Fall knitting.

I have been a bit obsessed with knitting and yarn lately. I go through phases like this, but this time knitting has kept my interest longer than it ever has before (consequently, other than Alicia Paulson's felt ornament sets, I haven't embroidered anything in a couple of months). I finally arrived at the point where I really love knitting. :)

Also, I want to incorporate little woodland creatures into everything I knit. This week I've come across so many adorable patterns featuring bears and owls and badgers and rabbits and deer that it makes my head spin.

{Pattern photo credits: Badger Woodsy Association Wristee, Oh My Bear Sweater, Owls Sweater, Tortoise and Hare Gauntlets}

But I haven't actually knit anything featuring animals yet. I started knitting Christmas gifts for a couple of family members this week, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can make anything for myself again (and I won't be able to share the gifts here until after Christmas, of course, because my parents read this blog :).

A box from Knit Picks arrived yesterday and it was a bit like Christmas. :) I ordered about 10.5 ounces of white roving to practice spinning with, a circular needle in a size that's hard to find around here, and nine skeins of the Palette fingering weight yarn. That's enough yarn for four pairs of the Woodsy Association wristwarmers...I'm planning on making all of them except the wolf pair. So excited about those! They are ridiculously adorable (especially the badger and the raccoon).

Here's one project for myself I finished recently: the Honey Cowl. I made an in-between size because I didn't have quite enough for the longer version. I love this pattern: it's super easy but it looks beautiful on both sides.

I don't love this yarn, though. I got it on clearance at Hobby Lobby- it's 30% alpaca and 70% acrylic. The color is pretty but it sheds like crazy and it's itchy.

And yesterday, being in between gift projects, I finished my second version of the Honey Cowl. It's slightly narrower than the short version, because I was running low on yarn (someday I'd like to make this cowl when I have plenty of the needed yarn :). I love it...the yarn is wonderful. Here's a progress picture but hopefully I can get some of the finished item soon.

And finally, I've been practicing spinning. :) This is my best attempt so far. I forgot to get pictures comparing this with my first attempt, but the difference is amazing. I think at first I didn't realize that thin yarn is still strong. Anyway, I'm hoping to try plying soon so it will look like real yarn.

{I'm practicing with tiny amounts of roving I got from Hobby Lobby, which is why it doesn't look like much yarn. I won't use this for projects...I'm just practicing. :) }

In other news, I'm about six episodes into Doctor Who and I love it. I've never been a sci-fi/space and time travel sort of person, and sometimes it is a bit cheesy and over-the-top. But it's somehow still awesome. :)

Also, I'm trying to wait another week or so before I put up my decorations and break out my Christmas music. But the temptation to watch Christmas in Connecticut and hear Sinatra croon The Christmas Waltz is getting stronger everyday...

Until next time,