn't find the perfect yarn for the Natalie Mitts I want to start.  I have one in the perfect colors, but it is cotton, and I have the perfect yarn, but it is in the wrong colors.
Though, even though the caplet wasn't my first choice for knitting right now, I am very glad it happened.  After so many days of just knitting garter stitch, I am kind of tired of the knit stitch.  With the lace pattern I do a few plain knits and some odd knits (decreases), but on the way back, it is so nice.  I just purl across!  How I have missed purling!