Thanks to my really sweet cousin Robyn, these cute little gel stickers are adorning my kitchen just in time for the upcoming holiday.

After reading all the buzz about the Knitting Olympics started by the Yarn Harlot and then spreading to Team Canada, I was debating joining. I figured it would be a good way to take my mind off things. I figured I’d do Tempting II from http://www.knitty.com using some Noro Silk Garden from my stash. I made up a swatch but after seeing how the yarn comes out I think I’d much rather make a sweater with it than a sexy little top. It’s more of a “comfy” type feeling and color. You can’t tell by the pic, but the yarn swirls from purples to grays and has a beautiful silk sheen to it. I’m amazed at how soft it is, since my only other Noro experience is Kureyon, which I love, but isn’t as soft. I’m not going to do the Olympics though. It’s too hard to start something this afternoon and race through it in 2 weeks, especially since I’m still sitting shiva and will be there every night through to Monday, and I don’t knit while I’m with everyone, so if I want to knit I need to be anti-social and go downstairs. Also, if I was to do that, I have Yannick’s Valentine’s Day gift of the Mega Socks that I don’t feel right putting off, especially since there might be time to finish them before the holiday. So I didn’t sign up. But I’ll be knitting in spirit. There’s always next year. I’ll just consider myself in training.

After reading all the buzz about the Knitting Olympics started by the Yarn Harlot and then spreading to Team Canada, I was debating joining. I figured it would be a good way to take my mind off things. I figured I’d do Tempting II from http://www.knitty.com using some Noro Silk Garden from my stash. I made up a swatch but after seeing how the yarn comes out I think I’d much rather make a sweater with it than a sexy little top. It’s more of a “comfy” type feeling and color. You can’t tell by the pic, but the yarn swirls from purples to grays and has a beautiful silk sheen to it. I’m amazed at how soft it is, since my only other Noro experience is Kureyon, which I love, but isn’t as soft. I’m not going to do the Olympics though. It’s too hard to start something this afternoon and race through it in 2 weeks, especially since I’m still sitting shiva and will be there every night through to Monday, and I don’t knit while I’m with everyone, so if I want to knit I need to be anti-social and go downstairs. Also, if I was to do that, I have Yannick’s Valentine’s Day gift of the Mega Socks that I don’t feel right putting off, especially since there might be time to finish them before the holiday. So I didn’t sign up. But I’ll be knitting in spirit. There’s always next year. I’ll just consider myself in training.

After reading all the buzz about the Knitting Olympics started by the Yarn Harlot and then spreading to Team Canada, I was debating joining. I figured it would be a good way to take my mind off things. I figured I’d do Tempting II from http://www.knitty.com using some Noro Silk Garden from my stash. I made up a swatch but after seeing how the yarn comes out I think I’d much rather make a sweater with it than a sexy little top. It’s more of a “comfy” type feeling and color. You can’t tell by the pic, but the yarn swirls from purples to grays and has a beautiful silk sheen to it. I’m amazed at how soft it is, since my only other Noro experience is Kureyon, which I love, but isn’t as soft. I’m not going to do the Olympics though. It’s too hard to start something this afternoon and race through it in 2 weeks, especially since I’m still sitting shiva and will be there every night through to Monday, and I don’t knit while I’m with everyone, so if I want to knit I need to be anti-social and go downstairs. Also, if I was to do that, I have Yannick’s Valentine’s Day gift of the Mega Socks that I don’t feel right putting off, especially since there might be time to finish them before the holiday. So I didn’t sign up. But I’ll be knitting in spirit. There’s always next year. I’ll just consider myself in training.

Note: Morbidity Ahead. On Monday my mom asked me if I was going to put anything into the coffin with my grandmother, as my siblings and cousins and so on were writing letters and stuff as a way to let out a bit of how they were feeling. I went into a panic because I didn’t feel “right” about writing a letter. I am so thankful I found a pattern for a knit elephant in one of my knitting books, I think it’s called “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” by the woman who owns Purl Soho in New York. Anyways, it took me 2 hours in the afternoon, and another 4 hours that evening, but I managed to finish this elephant in time. My grandmother collected elephants. She had, seriously, thousands of elephants. Statues, tshirts, anything with an elephant on it. This toy was supposed to be 10″ tall but I used much smaller needles and a smaller gauge yarn and was able to end up with a little 5″ or so elephant. I under-stuffed it so it’s cuddly and squishy and was just really thankful I had something to give to my grandmother on Tuesday. I didn’t go see her as often as I should have once she was in her foster home, mainly because it was so hard to communicate but that wasn’t her fault. So I am really happy that I was able to make something just for her, with only her in mind and thinking of her with every stitch.

