Troubles on the blog front

It seems someone went through the trouble of gaining access to my blog recently and adding some bad code to try to cause problems for my multitude of readers.  Silly people.  Not only is my viewership teensy, but I know y'all are all smart and have good anti-virus software to catch anything that might get thrown your way.  Still, I'm sorry I let it happen.  I will now keep a closer eye on things so if anyone else manages to gain access, I'll be able to kick them out quickly before they have time to cause trouble.

Enough of that.  On to knitting.  Yes.  There has been knitting, just no blogging about it.  I have finished a few things and started a few more.  There has also been super secret knitting that I will hopefully be talking more about in my next post.

First up, my second Ishbel.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="335" caption="Ishbel 2"][/caption]

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Bristol Yarn Gallery Lyndon Hill

Needles: US 7

More details… here (ravelry link)

I sort of stalled out  on this after starting it last July.  I didn't knit on it all for almost 6 months.  Once I picked it back up it was finished in no time.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="332" caption="Ishbel 2, up close"][/caption]

I'm also working on a couple of scarves.  One is almost finished.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="332" caption="Gathered Scarf, on the diagonal"][/caption]

The other is just started, but is lots of fun to knit.  I may make another in a lighter weight yarn soon.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="332" caption="Saroyan Scarf, the beginning"][/caption]

Hopefully, I'll be able to tell you about the secret projects (some of you already know all about them) I just complete next week.  Stay tuned.

Oh, I almost forgot.  It snowed in Charleston.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="332" caption="February Snow in Charleston"][/caption]

Squirrels Gone Wild!

That's what my t-shirt says right now and that's what my house will be like if I have my way and knit up about 10 million of these squirrel cushions.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Cuddle Squirrel with little Lambie"][/caption]

Pattern:  Nathaniel by Ysolda

Yarn: Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends

Needles:  US 9

More details… here (ravelry link)

My love for this squirrel cannot be measured.  I think it may be extra special to me because it reminds me of a quilt my grandma made that had applique squirrel silhouettes all over it.  I seriously will be making more of them, just not out of the yarn I used.  That Bernat Alpaca is just a bit too hairy for my tastes.

I know this will be hard to believe, but the squirrel isn't the only thing I've completed.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Christmas Korknisse Set"][/caption]

Pattern:  Korknisse by Manne (English translation)

Yarn: Knit Picks Shamrock

Needles:  US 4

More details… here (ravelry link)

I made these ornaments for my knitting group and had a few left over for myself.  They are super cute and were fun and easy to make.  For anyone who hasn't already seen the special one I made for Loops:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="355" caption="Arrrgghh!"][/caption]

Loops, of course, loves him and refuses to have him as an ornament because he wants to look at him year round.  He sort of reminds me of Bob.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="329" caption="Crazy-eyed Bob"][/caption]

Little projects

Little projects means I complete more things.  Not that I have.  It's just a theory at this point.  I might get more done if I didn't have to pack everything away so the house would look tidy for showings.   I just can't bear for people to know how messy I am.  I know it doesn't matter.  It's not like I'm the owner.  In fact, I'm sure people don't expect much when viewing a house with renters in it, but I have my own standards so I tidy up.  There have been two showings in the last 24 hours.   How do I feel about this?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="327" caption="Grumpy!"][/caption]

I could be happier.  I'm trying to get over it though.  Oh, above is one of my Christmas ornaments, by the way.  He's not finished.  He needs tiny bells on his hat and a ribbon to hang from.  He's one of about 8 that are mostly done.  All the others are happier, but I though I should mix it up and have a grumpy ornament or two as well.  They're so cute that I want to keep them all, but most are being given away.  Loops has demanded a pirate one.  I was working on it, but couldn't get a cool looking pirate hat so his pirate is just going to have a hat like all the others.  He's cool with it though.  As long as there's an eye patch and a scowl, he said he'd be happy.

I'm also making a cute elephant.  He's mostly in pieces right now and quite sad looking.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Sad and limbless. :("][/caption]

Hopefully he'll be much cuter when complete.

A day late

Everyone who really knows me is aware that Halloween is, by far, my least favorite holiday.  Something about dressing up and knocking on doors to get candy never really did it for me, not even when I was little.  Needless to say, I'm happy it is over.  The only thing I'm sad about now is the fact that I wanted to get my cute little bat toys completed before the holiday and didn't.  I was delayed by the inability to find the correct eyes.  I had to order them and they didn't get here until Thursday.  Last night at about 10pm I finally got one put all together, but it was too late to take any decent pictures so I decided to wait until this morning to post a blog about it.

Meet Boo!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Boo, just hangin'"][/caption]

I know.  That's the cutest bat you've ever seen, right?  Well, it gets cuter:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="370" caption="Boo, wrapped up"][/caption]

Pattern:  Boo the Bat by Anna Hrachovec

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted

Needles:  US 6

More details… here (ravelry link)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Boo's got back"][/caption]

Now to make more since Loops claimed this little Boo.