Tuesday, December 30, 2008

december: the end

whatever it is you desire in the coming year,
i wish you just enough.

happy new year.

Monday, December 15, 2008

december: week 3

It's like Groundhog Day around here, with all the Turn a Squares and Dashing... I'm still busy working on Dashings.  I've got the second pair half done, but that is the mitt that my father-in-law picked up with his own and is now mailing back to me.  The third pair is also half done, and I'll probably finish that pair later today.  This last pair is for the husband and are shortened dramatically.  

So as not to bore you further with seeing the same dang yarn knit up in the same dang pattern, here's a Christmas-themed meme I copied from Andrea's blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  Wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or artificial?  Real.  Noble Fir.

3. When do you put up the tree?  Usually the first weekend in December, but this year it was the last weekend in November.

4.  When do you take down the tree?  As soon as the tree is officially a fire hazard.

5. Do you like Egg Nog?  Yes, non-alcoholic right and out of the carton.  Bud's of San Francisco is the best in the West.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? LA Gear tennis shoes, pale pink/pale green.  I was 11, I think.  It's not so much that this was a favorite, but I remember this gift very clearly.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?  No.  We have a near-entire set of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" characters.  (Our Yukon Cornelius is not quite the same scale.)


8. Hardest person to buy for?  My father-in-law.

9. Easiest person to buy for?  Annika.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?  Usually, mail.  This year, I'm not sure that I'm going to get any out, though.

11. Favorite Christmas movie?  Elf.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Anything on the smörgåsbord.

13. Clear lights or colored?  Colored on the tree.  Clear on the house.

14. Favorite Christmas song? "Christmastime" as performed by the Smashing Pumpkins.

15. Travel or stay home at Christmas?  Stay at home.  I am a firm believer that the kids should be in their own beds on Christmas Eve.  I do wish we could be nearer to family, though.

16. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?  Yes.  Absolutely.

17. Angel or Star on top of the tree?  Star.  A sequined gold star.  

18. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning?  The Pajama Fairy brings the kids -- sometimes the adults -- new p.j.'s that are opened Christmas Eve.  All other presents are opened around 6am on Christmas morning.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year?  That it goes by a little too fast to enjoy it.  And that after-Christmas sales commercials appear on TV beginning Christmas Eve.

20. Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees?  Homey, I guess.  I hadn't ever really thought about it.  Our tree is covered in ornaments that people have made us or the kids have picked out.

21. Gingerbread or Sugar Cookies.  Gingerbread.  Always gingerbread.

Enjoy the last few days until Christmas.  I'm constantly reminded -- by television, my kids and my pocketbook -- that there are only 10 more days until the big guy arrives.  And 375 more days until next Christmas.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

dashing WIP's

Our family had its first Christmas celebration yesterday.  The kids were very excited for it, but I couldn't muster the same.  There's something about multiple Chrismases that wears on me, and it's not just that it creates multiple knitting deadlines.
I gifted the first round of handknits: one Birthday Cowl and pair of Toasty to my step-mother-in-law, and a Turn a Square and one-and-a-half* pair of Dashing for my father-in-law.  You've seen the others, but here is the Dashing:

I modified the Dashing by only knitting 12 rounds -- not 18 -- in the rib pattern from the last cable twist to the thumb opening. The husband (a small framed 5' 7", just like his dad) thought they were too long as it was. Imagine six more rounds between wrist and thumb.  The Dashing might have reached his elbow.  

I knit Dashing in Cascade 220, colorway 7821, to coordinate with the Turn a Square.  I like the pattern overall, but when I had holes at the thumb opening, I thought I must be an unskilled knitter.  After a hurried photo shot and harried post on flickr, I was comforted to know that some of you still get holes, too, and all you do is sew them shut with the tail end.  Phew!  I've knit mitts before, but always with a thumb gusset.  Guess I'm a gusset girl, with two more pairs of Dashing to knit.

