So, what's on those Needles?

I spoke a couple of posts ago about doing an update on what knitting I'm currently involved in. So, here's that update! First, Cleopatra's Stockings. I'm knitting these two at a time using the magic loop - I love socks that are toe up and I love doing them two at a time, so you would think this pattern was meant for me. It wasn't. While it is a pretty pattern and I have no complaints about the yarn, it is a fiddely pattern that, for me, doesn't flow. These are a gift for my friend and department chair from work. The school she is counselor for has purple as it's color, so it seems that these were destined for her.

As I said, they are pretty to look at, but they are fiddely and honestly I'll be happy to have them done and checked off my list. They were also the RSC installment from May 2008, it's time to move on and get them done! Says the woman who has only thus far finished one of the six RSC installments from 2008...

Next, is a scarf for my cousin Martina. For me, 90+% of my knitting is a gift for someone else or is destined to call home someplace other than my home. Usually a combination of patterns and yarn "speak" to me, I look at it and I think, "Hmmm, that looks like so and so", and so the knitting goes from there. This yarn combination said "Martina" to me! I don't know if it is because her birthday is in November and it has an autumnal feel to it or because she lives in a big city in a cosmopolitan sort of lifestyle which in my humble opinion scarves fit nicely into. It is a pattern I learned from Sandy two years ago - a Fleece Artist kit - don't actually know the pattern name.
One of the best things about this scarf is that it truly is a pattern that can go anywhere! I'm not making lightening fast progress on it simply because I tend to save it for travel when I need something that I can knit on anywhere - like meetings and things like this.

Next, is a sweater for my beloved. This picture doesn't look like much, but the not much in this photo is the top of a top-down sweater with a v-neck. I have a couple more rounds to go and then I set aside the stitches for the arms and start the body. It is in shades of blue, which is my sweetheart's favorite color.
This is another great, knit anywhere kind of project, albeit is a little more bulky than the scarf. I did take it with me to an Aces hockey game recently and it was perfect! The yarn is Cascade 220 Painted - great yarn! For those who are not already aware, Cascade 220 is some of my favorite yarn! If there was an election I would vote for it as the best all around yarn! :0)

There is a fourth project on the needles, but I can't show it here, it is a top secret endeavor only to be reveled to the light of day upon completion! So, to make up for it I thought I'd show you some of the things I have "on deck" for this summer:

First, I'm going to make my first attempt at knee-high stockings!
This is the Rhiannon Sock Pattern by Cookie A. If you aren't familiar with this pattern you should click on the photo so you can see how crazy this pattern is! I don't expect to have these done by the end of summer...if I tried that I may lose the fragile grip I have left on my mind entirely! I'm hoping by Christmas. They are a gift for my sister Lou, she loves stockings. Next to it is the intended yarn for this endeavor.
It is Korppi from Blue Moon's Raven line of yarn. It is fully saturated color, so it is mostly black but has hints of underlying colors in it too. You can kind of see that in the picture above. According to the pattern I may need 4-5 skeins of yarn to do the stockings...that gives an idea as to what kind of stockings these will be. I may need to buy a special needle to be dedicated to this project alone...that's an idea! I took a photo of one skein outside in the sun to try and get a better idea of the colors:
There are hints of green and purple in it which I thought was suitable since purple is Lou's favorite color and green is mine.

Next is a pair of socks for my BFF Wendi. A year and a half ago Wendi was looking through a small selection of the sock patterns I have and picked out the Acorn Lace Socks as a pair of socks she'd like to have. Then she went through a small selection of my sock yarn (we weren't at my house, I was at Madrona, so she only was looking through things I had bought) and picked Jewel of the Nile as her yarn of choice. I meant to have these for her birthday in March...clearly that did not happen. Ahh best intentions...
Finally, my family continues to multiply in number. When Lou had A-star & K-man I decided that making a baby blanket for family member's babies would be my "thing" that I do. After the boys were born there was a three year period in which eight babies were added to my family, including two more sets of twins. There has also been another born this past year. So, despite my best intentions, I am again down by two baby blankets. This is the yarn that I purchased awhile ago to make Amber's blanket:
I use acrylic yarn or some kind of acrylic blend on the baby blankets because I figure the last thing new moms need to contend with is fussy care instructions. Machine wash and dry are the way to go! The blankets are crocheted...no particular reason except that the patterns I have are crochet patterns. It is also good to mix things up a bit I think. So, I need to get started on this project this summer - Amber just turned two and her brother Caleb will be one in October.

That is my knitting update! Hope that everyone is enjoying summer, finding time to relax and play and knit!