Knit In Progress #8
Malabrigo Azul Profundo #150, 100% Merino Wool 
Cable Beanie, design by Marianne Garrison (LYS)
Needle Size to gauge: Size 8 One Size Only
Start Date: Mid-November
Target Finish Date: Ongoing, until I get bored with it
Special Note: Hat is tight-fitting. The cable design is very simple to follow. Malabrigo Yarns are incredibly soft.

There’s this cache of these brimmed beanies and Button Hats for Christmas gifts and winter knitting that I’m building. Also included would be fingerless and closed mittens. Scarves included.

Mindless Knitting!

Knit In Progress #7
Crystal Palace Yarns Taos 100% Wool 
Button Hat, inspired from Flower Hat by Miriam Pike (LYS)
Needle Size to gauge: Size 6 (S) or Size 7 (M)
Start Date: Late October
Target Finish Date: Ongoing, until I get bored with it
Special Note: Hat is loose-fitting with rolled edges. Taos Yarn colorways are just fantastic for this type of project. Yarn is so soft and light.

This purplish hat has been promised to YS (Youngest Sis). 2YN (2nd Youngest Niece) gets one too. Hers still needs to have the buttons sewn. OS (Oldest Sis) and Lola (Grandma/Mom) will get theirs next, soon.

Morse Code to YS: I need KIKIAM! That’s why you’re getting all these knit stuffs. Do you hear me?

My Precious had just had a birthday Monday. As always, he wanted a quiet celebration. So unlike his younger days,  when 10 or more little terror guests, mostly boys, were invited. Now, it’s only a family affair.

Last Saturday, part of his gifts was to drive him anywhere he wanted. There was a limit to distance, of course. He wanted to hike Mt. Hood hiking trails. But that’s out of the choices. Explained to him that if it’s raining locally, it would be snowing up Mt. Hood. He opted to go to this place:

Uwajimaya: only 3 stores, 1 in Oregon and 2 in Washington. Visited all the store aisles; bought dessert goodies. We had a very Japanese lunch. The restaurant within the store looked all Japanese except for the background music. It was playing Hawaiian songs. Sushi is always part of the dishes that we order when we go Japanese.

Then off to downtown Portland, about 20 minutes west of Uwajimaya. Walked around and window-shopped. All in 1 hour of getting there. Then, the birthday boy got bored. So we went home. I couldn’t complain. It was his birthday after all.

What he got for his birthday:

• The much-anticipated Lizard Ridge Afghan:  He was quite surprise with this unusual present. And he loved it. My Precious is a blanket person. Never a sweater person, so I cannot make him sweaters. He stopped wearing sweaters once he reached grade school. ‘Tis sad!

• A tire gauge: very practical. Dad only gives him practical gifts.
• A Border’s gift card: bookstore gifts are always handy. There’s always a bookstore gift card in any present we get/give.
• A clock sticker: his car’s clock somehow breaks every now & then. Must be a loose wiring somewhere. Everyone is lazy to have it fixed. So Dad just got him this.
• Lots of chocolate: Euphoria chocolate, a local chocolate maker.
• And lastly, he got 2 days off from work. This child who’s never taken days off just because. He’s learning. haha!

Remember this and this in regards to Lizard Ridge?

Well, it’s done! Seven months in the making! Phew!

Special Notes:

• Try not to use darker yarn, specially ones that need to be sewn together many times over. It’s hard on my poor getting-older eyesight.
• Instead of 28 squares, I added 2 more to make a 5-square, 6-row afghan. Big enough to cover a queen size bed if I had really blocked the whole piece.
• It was the right decision NOT to block the piece. I love the 3-dimensional look and FEEL of the blanket.
• What Laura Aylor, Lizard Ridge’s afghan designer, did not realize (or maybe she does now) that her design had inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of knitters to re-create such awesome looking afghan.
• Lastly, I’m ready to make another Lizard Ridge. This time, it will be the 2nd version I’ll be making. The afghan will be my gift to Mr. Wonderful (for his next year’s birthday).

The crocheted edges were very appropriate to the whole knit design.

Finally!
Buttons sewn on.
Shrugs sent off to Mom and OS (Oldest Sis) yesterday.

Now, I’ll just finish YS’ (Youngest Sis) red shrug this weekend and it already has buttons waiting to be sewn on. Buttons are totally different from the ones on my Mom’s and OS’ shrugs.

Also, I finished My Precious’ afghan over the weekend. Right now, it’s just all spread out being lightly blocked. Heavy blocking isn’t necessary as I like the bobble-waves look making it look and feel 3-dimensional. When it’s ready, I’ll finally put a FOFO (Finished Object/Finally Over) stamp to it. And blog about it. Soon.

KIP #4 was completed 2 weeks later than target completion time of April 25th.

I wanted to keep this tank top for myself but I owe my dear college friend this one. AWR will be surprised, but she deserves it. She remembered my birthday, but I forgot hers and didn’t even send her any card nor called her that I received her card. Her birthday was just 2 days after mine, in April! I’m such a bad, bad person!

Hopefully, AWR will like it. It’s on its way to her. Even when this project was finished, it took me another month to put on the buttons and more weeks after, to take photos. That’s how bad I am. Doesn’t that prove to you what a great procrastinator I am?!

It’s finished! See this link for updates on the post. Updates are in orange font. Also, more photos added.

The Falling Leaves top (tunic) is done! There was a mention of it at an earlier posting.

Knitting the pattern was totally fun. It was unbelievably easy to follow the instructions (by the way, it’s for intermediate level). Lily allowed me to complete the project in 1.5 months, but I was able to finish (the knitting part, anyway) in a month. All it needs now is to tuck in ends, block it and sew in the buttons. I haven’t chosen what buttons to put in. Will go to the sew & notions store tomorrow to buy them.  Other than that, it’s FINITO!

Here are the specs:

YARN: 10 balls of Merino 5, Color 5220, 110 yds/50 gms  100% Superwash Merino Wool, Crystal Palace Yarns, DK Weight

SIZE: Small

FINISH: The Picot Bind Off was knitted instead of the crochet finish that Lily used. It was easier for me to knit than to crochet it since I’m not as comfortable with crocheting.

See my footsies peeking out on the above pix?

The knitted picot bind off is more pronounced than on the crochet version on Lily’s.

If I had to do this over, the waistband height-wise would be longer. But it doesn’t really look bad this way. Maybe the band seems short because I have yet to block the whole top.

Now, go check out Lily Go’s blog. She’s now offering the pattern for sale.

There’s a guilty feeling that not enough yarn-related subjects are posted here when the title of my blog reads Yarn Hungry.

Fear not! I have been knitting, but with not too many proofs.

Remember this? Well, here’s the finished product.

Shrug, Lamb’s Pride Bulky Cranberry Swirl (couldn’t find Noro Iro anywhere in any of the LYS)

This shrug is going to my Flamenco teacher.

Now, how about this one? This will go to my 2nd oldest niece, D.

Top with Short Sleeves, Noro Silk Garden

Both knits came from this book.

There are more KIPs (Knit In Progress)  in the works. I will post them as they are completed.

This is my 120th posting!

I have added another item to my giveaway.

This was knit from this little booklet.

Please check out the other items here. And further explanation of the giveaway here.

Remember, 150th posting is my target to give away these wonderful items. The giveaway, I’m sure, will happen past the Christmas season (unfortunately). However, mid-winter in January, February or March when all the blahs had taken over our lives, it’s fun to get some gifts. For me, any gift will do.

All you have to do is leave a comment or two in my blog. Positive comments are desirable! hahaha!

So, what say you, huh?