*So I had the left-hand mitt of another pair of Dashing on a table near where the gift unwrapping was happening.  I think the father-in-law accidentally picked that one up, too.  I'd like to be a fly on the wall when he unpacks his loot and finds three mitts! ;-)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

december: week 2

the turn a squares are all completed.
it's hard to believe that all three hats were knit out of one skein of noro silk garden (color #126) and just a little over one skein of cascade 220 (color #7821).


you saw the very neutral one in my week 1 post. i was extremely pleased with its outcome, as it is very similar to the designer's. the masculine color combo and striping effect was precisely the look i was after. and yes, i had noticed that my skein of silk garden had some bright spots. tried as i might, ignoring the turquoise mixed in there was not possible once the second hat was cast off.


the third hat turned out to be a near identical twin to the second. the bright hues were toned down just a few notches.


the pattern calls for knitting the first two plain body rows in the silk garden, then knitting three rows in the solid cascade, and continuing in that manner through to the end. upon casting on this third hat -- and with unnecessary foresight -- i decided i would knit the first three body rows with cascade 220 and if i should run out of the silk garden, i would just finish the hat in the cascade. i have several yards of silk garden left, so i didn't need to worry after all.

all in all, these hats were satisfying knits. there are too few masculine patterns available, in my opinion. i understand the why of it, but when it's time to knit a gift for one of the great men in my life, i often struggle. it was great to be unconcerned with whether or not my father-in-law would like his, or if my dad would like his... and i really hope that third hat is well-loved by its recipient, too.

and so a question for you handmade gift givers: how do you wrap your goodies? i'm looking for inspiration...

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

have i got a deal for you

do you have $12?
seriously. do you? whip it out.
one skein of malabrigo worsted is about $12.
$12 + free toast pattern = heaven.


you can knit a pair of easy-peasy toast or toasty with nearly any single skein of yarn, but honestly, malabrigo is hands-down the greatest. especially when it's this wintry grey colorway called "polar morn."

and, dear reader, you will want for nothing else.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

december: week 1

do you hear them? the jingling sleigh bells? i have, and now i can't stop the gift knitting.

birthday cowl and toasty in malabrigo worsted, "continental blue" colorway


darkside cowl in malabrigo worsted, "polar morn" colorway

i also have been (sorta) knitting the adventskalendar, though until i find some suitable green and yellow yarns, this will sit for a bit.


Monday, November 24, 2008

thankful for knitting

With such a long to-do list, I've had to check out from actively browsing the web. I've read through Bloglines and kept up with you all, but as you can tell from the time between posts here at sheepishone, I've been elsewhere.

Since I last shared, a few projects have been cast on and cast off while others have simply gained yardage. Lots has been accomplished. Lots more has yet to be. But I can't complain. Overall, things have been good here and I'm looking forward to a relaxing Thanksgiving break. I have to stop there, though, because attempting to wrap my head around the business of December could leave me in a bad state of mind.


The Through the Loops Mystery Socks have JUST been finished.  Socktoberfest ended in November for me, since I had some problems staying monogamous to my project...  I enjoyed the pattern, even this basic version.  The pattern repeat was never boring, and I thought it was extremely well-written, as are all of Kirsten's patterns.  Although I had wanted to knit the cabled version, this skein of The Plucky Knitter Single Ply 100% Merino in Green Tea was more variegated than I thought it was going to be.  It, not I, chose to go with the pattern's basic version.


I started holiday gift knitting.  This is another Lucky 7 hat knit in Malabrigo Worsted, Forest colorway.  I am finding that this pattern ALWAYS knits up snugly, and this is the last time I will use it.  Not even going up to a size 9 needle and knit extra cable twists seemed to help!


These ankle socks were a two-day project -- and remember, what I get done in two days, most of you fabulous knitters can be through with in one.  I didn't use any specific pattern, but here are the details: Cast on 48 sts on size 4 dpn.  K2, P2 rib for 10 rounds.  Knit two rounds in stockinette.  Begin standard Sl1, K1 heel flap.  Stockinette stitch through to toe.  Decrease to 8 sts.  Kitchener.

I had intended this yarn for an advent calendar: the idea was to knit all the hats and mittens in variegated Christmas-ish colors.  Once I did the first mitten in this Claudia Handpainted Sport Shorts Peppermint Mocha, I decided the advent calendar should really be done in solids.  

Next: A pair of Mini Fetching for Laurel.  I knit these from a skein of Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere (this yarn is now discontinued) I had laying in a drawer.  They are very dense, knit on size 4 needles.  I followed the pattern to a "t", casting on the same number of stitches, et cetera.  She's worn them to school, so she must really like them!



