yippee! fun new scarf for me!

i was dawg tired yesterday when i got home so i took me a few minutes to realize that a squishy package of larger size was nestled among the mail in his arms...he was lucky to escape mauling as he dumped the whole pile in my lap...sure enough a whole pile of lovelies from portugal were carefully wrapped in said package...how did my scarfer know me so well? in addition to the beautiful bright blue scarf, everything was wrapped in a reusable shopping bag (i have a fiend-like fetish for reusable shopping bags - yes, my husband thinks i'm crazy)...and by everything i mean a handmade felted flower pin, a handmade bead stitch marker, some wonderful portuguese candy, and a postcard with an interesting portuguese legend printed on it...view the pictures and be jealous...thanks cenoura!

New Year's Scarf Exchange

so, i finally made it to the post office today and got the scarf sent out in the mail...that nifty little earwarmer down there went into the package as well. since i'm such a procrastinator i was pretty proud of myself for actually pacing this project out, getting finished with it, and having the leisurely time to get it in the mail without rushing around like a headless chicken...i'm sure the warm fuzzies won't last but i'm going to enjoy them while i can!

New Pattern - Spiral Headband/Earwarmer

So I had yarn left over from the scarf I finished for the swap...as it turned out it was just enough to make a lovely headband/earwarmer that I could send off to my swapee...here's the pattern I used for it! (yes, there are two other patterns on ravelry very similar...it's pretty easy)

Size 8 circular needles
medium weight yarn

Cast On 69 sts.
Join chain being careful not to twist

Row 1: *K3, P2* repeat 13X, K3, P1
Row 2: P1, *K3, P2* repeat 13X, K3
Row 3: P2, *K3, P2" repeat 13X, K2
Row 4: K1, P2, *K3, P2* repeat 13X, K1
Row 5: K2, P2, *K3, P2* repeat 13X

Repeat rows 1-5 to a total of 18-20 rows
Bind off loosely

New Swap Theme Announced

"A Sense Of Whimsy…

Knit neck warmers with over the top flowers, bright colors, crazy yarns…anything that is fun, odd, whimsical… Let you imagination run wild with this guys…"

So once I'm finished with the scarf I'm working on I'll start a new swap...I found a few patterns that I may choose between...I'd love to know what everyone thinks about these patterns...which one should I knit? (note that if the pattern doesn't seem "whimsical" enough it shall be knit in some wild color if chosen!)

Ripple Cowl
Owl Cowl & Neckwarmer (I just love the sound of "owl cowl")
Owl Cowl (yes, this one is different from the one just above it)
The Black Hole Cowl
Tuesday Night Cowl
Imagination Cowl (this one may be my favorite so far)
Chumky Button Up Neckwarmer
Life Is Uneven Cowl Mobius
Scrunchable Cowl
Blackberry Cowl
Candle Flame Cowl (this one just looks so cool I may have to try it even if it's not chosen for the swap!)

productive weekend

so...i had a conference on saturday and everyone was wearing lovely knitted items...i had three or four good ideas that distracted me from the event for a short time...i had to sketch them out on the little conference center note paper and i'll have to start working the actual patterns out this week...it'll be a while before any are up here as that's a whole lot of knitting to do now...

on the project front i made great progress toward finishing the scarf for my swap...the new pattern is coming along nicely...watching the super bowl (commercials) was a great opportunity to do lots of knitting...i wove in the ends that had already been created while checking out the new 'undercover boss' thing...now they can't wrap themselves mischievously around my yarn as i'm knitting (and the new show wasn't half bad either)

another format for Centerline Cable Scarf

so...wasn't too fond of the layout for the pattern posted directly to the blog so i created a .pdf file...this pattern is so much easier to read...(it's prettier too ;-)

Centerline Cable Scarf (or Evenstar Scarf)

Centerline Cable Scarf - inspired by Evenstar Gloves by Audrey MacDonald
Twisted & Crossed Cable from The Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches (1983)

Notions
Gauge – 24 sts X 42 rows is 6” square (a tight gauge with smaller than recommended needles to show the beauty of the cable)
Needles – 5us/3.75mm
Yarn – Medium weight

Abbreviations
K = knit, P = purl, sts = stitches
C4B (Cable 4 Back) = slip next 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 stitches from left-hand needle, then knit sts from cable needle
C4F (Cable 4 Front) = slip next 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next 2 stitches from left-hand needle, then knit sts from cable needle
T3B (Twist 3 Back) = slip next st onto a cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then purl st from cable needle
T3F (Twist 3 Front) = slip next 2 sts onto a cable needle and hold at front of work, purl next st from left-hand needle, then knit sts from cable needle

Instructions
Cast on 48 sts.
Work 6 rows: P2, *K4, P4,* K4, P2 rib

Pattern:
Round 1 – P2, *C4B, P4,* 3X, *C4F, P4,* 2X, C4F, P2
Round 2 – P6, *K4, P4,* 4X, K4, P6
Round 3 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P3, T3B, T3F, P2, T3B, T3F, P3, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 4 – P6, K4, P4 K3, *P2, K2,* 3X, P2, K3, P4, K4, P6
Round 5 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, *T3B, P2, T3F,* 2X, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 6 – P6, K4, P4, K2, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, K2, P4, K4, P6
Round 7 – P2, C4B, P4, C4B, P2, K2, P4, C4B, P4, K2, P2, C4F, P4, C4F, P2
Round 8 – P6, K4, P4, K2, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, K2, P4, K4, P6
Round 9 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, K2, P4, K4, P4, K2, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 10 – P6, K4, P4, K2, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, K2, P4, K4, P6
Round 11 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, K2, P4, C4B, P4, K2, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 12 – P6, K4, P4, K2, P2, K4, P4, K4, P2, K2, P4, K4, P6
Round 13 – P2, C4B, P4, C4B, P2, *T3F, P2, T3B,* 2X, P2, C4F, P4, C4F, P2
Round 14 – P6, K4, P4, K3, *P2, K2,* 3X, P2, K3, P4, K4, P6
Round 15 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P3, T3F, T3B, P2, T3F, T3B, P3, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 16 – P6, *K4, P4,* 4X, K4, P6
Round 17 – P2, *K4, P4,* 2X, C4B, P4, C4F, *P4, K4,* 2X, P2
Round 18 – P6, *K4, P4,* 4X, K4, P6
Round 19 – P2, C4B, P4, C4B, P3, T3B, T3F, P2, T3B, T3F, P3, C4F, P4, C4F, P2
Round 20 – P6, K4, P4, K3, *P2, K2,* 3X, P2, K3, P4, K4, P6
Round 21 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P3, *K2, P2,* 2X, K2, slip last 6 sts worked onto cable needle and wrap yarn 4 times anti-clockwise round these 6 sts,
then slip the 6 sts back onto right hand needle, P2, K2, P3, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 22 – P6, K4, P4, K3, *P2, K2,* 3X, P2, K3, P4, K4, P6
Round 23 – P2, K4, P4, K4, P3, T3F, T3B, P2, T3F, T3B, P3, K4, P4, K4, P2
Round 24 – P6, *K4, P4,* 4X, K4, P6

Work Pattern to desired length (16 repetitions ~ 58” scarf)
Repeat Row 1
Work 6 rows: P2, *K4, P4,* K4, P2 rib
Bind Off