F.O. & Nearly F.O.

I have been busy, busy, busy! But, I have been knitting! To prove it, let me present a F. O. and a nearly F. O.:


First, some socks - what a shocker! These are Leyburn socks. I knit them for my good friend Julie Bean. She claims that I never knit anything for her, so I made her these socks to prove her wrong. Actually, I bought this yarn with her in mind nearly two years ago. She loves fall colors and it was just a matter of finding the right pattern for the yarn and the time to knit. Here are the details:

Patter: Leyburn
Yarn: STR Lightweight
Color: Rocktober - those fall colors! Plus, I love the name! It says 80's to me.
Method: Magic Loop 2 at a time
Needle: US 2-1/2 (3mm) Addi Turbo - a little bigger than recommended
Stitch Count: I had the set 56 stitches on the foot from the pattern, at the leg I only went up to 66 stitches instead of the patterns 72 in an effort to accommodate my larger needle, at the cuff I went down to 60 stitches for some cinching

They fit good as I was trying them on as I was knitting them, but during blocking the legs looked a little slouchy. Hopefully they will stay up good on her legs. She was really surprised and told me she liked them when she opened them today!

On to the Nearly F. O.:A Baby Surprise Jacket! This is also for my good friend Julie Bean who is expecting her first baby. I've wanted to learn this pattern for over a year, bought a kit for it a year ago, tried to start it and got stuck and quit. I took it to my finishing class and my fabulous instructor Toni helped me overcome my brain freeze so that I could understand the pattern. Once I got the hang of it I was hooked! It was my first experience of knitting crack - couldn't put it down. I still need to sew the shoulder seams together, but I want Toni's advice on that before I plow ahead. Here are the details:

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Blue Moon Sock Candy - This was a Blue Moon Kit, I think it was BSJ Kit #8
Colors: Lavender, Toffee, Celery, & Terra Cotta
Needle: US 2-1/2 (3mm)
Finishing: I crocheted a row of Toffee at the front and top of the shoulders which is supposed to make the seaming easier. And I still need to find and attach buttons.
Size: This is very small! It is a brand new person size! This kid will need to wear this all the time for the first week or two and then it will be too small. There is enough yarn to make another one that alters the color pairings. I enjoyed the knitting so much I'm thinking about it. We will see!

I think this will make Julie Bean smile. (Apparently my husband is about to kill me because it is time for me to go and eat my dinner - so gotta run!) :0)

Political Activism on Spring Break!

We are on Spring Break this week! Yippee! I am working hard on some knitting projects, none of which I have photos for. I have finally begun the Baby Surprise Jacket that I bought a kit for over a year ago. I actually had to take it with me to a knitting class to get help because I had a hard time getting the hang of Elizabeth Zimmerman's holistic instructions. I had tried starting the jacket last May only to rip it out. I'm now knitting it for an entirely different baby - one of my dearest friends is expecting a young one and I'm having so much fun knitting this! I'm now finding the pattern oddly addicting - I have reached the point that I need help from my knitting class to proceed. I probably could figure it out myself, but I'd rather get some advice first to get it to look as nice as possible. I also am LOVING the colors of the yarn, it is Sock Candy from a kit put together by Blue Moon. Gotta love Blue Moon!

I'm also still working away on the Leyburn socks for my friend. I have finished the feet and the heels, I'm doing two at once, and am now working my way up the legs. They are looking good.

I also started a scarf that I've had the pattern and yarn for since the summer of '07 when Sandy and Katie visited. It uses a 9mm needle and after so many sock projects it is weird to use such a BIG needle. But the scarf is looking pretty cool! A good meeting knit for sure.

I also have a mystery project in the works that I can't talk about until it is complete.

So, where in all of this is the Political Activism mentioned in the title of this post?? Well, on Monday I testified before the Alaska State House Judiciary Committee against a bill that they had before them. It was so exciting! It was my first time testifying and I'm convinced that I could have been more eloquent, but that it is something that comes with practice. The thing is that I can't wait to have an opportunity to testify again! I love feeling like I'm an active participant in democracy! My good friend was there with me and it was her first time testifying too, so it was nice to have a support person. The hearing actually started at 1pm and they took testimony from all over the state and we could hear everyone's testimony which was really interesting. We could also hear the questions that the legislators were asking, some of them were pretty tough, and the discussion among the legislators themselves. I was the last person to testify, at around 3:30pm. It was nerve wracking to go last, but I was so glad that I showed up to make my voice heard! I encourage everyone to get involved in your government!