Before the Winter Rush

Wow, it has been a long time since I have posted, and I didn't really even write all about my Peru trip either. Oh well. The news of the day is the finishing of a two big projects and the beginning of the winter season.

The two big projects that got finished are my skirt and sweater. Now both of these have been "finished" for a while from a knitting persepective, but they took a while to get the ends woven in and blocked, but I finally took the time before picking up some more knitting. First the Skirt (it's been sitting unfinished the longest):

The skirt is super cute and it fluffs out a bunch when I walk. I did have to get a slip for it as you can see in the first picture, it does have a bit of see-throughness without one. But all in all I'm quite happy.

The second finished project I'm more on the fence about how happy I am, its my sweater:

The problem I have with it is the way that it gets worked the back is longer than the front, yet both sides have the same # of rows. As far as the bottom edge is concerned I don't mind it at all...but the sides with the big wide stripe at an angle, I'm not so sure how I like that. Beyond that its a big comfy sweater and its nice and warm. Maybe I will try again someday and do a different pattern, or no pattern and get the rib worked in there so it can be fitted instead of baggy.

I also finished my first pair of socks! They are going to be a gift so I don't get to keep them, but still hurray! I originally couldn't do socks, but I read somewhere that christmas stockings are the way to go since they are bigger. So I knit one, found some of the problems I was having and went on to make several christmas stockings (I think I've made 6 total, I love making them so festive) then I managed to make a single sock but somewhere lost the momentum to make the second one and now I think I've even lost the first one. But this was a project that needed doing and so it has been done! I might make a few more this winter season, who knows.

My goals for the winter (aside from a few stragglers) are small and short, and stash reducers. I want to make some halloween and fall decorations, some chirstmas gifts, and some little knicknacks. For the most part I want to eliminate some of my stash yarn. I did end up buying some yarn but not much. It should be a fun season. The bigger of the projects (but still a stash buster) is a baby blanket for a gal at work. It'll just be in the reddish color that was used for the binary blanket and worked in a basketweave stitch. I'm thinking I might add some embelishments in the middle, but for now I just want to make a light but very soft blanket.

Hopefully I'll post more as my stash turns into cool knitting projects. Lots for christmas presents/random gifts. Let the season begin!