Note: Morbidity Ahead. On Monday my mom asked me if I was going to put anything into the coffin with my grandmother, as my siblings and cousins and so on were writing letters and stuff as a way to let out a bit of how they were feeling. I went into a panic because I didn’t feel “right” about writing a letter. I am so thankful I found a pattern for a knit elephant in one of my knitting books, I think it’s called “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” by the woman who owns Purl Soho in New York. Anyways, it took me 2 hours in the afternoon, and another 4 hours that evening, but I managed to finish this elephant in time. My grandmother collected elephants. She had, seriously, thousands of elephants. Statues, tshirts, anything with an elephant on it. This toy was supposed to be 10″ tall but I used much smaller needles and a smaller gauge yarn and was able to end up with a little 5″ or so elephant. I under-stuffed it so it’s cuddly and squishy and was just really thankful I had something to give to my grandmother on Tuesday. I didn’t go see her as often as I should have once she was in her foster home, mainly because it was so hard to communicate but that wasn’t her fault. So I am really happy that I was able to make something just for her, with only her in mind and thinking of her with every stitch.

Note: Morbidity Ahead. On Monday my mom asked me if I was going to put anything into the coffin with my grandmother, as my siblings and cousins and so on were writing letters and stuff as a way to let out a bit of how they were feeling. I went into a panic because I didn’t feel “right” about writing a letter. I am so thankful I found a pattern for a knit elephant in one of my knitting books, I think it’s called “Last Minute Knitted Gifts” by the woman who owns Purl Soho in New York. Anyways, it took me 2 hours in the afternoon, and another 4 hours that evening, but I managed to finish this elephant in time. My grandmother collected elephants. She had, seriously, thousands of elephants. Statues, tshirts, anything with an elephant on it. This toy was supposed to be 10″ tall but I used much smaller needles and a smaller gauge yarn and was able to end up with a little 5″ or so elephant. I under-stuffed it so it’s cuddly and squishy and was just really thankful I had something to give to my grandmother on Tuesday. I didn’t go see her as often as I should have once she was in her foster home, mainly because it was so hard to communicate but that wasn’t her fault. So I am really happy that I was able to make something just for her, with only her in mind and thinking of her with every stitch.

This lousy pic tries to show off the cuff I made up. It’s just 2×2 rib (k2, p2) but I made up a 25 row chart where I do a 2st cable every 5 rows in the knit rows, but every next set of k stitches is offset. So the first row would be (for example kk pp \\ pp, repeat. Next 2 rows would be just kk pp kk pp around, then the next row would be \\ pp kk pp so there end up being 5 rows between each cable, but the cables themselves are staggered.) I shouldn’t have bothered, anyways, because you can’t see the cables on this mottled yarn. I’ll try this cuff again when I make a solid brown pair of socks.

This lousy pic tries to show off the cuff I made up. It’s just 2×2 rib (k2, p2) but I made up a 25 row chart where I do a 2st cable every 5 rows in the knit rows, but every next set of k stitches is offset. So the first row would be (for example kk pp \\ pp, repeat. Next 2 rows would be just kk pp kk pp around, then the next row would be \\ pp kk pp so there end up being 5 rows between each cable, but the cables themselves are staggered.) I shouldn’t have bothered, anyways, because you can’t see the cables on this mottled yarn. I’ll try this cuff again when I make a solid brown pair of socks.

This lousy pic tries to show off the cuff I made up. It’s just 2×2 rib (k2, p2) but I made up a 25 row chart where I do a 2st cable every 5 rows in the knit rows, but every next set of k stitches is offset. So the first row would be (for example kk pp \\ pp, repeat. Next 2 rows would be just kk pp kk pp around, then the next row would be \\ pp kk pp so there end up being 5 rows between each cable, but the cables themselves are staggered.) I shouldn’t have bothered, anyways, because you can’t see the cables on this mottled yarn. I’ll try this cuff again when I make a solid brown pair of socks.