knit what? purl who?

Well, my camera has gone on vacation again. Again, sadly, I can not go with it. Too bad, too, because the brown sweater that was only about an inch long in my last post has grown a couple arms, and in fact has grown all the way up to the neck. I'm feeling a little like I don't want to steek this one, because it fits so well. And the yoke neck/shoulder shaping has got my poor little brain working overtime to figure out how I'm going to crochet steek the thing. I suppose I could use a sewing machine, but then I would have to find someone to do it for me, because I can NOT sew in a straight line. (Remind me to post a picture of the "quilt" I made sometime.) Plus, I would have to turn over control of my project to another. NEVER! (Unless you really love sewing sweater pieces together, then call me.) Going back to school has made me a real tight-ass.

Anyhoo, with no pictures of brown sweater to show, maybe I should confess that I have a new project on the brain. Let me just say that if a book came out called "Yummy Fireside Snuggle Knits", I would be all over it. My favorite types of knitting are the big, soft, snuggly things that you curl up in all winter. This has me written all over it:

Aahhh... the Jacket Worked in Rounds from Rebecca No. 32. Worked in rounds sounds like an idea I can get behind. Minimal sewing. Here it is in the window of Loop:

and its sister:

Makes me wish it wasn't MAY. Maybe if I turn the AC up real high...

Stay tuned for more future project wannabe and adorable dog pictures whilst the camera enjoys his trip to Iowa!

The brown sweater is blocking on the office floor. I really wish my camera was here because the sweater is looking pretty sticking good, if I do say so myself. I even nade a trip to the sleazy local JoAnn and got some buttons. The green sweater was the first project I've ever bothered blocking, and I can can see now that I have been a fool for not blocking everything. It definaltely makes a difference but ... DAMN IT! IT TAKES TOO LONG!! I have this problem with wanting instant gratification. The green sweater, by the way, has moved on to a new home. I had it at work, and a coworker was admiring it and mentioning how it was her birthday, so I told her to take it. I have this problem with not really liking things once they're finished. I think this brown sweater will be the exception to that rule. I'm lovin' how it looks pinned to the floor, anyway.

I love the brown sweater. I keep taking unnecessary trips into the office so I can admire it. But, I don't have my next project picked out yet! I have been admiring this :

The pattern is Mabel from Berroco pattern booklet #261. Now, my thighs are not quite as small as the model's, but my dogs are definately cuter, so I feel ok about that. I'm debating on how flattering this would be on a size 8 someone.

I'm going to see my parents in June. I attempted to make a throw for my father for Christmas last year. I almost finished, but not quite, and I had to take it back home with me. It's basically just sat here, waiting for me to finish it. Now, I will brag just a little and say that my knitting skills have been improving very quickly over that past 6 months or so. I don't even want to look at the thing, it's full of mistakes I know how to fix now, but didn't then. I was trying to be economical, and my mother hates wool, so I bought some inexpensive acrylic, that has been looking worse and worse just sitting there. I don't even want to think about what it would look like after washing it. Problem is, I think my dad secretly really wants it. But I cringe whenever I touch it. I was looking at patterns the other day and found this:

The pattern is from Knitpicks, and it is made using Crayon which is 100% cotton. It's made in squares, so it would be nice and portable, and the squares are knitted together, so I wouldn't have to sew. The color pattern was apparently a free-form thing, and that is the problem. I can't have blocks that don't look exactly the same, I'm way too uptight, and I'm trying to figure out a way to make them all identical before I go ordering any yarn. I'm undecided, which is never good because I need a new project now!