cosmicpluto knits!

a slow re-entry

I spent all of last week in Boston, exploring, meeting up with friends, and eating. The weather was good for the most part – a little dreary during the week, but totally beautiful on the weekend. I spent a couple hours at the Museum of Fine Arts on a drizzly day:

I carried my camera around a lot, but I didn’t really take any other photos – like of biking around, exploring Porter Square, Jamaica Plain and the South End, and meeting up with people for drinks and Alice in Wonderland. I did, however, manage to take a few photos of food I made while there! Mmmm, food. (I didn’t make the Boston Cream Pie, that was from Flour Bakery!)

Back soon with Actual Knitting Content.

random tuesday

My furnace is out. It’s about 15C in here right now, and although I do have a working space heater in my office, said office does not have a door and so I am still cold! Wearing lots of layers, but I just realized that I don’t have any fingerless mitts for sitting at the computer. Sigh!

Anyway, I wanted to let you all know that the Hibiscus Shawl pattern is back up, with stitch counts and corrections. If you already purchased it you should have received an update email from Ravelry.

A look at the new sweater on the needles:

It’s a basic circular yoke top-down cardigan, in oh-so-useful black. I wear my dark Lucy in the Sky a lot, and I could really use another black sweater! Coming along pretty quickly at 4 st/in.

And here’s a treat for you all – a bit of video from our performance the other night! It isn’t the whole thing, but the quality’s pretty good. Enjoy!

(We’ll totally play birthday parties and corporate functions, but we don’t have a very long set list.)

good-bye 2009, hello 2010!

Well, I’m not going to start 2010 with a clean knitting slate, that’s for sure, although the hat above is off the needles! It’s just a simple chunky beret out of yarn that I bought at Maryland this year – Solitude heavy worsted. It’s gorgeous (and a lot heavier than what I’d consider a heavy worsted!).

2009 had its ups and downs for me, of course, but all the travel I did this year was definitely new and exciting! Back on my big trip in January, February and March, I went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Chennai, Delhi, Agra, a few other towns in India, and Scotland as well. If I had to pick, I think I enjoyed Japan the most. I’d love to go back.

In May I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool for the first time, and in June I attended TNNA in Ohio as a designer! In July I went to Hawaii for vacation with my family (and came back with lots of coffee).

In October I went to Boston, and Rhinebeck – always one of my favourite events of the year. I already can’t wait for the next one. And in the midst of all this, I moved to my own apartment and managed to knit just a bit too!

Many thanks to all of you who’ve bought my patterns or book (hopefully both!), chatted with me at events or on twitter, and everyone who reads this blog! I couldn’t have had such a nice year without you.

Happy New Year – let’s make 2010 a good one.

random wednesday

Not much to talk about knitting-wise today – I’m still working away on my sister’s HP scarf, the lozenge socks (almost done) and some other bits and bobs. I’ve been doing quite a bit of math the last few days, so that I can write up my new red cabley cardigan (which still needs a name) and this older sweatercoat. And of course I have lots of ideas for new stuff but gotta get the gift knitting done first!

So, some other randomness:

A wood alphabet cutout from bookhou here in Toronto. It’s super light and is hanging just on a nail in my living room. I LOVE this thing. And I hardly have anything on my walls so it really stands out.

Super super super soft organic cotton throw by Jenna Rose. Also massive love – I kind of want to get another one for the end of my bed. She has an Etsy shop but not much in it at the moment.

I bought this throw and the alphabet hanging at the Toronto One of a Kind Show along with some other stuff (clothes, candles) and had lots of fun! The free re-admission is great too, I might go just one more time this week. It’s still open till Sunday (although I’d go during the week if you can help it, the crowds on the weekend are insane).

Looking longingly at this Dream in Color (Grey Tabby and Midnight Derby) earmarked for a sweater. I got rid of quite a few of my older ones when I moved, and now I’m finding I really want new ones!

So much knitting, so little time.

that time of year again

Not very many people get knitted gifts from me anymore – I did the whole ‘everything knitted’ thing one year but some people would really just prefer a Sephora gift card, you know?

But on my short list of gifts is a scarf, and some toys, maybe some weaving, and of course some socks.

These are actually ‘due’ in mid-December, so I really need to keep at them for a bit! I’m past the heel decreases on this one actually, hopefully I can just power through over the next week. I do love the yarn – it’s Austermann Royal, which is merino, silk, cashmere, and polyamid (nylon?). I bought it at Le Bon Marche in Paris so it’s a bit special!

Pattern is based on Nancy’s Bush’s gentleman’s sock with lozenge pattern (whew, that’s a mouthful) but basically I just looked at the starting point of the diamond pattern and figured my own from there. The recipient has feet on the smaller side, so I’m doing these on 70 stitches, and I just did a plain rib for the top of the sock.

Oh, and for those still left wondering a bit about my whole handbell group thing? Here’s a video! I’m not in it because I only joined a few months ago, but you get the idea!

There’s another video on Youtube here, but it’s a bit racy since it’s got a bit of burlesque in it!

we interrupt…

…your regularly scheduled Rhinebeck yarn post for an important announcement.

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Make them NOW. Go to the store for ingredients if you must – they are orange and black after all, perfect for that Hallowe’en party later this week (if they make it to then).

My very slight mods to the recipe: I used 1/2 brown, 1/2 white sugar, upped the chocolate chips a touch (to use up the rest of the bag), mixed by hand, and used heaping tablespoons rather than 1/4 cup portions for each cookie. I got 30 cookies…but there aren’t that many now!

A sneak peek at the yarn? Sure.

Clearly I’m in a purple period!