FOs*

*Finished Objects.  I've been a good girl, not only making new things but finishing something that's been hanging around for a while.  Longer than I thought when I checked the project file on Ravelry, seeing that I cast this on in October 2009.  Holy bejeebers!  That's way longer ago than I remembered, but a good thing it is that my knitting skills matured in the intervening time so that the pattern made sense when I picked it up again.  That's a very good thing, since I rediscovered this pattern because I've got more yarn I want to knit it up in.  Anyway, it's warm and soft and (I think) gorgeous.  The pattern says to put on a button and an I-cord loop to use as a closer but I've got a curve of shell that I think I'll use as a shawl pin instead.

Yesterday afternoon I cast on another one of those tiny purse keyrings and I finished it this afternoon.  This one went much easier because of all the snafus in the first one.  It's even tinier than the first one.  It's no picnic knitting with that thin, fingering weight yarn on US1 needles (think long toothpicks).  The darned stitches like to slip off the needles especially when I'm binding off for the straps and inevitably I drop one and have the devil of a time picking it back up.  You might ask why I keep knitting them if they're so frustrating and I don't have an answer, but I do have yarn picked out for the other two styles in the pattern.  If any of you think of a practical use for them, let me know.

I've been almost monogamous (well, about as monogamous as I ever am with this kind of stuff) in my dedication to the Hubbard Baby blanket.  I finished mitered square #2 at work on Thursday and cast on #3 right away.  This is a great, simple pattern, perfect TV, waiting room, and knitting night knitting because it doesn't really require much concentration.  As long as I keep repositioning my turquoise "right side" marker so that it's near where I'm working I'm good.  I really like how this is turning out; I hope the grandmother likes it too.
 

I stopped by the library branch this morning to pick up a couple of books I had reserved and there on the "feature" shelf was this book, Knitmare on Elm Street, sitting there looking at me.  Just looking at the cover made me giggle and when I flipped the pages and saw the pattern for a shrunken head I knew I had to check it out.  There's all kinds of cute Halloween-y patterns in this book.  I may never make any of these things but they sure are fun to look at.