Almost an FO!

I received my final package from my secret pal. Thank you Pancy! More goodies - yarn, patterns, stationary, lip gloss, body scrub, chocolate, etc!!! You made my first secret pal exchange a lot of fun. : ) I will definitely do it again. A big thank you for making it a fun experience!

I know I've been MIA lately. I have been knitting, just not blogging.

I've finished the back of my Cable & Rib sweater. Before I cast on for the fronts, I decided to spend some time finishing up a smaller project that's been waiting patiently for my attention. I've been so close to finishing for so long....the excitement has been building and I just couldn't wait any longer. My first felting project!



This is the Ruffles to Riches bag from the Pursenalties book. The body of the purse is Noro's Kureyon. I'll list all of the details when it's completely done. I finished the handles and sewed them on, sewed up the bottom and voila:







Next came the scary, I mean exciting part:

Whew! It's over and nobody got hurt. It didn't fall to pieces or get eaten by the washing machine. I do need a pillow case with a zipper or a garment bag though. I put it in a pillowcase and knotted the top, but it kept coming out. Not a big deal except for all the wool in the water. Nothing a mesh strainer from the kitchen can't handle. : )

It's drying now and I think I'm going to love it! All that's left is a trip to the fabric store and to sew up a lining. More pictures to come.

Cable & Rib Jacket

So I cast on for the Cable & Rib Jacket from Debbie Bliss' book "Wish You Were Here". This is what I have so far:

Here's a closeup:

It's a little fuzzy. As you can see, I haven't taken the time to really get to know my camera. We're acquainted, but it's been strictly business thus far. There's no love connection on my end yet. One of these days I'll take the time to figure out what makes him 'click' and how to get the best photos out of him. But for now, this is it.

I'm really enjoying this pattern so far. The twisted stitches mixed in with the rib pattern keep the knitting interesting. I love the texture of the pattern and the stitch definition of the yarn. I'm using Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton (the pattern calls for DB Cotton Cashmere). I've had this yarn in my stash for two years and have been waiting to find the right pattern for it. I finally found one I'm excited about. The yarn is nice and soft. It's a little splitty though. Only a problem with the twisted stitches and if I drop a stitch. I can deal with it. I'm looking forward to finishing the back and getting to the front panels which involves cables. Woohoo!

This project ventures into a land I've never gone before...zipperland. (gulp!) I'm not going to think about that right now. I'm just going to enjoy the knitting and worry about how the *%@! (heck) I'm going to attach a zipper when I get to it.

In other news...I received a box full of goodies from my Secret Pal! Here's a pic:

There's a pretty shade of blue yarn, cute knitting related note cards, a box of tea, bath confetti and an aromatherapy face mask, a snowman basket with a poofy body scrubbing thingy, cute snowman soapbar, a potholder, yummy candle & candlewarmer and a little first aid kit to boot. Whew! Thanks Secret Pal! I'm going to enjoy using all the fun things you've sent me. :)