WIP Wednesday!

Project: Planorbarious
Pattern: Planorbis corneous Sock
Designer: Hunter Hammersen
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in Agate Heather
Needles: US 1.5/2.5mm Chiaogoo Red Lace for magic loop two at at time
Notes: Contrary to what the Ravelry pattern page states, this pattern is also free in the First Fall 2014 Knitty! These are my November Sock Knitters Anonymous socks for the featured designer. I know they're barely started and the color is a bit bland, but I think this will be a beautiful pair of socks. The pattern is inspired by an antique illustration of a snail, thus the scientific name, and the brown yarn immediately makes me think of a snail's shell. What a perfect match!

PPS: I have a few newly finished objects that just need proper photography. Look for them on the blog soon!

WIP Wednesday!

So, I recently reorganized my stash and it's monstrous. Since it outgrew its cabinet confines in June, I decided that a stash-diet was in order. I started on July 1st and I plan to make it last at least a year and longer if necessary. This is a picture of my organized stash, which might not seem huge until you consider that I live in a one bedroom apartment and don't work. I've already bought this yarn because I liked it, so why not use it already?

Not included in this picture is the huge pile of project bags with at least 25 projects inside them. Some of these things have been on my needles for years, including a cardigan for my mother that will be three years overdue in January. Making things even worse is the fact that I'm working on one relatively new project and I've got three things that need casting on for winter gifts rather than catching up on old projects.

Project: Skypin' in the Swamp
Pattern: Simple Skyp Socks
Designer: Adrienne Ku
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Sport (discontinued) hand-dyed by me in Go Gators!
Needles: US 2/2.75mm Chiaogoo Red Lace for magic loop one at at time
Notes: These are my October Sock Knitters Anonymous challenge socks for variegated yarn. These are too late for prize eligibility but I want to get them finished before the Gators play in the Birmingham Bowl on January 3rd with our brand new head coach.
I've got 48 rounds to go on the foot and then a quick toe. I might finish these this weekend!
This is the first time I've tried the Fish Lips Kiss Heel and I have mixed feelings about it. I think I wrapped one too many stitches on each side and so it's a little large. I also don't feel like it's any easier to make than any other heel, though it wasn't any harder either. I'll give it another chance so I can form a proper opinion, but I don't think this will be my default heel in the future.

Back Out of Hibernation Yet Again - and For Good This Time!

Hello again!

I'm gonna do this for real this time, I promise! My final exams end in two days and I'll only have class two days a week next semester so I really have no excuse except for laziness and that's no good.

Schoolwise, I'm almost done with my final exams. There's one in Ecology, one in Evolutionary Biology, and one in Primate Biology (lab and lecture combined). I've already finished with an A in scuba diving, an A in Ecology lab (a separate class) and a B in Vertebrate Zoology (lab and lecture combined).

Next semester, I'm taking Methods in Aquatic Ecology and lab with my Vertebrate Zoology professor who rocks, Physics I and lab online, and Microbiology and lab but I'll only be in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays! This is the first time in something like two and a half years that I won't be on campus for five days a week.

After the spring semester I have three classes left! If everything goes well and the scheduling works out that means I can graduate next December! It's been so long and I've worked so hard that I can't wait to get my fancy piece of paper and get on with the rest of my life.

At home, I turned 26 in July and Mike and I celebrated our six year anniversary! We also made two trips home to Orlando and Universal Studios to see the awesome Harry Potter areas.

Here's Gingotts Bank and the fire breathing dragon on the top. The accompanying Escape from Gringotts ride is absolutely amazing, as is all of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.

These self-knitting needles were in a shop window in Diagon Alley. They were really moving and clacking like metal needles!

Since you guys probably didn't come here to hear about my life and schooling, here's a quick recap of my recent knitting projects. I've been busy!

PS: click the links under the pictures for the Ravelry project pages with more pictures and pattern and yarn information.

My Shapely Alien Boyfriend Cardigan

Yup, I Made Another Ruffle Scarf

Penny Dreadful Echo Flower Shawl

Dobby Style Sockmark

Not a Demon Baby Hat

Herd Walker Zombie Toy

Road Trip Salomas Slippers

Secret Swap Rick Socks

Jaywalking in Snow

Seaside Stripes Hadley Hat

River Shannon Socks with bonus Riku cameo!

Oscillating Ungulates Hat

Fernweh Sockhead Hat
Completed just today on a study break, as evidenced by the crappy university bathroom selfie. Sorry! Fernweh is German for faraway sickness, as in the need to travel. Since the yarn is my San Diego souvenir, it definitely creates feelings of ferweh.

You know what's really bad? I knit at least 10 headbands for my mother that have no pictures or project pages and I have four projects that haven't been photographed in their completed state. Oops! They probably need finishing of some sort and then I'll take and share proper photos.

Thanks for reading!

Now onto the knitting!

Even though I've been busy in the last year, I never stopped knitting.

Here's a simple photo overview of some of my best finished knits from the last year. Click the link under each photo to go to the Ravelry project page.

Please excuse the poor quality of these shots as well as the inconsistent sizes. Most of them were taken on my phone just so I could easily share on my Plurk timeline and I'm still learning just how to use Blogger to make pretty posts. New FO photos will be much improved.

Secret Fan Socks

Inside Out Socks

Grey Gardens

Oscilloscope

Antler Hat

Wuppertal

Spice Pumpkin

Spirit Cozy

Green Arrow Cowl

Alice Cardi

Lucy Hat