I have released my Firebrick Mittens for your pleasure while I am away.  They are a blast to knit and much simplier than they look.  Above are the mittens that I and my test knitters created this summer on a burned out tree stump near the river.

I fell in love with this pattern, the Bubble Pullover from Knitting Nature, before I ever bought the book. I was just looking for the right yarn and the right occassion. Now I understand the middle of summer is not the most ideal time to be knitting a 100% wool sweater but considering I still wear sweaters for most of the summer it is not too much of a hardship.

First came copious swatching. I really wanted to have a more fitted sweater than the original. The smallest size gave you a 46″ bust. I wanted something a little big but not that big. So the first swatch (red) was knit with the original stitch count on smaller needles. It was still too big. It would have given me a 43″ bust. I wanted smaller so I crunched some math and cast on with the needles to get gauge and less stitches.

It worked and the sweater will be a 40″ bust. Now I am sure you are sick of the bubbles so let me distract you with socks.

My swap socks are past the heel and I no longer am worrying if they will fit. They are a bit snug on my feet so they should fit just right on hers. I love the way this pattern turned out.

BILs socks are coming along nicely. I got to the last toe increase on Friday and got to where you see now while watching Get Smart. I loved the movie. It gave me answers to my fav show as a kid. Now I am not that old but I used to stay up late when visiting the grandparents and watch Nick at Nite.

Lastly the Firebrick Mittens are on to there second mitt. I am so excited. Now if I can keep the momentum up, ya’ll will see the pattern soon.

The Firebrick mitten in its smallest size is doing well but I cam getting distracted by shiny knits. I need to get the thumb on by this weekend. My goal was today but Churchable got sick with food poisoning last night and he did not get to sleep till 4AM and since I was the nurse maid to my hubby I stayed up and helped him when needed and started the Buffy series over on Hulu.com.

I have decided to take my time with this WIP since it is a swap that does not end till the end of August and I want to keep my partner in my thoughts and prayers till then. If I finish too early, I fear I will not be so mindful of the purpose of the swap.

The BIL Christmas sock has gotten a wee bit of attention since I was standing around talking with Churchable’s co-workers & knitting after their meeting to find out the fate of their jobs. He was kept! Yeah!

Lastly this is my current obsession. I cast on at the neck on Saturday after cleaning my studio and swatching. After I woke up today, I cast off the hem. The hem is not supposed to be a shirt tail hem but I just loved the one in Sahara (which has moved to a new house to live) and really wanted to incorporate it into this pattern.

Now which pattern have I start, why the Labyrinth pattern by Wendy. I am doing this one along with the Sexy Knitters Club also. I guess I could say this is also part of the Knit anything by Wendy until the book arrives KAL. I am really looking forward to her new book. I don’t normally pre-order books but I had to with hers.

1. All my projects are boring to me. Too much stockinette stitch and ribbing.

2. The crud came knocking this weekend. The unknown beginnings were messing with me.

3. There is a new knitter in the house. My boy is knitting me a love scarf, since we all know I don’t do scarves.

Which one do you think it is? I will let you know what I think later in the week.

Now on to the WIPs. They have not gotten much play this week. I did knit on all of them a bit each. I even forgot when gathering them up today what was on the needles.

BILs sock is coming along nicely. I forced myself on Thursday to finish the cuff and BO and CO for the second sock so that I felt like I had made some progress.

The pink sock and I are spending a bit of time together but not too much or else the pink might rub off on me. I am enjoying the process of praying for my swap partner while I knit. I just hope this one does not have as much angst as the last prayer sock.

I pulled out the Firebrick mitten last night since my test knitters are done with their first mittens and I am still trying to get past the thumb divide. It should be a bit easier now. This mitten hung out and watched “So you think you can dance?” last night. They really grooved with Twitchington.

I have been busy making upgrades to the blog and making things work again. We found the archives so those should work again and a google search box will soon be living on the blog sidebar so that you can find useful stuff within the blog.

I also have been getting submissions ready for Interweave. See they are all done and packed up to go early.

Now to my actually knitting WIPs, I don’t have many far along because I have really been into popcorn knits. I am getting really high off all the FOs that are flying off the needles. You will see them soon.

First up the Beet that made turtlegirl be interested.

