So, the Olympics are over and my featherweight cardigan is not finished. I did, however, get a lot of other knitting done in an effort to take breaks from all that laceweight stockinette. I made this cozy cowl, which is impossible to photograph looking like anything other than a purple blob. I will keep trying, however. Here is my best attempt so far:

It's just Lion Brand Homespun yarn, but the color is a lovely dark purple, so it looks really velvety and lush. I used this pattern (Ravelry link). 

And this is my favorite knitted thing I've ever made, I think:

Andrea's Shawl, all in alpaca, so it's cozy and soft. There were four parts to this little shawl: the edging, the border, the striped body, and the top edging. All the different steps kept things interesting, but not too difficult. I did most of the knitting during one of the many rainy weekends we've had.

I plan on making the matching mitts as well. I love the stripes, they make it look so very French, don't you think? There are so many lovely versions on Ravelry, I love all the color combinations. I almost want to make it again with some bright, cheery colors. 

 
I took this picture today, as the rain was pouring down. We're having a tree cut down (the last of our big oaks, it's very sad), and there are a bunch of these tiny birds living in the pile of branches. The don't seem to mind the rain, and were flitting about, so I got out my zoom lens and was able to get a little closer look.  

I am enjoying the rain by staying warm and dry and knitting. I might even bake a cake later. There will be photos of these happy events later. I learned how to do a provisional cast-on this week, something that has eluded me for a very long time. This video shows what I think has got to be the easiest way, ever, so I thought I'd share (embedding is disabled, so you'll have to click the link). 

Good grief it's been gloomy and dark around here. I attempted to take some photos of knitting projects Monday morning and this was the best I could do:

I know I have my Ravelympics project, and I have been working on it, but it's laceweight yarn, and I needed a break. This is the opposite of laceweight, it's two strands of yarn held together and knit on giant (size 17) needles. Plus, it's a blanket, so it kept me warm while I was knitting it. This pattern is from Lion Brand, it's called Cascading Colors blanket, and it's made with Lion Brand Jiffy and Cotton Ease. I love the colors. It's pretty small, but just perfect for a stroller or car seat, or for a toddler to drag around. I blocked it by throwing it in the washer and then in the drier, and the Jiffy yarn got pretty fuzzy and pill-y. Also, every single end that I had carefully woven in popped through to the front side. I trimmed everything neatly, and now it looks pretty good, If I do say so. 

And now I have some opinions and reviews for you, whether you want them or not. I splurged on a set of Zephyr knitting needles from Knit Picks, since they are on sale right now. They're clear acrylic, and I think I rather like them. They're slick, although not as slick as nickel-plated needles. I switched my Featherweight cardigan from a pair of plastic needles to these, and it's going much more smoothly. The yarn slides nicely, and the tips are nice and pointy, so they're especially nice for this very fine yarn.

I watched Bright Star this week. My goodness, it was boring, but so very beautiful. I'm not really one for wimpy poets, and Fannie was kind of bratty, but her clothes were wonderful and every scene was like a painting. I could look at it over and over. How's that for the oddest review ever? I loved it, even though the story was slow. Maybe I'll just let it play without sound next time, and enjoy the eye candy.

I went to the Asian grocery store and bought ingredients for Tom Yum soup, which is very easy when you use the paste mix from a jar. I got a big bag of shiitake mushrooms for just $2.99 a pound. When I was at Vons a few days later, I noticed their price for shiitake mushrooms was $15.99 a pound. That's just crazy, how can they do that? My cheap mushrooms were delicious in the soup, they absorbed all that sweet and sour broth and just melted in your mouth. I don't think they would have done that if I had paid $15.99 for them. 

It's knitting week over at APPlesauce, and I've been reviewing knitting apps all week. So I've been inspired to organize my stash, patterns, and needles. I've even cleaned up my Ravelry projects and queue. I've never participated in the Ravelympics before (which basically means you knit an entire project during the course of the Olympics), but I don't have a lot of space for yarn, so I think it's time to work on reducing my stash. I've had this pretty papaya-colored lace-weight since last spring, so it's time to use it up. I'm making using this pattern, and so far, it's nice and easy, and it's moving along nicely. I'll probably lengthen it a bit. 

  
Anyone else knitting for the Ravelympics?  

Do you have this problem? I'm making and shopping for Christmas, and trying to stick to a tight budget, and then I find super cute things that I want, like this pincushion/spool, from this etsy shop:

Or this hat, for which I have a single skein of yarn that might just be perfect:

I don't have time for this nonsense! 
 
 

Despite the temptation to cast on right that very minute, I did not start my hat with the too-small ball of yarn from my stash. I did, however, go out the very next day to get enough yarn to make it. 

 
Despite all the cables, it was a pretty quick knit, and I think I will make a couple more, actually using stash yarn. This is the Habitat pattern from the always elegant Brooklyn Tweed. The yarn is Berroco Jasper, a nice, soft, squishy merino wool.

I'm making a few knitted gifts this Christmas, and the hat is one, so I'm making good progress. It's been awhile since I've knit anything, but I've realized that I enjoy knitting much more in the winter. So, knitting season is here, and I am embracing it. 

Gift number two was coming along nicely, until I realized that it was much too small for the intended recipient, but it's cute, so maybe a niece will be getting a pair of squirrel mittens too, and I'll have to try again with heavier yarn and bigger needles. 

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. I spent a quiet day, puttering, knitting, sewing and cooking. It was actually very nice. We're taking dinner to my mother-in-laws house today, and then I will have the rest of the weekend to recover from her. I used to try having a good attitude when visiting her, hoping it would rub off, but it never worked, so I think I am going to try having a bad attitude this time, and see what happens. Do you think it will work? 

 
I really like this hat.