The last finished project I have to share with you is the MacDaddy socks that you've seen a bit about before.  (The pattern, at one time available on MagKnits, is now here.)  One sock features the Apple, Inc., logo and the other has the "happy mac" face.  Both were duplicate stitched on once the socks were completed.  Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Pewter and Louet Gems in Black are the yarns used.

I'm getting started on the solid version of my Adventskalendar today.  Hopefully it won't be January before I post again!  Oh, and I've got to remember to bake off the Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie dough chilling in the fridge.  Yum!

Meanwhile, have a very joyful, friends- and family-filled Thanksgiving!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

socktoberfestiveness

Now I know that knit-bloggers are quick to find the newest, hottest pattern (uh, February Lady Sweater, anyone?!?) but it seems that there are two brand-spankin' new commodities: Toast and the Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL.

Toast is a classically simple pattern put together by the talented Friend that lots of us know about.  If you're looking for this year's fingerless mitt, Toast is it.  The pattern's free and anyone can knit it!  I haven't cast on for a pair, but it's something I'm keeping in the back of my mind for holiday gift knitting.

The Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL comes our way via Through the Loops and Ravelry.  Also free, this sock pattern is written for many sizes and many skill levels.  Each Wednesday in October, Kristin will reveal the next clue to the pattern.  I have been participating and find that when the second clue came available last Wednesday night, I stayed up and knit way past my bedtime.


I would have liked to knit the cable pattern, but this particular skein of The Plucky Knitter Single Ply Merino (Green Tea) is really quite variegated.  When I realized just how much variegation there was, I decided that I'd knit the basic version.  

My mindless knitting for TV watching has been the TechGuy Socks for the husband.  I'm past the heel of the second sock and looking forward to giving them to him.  I had to re-apply the Apple logo on the first sock because I'd measured wrong and duplicate stitched it too far off center.  It was a blessing, though, because I learned a valuable lesson: when duplicate stitching, start at the bottom and work up.  I did that the second time around and had a perfect Apple, with every duplicate black "v" completely covering the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock pewter "v".  Now, I'm pleased!


My perfectionism reared it's ugly but honest head today.  I frogged the Hedera sock I had completed, along with the cuff of its mate.  This is the second attempt at knitting Hedera and the second time I've frogged it.


Hedera was supposed to be a Christmas gift for mother-in-law, but she wears a size US6.5 wide and these fit my size 10 feet.  The idea of giving socks that may be so misfit weighed heavily on my conscience and also squashed the motivation to knit the second sock.  I was also extremely disappointed with how my tension in yarn overs was off and my execution wasn't nearly as nice as others.  This Dream In Color Smooshy in Gothic Rose will go back into the stash for another time.

Hooray for finishing socks! Pomatomus is off the needles and on Laurel's feet. She's super happy to have another pair of hand-knit socks and is now lobbying for a pair of shoes like mine in which to show off. Her birthday's coming, so I may oblige her request. If you're well-versed in sock yarn, you can probably spot that this is
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight. The colorway is Puck's Mischief.  


Happy Socktober to you!

Friday, October 3, 2008

happy fall y'all

Here in California, unless you live in the highest elevations, you'll hear folks say that there are no real seasons.  We have summer (especially inland) and we have rain.  If you don't care for snow, California's a great place to live, but if you like to see a visible change in weather, head elsewhere.  But October is here.  Autumn, by all accounts, has arrived.  We wake in the mornings with a chill, the air brisk.  By midday, we might woe the long sleeved shirt and pants we decided on in the early hours of the day.  In the late evening, we'll wish we hadn't changed to shorts and a tee, and we are plain lucky if we've got a hoodie in the car.

Unlike other areas, our leaves are only just changing. There is a handful of ash leaves in my front yard, but the major unloading of leaves won't be through until early December.  Halloween is the very first day of sweater weather, and sweater weather will be over by early March if not February.  Fall blurs into winter, the only marked differences are the holiday decorations.

But really, these months are my favorite time of year. The kids' birthdays span from September to October, then there's Halloween and Thanksgiving and The Nutcracker performances and Christmas...  

