WIP Wednesday

I'm still plugging along on my Navona! I am so close to being finished! I have about two inches to go before the cuff on the second sleeve, and I've already woven in all the other little ends. Once I finish the knitting, it will need a very aggressive blocking. I realized after the body was finished that I had knitted the entire body on size 4 needles instead of size 5s, so my row gauge was waaaaayyy off. Fortunately, my stitch gauge was still close enough that it shouldn't be a problem.

Here's the sweater as it looks right now:

I'm hoping that I may be able to feature it again on Friday this week! At the very latest, I have to have it finished and photographed by Saturday night so I can submit it for Camp Loopy.

Thursday Hexipuff Update

It is my goal to update the blog with a running total of my Hexipuff count each Thursday. I'm aiming to complete my Beekeeper's Quilt (a total of approximately 384 puffs) by the end of 2012.

Today's Tally:
As of this posting, I have completed a total of 303 hexipuffs! Only 81 more to go!

So close, yet so far! I've been focusing in on a ton of Christmas knitting over the past few weeks (er, make that months). There's light at the end of the tunnel, though, as I only have a few gift projects left to finish before I can focus back in on hexipuffs. I made three more last weekend while I was out of town visiting family, and I hope to take advantage of more little bits of time like that as the holidays roll on. Puffy was grumpy this morning and wouldn't let me take his picture... something about a "bad feather day." Maybe he'll be more cooperative next time!

Thursday Hexipuff Update

It is my goal to update the blog with a running total of my Hexipuff count each Thursday. I'm aiming to complete my Beekeeper's Quilt (a total of approximately 384 puffs) by the end of 2012.

Today's Tally:
As of this posting, I have completed a total of 300 hexipuffs! Only 84 more to go!

Despite having reached the major milestone of 300 puffs, I have fallen woefully behind on my hexipuffs over the last several weeks. Perhaps it was the hurricane, perhaps it was the looming deadlines of holiday knitting, or perhaps I just finally got sick of making hexipuffs. Whatever the reason, the result is that I'm no longer on pace to finish my blanket by the end of the year. And you know what? I'm okay with it.

I started on this crazy hexipuff journey at the very end of last year when I knitted up my first few "swatch" puffs to get an idea of whether or not I was really interested. Here we are 10 1/2 months later, and I've made 300 of them! Finishing in 2012 was always a self-imposed deadline, and helped keep me motivated and on track for the majority of the year. I'm certainly not giving up now; I will finish the blanket. For the immediate future, however, my focus is going to be on all of the gifts that I want to knit my loved ones for Christmas, as well as the sweater that I'm so close to finishing.

Look for more updates soon! Thanks for joining me on this crazy hexipuff journey!

WIP Wednesday

My February Baby Sweater: Coming Soon to a FO Friday near you!

I was hoping to put the finishing touches on my FBS this past weekend, but to paraphrase Robert Burns, "the best laid schemes of mice and knitters oft go awry." On Saturday, I was altogether cranky (TMG informed me that I was, in fact, a "sourpuss"). Our new sofa got delivered (albeit half an hour past the end of our "delivery window") and my family came over to see it. I have to admit that I don't even remember Sunday at all! Ergo, the FBS is returning for what I hope will be it's last WIP Wednesday appearance!
Despite my setbacks, I did manage to finish the body and most of the first sleeve (all but about 2 rows of garter stitch) this week. I haven't gotten the buttons for it yet, because I like to save that part as sort of a "prize" for finishing the knitting and weaving in of ends.
Here it is in all of it's unfinished glory...