KNITTING WITHOUT DOG HAIR IS NOT AN OPTION

Here they are! Yes, the contest winners got their goodies yesterday:

CONGRATS LADIES!
Hope to see some socks soon ;-)

Yesterday was my last Sunday at Knitch for a really long time. How sad... But I have two more evenings this week until I say my good-byes this Friday.

Sunday afternoon I'm off to Germany. This week, I will have to ponder what yarn and projects to bring. I started a few things that will definitely wander into my bag(s) for the trip.

Number One:

Well, now, even I have finally started a Clapotis. Four years after the hype about this pattern. One could argue that I'm always behind because I come from a small village in the Bavarian alps. And you know how long it takes until trends make it into the very last corner. But at the time the pattern I came out, I already lived in Georgia. So, not really an excuse for me. Except that I now I finally have a need and some stash yarn that is perfect for this project:

I looked up the German word for Clapotis (French for "rippling" or "splashing") - it's Geplätscher. So, I will be knitting Dunkles Geplätscher meaning dark rippling. The name works well with the jet-black baby alpaca/silk blend I got out of my stash for this project. I'm already past the increases and almost on ball 3 (out of 12). This wrap will keep me warm at the office. I'm always freezing because of the air conditioning.

Number Two:

I found a great pattern in one of my Interweave Knits magazine. To be exact, it was in the Winter 2000/2001 issue. It's called Tweedy Aran Cardigan by Norah Gaughan:

Actually, it's currently available in the Limited Edition Reader’s Choice - Top 5 e-Book. The collection also includes a free version of Kate Gilbert's Sunrise Circle Jacket, Stefanie Japel's Cable-Down Raglan, Evelyn A. Clark's Swallowtail Shawl and Norah Gaughan's Nantucket Jacket. I like all five patterns a lot!

But beware, this downloadable collection is available only until May 14, 2008. So you better hurry and download the file if you want a free copy of the pattern collection.

I'm using Jen's Xmas gift - a lovely gigantic hank of Mountain Colors Weaver's Wool with 1450 yards. The colorway is called rosehip. At first, I was a bit worried that the pattern would be too busy for the varigated yarn. But after Hubby and Jen looked at it yesterday and both supported my choice, I feel more confidient that it'll look good once it's finished.

And last but not least, I'm knitting on a cute little ruffled scarf with some wonderful silk I bought last year at SAFF. I wanted a quick knit with lovely yarn - this is what I came up with:

Yes, the yarn is as yummy as it looks... It's a hank of Miss Babs silk yarn. The pattern is called Aria and it's from the book Knitting New Scarves. If you're into knitting scarves and you like to experiment with new designs, this book is a must-have.

And a FO to round out this blog entry:

I knitted socks for Jacquie for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Of course, I couldn't blog about the socks because she would have found out and that would have ruined the surprise. I was thinking for quite a while about what to give her for her birthday. Jacquie is a person who either has everything or buys herself what she wants. BUT - she doesn't have a pair of hand knitted socks. She started her first sock a very long while back and I think it's buried in one of her knitting baskets for now. So I figured, that's a good idea. Unfortunately, I had that good idea only two weeks before her birthday... To make a long story short - I finished the socks during my lunch break on her birthday and she got the socks that night. Close call, but hey, finished in time. And they fit her, too!

And I think Simba likes them, too. ;-)

So, here are the stats:

Pattern: Simply Love by Anni Design
Made for Jacquie (her birthday gift)
Size: 8.5
Needle: US 0 / 2.0 mm
Yarn: ShibuiKnits sock yarn
How much? 2 skeins = 382.0 yards (349.3m)
Colorway: orange/reds/pinks

Modification:
I knitted a shorter cuff because I know Jacquie doesn't like long cuffs on her socks. :-)

Have a great week!