MOM Monday: BOO! x2!

Inspiration struck just in time after my hang up following the success of Finsbury Squirrel. My mom loves Halloween, and I thought that a bat would be the perfect project. I remembered Anna Hrachovek's MochiMochi pattern for Boo the Bat, and managed to turn out these little guys just in time for trick-or-treat! Best of all, they were a big hit with my mom!

Sunday Spoiler

I'm waiting until Friday to post pictures, but here's a little spoiler for y'all...

I finished a project today! 


It's something that I've been working on since FEBRUARY. It should not have taken me this long to finish. It is off the needles and has all its ends woven in, but still needs three buttons. It is a gift for my dear friends who are expecting a BABY in a few months. It's a SWEATER.

Any guesses what it is? :P

FO Friday: Sugarbunny Cowl

It's finally Friday! Hooray! This week, it felt as though Friday would never come. I'm pleased to have a finished object to show off this week, even though I actually finished it last week in hopes of posting it then. Oops!
This week's FO is a cowl that I made out of Knit Picks' new yarn: Sugarbunny. When I initially received the yarn, I was a bit underwhelmed. It didn't feel as soft as I had expected from the combination of 80% merino and 20% angora, and the color seemed significantly darker than it had appeared on the website. I cannot fault Knit Picks for either of these, as expectations are subjective and computer monitor colors vary greatly. I cast on without delay, as this yarn is a limited release, and I wanted to see how much I liked it just in case I wanted to order more before it sold out. Upon casting on, I was quickly pleasantly surprised at the softness and loftiness that the yarn had. It has a very nice hand and is a lot softer knit up than it initially felt in the ball. I used a free pattern from the Lion Brand website and had the whole project completed in less than a week. This cowl is unique in that I'm not sure with whom it is going to "live" now that it is finished. With the holidays quickly approaching, however, I am sure that it will find a loving home.

As always, forgive the poorly-lit photos. One thing I really miss about our old apartment is the abundant natural light.

Why yes, I do model. Knitwear.

Cowl made from KnitPicks Sugarbunny Yarn in Hawk

Surprise Snow/Shameless Self-Promotion Saturday!

What a day! We are experiencing a major weather trick from Mother Nature in the form of a nor'easter that has already dumped several inches of snow on us here in southeastern PA. Adding to the excitement, we had no heat in our house because of a problem with the furnace, but after a call to the landlord and a lot of snuggling (not with the landlord), we got the heat turned on and sorted out. Phew! Now if only this silly snow would melt!

In crafting news, I finally took a few minutes to set up my long-awaited Etsy shop! I've had the account registered for months, just waiting for me to take the plunge and put some items up for sale. I'm pleased to announce that my original Key Keepers are now available in a variety of whimsical designs at http://www.etsy.com/shop/k8erpillar!

You know you want one. Or a dozen. There are ones with SHEEP!

 As a special promotion, I'm offering my blog readers 10% off their first purchase with the coupon code: BLOG10. And, if you are local enough to me to arrange for local pick up/drop off, I'm happy to refund the shipping on your order.

MOM Monday?

Dear friends, readers, and fellow knitters, I am stuck.
As I write this, the month of October is more than halfway over, and I have not yet started knitting this month's MOM club piece. Furthermore, I haven't even decided what to knit this month, and I am running out of time.
Maybe I've lost my MOM mojo. Maybe the pressure of having to follow her undisputed favorite creation yet, Finsbury Squirrel, is just too much. All I know is this: I have only two weeks left in this month to make something adorable.
Since Finsbury was such a hit, I am thinking about another Amanda Berry pattern, but I'm not sure which one. I was also looking at chipmunk patterns on Ravelry, because a chipmunk has recently taken up residence in the back woods, but none of them seemed right.
Help me, Blogosphere! You're my only hope!

WIP Wednesday

My recent bout of finishitis seems to have passed, and last week I cast on a new project. I am making a Lola Gilet out of Malabrigo worsted in the Whales Road colorway, which I have christened my "North Whales Road" sweater as a play on both the name of the color and the name of the town where I recently moved. I am making quick progress on this project, and can't wait to wear it. This is my third sweater in Malabrigo, the other two being my Featherweight Cardigan and my Persimmon Cardigan, respectively.


I realized today that this should probably be my last new "for-me" project before I commence with my Christmas knitting. Whether or not it will be, well, that could very well be a different story. With only 74 knitting days left before Christmas (yes, you read that right, 74!), I am determined to budget my time appropriately!

MOM Monday

The start of another new month means the completion of another project for the MOM club. This month's project was my favorite one yet, and I think it's my mom's favorite, too.
I used the pattern "Finsbury Squirrel with Acorn Basket" by Amanda Berry (aka Fluff and Fuzz). I have several of her patterns in my collection but this is the first one that I've made. With the exception of the body, I knitted all of the pieces in the round which helped minimize the making up at the end. I made the basket with DK weight cotton held double, but I wasn't happy with it so I decided that Finsbury could just hold onto his acorn. Here's a picture of Finsbury, all ready to be delivered:

"I'm going to hold onto this acorn until it's ripe!"