random bits

So ravelry totally made my day this morning

I received not one — but two!! — happy birthday messages: one from a total stranger who the day before had herself received herzliche Glückwünsche zum Geburtstag from a likewise unknown raveler and another from Emmms, grad student and KAL organizer extraordinaire. I <3 ravelry.

On to the knitting. I’ve finished up some little projects along the way, while continually f*cking up the CPH sleeves. Cast on number three anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

First on the list, a tea cosy mash-up.

This cosy started life as the Autumn Tea Cozy with a desire for steeks, but then developed definite Nancy Bush pointed-toe tendencies, only to be finally finished off as an improvised Cashmere Tea Cozy. With a little i-cord loop.

All in all, a successful set of modifications. The Noro did its job with the stipey goodnes, the picot edge is whimsical without being saccharine, and it fits the recipient’s tea pot like a glove. Did I mention I cut my first steeks?

I definitely recommend the tea cosy as the ultimate in low-pressure first-time steeks. If it all went horribly awry, I was only out a couple evenings of knitting and one skein of Noro. I followed Eunny’s directions for crocheted steeks: here. Then when they were in place, I just snipped away.

I added some single crochet around the openings to finish them off. Voilà! Tea cosy. I used one skein of Noro Kureyon [138] and unknown needles (US8? US9?).

I also finished up another ballband dishcloth, in two more colors of department store bio-Baumwolle.

Nice and easy and so handy. This one is for me.

I’m still hankering after a new sock pattern, as I miss having a pair of socks on the needles. I started the yarrow ribbed sock in some Tausendschön hand-painted; although the yarn is lovely and the pattern relaxing, it just wasn’t coming together. So I frogged away and am now bereft of socks. Good thing the voting for the first pattern of the Interweave Sockalong is almost over.