So, my darling boy recently went to New York City to be on the game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? I really wanted him to go with something hand knit so that he had part of me with him when he went for good luck. Because I didn’t have time to knit him a sweater I settled on socks.

I ran out of time though, so they ended up being short socks. But they are socks none the less. I call them "Love on his Feet" socks.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, since I’m not the only knitter who knows and loves my Michael, he was also gifted with a hat and mittens for his trip to NYC from our friends Laura! and Christina. You can see from the picture below that our dear Michael was very pleased with his knitted gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, keep in mind that in Vegas right now it’s still in the high 90’s, which is why he’s wearing shorts and a tee shirt in this photo.  Sadly it wasn’t very cold in NYC this week either, so he did not get a chance to walk around Manhattan looking a fool in his knitted love tokens. But, it does get chilly here in the winter and I will make sure that he wears this entire get up at least once this winter.

I cannot disclose how he did on the show, but the good news is he is home now and I and our dogs missed him dearly.

I also knit up a pair of baby socks out of the yarn I dyed last week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, I don’t have a baby to gift these to, but I’m sure one will come along shortly since I’m at the age where most of my friends are breeding like bunny rabbits. (Too bad they’re not actually breeding bunny rabbits….)

That’s it for now, other than another cute picture of my adorable honey:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s Mike, my adorable boyfriend/fiance thing with Binky my new favorite knitted toy, sporting a Ravelry shirt. It’s like, cuteness on top of cuteness on top of MORE ADORABLE SHORT DARK AND HAIRY man.

Did I mention I’m happy he’s home?

Well, I dipped my toe into the hand dying game.

Here are the results of today’s experiments:

 

I call this one Phoenix Rising. Because I like fancy sounding yarn names.

 

 

 

And this one is Vintage Pinks because…well, it looks like pinks that have been worn and washed for about 100 years.

 

 

 

Vintage Pinks is for sale in my Etsy Shop, because I don’t have much use for pastel colorways but Phoenix Rising is going to end up a pair of wildly dashing socks for myself.

Just as soon as I finish the two sweaters and Mikes socks I have on the  needles right now.

Verdict anyone? Should I keep at it or hang up my kool-aid gloves and let the pros stick to it?

I do. I do get a lot done when I can’t do anything but lay in bed.

So early last week I threw my back out while I was working out. Further evidence that I should never ever exercise. I am now on doctors orders not to. Perfect!

Just as my back was getting better and I was able to actually bend and move on my own and without the aid of muscle relaxers I started thinking my allergies were maybe a little worse than usual. Until I woke up yesterday morning to discover that I have a full fledged cold. And a bad one. Chills, fever, sweats, coughing, congestion, goopy eyes. The whole she-bang.

Last week while I was just sitting around trying not to move my back I made some more progress on my Braided Pullover I’m working on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it’s lovely and I adore it. I’m making the medium size with Karabella Aurora 8 merino and it is absolutely gorgeous. It goes pretty quickly too and stays very interesting because there are sections of purl, sections of ribbing and then the super interesting cable that’s tons of fun to try to keep track of which row of the chart you’re on.

I also cast on for a store sample sweater to be knit up in some new yarn we got in at the shop, Wisdom Poems. It’s 100% wool and it does the Noro-esque gorgeous long color changes but it doesn’t have twigs and berries in it and it’s a much more even twist so it doesn’t create a lumpy or uneven fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is the back panel of the sweater I’m knitting up for the store. It’s an adaptation of a Noro pattern by Jane Ellison.

Saturday I was flipping through the new Interweave Felts magazine and fell in love with Nora Bellows Polar Bear pattern in that issue.

So I had to immediately cast on for one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have named him Binky, after the polar bear that lived in the Alaska State Zoo when I was a child. He was much loved by Alaskan residents. This Binky is much loved by the residents of my house, my yarn shop and mostly my dogs who think I made him for them as a toy.

He was a nice distraction but I should probably get back to one of the two sweaters I have on the needles.