Three Steps Forward and Two Steps Back

Or, more accurately, "Three Steps forward and Three Steps Back." I started on this mistake rib scarf a few days ago. I'm loving this stitch. It looks great in this yarn. But I'm coming to the realization that I'm not going to have enough yarn to complete my scarf with this stitch. I think if I used a different stitch, I'd probably be okay, but the ribbing "pulls in," so I need more stitches to get a decent width. So . . . it's time for a trip to the "frog pond." But how to get a scarf out of this yarn? (It's Patons Diana, a fuzzy, faux-mohair type yarn, which is discontinued as far as I know.) I have about two skeins--it's been wound into balls, and I don't recall the original weight of the skeins, so I can't even say for sure how much I have unless I actually weigh it. (Hey! Duh! Weigh it! What a novel idea!) Some ideas:

1. Seed stitch (Might look nice but, oh, what a pain to knit!)
2. Leisel scarf (Would it be enough yarn? The pattern calls for one 3.5 oz skein, but it uses 35 stitches on size 8 needles, which is the same as I did for my mistake rib. Maybe the openwork uses much less yarn? )
3. Garter stitch (Booooring! But it might look pretty in this yarn, especially if I use big needles.)
4. Column of Leaves (Again, not sure if it would be enough yarn.)
5. Cameo faggot stitch scarf (Maybe my yarn isn't bulky enough? Maybe this wouldn't look that great with fuzzy yarn? . . .)

Other ideas, anyone?

Mid December KAL Dishcloth

Here's my completed dishcloth for the Monthly Dishcloths group. I think it turned out pretty. I used Bernat Handicrafter yarn and size 5 needles. The color in this picture is more accurate than in the December 18 photo. It's a pinkish peach/coral.

Christmas Tree Dishcloth

I finished my Christmas tree dishcloth for the KAL on my Two Projects group. One of the group members posted some suggestions for altering the original pattern, and I knit up this cloth using those alterations. I'm so glad I did--it came out great (personally, I like it better than the original). It was knit using size 7 needles and Sugar and Cream yarn in Dark Pine. (This cloth could use a little blocking to get the "branches" to sit nicely--I don't bother blocking dishcloths, since they're destined to get wet anyway--so it looks a little unsymmetrical in the pic, but it's really not.)

Dishcloth KAL Progress

I'm through Day 3 on my mid-December knitalong for the MonthyDishcloths group. Pretty, eh?

Finally, Decent Cold Weather Gear for T!

I've finally gotten around to making T a decent winter hat and mittens. The poor kid was really looking like a ragamuffin in his mismatched, ill-fitting hat and mittens. I got the inspiration for the mitts from Laura's post on this blog on December 11. The original "pattern"/recipe comes from Lisa's blog here (scroll down to November 19). I changed things up a bit and did a crochet/slip stitch chain instead of an I cord for the connector. The hat is from the Bernat pattern booklet called Baby Love. Both were knit in Patons Classic Merino, color Bright Red. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try them on T. Let's hope they fit! (Sorry for the dark picture. I didn't feel like waiting for sunlight to get this posted. Maybe I'll replace it with a nicer pic later. Or not . . . )

Swish with a Twist

I finished up a Swish with a Twist cloth last night for the current KAL with my Two Projects group. (I posted a picture in a separate post, since Blogger keeps doing weird things when I try to post pics and text all in one post . . . ) I think I like it. It was easy to work up once I figured out what I was doing. Personally, I thought the pattern was a bit confusing, but once I figured out what I needed to do (especially how to get the slipped stitches to sit on the right side instead of getting woven into my knitting), it was really simple. I like a slightly smaller dishcloth, so I altered the pattern just a bit, doing one less pattern repeat both horizontally and vertically.

Swish with a Twist Photo

I'm Back!

I'm back, and do I need a knitting fix! It felt so good to email the finished manuscript back to the publisher today and clear off my desktop that I wanted to clean house in the literal sense too. I did a major cleaning (i.e. moving furniture) of the living room and dining room. Now that the dust bunnies are no longer threatening to push us out of the house, I feel like I can settle into my little nest and knit away. So here's what I've been planning for the last month and a half, my knitting to-do list. Well, I've been doing lots of fiber-related dreaming, but here's what's on the immediate agenda:

1. Mitts for T.
2. Ear flap hat for T. (I'm still trying to decide on a good pattern. He tends to have lots of trouble with the hat slipping down over his eyes. I'm trying to find a pattern for a hat that sits high on the forehead but has flaps to keep the ears warm. Know of any good ones? He's 8 1/2 months old.)
3. Socks for me (my very first foray into the world of sock knitting) .
4. Various and sundry dishcloths. This is mostly what I've been working on lately. (Okay, so I didn't take a total knitting hiatus. A girl's gotta get in some knitting time, come on!) They're quick and easy and fun, so I plan to do some more while I'm working on other projects.
5. Some kind of scarf/hat/mittens set for myself.