Too much to talk about...

I've been doing stuff, really I have. I've also been meaning to post... I just kept saying "when this is done, I'll write"... I kept wanting to include more stuff.

I finished knitting up my sister-in-law's green Sophie and felted it:

I wasn't totally happy with the way the handles joined the bag on the first one I did, so I tried something different on this one. I knit 3 past the row marker, and then bound off until 3 before the next marker. I knit the next 12, and then bound off until 3 before the last marker. I slipped the last 9 stitches and the first 3 from the last round onto dpns, and then did the same with the 12 stitches I'd knit. Then, I knitted back and forth in stockinette, doing k2tog or p2tog at the beginning and end of each row until I had 6 left, and then started the handles. Here's what the difference looks like:



I do like it better, although if I do this bag again, I'll probably k2tog or p2tog only at the beginnings of each row, so that I get a gentler curvature on the transition. I also used the ends of the yarn to join the two parts of the handles for the first inch or so, so that I didn't have a gap right at the bottom.

I don't know why, but the green yarn lasted much longer than the blue yarn did. I used almost every bit of 2 skeins of the blue yarn. With the green, I made the handles longer, and still had at LEAST 2 yards left over (maybe it was even 4). I measured the two bags against each other, and they were very close... it might be possiblethat I added a row on the blue or missed one on the green, but I can't tell for sure... otherwise, the skein lengths are not consistent.

So, anyways, after I finished the green bag, I noticed something... the handles on the blue bag are NOT long enough. They're about the same length now as my original was AFTER felting. This will not do. However, I wove the ends in REALLY good, so now I have to cut the handles and pull them back a bit and work on them a little more. Luckily, I mistakenly ordered 3 skeins of each, so I do have more I can work with.

I also finished weaving in the ends in on the crocheted scarf I made her (her birthday came up recently, so she had 2 things picked out from the Christmas Gift Catalog), and I should be able to send them off today or tomorrow. Oh, wait... I hadn't mentioned doing the scarf, had I? It was such a quick thing, I must've forgotten about it. Here's a picture:

In other knitting news, I started my first sock. I picked the most forgiving way to try this out possible... with the Fuzzy Feet felted slipper pattern from knitty. I've made it through the heel turn. That was a leap of faith... the instructions didn't make sense to me when I first read them. They sounded a little better this morning, and then of course, it all just came together when I tried it. See:

I also placed a small order with elann. I had been trying to hold off purchasing anything, but one of the colors I had planned to use on another Ribby Cardi (the pattern is just so great for possibilities, that I keep wanting to do more, even though I haven't finished the first) was about to sell out, so it was then or never... well, at least then or I'd have to wait and see if they got more of it in. I bought 8 skeins of Oxblood (it's more than I'll need, but since there would only be a couple left after I got what I needed, I just picked them all up), which I planned on using for the sleeves, with Coffee Bean Brown for the body. It arrived a few days ago, and I'm not sure what I think of the color.

This picture of it looks like the color sample on the website did... a nice deep, rich red. That's not really how it looks in person, though. It's more like half-dried blood - less red and more brownish. I don't know if I would like it paired with the Coffee Bean Brown... it won't have the kind of contrast I had in mind when I bought it.

Now, it's not a bad color... just not what I had expected. In fact, it looks like it would match my dishes rather well... take a look:

So, if I don't like it, I could make some felted potholders, and maybe even some felted placemats, I don't know. There's always elann's swap center, if I can't figure anything out at all.

I also got some more sock yarn. Stacey is right... buying sock yarn is addictive! I have 2 each of 6 different colorways (from various companies) and 1 each of at least 2 more. And if I didn't think $20 for a pair of socks seems outrageous, I'd have a bunch of Cherry Tree Hill and Koigu and more and more, as well.

Have I mentioned I haven't knit any socks yet? All I've done sock-wise is start the Fuzzy Feet.

Here's a peek at what I got (It's elann's Sock it to Me, Colori in Tiffany Roses and Northern Forest):