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. . . in the Knitting Olympics? Maybe I’ll make one out of beer can, because I’m a winner, baby! I don’t know if I’m officially Dead Last, but I’m guessing I’m around there somewhere. That’s cool, I’m not big on exerting myself, so I took my time, poked and prodded some yarn with my size 7 Denise needles for a while, and whaddaya know? Less than a year later, the yarn finally relented and took the form of a new sweater for Jon!
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Not the greatest photo, but it’s all I have at the moment. It’s the second version of this sweater that I’ve made for him. It’s Manly from the first Stitch ¢â‚¬Ëœn Bitch book. Thank you, Ms. Stoller! The first one was pretty good, he even won a prize for it. rowr. But it was in size Small, which was a little, well, small. This time, I made it in Medium. It’s definitely bigger, maybe a little too long in the sleeves and bulky in the shoulders. But I’m reserving judgment until I wash and block it. The yarn is exactly the same as the lest one, just a different color. It’s of the unnamed coned variety from Webs (mostly wool, with 10% cashmere) and it has the most amazing bloom. It’ll take on a whole different look after a good soaking.
I finished this, along with a number of other projects on what turned out to be the most productive Christmas I’ve ever had. Jon, his mother, Barbara, and I went to my parent’s house for an overnight visit. On Christmas Day, we were joined by two special guest stars. My friend, Charlene, and her cat, Kuga!
We had a lovely time watching Elf and A Christmas Story, my favorite Christmas classics, had Chinese food on Christmas Eve and a nice ham dinner for the holiday. In between all that, I finished seaming a sweater for Ginger:
It’s the Side Wrap Kimono from Crystal Palace. I used Scoubidu in the colorway Blue Stone Wash. I think I used size 6 needles and used about two and a half skeins. I may have enough left over for a little hat or something. I still need to add a closure, and I’m thinking of a low-test Velcro that’ll be easy to use, but won’t stretch out the fabric when opened. I also want to crochet a little flower or something to girly it up just the tiniest bit.
And I felted the Mini Skull Tote. Here it is in it’s pre-felted state with no reference whatsoever as to what size it might possibly have been. I know, I try to be helpful in these matters. Basically, you could fit you head into it.
Aand here it is in all it’s felted glory.
Dot is‚ trying to give you some kind of scale. She’s not freakishly large or anything, so let’s just say your average cat head would fit inside it now.‚ I used Lamb’s Pride Worsted size 10.5 needles. Even though my intarsia left a little something to be desired, like quality and evenness, the felting dewonkified it somewhat. And even though my intarsia is a bit assy,‚ I love the results and it will be sent off to its intended recipient soon as thanks for a job long completed. Whoopsie.‚
So you see? I still knit. I‚ already started a new project and am loving it. I don’t have photos yet, I want to get a little further to make it more interesting. It’s‚ the Woven Kimono Cardigan designed by Kelly at the Elegant Ewe. You can see it in the second photo on their newsletter. It’s the gorgeous brown one. Also note the first photo. I love the Elegant Ewe. They let me‚ join them at Stitches East in Baltimore and I’m looking forward to working with them again. I’ll show you more of the Kimono soon. I’m just about to do the increases for the body, so it should be interesting.‚
On the Mike front, we at Chez Stitchy thank you for all your well wishes. Mike is doing really well. He came home on Wednesday and the first thing he wanted to do when he got home after refusing to eat since the previous Sunday was . .‚ leap. We cleared out a small room for him, but I guess we didn’t clear it enough because he was trying to jump up on everything in there. I got pretty much everyting else out except for a couple of small bins for him to sit on. I know cats like to get up high, especially when they’re feeling vulnerable, so I didn’t want to leave him high low and dry.
The room he was sequestered in is a strange little thing connected to our bedroom. Maybe it was a nursery or something at one time. We put up a baby gate to keep him confined, but by the next‚ morning, I heard him rustling around, then I heard his plastic cone scraping against stuff. Then the scraping got louder, it was coming closer! He had somehow scaled the gate.‚ It was kind of like a horror movie, but instead of being set upon by a maniacal killer, I was faced with this:
We always notice that whenever Mike comes back from the groomer (he’s been twice so far), he’s a little bit nicer than when he left. This surgery was like 100 visits to the groomer at once because all he wants to do it cuddle. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but I’m enjoyng it while I can.
And here he is, enjoying the unseasonable, and frankly frightenly beautiful weather today.
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It’s January 6th and the windows are open. The sun has gone down and they’re still open. Freaky. I need to get a Prius or something.‚ But until then, it’s perfect weather to enjoy with a friend.
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Poor little Mikey and his cone. There’s nothing more pathetic than wee animals in cones, I tell you. It makes me want to super snorgle with them.
And girl, you are a knitting maniac! I wish I was half as productive as you’ve been!
xo
Awww Mike, take care of yourself.
I love the little felted bag!
I’m certain that your husband is qute the hottie. Really, I am. However, since clicking on that link and reading the list of reasons you think he is hot, all I can see are his eyebrows! (which are nice, btw.)
I am glad that Mike is recovering. Has he indicated if he’s chosen to continue to identify as male, or is he going to embrace his feminine side now?
excellent work there stitchy. by the way, a lady came into the shop today singing your praises. she was at the big stitchy shindig and thought you were great.
I just saw someone else who just finished their knitting olympic knit!
It’s great!!!
I’m glad Mike is recovering. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my dog doesn’t need to go to the ER Vet. Freaking dumbass ate some rib bones…..
Oh, poor Mikey! Of course he needs some cuddles! But I wonder if he’s missed his penis yet? (And congrats on finishing your Knitting Olympics project — I was a bit late finishing mine, too…..)
Your Mike reminds me of a cat we used to have. Fedallah had that very same surgery. The only problem was that he was such a large cat that the cone wasn’t large enough. Of course, he could walk right through a dog-size cone, so the vet rigged up the cat cone with extensions made from old xrays. The thing was almost 2 feet across!
Honey, that cat looks like a martini. Should he decide to try out the girl thing, you should call him Olive.
…cause he looks like a martini.
…which typically have olives in them.
…it’s supposed to be funny.
ehh… what?
Poor little Mikey. He looks so glum there. I’m sure once the giant, clear cone is finished following him around the house like a ghost he’ll be back to his old self again.
O you are SO not the last in the Knitting Olympics. I was actually able to introduce myself to Ms. Pearl-McPhee by telling her I was the moron who signed up with the Vogue 2002 Map-o-the-World afghan. She said, “OH! That was YOU!? Um…How’d it go?”
It’s One and one third panel of the way done. I expect to finish it by the next Olympics.
I envy your Aluminum Medal honey!
Too funny on the Mike stalking. The pictures tell it all.
Love those Webs cones. Gotta stay out of that back room.
Poor Mike. Glad he’s back, though as we know, no P left.
I am still behind you in the KO. I kind of have to do a new gauge swatch because my tension’s changed and I don’t.want.to. Sigh.
I finished one sock in the two-week period…
and I haven’t started the second one yet.
Tee hee.
Mike – based on my gut reaction of “ohmygoodness mustpetcatnow” I’d say that you’d get a lot of girl action if you slipped that cone on every now and then. That being said, I do hope you are feeling 200% better soon. (I once heard that if you shave hair off it grows back a new color but will hold back asking if that happened to you…)
I am looking forward to meeting you – and your feline friends – sometime later this spring.