I am pretty sure I am in love with this pattern, I just can’t seem to take it every where since there are several balls of yarn to use.

Next up:

This is the second sock for my BIL. He asked for Camo socks last year and loved them so I decided I would make them again. Well basically I will keep making them till he is sick and tired of camo socks.

Lastly

I have been working on a Firebrick Mitten.

I am doing this so that I can answer questions for my test knitters if they ask one where I can’t remember what I did and I don’t say in the pattern.

In order of completion,

Pattern: Firebrick mittens (ravelry link)
Yarn: Mountain Colors 4/8’s Wool Colorway: Ruby River 1/2 skein (100% wool) and Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull color: Black 1/2 skein (100% superwash wool)
Needles: US 2 1/2 (3.00mm) Knitpicks Harmony Fixed Circular
Mods: Well since I created these, they are a mod. I am in love with my mittens and sad that I will be sending them on tomorrow morning to their mitten swap partner. I do know that I will soon have another pair for myself since I think I have enough left to make myself a pair with the leftovers. Once I got this pattern hammered out, it took me a little less than a week, but this was my fastest design time from start to finish (a week and a half). I am finishing up the pattern and sending off the stuff to the test knitters to look over and work on. One of them has to finish up another test knit for me so we will wait to see this pattern in full production but I am thinking it will be for sale in June.

Click the pic to read the importance of the flowers

Pattern: Koolhaas Hat (project page) by Jared Flood
Yarn: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted Colorway: Glazed Carrot 1/2 skein (100% HandspuMerino)
Needles: US 6 Knitpicks Harmony Interchangeables Magic Looped
Mods: None. I did knit this in the large. In the picture, it is a bit short but I blocked it and today it was the perfect fit. I love the yarn before blocking but fell in love after blocking.

I leave you with the Bun approving the Carrots.

Wrangling a bunny is not as easy as you would think. He was more interested in the unfamiliar surroundings than his favorite snack. Silly Wrabbit.

Mittens:

My mittens were frogged along with my socks on Wednesday but I created the pattern and marched on to a spectacular finish (ok it was only one mitten but I am claiming all the victories I can these days). This mitten is lovely and I am smitten with its beauty. I hope to release the pattern in a few months or so after it goes through tech editors and test knitters. So look for it.

I also hung out with Churchable and my best friend Kayleen. We wandered around Portland, going to the Saturday market, lunch in China town, a walk through the Chinese garden and a trip to Uwajimaya. While at Uwajimaya, I stopped in the bookstore and looked at the knitting books. I was stunned and it took a bit of time to figure out what books to buy. One of the books I did get, I wish that there had been a second book to buy for my mitten swap partner.

The book above part of the Heart Warming Life Series. ISBN 978-4-529-04510-0. It has twined knitting and fair isle. As soon as I got home, I looked up the mitten book to purchase. It will be arriving in a month so mine will be mailed with the package, but this book is so beautiful.

Swaps:

Click on the picture to see exactly all that is there.

This week I received my BBM: Little things package from Megan of Megan’s Cookin. She sent a lovely package. This swap was supposed to represent the small good things that can be offered and that we keep the shipping down. She sent me 14 items. All very much appreciated.

I also received one of the 2 ATCs that I am to be getting from this round of PS3 ATC swaps.

I also did the two above for my swap partners. I had fun with my puns and pens.

Contests:

Well I am not having a contest, but 2 other bloggers are and I am going to share with ya’ll. One ends tonight at 10 PM EST and the other by the end of the month.

Up first is the contest at Beautiful Thing’s blog, she is celebrating one year of blogging. Very cool. She asks that you do a simple things and answer her questions.

• name : Chrispy
• flickr id : pursuitoffiber
• ravelry username: RChrispy
• your vote for your favorite of my 2007 FOs: I love your A-line tank it looks lovely on you.
• link to or description of your favorite of your own FOs (knitted or otherwise – anything you made): wow well I am going to have to go with the one I wear the most. Some people are in love with their most recent FOs. I would be but recently those have been a bit slim. So I am going with my Rusted Root.

The second contest is over at Knitting in Pink. She wants us to list our 3 favorite things about where we live.

1. A new working fireplace.

2. A big backyard for the dogs to run around in.

3. Close to the biggest city park with a lake to walk around and exercise the dogs at