Knitting again but still blogless

This is how my lovely friend Tanya described me at a recent party. And that pretty much sums it up. I've been able to keep knitting, but the blogging is still not up to speed...as I'm sure you've noticed. I will try to do better, but I make no promises. Blogging about my latest knitting progress is not exactly uppermost in my mind at the moment, what with a baby on the way, a house to clean and organize, a three-year-old who refuses to fall asleep before nine most nights, and a mortgage renewal coming up in less than two weeks.

Mind you, the knitting is still not up to full speed, either. While I have been moving ahead on projects, the obsessive compulsion to knit during every spare moment has not returned. I'm really, really hoping it's just a pregnancy thing. (But even if it is just a pregnancy thing, this doesn't help me as the Christmas knitting deadline approaches, so I have to start stepping it up.)

However, I have managed to get out to some Lettuce Knit SnBs, and they have certainly lost none of their fun, I'm happy to say. Last week while I was there, I bought our Christmas present for my niece's mom (Danielle, if you're reading this, STOP NOW): a variegated skein of Peter Rabbit from Fleece Artist (in, I believe, the Wildflowers colourway). I admit without shame that I came extremely close to keeping it. However, I decided to be the bigger person (family harmony, Kathleen, family harmony), wrapped it up and sent it off. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it before doing so, but that almost doesn't matter, because no picture could possibly convey how soft this stuff is.

The good news is, even though I'm not doing a lot of knitting these days, I am still managing to move ahead on projects.

Garden Shawl for MIL

I think I have eleven repeats left of the edging to do. I say that with some uncertainty since I thought I had eleven repeats left of the edging to do before I finished the last three repeats, so it's possible that the monotony of the edging has messed with my ability to count. However, the end is definitely nigh. (Or, dammit, at least it had better be, or I am going to go postal on someone real soon.)

When my resolve falters I try to remember that I'm attempting to elicit tears from my MIL with this gift. That does help somewhat.

Taupe socks for Dad

Done! Done! Done like dinner! And not only does this represent my first finished project in quite some time, it also represents the FIRST COMPLETED KNITTING GIFT OF THE YEAR. (The other pair of socks which completes my dad's knitted gift is this one.) A triumph. Especially since I had to redo the cast-off of the first sock because DH complained it was cutting off the circulation in his leg (generally a bad sign). I have been using DH as my guineapig for these socks because he and my dad seem to have the same size feet and calves.

Not only is DH my guineapig, he is also our lovely sock model for today:


(Please ignore the weirdness of the toe on the left foot - DH does not appear to have gotten his foot right into the sock. Of course, it's entirely possible that this is because the socks are a tad too big, but I have resolved to ignore this - I'll worry about it if the same thing happens when my dad puts the socks on.)

I am very proud of the cabling running up each side - I threw that in there myself and I think it looks super-handsome:


Incidentally, DH had two complaints after the photo shoot was complete:

1. He didn't get to keep the socks.
2. "What, not a single 'work it, baby'?"

Stornaway sweater for DH

(This is for Carrie K ;)

Neck ribbing is complete!


Sleeve #1 has begun!


Why, if only I wanted a turtle-necked vest, I could stop right now:


In my current state of knitting apathy, d'you think I can do two sleeves in five weeks?

Yes, I'm freaking out a little, too.