WIP Wednesday - It's a Hockey Night In Pittsburgh!

As a reminder, there is a giveaway going on so check out my Blogiversary Post for details.  Remember, the answers are in the blog so check out my old posts for the answers to the clues :)

Hello all, what a busy two weeks I have had.  Work is kinda crazy with a project going live and my class is a bit intense, but hockey is back!  I know that I am basically answering one of the questions for my Blogiversary (see big link above!) but I am just so happy to have hockey back on the air.

For those of you who may not know, the NHL was in a lockout due to contract re-negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).  As a fan, this stoppage was annoying and frustrating but it's over an the excitement is pretty awesome.    I don't know what it about hockey.  I love the speed and precision of 6 players flying around on the ice a mile a minute.  It's intense and always can turn on you at any moment.

As a result, I love the Penguins.  They are my favorite but I love the sport.  The rivalries are great and the players and owners are amazing and generous.  Let's Go Pens!

Image from Wikipedia

But the best thing about hockey, is hockey knitting.  Seriously, a huge driver of my knitting and crocheting throughout the year is to keep my hands busy while I watch the game. While watching the playoffs in 2008 and the following year 2009 I could feel my blood pressure go up and my anxiety build as the games got more intense.  So when I started to knit, I realized how a bit of distraction kept me from throwing my TV out the window.  As a result, a ton of knitted objects are completed.

So this weekend when the season started, I made sure my knitting was handy and got so much done as a result.  Let's check out the yarny goodness!

Sun and Stars Trillian

I am so pleased with how the colors are coming together!

So this is really starting to get big.  I am about half way to the finished size before I start the final border.  I am in love with this pattern.  Seriously a great knit while watching any sporting event.  You zip across with garter stitch and then a bit of pattern and you zip back.

Really what I love is the yarn.  I had been acquiring skeins of Wollmeise over the summer but hadn't found the guts to crack open the hank and use the yarn.  Really the skeins are beautiful just to look at.  So with this pattern I knew it was time try out the yarn.

I am so happy with it.  The colors are intense and not bleed into my skin or my needles like some other saturated colored yarn I have tried.  but the colors are just popping in their own special way, I particularly love the way the color pooled in the middle there.  I feel like it's a shooting star amid a sea of sun beams and starry night.  I just keep picking it up to see what will happen next.

Hue Shift Afghan

All the pretty hues!

While this has been playing second fiddle to the Trillian Shawl above, I did manage to get two more squares done to finish the pink row.  I think finishing the row is a great driver to keep going and I know I will need to cast on for the second set of squares soon after I get done with this set.  I really love how these five colors look and can't wait to get the blues and greens.

Sweet Azalea Blanket

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend!

Although the Trillian has been the star of my crafting show lately, this one has been playing a supporting role. I suspect it's more about the character than the looks perhaps?   This blanket is made with the lovely pashmina base from Madelinetosh and it is so soft and luxurious.

But really, when you combine wool, silk and cashmere what wouldn't be soft and luxurious!   So thanks to the amazing yarn, I keep working at this shawl.  I want to finish the first skein soon so I can gauge the size of the finished shawl.

Well that's it for this week.    For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams

And Remember, It's a great day for hockey!!

<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - One Hundred

Welcome to my 100th post!  Can you believe that I have posted here 100 times?  I really can't but then again, this year has passed by so quickly.  I am not going to do anything special with this post but I do plan on celebrating my Blogiversary on January 6th!  So stay tuned for awesome celebratory games and prizes!

In other news, I went to the auto body shop to get the damage appraised from my accident and they were able to clean it and buff it so that I may not need to get it fixed.  Still deciding of course but it's nice to have options.

My paper is still sitting in draft form but I have to get a move on and finish it this week and weekend.  I even took off of work on the 11th to make sure I have ample time to finish it before I submit it on 12/12.  Ah the joys of Grad School.  

So now onto the yarny goodness.  

Hue Shift Afghan

It's very pink right now.

I have been busy weaving in ends on this project.  I had some holiday knitting and so this one is on the back burner until that's done.  I hope to get the rest of the holiday projects done this week (you know while I am procrastinating on my paper) and then get back to this.

Ooh Shapely Boyfriend

Special thanks to Samie for taking the picture!

I wanted to work on something different from the garter stitches of the blanket so I pulled out my sweater.  I pulled the stitches off for the arms and cast on for under the arms.  I may have cast on a few to many (okay 50 but who's counting) so I am working on decreasing those to a more manageable amount. 

But I am so excited about this project.  It's nice to be able to put it on as I go and it's no longer an orange blob on my couch for pictures.

Ravenclaw Beanie

Next hat is in lighter colors!

So after I made all of the Gryffindor winter knits for my boss' daugher, I felt a little bad about not making something for her son.  So, he decided he wanted a Ravenclaw hat and I may make a set of wristlets too if I have enough yarn. 

I love this pattern as it's a no brainer.  Cast on, work the ribbing, work in stockinette until it's 5 inches then do decreases.  Easy peasy!  But navy is just as hard on the eyes at night as black so there is some challenge there.  

I am more of a book purist and chose the accent color to be a bronze yarn versus the grey used in the movies.  Hope he like it!

Sweet Azalea Blanket

It's so soft and squishy!

I wanted to show all of you the progress on my crochet shawl.  I know most of the pictures just have the swatch I did but I have been doing a row here or there when the mood strikes.  Isn't the yarn just gorgeous?

