A Frenzy of FO Friday Finishitis

It's true...even though I didn't post for a couple of months, I was still knitting like a madwoman.  I've always said knitting keeps me sane (actually what I USED to always say was that knitting kept me off heroin...then someone didn't realize I was joking...eek.).  When you look at this collection of FOs (and realize I have as many left to share as I'm showing you today), you'll realize I have to be the sanest woman on the planet.  Or not...  Maybe you'll just understand why I have a sore hand.

Pattern:  Boneyard Shawl by Stephen West
Yarn:  Knit Picks City Tweed DK in Tabby
Needles:  #8
Date Started:  April 15, 2010
Date Finished: October 15, 2010
Most.  Awesome. Shawl. Ever.  This was truly my go-to shawl this winter.  The pattern was fun and easy to knit.  I expected to get bored.  It never happened.  And I can never say enough about City Tweed DK's softness and lovely drape, especially in this pattern.  I have wrapped myself in this shawl in any number of ways this winter, including here, during the December Harmony Project concerts.  I hope y'all can access this FB link.  I look all enthusiastic and ready to hit the stage, don't I?  It's the shawl folks...this was the third night of performances, I was way beyond exhausted, in the beginning stages of that killer sinus infection and probably had a temp of about 102 when that picture was taken.  But the shawl looks great and did a fine job of warding off the chills.

 Pattern:  My Kind of Town Cowl by Trish Woodson
Yarn:  Knit Picks Suri Dream Hand Dyed in Nightshade
Needles:  #17
Date Started:  October 29, 2010
Date Finished:  October 31, 2010
This cowl was so easy to knit...and so awkward to knit on those gigantic needles, but worth it.  The result is a cowl that is as soft and fluffy as a cloud.  I wasn't sure about the yarn at first.  I'm not usually crazy about hairy, fluffy yarns, but I ended up loving it and buying a couple more balls to make a few more of these cloudspun cowls.  I made this as a gift...but it's still sitting on my desk.  Yikes! 

Pattern:  A Better Bucket by Amy Swenson
Yarn:  Malabrigo Worsted in Alpine Pearl
Needles:  #7
Date Started:  November 14, 2010
Date Finished:  November 15, 2010
Yarn:  Malabrigo Rios in Ravelry Red
Date Started:  November 17, 2010
Date Finished:  November 20, 2010
I knit the first of these two hats while hanging out at a great little restaurant watching Pete's band play.  The Alpine Pearl colorway looked wonderful on the skein, but I was unimpressed with the way it knit up - purple and grey camo.  Ick.  It is, however, a wonderfully warm hat that I've used for dogwalking most of the winter.

I modified the red hat slightly, making it an inch shorter.  And I stuck that old G-clef brooch of my grandmother's on the side just for kicks.  LOVE all the subtle shadings in the yarn.

Pattern:  Revontuli huivi/Northern Lights by AnneM
Yarn:  Noro Sekku in 02 (Black/Grey/Brown/Green/Blue)
Needles:  #6
Date Started:  January 15, 2011
Date Finished:  March 12, 2011
Even though it didn't block out with those razor-sharp points you see on so many project pages, I love this little shawlette.  Had to make some modifications at the end because I thought I was running out of yarn.  Turns out, I could have knit a couple more rows.  I worked rows 123-129 in garter stitch, then skipped to rows 140 and 141 and bound off on row 142. 

Pattern:  A Very Braidy Cowl by Maryse Roudier
Yarn:  Manos del Uruguay Maxima in Currant
Needles:  #8
Date Started:  February 27, 2011
Date Finished:  March 14, 2011
Every now and then, there is a project that is so awesome, so much fun, with yarn that is so beautiful and feels so luscious that you never, ever want it to end.  And when you finally bind off, you find it almost impossible to tear the resulting garment off of your body.  This is one of those projects.  I'm wearing this cowl as I type.  We've been blessed with a sudden cold snap, so I'll be wearing it for at least another week.  I really tried to prolong the knitting of this cowl, but I couldn't keep my hands off the yarn.  Manos...yarn o' the gods, truly.  There were a few anxious moments when I thought I might run out of yarn, but I didn't.  Wanna see how much I had left?

Pattern:  Sideways Hat by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence
Yarn:  Lana Grossa Cento in 009 (Green/Purple)
Needles:  #9
Date Started:  March 8, 2011
Date Finished:  March 15, 2011
This is a reknit of a hat I made about a year ago that mysteriously grew while in storage over the winter and literally covered my eyes when I tried it on this year.  The pattern called for #10.5 needles.  I went down to #9, which was a little awkward with the bulky yarn, but I love the results - especially the part about actually being able to wear the hat now.

Pattern:  Baby Boy Five Hour Sweater by Gail Bable
Yarn:  Plymouth Encore Worsted in 0517 Nautical Blue
Needles:  #9
Date Started:  February 25, 2011
Date Finished:  March 17, 2011
This is the second of these great little sweaters that I've made for Austin.  As fast as he's growing, it will probably be the last unless I try to modify the pattern and make it larger for him.  I took these pictures before I wove in the ends so you can see there are only TWO ends to weave in - where I cast on up at the left side neckline and where I bound off at the right inner corner.  Amazing pattern...find a baby and knit this!

And with that...I must rest...till next time...happy, happy knitting (happy weekend, too)!