Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Moving and FO: Geeky Linux Mittens

I really wanted to start the new year with some great posts on my Christmas knitting (which will happen!) but my time has recently been otherwise occupied- I'm moving to a new place!
 
While this isn't the 'ideal' time of year (it's about 8 degrees outside right now), it's really the right time in my life for something like this.  My old apartment had the lingering feel of a college dorm, mostly in part due to guy roommates that leave bacon pans out on the stove because they "use them every day".  Silly boys!  Instead, I'm moving in with a quiet and clean roommate in the upper level of a duplex, with a view of Lake Superior from my kitchen window, a big corner for my craft table, and within walking distance to the dance studio I teach at (and will be spending almost every night a week at now with all my extra students!).  
The new place is in the "controlled chaos" stage of the move, with about 75% of the stuff from my old apartment moved over, and with a lot of work I'm hoping that I'll have a good portion of it unpacked and ready to go by the weekend!
Just to tide over the knitters, here's a recent FO as a Christmas present that the recipient was very excited to use the last few days- some super Geeky Linux Mittens!
Pattern: Geek Mittens by Gayla Oglesby
Yarn: 2 skeins of the tasty Ella Rae Lace Merino- one in jet black and the other bright green!
 
Needles: size 2 for the cuff, 1 for the rest of the mitten
Made For: Scott, certified linux nerd.
Timeline: November 21-December 27th, though I pumped out the second mitten in about a day to get them finished before I had my Christmas gift exchange with Scott!
Modifications: I wanted the cuffs to be more fitted, so I cast on with 56 stitches, K1P1 for 2 1/2 inches, then increased every 7th stitch before launching into the fair isle.  I also changed the binary on both mittens to contain a special message written in binary- talk about nerdy!
Worst Part: Putting off the second mitten until I couldn't put it off any more, and having no choice but to crank it out.
Best Part: Knitting with this wool is always a treat, and seeing his face when he opened them was worth all the fair isle work!

I'm actually working on my "Knit List 2012"- my goal this year is to finish up a bunch of large UFOs floating around in my stash, including the big ghost of Christmas past, my Dad's Dale of Norway sweater.  My goal is to "Knit 12 in 2012", which doesn't seem like a lot, but most of my projects are big ones.  When I have the whole list nailed down I'll put it up.

Still putting together my new creative writing blog... stay tuned for that!

For now, off to lesson plan my classes for the new year and stay warm...

1 comment:

Joachim said...

So, how does it feel living in the upper level of a duplex for 8 months? I hope you get along with your new roommate and enjoy your stay there. Living in a dorm or in an apartment is also favorable for your social development. You will meet and deal with all kinds of people with different personalities. However, before choosing a room, it is also advisable to determine the attitude of your roommate.

Joachim Wang