Old Faithful

Because I am supremely sleepy, I'm just going to share this one thing from yesterday's photo shoot, and the new shawl will wait until tomorrow when I am making sense.

I made these gloves two years ago, and just took finished pictures of them yesterday. For shame. However, the good news is that they look exactly like they did the day I finished them.

I cobbled these together from a few different fingerless glove patterns on Ravelry, and I've worn them daily for two, going on three winters. They are phenomenal, durable, and comfortable--and I can't say enough for gloves with long wrists.

There's not much more I can say about them, because I didn't really use a single pattern. They were knitted with KnitPicks Telemark, which is a remarkably durable yarn. I think that yarn, combined with the tight gauge, is what's kept them looking the same for the past two years. I highly recommend this yarn for gloves, although I think it may be discontinued.

I'll be back tomorrow with many pictures of my newest completed shawl. For now, I leave you with a picture (one of many) that we took of this adorable bird who kept us company during our shoot:

Goodnight, all!

A Long-Delayed Introduction

It is a beautiful day here in Chicago, and Ben and I went to a little park and had a little photo shoot of several different knits. Now, I can finally share them with you all! It's about time that I properly introduce Esperanza.

She started like this:

And, slowly but surely, she grew:

Then, one night, she was done:

I blocked her the next morning:

I wore her to VKL:

And now, finally, I made the time today to take proper photos of her outside:

It's about time. I couldn't be happier.

Pattern: Queen Anne's Lace by MMario
Needles: 3.5mm dpns and 4.00mm circulars
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Verde Esperanza

I love, love, love this pattern. Please knit it, you won't regret it.

P.S. I'll be back tomorrow with more from the photoshoot!

Spooktacular

A year ago today, Spook came into our lives. It was a totally unexpected development for me to have a rabbit, although I'd wanted one for a long time. He was so tense and afraid in those early months, and through the last semester of my undergrad, I was so busy that we didn't get a whole lot of quality time together. That, combined with the hectic nature of my household at the time, meant that his demeanor didn't get a whole lot more relaxed while I was living in New Orleans.

However, then we put him in the big orange truck with us and brought him to Chicago, and everything changed. In the three-ish months since we've gotten here, Spook and I have bonded to a degree that I could only have dreamed of, before. We have a morning routine where we hang out while the coffee's brewing, and we frequently cuddle with him lying on my stomach. Moving here helped so much, because he's near us all day, every day, and we interact with him constantly. I'm so thankful that he is a part of our little family, and I can't imagine our home without him.

(He had been sleeping, and opened his eyes because he heard me taking the picture. He sprawls out like this to sleep all the time, and I love it so much.)


So, Happy Birthday, little man. I can't wait to see what the next year will bring.

Thankful

Thanksgiving got here so quickly, this year. We didn't plan on staying here originally, and suddenly Thanksgiving was coming and we were staying and I needed to cook! I wound up getting it all together at the last minute, and combined with Ben's birthday yesterday, I've done a tremendous amount of cooking in the past 48 hours! But, it was all so, so worth it. We have had an amazing couple of days, and we really needed the break. This was our first holiday in our own home, and I thought I'd be sad and homesick, but instead I was excited, optimistic, and proud of the job we did. I think I'm going to take a page from the Yarn Harlot's book and do this one photo-essay style. I really should have broken out my proper camera, but everything was moving too fast. These will do.

(He didn't eat much of his plate, but it was the spirit of the thing that mattered.)

I'm so proud of the meal I cooked and the experience we had today. This will certainly be a holiday I remember for years to come--I've never had a Thanksgiving where I felt so thankful.

As for knitting, I've been working on a Damson with some straight needles I bought at VKL and some Mal Sock that I bought while my friend Eryn was visiting me around Halloween. I'll be posting more pics of that soon. I'm also going to start knitting Christmas stockings for our house! I'm going to get some yarn for that soon, I can't wait to start them. I hope that everyone had as good of a day as I did--today bodes well for the rest of the holiday season. And now that my kitchen is immaculate one more, time for some much deserved relaxation and knitting. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Whirlwind

Holy wow, it's been a while. Since last we talked, there's been the rest of the opera, and finals week. Now, Thanksgiving is upon us! I am enjoying the second of two deliciously consecutive days off, and soon I will make a big post about VKL and all of the goodies I got there! For now, just know that there is knitting going on, and that I'm still alive!!

Crazy Pants

I just wanted to stop by and say that I am, indeed, alive. Tonight is the opening of my opera, and one of my best friends and fellow knitters has been staying with me this week, so it's been amazing. It's also been incredibly busy, which is why I haven't posted much. But, I will be back soon with pictures of VKL and all of the goodies I got there! In the meantime, send me good mojo for this weekend's shows!