It's a busy but joyous time and it's always the perfect weather to knit!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

sunday baking


Sunday Morning Granola.

Saw it on Milk Eggs Chocolate first.
Greatly influenced by Leslie's post.
Rose early this morning and baked.  
Filled the house with sweet and spicy aromas.
Ate mine with yogurt.  Yum.



White Milk Bread from Apples for Jam.
Have coveted the book for months.
Finally broke down and bought it a few weeks back.
Tried it once, and it didn't rise; I only had ap flour on hand, and it really does require bread flour.  
This time, it was positively perfect in every way. 
Slathered my slice with butter.  The kids ate theirs with strawberry jam.

Friday, August 29, 2008

i *heart* socks.

As if you didn't know it already.


Socks almost always flatter.
You never have to worry if they are hiding a bulge or a sag.
They typically don't accentuate a feature you try really hard to keep from daylight.
It's not of importance whether the color you selected is complementary to your skin tone.
Shouldn't you love socks, too?


The yarn is hand-dyed by Sarah, the [fabulous] Plucky Knitter. But don't expect you can rush right over and ask her to dye you up a skein, for this particular beauty was only dyed for Plucky Classics (of course, you could try to get into the next go-round). Hitchcock is her new muse, and this colorway, Madeliene Elster, was inspired by "Vertigo".
To remind me I'm not perfect, there are two mistakes, both in the same sock. 1. I forgot to twist a cable on the leg; 2. and maybe more distressing of the two: I knit the cuff a half inch longer on one sock! Yikes. Thank goodness they'll be covered by pants.


The pattern is the Baby Cable Rib (rav link) by Charlene Schurch. I don't like the Schurch toes, though, so I went with the toe from Charade (rav link, too), another lovely pattern featuring a nice, wide toe. I've knit a few pairs of Charades before -- and loved them, but it was Amanda's comment from a previous post that reminded me of the great shape again.
Love.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

in a month's time

The silence over here in my space of the knitting blogosphere is deafening.  Some days I'm a little disappointed in myself for not writing more and allowing flickr to be my only avenue to you.  Other days, I know that NOT spending the time posting is the best thing that I can do: my family needs my attention, my sanity deserves it.   I've resolved to be like Kerstin, Blogging Without Obligation.

July 24 was my last post, and detailed the Snicket socks that I adore but haven't yet had a chance to wear in our summertime heat.  That posting seems like a long, long time ago.  Even the "I've-completed-the-Snicket" high I was riding feels aeons away.  The last week of July was the finish of Pre-K for Annika and quickly melted into the first week August-- which was our last week of summer break.

When school starts, I always heave a sigh: one that's half-filled with relief at the prospect of a little more quiet, a little more time, and a little more routine; but the other half is filled with a little more stress, a little more scheduling, and a whole lot more commitment.  School is important to us, no doubt.  Our homework gets done on time, reading is done every night.  Instilling the study skills of a successful student is paramount, and I'm positive it is the same for a lot of those that read this blog.  This reign over school/home scheduling is not necessarily difficult, it's just the other side of the leaf I have to turn once August hits.  And this year, it's taken all of my focus since there are two children in school.

So in a month's time, not a whole lot of tangible things have been accomplished, but here's the run-down of what has been on the needles:

Pomatomus sock.  Began as a sock for me, but is too tight, so is now on its way to be socks for Laurel.  Socks that Rock Lightweight in Puck's Mischief.

Slouchy Cardigan from Greetings from Knit Café.  This pattern has caused some heartache for so many knitters.  The sleeve cap doesn't fit into the arm hole well, apparently.  I've looked and noted many knitters' modifications, but I'm just going to forge on with the pattern as written.  As an unexperienced sweater knitter, I feel that I really can't deviate beyond the pattern too much.  Debbie Bliss Alpaca/Silk DK in sky blue.

Baby Cable Rib Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks.  I love this pattern, as I do all of the patterns in this book, and it's sequel, More Sensational Knitted Socks.  I only have to finish half of the foot and toe of the second sock, and I've got another pair to add to my drawer.  I've found a couple of mistakes in the second sock: one twist I forgot to make in one cable, and I knit the cuff of the second sock two inches long but the first cuff only one-and-a-half inches long!  Thank goodness they'll hide under pants when I'm wearing them. The Plucky Knitter's Plucky Classics Superwash Merino Wool Handpainted Fingering in Madeleine Elster.

