The from-hell-cardigan update

OK, I'm a knitting slacker. You have been able to get so much done!! I love the pink and white scarf - how pretty and your own design to boot. Actually, all your projects look great! You are making terrific headway on getting all your gifts done in time. Me, on the other hand, may be wrapping up a single knit sock and sending an IOU on the from-hell-cardigan since I'm beginning to think I won't make the 12/20 deadline... the good news is that I thought I needed to knit 29" on the cardigan back (which seemed AWFULLY long for a size medium) when I realized it was 29 cm (remember this is the Sirdar pattern from the UK)! So, I had actually done 5 cm more than I needed, but I ain't ripping any of this tulip lace out. My pictures aren't good when I am trying to show detail, so here is my attempt to do so. This yarn is a minty green, not really the shade in either photo, but you can at least see the pattern.

WIP Updates (how many more days til Xmas??)

Oh, the pressure - why do I do this to myself every year? Actually I think I would have done great had I not lost weeks with the Creative Knitting sock pattern error and the bizarre pattern instructions for the Sirdar cardigan. Anyway, the good news is I have completed one toddler cardigan - just have to weave in ends and add my "hand knit by Noelle" label. It's the "Chunky Jacket" from "The Gift Knitter" which is a great book full of baby knits and doggie jackets - cool combination, huh?

and, one Koigu lattice scarf. I'm 90% done with a second one that needs to be blocked,wrapped and turned over to the recipient by tomorrow evening! Whew, I'm sweating that one. Unfortunately, the colors didn't come through very well on this photo, but they are warm, autumnal shades of olive, orange, brown and black. Hubby picked the colors and while I wasn't sure when I saw the two skeins, I think they blended pretty nicely.

Still need to finish the Sirdar cardigan-from-hell (my wonderful knitting guru friend Barbara made a suggestion and that is I'm going to skip the crazy edging which has eluded me for months and just do a simple garter stitch there, then pick up with the tulip lace pattern after that) complete the second sock to go with the one I am 90% done with, as well as complete and customize one sock monkey.

I was so excited when I found out I have Jury duty on Monday, but then realized I can't bring my knitting needles! Here I thought I would have hours and hours to sit in the jury waiting room and knit, but that isn't going to happen. I'm hoping I can smuggle in a sewing needle so I can at least do the sock monkey while I'm twiddling my thumbs.

WIP - I'm stuck!

Remember a few posts back I had a pile of black, white and pink wool (roving) and asked you to guess what it was? Well, here is what it TURNED OUT to be - a little Boston Terrier for a friend's birthday gift. I had never tried needle felting but it wasn't too hard at all. Hard to believe that just by stabbing those piles of wool with a felting needle I was able to create this little 3-D doggie with jointed limbs and everything!

The rest of my WIPs (for Christmas) aren't going nearly as smoothly. Still stuck on SIL's cardigan (set it aside until my next Knitting Group on 11/7 - hope someone there can help me!) and just became stuck on my mom's socks (made from two skeins of Regia sock yarn). Either the pattern (from the current issue of Creative Knitting) has an error or I made a mistake. They look good up until I have to work on the gusset and then it doesn't make sense, so I'm going to try and omit the 11 k stitches that I think are the mistake and see what happens.

So, in order to not feel like a complete failure, I started a scarf for Christmas. It is made from 2 skeins of Joseph Galler Peruvian tweed alpaca. The yarn is so pretty and has so much texture that I decided against a complicated pattern and just went with a simple 2x2 rib - I'm SO pleased with the results! It is thick, soft and feels luxurious on the skin. Hopefully the recipient will feel the same and not lose it the first time he wears it.