Well, that's about it for this week.  I need to get a move on with the Owl Fingerless Mittens as the gift exchange is on Saturday!  Go Go Gadget knitting needles!  

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams   

<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - Super Azalea Socks?

I know you all may not realize it but I try and come up with nifty titles for each post.  It's my little trailer to my post and I want you be intrigued to read this instead of hitting skip in your reader.  That said, I admit this one while intriguing is just a mash up of objects I am working on this week.

Really, I think that I may actually have a post each day of the week this week so my creative snark is a little depleted.  Anyway, make sure you check out my commercial debut for Math + Science = Success that I posted yesterday and I have a long long awaited FO on Friday.

So now that we have caught up, let's get to the yarny goodness!   I didn't get individual shots but here is what I have been working on.

Weekly Update for 10/03/2012

Superman Square

Usually these squares are done within a weekend and I move on but this one has challenged me.  There are a lot of color changes and color blocks.  I started this initially back in August but didn't like where it was going and ripped it out.  I am back to the point where I ripped it out and have restarted it for the next go round of Nerd Wars.  I am relieved that its going better not great but better.  I think once I get past the fiddly bottom of the S finally, I will be okay.  Keep your Fingers Crossed please!

Sweet Azalea Shawl

I finally started this shawl/blanket.  I had the swatch done forever ago but just needed the right push to get things going.  I had to make a chart to show where the stitches went.  The pattern is quite clear but I just could not picture it in my mind where everything went.  The chart is a huge lifesaver!  Anyway, I am plugging along and can't wait to see it completed.

STV Spiffy Iffy Peresphone's Return! Socks

Mel over at SingleHandedKnits had a great idea to have a KAL for the elections and created Sock the Vote and asked Indie Yarn Dyers to create specific colors ways for Cuff Down socks, Toe Up Socks and the Undecideds.  

I have a bit of a connection to both dyers (SpaceCadetCreations and Yarn-vs-Zombies) so I chose undecided to let chance decide which yarn I would receive.  

I got a beautify skein of Cashmere and Merino wool sock yarn and had to wait patiently for 10/1/2012 to start my socks.  I decided to up the ante and am knitting the socks at the same time using the magic loop.  I have never done this before but I jump into things with both feet and a dash of YouTube so hopefully the yarn knot gods are not against me.  So far I am kinda pumped about this because I had a heck of a time getting a pair of socks done within a month for NerdWars so hopefully this is a fruitful experiment.

So that is what's going on, betcha thought I designed super flowery socks didn't you?  

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams   

<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - Pinks and Purples

Hello all!  I am happy to announce that the Gryffindor scarf is done and you will all see a FO post soon.  I still need to finish the last wristlet but for all intents and purposes I am done.  I have ends to weave in and fringe to add but the bulk of the work is done.

Life is settling down though my class is still not straightened out.  I have a feeling I may have to take a half day of work and track down my professor.  Seriously, how hard is it to set up a weekly call?

I am super excited because I bought the fifth season of The Big Bang Theory!  Target also had a cool cup that had the Big Bang Theory Logo and Bazinga! so of course I have to have it. What is more awesome is that I named my Fantasy Football Team Bazinga!

How awesome is this cup!

Anyway, aside from getting the scarf done, I started a new project and restarted an old one this week. So here are the updates.

Falling Water Scarf

I finally picked this up again.  I kept looking at it forlornly as I worked on other things but it is back with prominence in my knitting bag.  I think doing other lacey things have made me realize how easy this pattern has become.  I have done 4 repeats of the pattern and it's amazing how fast you can whip through it when it's only about 35 stitches wide.

I just love the color!

Richmond Lace Infinity Scarf

I saw this pattern on Knit Picks this spring and fell in love with the color and the pattern.  The yarn is variegated from purple to coral pink.  I needed a bit of help getting started but the progress for an evening's work is shown below.  I did make a boo boo and have to rip back a bit but it's okay.  I would rather make this right than wing it.

Just purple right now!

Well there you have it.  I hope to get more work done on these this week and maybe start the foundation row of the Sweet Azalea Shawl I am working on as well.

So what colors are you kicking off fall with?  What are you starting or working on?

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams  

<3 Heather

WIP Wednesday - Dog Days of Summer

Seriously, who said that this weekend could be Labor Day weekend?  Class is back in session and cooler fall air is right around the corner.

I honestly have been so busy that progress had been slowed to a crawl.  But I do have some updates.

Gryffindor Scarf

I am so close on getting this done that I can taste it.  I really wanted to get it done for Nerd Wars but that isn't going to happen but now I am just aiming for as soon as possible.  Really it's holding everything up because I need to get it done.

I had to fold it in half to fit on the couch

Superman Square

I really like this one but it's been slow going. 

You can see the bottom of the S in superman

This is next to get completed once the scarf and wristlet are done and on their way to the recipient

Sweet Azalea Blanket

Last but not least is a new crochet blanket.  I am making it with Madelinetosh Pashmina and it is going to be so gorgeous and soft.

Just a Swatch

I swatched the pattern first to see if I liked it.  I know now I need to just a bigger hook to start the foundation row and initial single crochet row.  

So that's it, are the dog days getting to you too?  Made any good progress this week?

For other WIPs check out Tami's Amis and Frontier Dreams 

<3 Heather