Woo Hoo!

I knit the last stitch of the body on the Chocolate Cephalopod. Woo Hoo!

Click on pic to embiggen,

It's 2 inches narrower than expected. It was measuring out to 42 inches when on the needles, but now it's only 40 inches. Insert panic attack here. I'm told it should fit the receiver fine though, which is a huge relief cuz I ain't reknitting this baby. My swatch SO LIED to me!!! That doesn't happen to me very often, but when it does, it really pisses me off.

I was mentally exhausted after I knit that last stitch last night, so I took the rest of the night off from knitting. The instructions say to bind off the neck stitches, and bind off the shoulder stitches. I didn't want to do that because I want to do a 3-needle bind off to put the shoulders together. It makes such a nice seam when done that way. Nice and firm, but with a little give, and a nice non-bulky allowance. It's my preferred method of putting shoulders together.

I also wanted the neck stitches open so I can just slip them on the needle, rather than picking up stitches, for the neckband. I'll need to pick up a few along the sides, but that's fine. So, anyway, figuring out how to do that took some brain energy. That, and doing fairisle knitting in purl. After the first neck band stitches are put on hold, it's knitting back and forth instead of in the round for the rest of the piece. I'm relearning skills I haven't used in 25 or 30 years! But I am having fun doing it.

On Friday I finished the first of another pair of slippers for Knit Wits.

It's what I worked on during the last session of my beaded knit bag class. I took it to class so I could show the students how to sew a vertical garter stitch seam on something large enough for the students to easily see. It's hard to get the technique across when working with size 8 perle cotton and 0000 size needles and everyone is squinting trying to see what I'm doing, including myself. I couldn't find the swatches I usually use for this. (Does anyone know where I put my teaching swatches for the finishing class?) I had a flash of an idea when I remembered I'd finished knitting the slipper but it still needed to be sewn together. So I took it instead. My idea worked. The one student who showed up got the technique quickly. (The other student who didn't come? Your loss.)

There's colored glitter in the dark grey fur.

On Saturday we went and saw the new Thor: The Dark World movie.

I really enjoyed it. I think it's better than the first one. Very entertaining. Wholly implausible plot that stretches the imagination to the breaking point, lots of action, a bit of comedy, fantastic costumes, great special effects, and lots of man eye candy. (Thor and Loki are very easy to look at, if you know what I mean?) What's not to love?

More news. I've bought another doll. This is Essential Prudence Wigged Out.

She was released in the spring of 2008. She's Ellowyne's friend. She came with 3 wigs and the outfit you see here. I love her, but I was a little disappointed she doesn't have glass eyes. For some reason I thought she would. Probably got my Prudences mixed up. Anyway, I'm glad she's joined my little doll family.

I also opened my web store, Wool in the Wilde. I currently have two hand knit dresses available.

I hope someone buys them cuz I need to earn back what I've paid for dolls.

It has been frigidly cold for the past few days. We've had two nights that got below 10F degrees. The days have been in the 30's, barely over freezing. No snow though. It's definitely sweater wearing weather. I've actually been feeling cold. I'm wrapping myself up in sweaters and blankets, and cats. Cats make good lap heaters. I think my hot flash days are finally coming to an end. (It's about time!) The cold is bothering me a lot more this year than it has in the past.

Live long and prosper. \\//