The Campus Scarf is Done, boys, and it's so lonely on a limb.

I can hardly believe it, but after languishing for over one year the Campus Scarf is done! The ends have even been woven in! I'm over-using exclamation points!

I ended up doing six full repeats instead of the pattern's recommeded seven, but the scarf is longer than its recipient is tall, so I figured the extra foot and a half won't be terribly missed. I think I might be even more excited about the scarf than its recipient is. I'm not surprised.

In other news, I am pleased to report that I will be finishing the thumb on Snowball Fight with Robert Smith mitten no. 2 this afternoon. One Xmas knitting project down...who knows how many more to go.

Also, I've started desgining again, and there is a new sock and a new mitten in the works, so watch out for those coming soon.

Snowflake Socks, FO.

Yarn: Knit Picks Telemark in Rosemary and Northern Green, 2 balls of each
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: Snowflake Socks by Chrissy Gardiner
Started: January 2008
Finished: January 2008

Notes: My first true FO of 2008, as they were both started and completed in the new year. Also my first colourwork socks -- they won't be my last! I'm already tossing around pattern ideas for colourwork socks of my very own (I know, I should finish The New Mitten first, but I can't help it.)

Since I wasn't getting row gauge with the Telemark I made slight mods to the pattern, which are detailed here.

Fun Fact: All told, I think these socks took me six days to produce. Not that I worked on them non-stop for six consecutive days -- there were breaks here and there -- but I averaged about three days per sock. I think this may be a new personal record.

Raspberry Azure, FO.

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug in Raspberry
Needles: Bamboo dpns, 2.50mm
Pattern: Azure by Deb Barnhill
Started: December 2007
Finished: January 2008

Notes: These were my first FO of 2008 and toe-up socks ever, and I'm pleased to report that they were relatively painless. The patterned heel flap was a little clunky (but still lovely) the first time round, but by sock no. 2 it just zipped right by.

Everyone thinks that these socks are actually cabled! The surprise on their faces when I tell them that all that twisting is done with clever increases and decreases is priceless.

I couldn't ask for a nicer pattern to take the edge off the somewhat crappy yardage of the Jitterbug. Now I do have another skein of it lurking in the stash...

Nana's Gingerbread Mittens, FO.

Yarn: Knit Picks Palette In Brindle Heather, White, Yellow and Garnet Heather
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 1
Pattern: Chart 120 from Latvian Mittens by Lisbeth Upitis
Started: November 2007
Finished: December 2007

Notes: Nana's Christmas present, finished in plenty of time (even though I was sewing ends in on Christmas Eve.) She loved them.

Make with the goods!

Here I was, doing so well with the finished objects posts, too...and then Ravelry happened and the rest is history. In any event, a wee peek at my backlog is in order.

The first Dream Twister sock:


I can hardly say how much I love this pattern. I'm particularly by how it's playing nicely with the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Potluck. Now to get started on sock no. 2.

Look, here's a completed pair:

These are the Little Pumpkins socks in Trekking XXL.

This was a quick, fun, easily-internalized quick knit that kept my hands busy this past autumn. It's unsurprisingly that these were my official Socks of the Season! I swear I received more compliments on that yarn than anything else as of late.

Another pair o' socks:

Yep, it's Pomatomus in ultra-limited, handpainted Deegu.

I have no idea why these socks ever seemed so daunting -- the pattern is really intuitive and enjoyable to work. I couldn't have asked for a better colourway for them, either!

I'm fairly sure that's it for now, but should something else reveal itself I'll make every effort to document it as well.

And finally, a quick heads-up: there's another Spilly-designed colourwork mitten in the works. Pictures should be arriving any time now.

Piggy Mittens, FO.

Yarn: Peruvian Highland Wool from elann in assorted partial skeins (read: I went nuts with colour)
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 5
Pattern: Piggy Mittens, by me, SpillyJane (pattern available soon!)
Started: 4 September 2007
Finished: 9 September 2007

Notes: My second pair of Piggy Mittens, and the first to be properly photographed before they leave my clutches! What started out as a quick little project for a special little guy turned into a veritable ends-travaganza once all the colour changes got a bit...silly. I didn't mind too much, as my Peruvian Highland Wool stash is in need of a use-up and a replenishin' anyway. I am really pleased to report that they did not end up looking girly as i had initially feared.

