1895. That’s the number of unread items I have in Google Reader after an internet hiatus over the holiday. I’ve actually been on an unintentional internet hiatus for a while now, just spending extra time with my family at home in the evenings. I’ve reduced time at the computer by to reading email and some blog posts on my Blackberry, and even using it to do a quick IMDB look up for myself and my friends who text me with an urgent need to know who the bad guy is in Live Free or Die Hard. :) I did spend a few minutes on Ravelry over the weekend, but just to look up a few things and to update the progress Cobblestone Pullover.

The blog has been slightly neglected, given the brief break and all. So here are some things that are new.

I got a new Blackberry 8800 from T-Mobile because my Pearl wouldn’t ring when someone called. I would get a new voicemail with someone saying I’ve been trying to call for the past ten minutes and I either get a message that the number is disconnected or your voice mail! Frustrating. So after three replacements, TMO switched the device. I love it, but I still don’t get my calls. I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s TMO’s service, not the device.

I knit both of my Hua girls a little sweater to break up the monotony of knitting around and around on Jer’s Cobblestone. The first one I knit for -Barley following the pattern for the Modified Puppy Sweater knit in the round. I used Magic Loop rather than DPNs as I am most definitely a Magic Loop Junkie. I also added short rows to raise the neck up, but then I ripped back and just made the neck longer. I also turned it inside out just so that the stockinette would be on the outside. The result:

Pattern: Modified Puppy Sweater
Source: Kaity Von Rader
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Black Cherry Heather
Needles: US 6 (32" Magic Loop)
Ravelry Users Queue it up here

I used the same pattern for -Lucy, casting on more stitches and adding a cable pattern up the back. I knit the neck long enough to fold over in a turtleneck sort of way. I also changed up the increasing and decreasing to better suit her body. It’s easy to try it on her as I go when knitting Magic Loop. I just slide the stitches down to the cables and slip it on her. Here is Lucy in hers:

Pattern loosely based on: Modified Puppy Sweater
Source: Kaity Von Rader
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Black Cherry Heather
Needles: US 6 (32" Magic Loop)
Ravelry Users Queue it up here

If you want to read more about Lucy’s sweater in the round, the chart is here, and details are on my Ravelry Project Page. Sorry if you’re not in yet! If you want the pattern details, let me know via email or by leaving a comment and I’ll email it to you!

I’m also knitting a sweater for Jer called the Cobblestone Pullover from Interweave. I wanted to knit it for NaKniSweMo (National Knit a Sweater Month), and I’m hoping to finish it by the 30th. Hmm, that’s only a few days away isn’t it? :)

I think the big question that everyone is dying to know, is Did I make the Brown Bag Turkey this year?

Well of course I did! Sorry no photos this year, someone decided to carve it up almost as soon as it came out of the oven! We waited until Sunday evening to have our succulent brown bag turkey, moist stuffing, super soft and fluffy dinner rolls, and warm apple pie! Mmm… Leftovers!

Finally… Over the weekend Jer and I built our very own table-top swift to go along with the ball winder that I bought with my Thanksgiving bonus. For those non-knitters out there, a swift is used to hold your hank of yarn while you wind it into cakes that are easier to knit from. There are generally two types of swifts: Table-top like this one, and umbrella like this one. I liked the idea of the table-top version so that I could take it with me and use it pretty much anywhere, and also take the arms off and store it easily.

We printed off this DIY article, but really only used it as a guideline for Jer to get an idea as to how the whole thing works. I had expected to spend about $15-20 making a cheap version which could then be replaced with a purchased model.

After about an hour and a half at the hardware store on Black Friday, we left spending about $45 to make a table-top swift that was of our own design. It has four sturdy feet, a lazy-Susan for spinning, arms, and petty dowels for holding the yarn. The bulk of the cost came because we purchased things that we probably already had at home like wood glue, screws, and new drill bits. I suppose it could be done much cheaper, but to be realistic it was about the same as buying a new one, only more pleasing as it's our own design that we built together (with Jer doing most of the work of course!).

The swift works marvelously! I couldn’t be happier! We wound a few balls before we set it aside to glue dowels and fill in some of the screw holes. I’ll stain it later this week. When it’s complete and beautiful, I’ll post more photos of it. For now, here is a nice overview photo.

Whew! That sure is a long update! Hopefully I can get into the habit of posting more often. There is always so much I want to share with you, my dear Internet. Like this spinning wheel made of glass and a bit of wood. And this coupon from Hobby Lobby that you could use to buy your crafty loved ones something special like a sewing machine. This cute little angel ornament for the knitter in your life. And this handy dandy online charting software that I totally love!! <3

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are now spreading Christmas cheer (note, Christmas cheer, not lame holiday cheer) as well as the gospel of Jesus Christ to all those around you. Blessings to you all!