And here's what has been baking:

First week of school request: Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Plain-ol'-regular-off-of-the-back-of-the-Toll-House-bag Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Since these are Laurel's favorite, I won Mom of the Week.

Second week: Duncan Hines Brownies.  Laurel went grocery shopping with me and asked if we could buy this particular box because there were three box tops on the box.  Her new class is the recipient of most collected box tops award each year.  She is bound and determined to help keep the honor in place.

This week: Rice Krispies Treats.  (Do you see a trend towards laziness here?  And really, since they don't bake, can they even be labled a Cookie of the Week?  I don't know how much lower I can slum when next week comes around.  Pretty soon I'll be doling out Mother's Circus Animal Cookies.)  Oh, but I do add 1 tsp. vanilla extract to my marshmallow-butter mixture, a tip that was given to me by a mom from Laurel's first playgroup.

There is one possibly redeeming cookie here though, under all of this mundane.  Yesterday was the Annual Cream Can Dinner that my husband's Nebraskan family puts on.  Never heard of it?  Neither had I, until a few years back.  I was asked to bring a dessert, so I chose Fresh-Peach Drop Cookies from Cookies.  Fresh-Peach Drop Cookies sounds down home enough to finish off a Cream Can Dinner, don't they?  Too bad I forgot the cookies on the counter at home...

... because I really didn't want them at home.  These cookies are just okay.  They're very moist, and is suggested that they're consumed the day they're made.  If they're not eaten, they become even more moist.  Uh, like puddly-moist.  Anyway, I expected some great peachy flavor, especially because I bought organic peaches and a high-quality peach preserve.  Sadly, if it wasn't for the cinnamon-sugar topping, these would be nearly tasteless.

Oh, and remember how I mentioned that my mother-in-law said she is disgusted by the idea of me throwing away my cookies of the week?  She knew of my plan to bring these peach cookies to the Cream Can.  When I showed up with a Whole Foods Cherry Pie and Gianna's Ginger Snaps instead, she told me she'd need to know when to come out this week to eat up the peach cookies.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

a series of unfortunate events

Well not so much as a series as just one unfortunate event: I ran out of yarn when I was 85% of the way through the pair of Snicket Socks, way back in April.

Sarah graciously dyed up another skein of Suri Alpaca/BFL as close as she could get to the original, who's colorway name was "Bobbing for Apples". The new skein, "Not Quite Bobbing", arrived late last week, and I was able to finish the second sock yesterday.

Yes, there is a completely obvious difference in hue. And yes, the reds don't photograph the same every time. But I'm still in love. The socks are so soft, and very warm, and I can picture lounging around the house in jeans, a tee, and these socks come winter. And if I want to be super anal, I could go back and buy that pair of shoes I walked away from at the sale last week, as the toe box would hide the mishap ... Then I could wear them out and about with nary a glance.


The pattern is from the obsolete Mag Knits website, but if you're on Ravelry, you can download the PDF or save it to your Ravelry pattern library. It's a well-done pattern, and though I ran into a few hiccups, they were so little that even I could figure them out! I did make the heel modifications that I'd seen on iSeL's Snickets, and that was easy, too. But really, here's my advice: don't believe from the pattern that it will only take you 230 yards to fashion your own pair of Snickets. The pattern does state that the yardage is correspondent to a women's US 7 shoe, and I wear a 10, but it took a total of 360 yards for my pair. Most other Ravelers have used quite a bit more than the pattern suggests as well, so there's my warning to you.


These socks were my opus, until I ran out of yarn. I still really, really, really like them, but they don't quite sing the same tune they once did. I have a feeling you may see more Snickets from me. Especially ones similar to these, or these, or these...

Friday, July 18, 2008

three for three


Recently, Annika mentioned to the Man that she would like to repeat a day in San Francisco that we had in March. The first place we hit that day was Tartine, a small but well-known neighborhood bakery in the Mission District. While we were there, Annika munched on Mexican Wedding Cookies, covering herself in powdered sugar. This memory, and her wish to return to Tartine helped to decide our Cookie of the Week.