Fun Fact: I'm going to be offering this pattern in both women's and children's sizes for your knitting pleasure. It's too good (and too cute!) of a stash-buster to keep it all to myself! There's going to be a lot of free pattern action around here this week...

ETA: Would you like to add the Piggy Mittens to your Ravelry queue? The link is right here:

Piggy Mittens

Colonia Mittens, FO.

Yarn: Colonia in Lettuce Violet from handpaintedyarn.com
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 5
Pattern: Basic Mitten Pattern, by Ann Budd
Started: 8 August 2007
Finished: 11 August 2007

Notes: i am a big fan of the "peasant thumb" mitten, but i thought i'd try something new. the pattern and i crossed paths at the right time--it's like it was meant to be. it went up so fast--these could be the perfect last-minute Xmas gift!

i've had this yarn lurking in my stash for a long, long time now. when i first picked it up i was fairly sure that it was going to be destined to spend the rest of its days as a hat, but thankfully the mood passed (i was feeling dangerous. combining "feeling dangerous" and "hats" hardly ever results in something that one would want to actually wear in public.)

i've been told that this yarn is the budget-friendly alternative to Malabrigo, and i'm not about to argue. both come from Uruguay, and while the Colonia is nowhere near as soft as Malabrigo, one can't argue with the price (it's currently going for $6.30 USD.) one small caveat: keep an open mind when purchasing the yarns on handpaintedyarns.com--they are hand dyed and often the colours one sees in the pictures often aren't exactly what one gets. i've ordered from them several times and i've yet to be truly disappointed with the colour of my yarn!

Fun Fact: i knit almost the entire second mitten on my way to visit Heather in the big city.

Nano Warmer, FO.

Yarn: blue heathered stuff i bought at Zeilinger's the summer before last (it reminds me of dryer lint, but then again, lots of things do.)
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 8
Pattern: Nano Warmer by Anny Purls
Started: 4 July 2007
Finished: 4 July 2007

Notes: Poddy needed a new warmer so he stays all cozy while travelling in my bag. this pattern couldn't have come my way at a better time. i really do love this yarn--i will definitely have to make another trip out to Zeilinger's this summer. the little bit of mohair mixed in lends it just the right amount of fuzziness. I finished the case off with a vintage button (i'm pretending it's Bakelite but it probably isn't,) that i sewed on with some bright orange Gütermann thread.

Fun Fact: this button (like most of the buttons that i use) was sourced from the old button tin that i played with as a little kid. who would've known that it would end up on a iPod Nano warmer years later?

Edgar, FO.

Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Plum, two skeins
Needles: Bryspun straights, US 8
Pattern: Edgar by Silke Hupka
Started: 1 July 2007
Finished: 4 July 2007

Notes: this is the first of my Xmas knitting! i had always wanted to try the SWS and this scarf finally gave me the chance. i don't know if i'll use it again (most of the time it was like knitting with unspun fibre, which was enjoyable in its way,) but it's still shiny and pretty and makes an ideal Edgar.

i though adding more tassels would make for a dramatic, fun touch.

Fun Fact: this is my fifth Edgar! he might be the perfect gift-scarf!

Naïve socks (This Must Be The Socks,) FO.

Yarn: handpainted, self-striping Deegu, produced by Adriana
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: Naïve socks (This Must Be The Socks) by me, SpillyJane
Started: 4 June 2007
Finished: 22 June 2007

Notes: this was my first attempt at designing my own socks, which, while not that trying was a learning experience in itself. the first thing i learned from knitting two pairs of cabled socks all in a row is that cables wear out their welcome fairly fast. also, one will note that i (typically) took the "no mercy" approach and set the cabling bar at a fairly lofty height. now that i don't have to deal with those teeny tiny turned-more-often-than-i-care-to-relate cablets, i can sit back and appreciate them. earlier this week that wasn't so easy. (in their defense, though, those little guys were a handy way to keep track of rows--kinda like a built-in counter.) something tells me that these wee cablets aren't done haunting me yet.

