Lamb’s Pride and Noro Kureyon felted purse
Originally uploaded by meliass.

Here’s one of my favorites of the 8 items I felted this afternoon.

They’re all living at Tasha’s house while they dry. Some of them need zippers or other accoutrements. Some, like this one, are ready to use after a light shaving of the excess wool fibers. I think I might use this one for myself.

Oh, this bag is Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride in Old Sage and Noro Kureyon in a discontinued color.

The Wicked sweater in progress has been frogged and the yarn rewound. I’ve cast on again with size 6 needles. I like the way it looks a lot more this time around. It’s a lot less floppy looking. I didn’t start this one with a different pattern size or a different number of stitches, just a different needle size.

Quote from Ernest Hemingway…the second in a series of titles involving the word wicked. To be continued for as long as I work on that sweater. I’m a big dork.

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There’s no rest for the wicked.
Originally uploaded by meliass.

Here’s my Wicked sweater in progress.

There isn’t much sweater knitted beyond what you can see in this picture…but I wanted a picture of it in progress. Knitting a sweater takes a long time. I guess I already knew that but knitting one has further proven this. Five nights of knitting and I’m only to just below t the underarms.

It’s probably too large and I’m probably going to have to frog and reknit this thing..but I am determined to finish it first to see how too big for me it actually is.

I’m probably not going to knit on it tonight as I have some finishing to do on a couple of felting projects. I’m going to Richmond tomorrow and plan to felt four purses and 4 small bags while at Tasha’s house. Pictures will be taken upon completion.

I’m busy with work stuff. It’s going to be a hectic month. My vacation starts on Monday.

Right now I’m trying to get a lot of hiring stuff and other work-related planning done before my vacation starts. So far, so good.

Wow, my title sounds even more appropriate for this post after the last couple of paragraphs. The title started as a joke about the Wicked sweater.

At least I’ll get a break while on vacation next week. Two nights in Philadelphia, a night in Baltimore and more days and nights at home with no plans other than not going to work.

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My knitting activity for the night…
Originally uploaded by meliass.

I didn’t swatch, I didn’t test for gauge. I just used the Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in candy apple that was sitting in my knitting basket. If it had ended up wonky or extra-extra large, I would’ve frogged it. But it didn’t. I’m lucky like that.

Have I mentioned that Patrick giggles and snickers every single time that they say the words “felting” or “felted” when I’m watching Knitty Gritty?

So I ended my 10 year ban of “The English Patient” last night. I’d never seen it. Partly because of Elaine on “Seinfeld” and partly because my roommate at the time would not stop raving about it.

I didn’t set out to watch it last night…I happened to be flipping channels and came upon it right when it started. Otherwise I would’ve skipped it.

It was a perfectly fine movie. Not great but decent. If I’d known that Colin Firth had a brief role in it, I probably would have watched it sooner. I like Colin Firth.

And after seeing Ralph Fiennes in his disfigured burn victim makeup, I can see why they cast him as Voldemort in the Harry Potter movie(s).

That’s all for tonight. I should go to sleep. Tomorrow’s a busy day at work…because of the stupid fictitious holiday that is Valentine’s Day.

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Armwarmer and new Jay-Z designed Cherry Coke can
Originally uploaded by meliass.

The armwarmers are finished. The second one was kind of annoying. The pattern said to reverse chart. I did. Stitches ended up backwards. So I ripped it out and knit it the same as the first with the thumb gusset reversed as directed. They’re not perfect but they’re fine. They’re just not symmetrical. I’m not bothered by it.

Nor am I bothered that they don’t match. That would be impossible. And would’ve used an endless number of skeins of yarn.

While shopping at Target, I was sucked into buying Cherry Coke because of the flashy new Jay-Z designed box and cans. I’m a sucker. At least I like Cherry Coke.

My taxes are filed. For the first time in many years, I didn’t owe any money. Yay for me!

Now that the armwarmers are done, I’m thinking about knitting a pair of Fetching mitts. My Wicked yarn still hasn’t arrived so I need a knitting diversion for a couple of days. Fetching may fit the bill.

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One down, one to go!
Originally uploaded by meliass.

I’m so proud of myself. I’ll probably cast on the second one tonight…after I do a lot of laundry and write the dining room schedule for next week. I could be wearing the full pair by Friday night!

I went to the local yarn store this afternoon to buy another pair of double pointed needles…and that’s all I bought. No yarn. There was plenty that I wanted but I resisted.

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The beginning of a pair of Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers
Originally uploaded by meliass.

After watching lots of episodes of Knitty Gritty in the last couple of weeks, I’ve learned a few things. I don’t really care for most of the projects they knit…but seeing someone using various knitting techniques is a great teaching method. As a result of watching Knitty Gritty, I finally understand how to use double pointed needles and how to knit cables.

So as a knitting diversion while I wait for my Wicked and Green Gable yarns to arrive, I’ve started the Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers from Stitch ‘n Bitch Nation. I’ve wanted to knit them since the book came out but never had to bravery to learn how to make them.

Tonight I was looking for any project to start using the DPNs and Fetching was out as I didn’t have the correct size needles. These worked perfectly since they called for size 7 and size 7 is what I had. Not to mention that I possessed the exact same color of Noro Kureyon as called for in the pattern!

I have to be awake really early tomorrow or else I’d probably stay up all night working on them.

In other knitting news, I did another swatch for Wicked in the Knit Picks Main Line yarn. I got gauge. Wheee!

I’ve also been warned that I’ll probably want to knit Green Gable on smaller needles than the pattern calls for as the Cotton Fleece (despite it being wonderful) gets floppy on the prescribed size 6 needles. We’ll see how this goes.

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Swatches! I never make swatches.
Originally uploaded by meliass.

My green vs. red debate has been answered.

My Knit Picks ordered arrived and the red yarn I ordered from them is the correct weight for Wicked and nearly an identical color match to the Cotton Fleece Candy Apple. I didn’t think they’d be the same shade of red at all. So I’m pleased.

I will make Wicked in the Knit Picks yarn (Main Line in Red Velvet Cake) and I will make Green Gable in Cotton Fleece Jungle Green. Now to order the yarn…

I’m tired and going to sleep soon. Getting up at 7 a.m. is not my thing. And I have to do it again on Tuesday. Boo. It sucks more than usual as it’s pretty damned cold here this week. The high tomorrow is right at freezing. Ick.

I’m so tired that I don’t have the energy to watch tv and knit tonight.

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Which to choose?
Originally uploaded by meliass.

So I’m still planning to make a Green Gable or a Wicked sweater…this Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece is intended for Green Gable. I ordered a skein of each color to see which I like more. BUT I LOVE THEM BOTH!!! Equally. Auggggghhhhh.

I’ll probably end up ordering more of both of them. That was not my intention at all. I’m so greedy about pretty yarn.

I’m still waiting for the Knit Picks cotton blend yarns to arrive. They’re theoretically for Wicked. If I like the colors. Also green and red.

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