This particular recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cookies, although most of the recipes included are also available online, and you can find it here. The recipe produced a cookie with a very solid, typical taste of a Mexican Wedding Cookie; for that I was grateful, since they didn't exactly look typical. The recipe called for pressing whole, blanched almonds onto the top of the cookie, but whole, blanched nuts are something that would have been picked out by the kids, so I omitted. However, the recipe also asked one to "flatten slightly". It is obvious to me that I flattened "awholelotta". Mexican Wedding Cookies should be dome shaped.

In any case, the cookies are almost gone, which as Martha would say, is a very good thing. After all, 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of almonds is the bulk of the recipe that only yields 20 cookies. Yikes!

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

WIP Wednesday


... only I spent this Wednesday finishing the WIP and marking it FO.

The yarn is sKNITches Syncopation in Mint Mocha Latté, knit on size 2 dpn's, and is a mish-mash of sock patterns. The heel flap, with its garter stitch border, and the toe are from Knitting Sensational Socks by Charlene Schurch. The body of the sock is an Ann Norling pattern, Adult Basic Socks #12. Only recently did I start using the Knitting Sensational Socks toe, and I have to say, I need to investigate other patterns. I really dislike how few stitches are left to kitchener. Any suggestions?

Since a few of you have shared your summer book selections, I'm revealing a small part of the stack I have yet to read. Through the Children's Gate by Adam Gopnik, known for his book Paris to the Moon; The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, which Laurel and I take turns reading aloud; A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, seems suitable for the current times; and The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald, which has just been languishing on the bookshelf for years...

Saturday, July 12, 2008

a duet

because two are always better than one.

I finished the second Miniature Cowichan Cardigan today, resulting in two very happy daughters with two very sweet looking dolls.

Laurel's doll, Nellie, is wearing the blue cardigan. Annika's doll, who she named Nicki, is wearing the magenta cardigan. Although Laurel has another American Girl doll, Samantha, she has said that just one cardigan is enough. Visions of themed cardigans are dancing in my head: cardigans in school colors, cardigans in holiday colors, cardigans without collars, cardigans with matching shells.

This pattern was featured in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007 issue. I had queued the pattern over on Ravelry way back in November or December, but never really had any intention of casting on right then. When I was finally prepared to start the projects, I went back to the issue and realized that the pattern was never included in the magazine; one had to go online and download the PDF. I set out to locate it, only to find it had been removed from the site! (growl)

"web exclusive" it says there in the blue circle.
wish i had seen that earlier.

Kerstin had knit one for Olivia's American Girl, so I asked Kerstin if she still had the PDF. Thankfully, she did, and promptly e-mailed it to me. (Many others thought they had access to the PDF and tried their darnedest to no avail -- thanks to them as well.)

Both sweaters are knit in Cascade 220. The magenta was knit on size 3 needles, as suggested by the pattern. I had swatched for this first sweater, but apparently the swatch wasn't really large enough (is 4"x4" the proper size for a swatch?) and my gauge was off. While the cardigan still fit Annika's doll, the fabric created was very dense. When I cast on for Laurel's blue cardigan, I decided to use a size 4 needle. Typically, I always have to go up a size in needle anyway, so I didn't bother with a swatch. In the end, the gauge was correct with the blue cardigan knit in the size 4 needle (6.5 sts/1"), but I like the fit of the magenta cardigan on the size 3 better. Both the collar and the sleeves seem to fit the doll better.

The pattern in of itself is a very fun knit, and I think should be required knitting prior to first attempts at "people sweaters". Although maybe not written for a true beginner, the pattern, if carefully read and executed, could be knit by an early knitter. I liked this particular sleeve/body construction: the sleeves were knit in the round separately, then knit onto the body at the armhole, then decreased raglan style as the cardigan continued on up. At the finish, six armhole stitches and six bottom sleeve stitches were kitchenered together.

hello raglan decrease!

Since these are now off the WIP list and on the FO list, I can resume my sock-knitting. First I'll finish the Mint Mocha Latté socks, which are about 75% complete. Maybe by then, I'll have received the extra Bobbing for Apples Alpaca/BFL I needed, and I'll finish up the Snickets. Sarah has told me that the new yarn is a few shades darker than what I had, but you know what? I just don't care. That will be part of the story those socks will tell.