shortly after finishing the first sock i began to panic a little, thinking, "okay, i've managed to muddle through one, now how am i going to be able to bang out a mirror image for sock no. 2?" i had been keeping insanely detailed notes (numbers, musings, concerns,) throughout the entire process, but it wasn't until sock no. 2 really started to come together that i was truly put at ease. it turns out that i can be incredibly logical number-wise when it comes to growing cables on a sock. thankfully. i don't even want to think what would've happened had no. 2 gone badly (actually, i do know what would've happened--i would've ripped and counted and studied sock no. 1 until i figured out what the CRAP had gone wrong and then i would've fixed it.)

using a self-striping handpaint for a intricate cabled sock was mainly because i was feeling dangerous, "the stripes seem to be wide enough, but if they're not, who cares?! let's see what happens if i do this..." i love the stripes, but i can't help but wonder what these would look like in a solid-coloured yarn. maybe i'll give that a shot...later. yes--MUCH later--i'm off cables for a good month or two at LEAST.

so there are the socks...and they are very truly naïve. i had no idea what they would look like finished, or even if the cables were going to twist or untwist at any given point. they just kind of...happened. i even stuck a "mistake" in, if you can even call it that if it's purposefully placed there on each sock--the central cable twists in the opposite direction only once about halfway down the leg. also, from what i understand, while she was creating the yarn Adriana tried her hand at over-dyeing the purple portions which resulted in a lovely variegated effect. all in all, these socks are a result of many a happy accident.

Fun Fact: these are my own socks. not "my own socks" like all the other socks i've knit are my own socks--these are different. while cables themselves are common and malleable enough, they've never been put together on a sock like this. i've created a new pattern that hadn't existed before and it's a really good feeling.

sharing something that i've made is an even better feeling! watch for this pattern to become available (in some capacity or other) here, soon!

Rib and Cable Socks, FO.

Yarn: KnitPicks Gloss in Woodland Sage
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush (Interweave Knits Fall 2005)
Started: 25 May 2007
Finished: 01 June 2007

Notes: these socks were my first serious attempt at cables, and i have to say i've been converted. cables are the cure for the plain vanilla sock! once i got going i was even able to read while i was working them. i have no idea why i'd not tried my hand at them sooner, but i'll be on the lookout for more patterns featuring cabling now. i may even have to knit this pattern again!

Fun Fact: these socks followed me everywhere this past week and along the way they gathered many fans. it seems everyone loves cables!

Monkey, FO.

Yarn: ONline Supersocke in colourway 669
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: basic pattern, Monkey by Cookie A., Monkey variant courtesy of fiberjinx
Started: 15 May 2007
Finished: 22 May 2007

Notes: the very popular Monkey socks done in a fairly crazy colourway. i love the pink squiggles scribbled all over the finished socks.

since i tweaked the pattern and made fiberjinx's Monkey i changed all the purls to knit stitches and i ignored the yo's and opted for M1's instead. of course i managed to forget to knit through the back of the loop for all of those M1's so the fabric has a touch of an openwork feel about it. i'll have to remember to not do this when i make the next pair.

Fun Fact: this pattern is so easily internalized it isn't even funny! i dispensed with my chart fairly early on and knit them from memory.

Flannel socks, FO.

Yarn: Regia Strato Color in Flannel
Needles: Bamboo dpns 2.50mm
Pattern: Plain Vanilla sock recipe (short row heel and wedge toe)
Started: 8 May 2007
Finished: 15 May 2007

Notes: my first socks working with self-striping yarn. also, first socks worked on 2.50mm needles.

Fun Fact: achieving identical twin-socks was a lot easier than i had thought, and i managed to do it without wasting too much yarn.

Queen of Cups, FO.

Yarn: KnitPicks Essential Tweed in Inca Gold
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: Queen of Cups by Nathania Apple
Started: 10 March 2007
Finished: 6 May 2007

Notes: this is my first completed pair of intricatley textured socks. i usually use sock knitting as a good "downtime" activity and often i just end up knititng more of my Plain Vanilla socks (i've work the odd colourwork pattern to stave off the boredom, but that was about it.) these socks gave me a chance to play with texture and showed me that complex socks can be just as relaxing. this could bode very well for the long-forgotten and still-mateless Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern that's been hanging around here since last fall.

Fun Fact: if the socks in the picture aren't looking as lint-ridden as other finished objects knit with Essential Tweed out there, there's a good reason for that. one might recall that i carefully groomed the more offensive tweedy bits out of the yarn before, during and after knitting. the resulting yarn is much more subtle and (in my opinion,) makes for a nicer pair of socks that don't make it look like one had a serious run-in with a lint trap.

