FO Gloves and Critter!

Ta da! Finished these last weekend. At 5.5 st/inch, they went very fast. I used the SWAK universal glove pattern (a gift from the fabulous Kelly Sue, who also treated me to our room at last month’s Knitting Retreat at The Elms!) and US3 needles, Austermann Naturwolle and Knit Picks Merino Style for the trim. I’m working on a matching skullcap and scarf, and I think I’ll be able to get it all from 4 balls of Naturwolle. The color’s off, though. I don’t have any useful photo editing software yet, so no color correction & my camera ain’t crazy for artificial light.

Here’s the palm side.

I also finally finished Ashley’s critter and got it sent off. She traded me a little guy to order for a necklace when we shared a booth at the Renegade Craft Fair. I wear it all the time. Here’s her guy:

Weird dusky light. Here’s a closeup:

I think he’s my favorite (except for my first guy, the little red fella). I like his sleepy eyes and his half smile, and his arms kind of naturally have his aw-shucks positioning.

I just started what I hope will be a nice warm shawl with some of my very own handspun and some odds and ends. I can’t get a remotely accurate color, so I’ll show the yarns later. But I think it will be nice, fire-colored and warm. It’s my first shawl, just simple stockinette to show the yarn with a seed top & bottom (although I think I’m going to finish it with a picked up purl curled edge, as I didn’t put down enough seed to fight the curl) and a cable on either end. I worry I won’t wear a shawl, but I didn’t want to commit to such a loud sweater or poncho.

I hate the way I dress. I quit paying attention to my clothes when I plumped back up a couple years ago, and now I have nothing to wear. I think I’m going to squirrel away everything vintage, dump everything I don’t love, and start over. I keep saying that, but I never do it. And it’s hard to buy anything new when 1) I don’t look how I feel and 2) there’s so much other stuff I need more. But I’ve found myself wearing warmups more and more, and that’s just… yuck.

I’m officially vowing to make myself some skirts. Hey, what about an oversized A-line, with a half-waist drawstring I can gather to one side like that cute anthropologie skirt of Kelly Sue’s? Then I can still wear it, if by some miracle of will, I actually lose weight.

7 Replies to “FO Gloves and Critter!”

  1. You know you can make yourself some great clothing that fits. Since when your clothing fits and you like how things feel, you get more motivated to drop weight without thinking about it.

    Also all those clothes that you make can always be taken in. The joys of making your own clothing.

    Your little guy is so cute.

  2. That is awesome he is super cute and looks right at home out there in the snow! The gloves are fabulous! I had a great time knitting my first pair the fingers were a snap! great stuff…keep it up!

  3. I completely understand how you feel. I turned 40 this summer, and I was 50lbs overweight. I still felt cute and such, but what I say in the mirror was frumpydumpydo. Here’s what I did — I started Weight Watchers Online and then I tackled my closet. I tried on everything (except for the items that I would shred if attempting to fit over my ass) to assess how it felt and fit — both my body and image I wanted to project. I had some cute 1960s vintage dresses, but they were that swing/triangle shape that will never flatter my pear shape, no matter how thin I get. Off to the consignment shop they went. Don’t be afraid to pare down your wardrobe. I have 4 viable skirts at present, and they work with everything else in my closet. If you have a strong capsule wardrobe, you can build from there. I would think about sewing yourself a few skirts in colors that marry well with the shirts/tops/sweaters that you own (and that fit). Be ruthless with the purging of items that really don’t fit your body and image. I’m cheering for you!

  4. I might be missing something, but it looks like iPhoto color adjustment is basic–hot/cold, bright/dim, saturated/desaturated, etc.–no adjustment of hue/saturation levels of just one color. So if you’ve got a pile of reds and oranges, you don’t get much subtlety. Am I wrong? I’m pretty new to mac. (This isn’t a mac complaint; it’s an I-need-photoshop complaint.)

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