Snagglin' Socks, FO.

Yarn: Sock It To Me Colori, Koigu KPPPM
Needles: KnitPicks dpns, US 2
Pattern: my Plain Vanilla sock recipe, NOW featuring a short row heel, still featuring a wedge toe
Started: 14 April 2007
Finished: 2 May 2007

Notes: these socks feature my first serious attempt at short row heels, which are also consequently my best short row heels. i seriously doubt that i will ever go back to using the heel flap method unless a pattern calls for it (or i'm just really in the mood. strangely, suddenly using the heel flap as a blank canvas for complex colourwork/texture seems really, really appealing--i suppose the grass is always greener.)

this is also the first pair of striped socks i've ever made, and as such features my first shot at jogless rounds. the latter ended up looking pretty good, but the former...let's just say i have to get around learning to weave in ends as i go.

Fun Fact: these socks gave me the chance to dip into my collection of Koigu KPPPM snagglins lurking in my stash AND gave me the chance to do away with an odd ball of standard superwash sock yarn (left over from another koigu/superwash colourwork experiment.) i love having the chance to use up otherwise odd bits of yarn and turn them into something useful and beautiful in the process. Koigu KPPPM is far too pretty to languish in a box in the closet!

Blue Christmas socks, FO.

Yarn: Koigu KPPPM
Needles: KnitPicks dpns, US 3
Pattern: my Plain Vanilla sock recipe, featuring a round heel and wedge toe
Started: early December 2006
Finished: early January 2007

Notes: this was my first project worked with metal needles, which were much more heavy than i expected. i discovered the joys of toting such needles in purses (the stabbing! the slipped stitches!!) and decided that maybe i should shelve the metal needles for a while. regardless, these socks kept me busy during a dreary and depressing holiday season.

Fun Fact: these socks allowed me to hone my reading-and-knitting-at-the-same-time skills. they also travelled with me to every holiday event and party i attended last season.

Spindle Socks, FO.

Yarn: my own handspun Corriedale and Merino
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo dpns, US 2
Pattern: my Plain Vanilla sock recipe, featuring a round heel and wedge toe
Started: early September 2006
Finished: 12 March 2007

Notes: these socks are knit completely using my own handspun. if you really want to weird people out (if knitting socks from scratch hasn't already made them question your sanity) be sure to tell them that you made the yarn yourself--that way they'll be sure they're dealing with a nut. the same goes for mentioning that you dyed the orangey-pinky bits before you spun them.

i wanted these socks to have a mismatched and homespun (literally, in this case) feel, like the knitter had to make do with the little bits and pieces of yarn that were on hand (which, actually, was also the case.) i didn't set out to specifically spin yarn for these socks, and it wasn't until the first sock was well on its way that i plied some remaining singles in unlikely combinations "just to see what happens." in the end i had more than enough yarn to play with.

Fun Fact: i had no idea what these socks were going to look like when they were finished! changing colours on a whim turned this project into a fascinating and relaxing experience.

Fickle Fingers, FO.

Yarn: Noro Blossom 15, three skeins
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo straights, US 9
Pattern: Fickle Fingers (Fat Fingers Variation) by Gayle Roehm from Winter 2006 IK
Started: 20 Janaury, 2007
Finished: 1 February, 2007

Notes: i love scarves like this--simple and quick but never boring. definitely another keeper much like Edgar. it's ideal for gifting and the perfect antidote to endless rows of lace. i opted for the Fat Fingers variation since i preferred its look.

Fun Fact: this scarf is longer than i am tall! since i'm only 5'2", this isn't that remarkable--lots of things are bigger than me.

Shetland Triangle, FO.

Yarn: JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in Cinnabar, one skein
Needles: Clover Takumi Bamboo circs, US 6, 32"
Pattern: Shetland Triangle by Evelyn A. Clark from Wrap Style
Started: 3 Janaury, 2007
Finished: 23 January 2007

Notes: my first shawl and the largest lace item i've made to date. during this project i learned how to wrangle missed and/or added yarnovers from several rows away without ripping back.

Fun Fact: no lifelines were used in the production of this shawl!