Happy Halloween!

Here are pictures of my black cat. He was a somewhat reluctant cat, not liking the hood and barely letting me draw on a nose and whiskers, but he sure is a cute one! The best part is when you ask him what kitty says and he goes "Hisssssssss". Can you tell my 2 real cats are not getting along these days?



And my biggest secret for this costume? I added real cat fur for authenticity.

Ready!

Pumpkins carved? Check
Pumpkin muffins baked for party? Check
Candy bought? Check
Cat costume finished? Check

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmermann's tomten jacket, 28 inch toddler size
Yarn: Valley Yarn Amherst in black, 5 balls for project, 6th ball needed for cat details
Needles: size 7
Mods: Cat ears and tail

Come back tomorrow to see pictures of the costume in action!

Oh, and I probably should mention that I'm on Ravelry now so I can get some friends! My username is Nefertiti (it's a family nickname: jenNIFER -- NEFERtiti. Get it?).

Rhinebeck 2007

This was my fourth year going to NYS Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY. I have yet to be disappointed. This year the weather cooperated with a sunny day. It was a little too warm for sweater wearing, but I did wear my cotton cardigan from a few years ago. Dave even said he was glad I didn't finish the aran yet since he would have worn it and suffered in the heat. Phew. I knew I was slacking on that for a reason.

I went with the family and met my mom and sister there.
I got to see some friends, notably Amy, Bia, and Annie. I also saw blogless Deidre and Jen R. & Co. who came on the Webs bus. I don't have pictures of anyone because the camera was mainly with Dave and Owen who split off to check out the animals.
Here's my loot from this year. I'm planning another cardigan for me, socks for me, and hat and mittens for Owen.

A finished sweater

I may not have finished my sweater or David's aran for Rhinebeck, but I did finish the guernsey for Owen! Here are pictures of my sweetie. He wouldn't stand still for a shot, but I think you can still see how perfect this sweater is for him!




Pattern: Guernsey with Ribbed Yoke from Debbie Bliss's Great Knits for Kids
Size: 2-3 years
Yarn: RYC Cashsoft 4 ply (a Webs closeout)
Needles: Sizes 2 and 3
Thoughts: Love the sweater, but hit me over the head if I decide to knit a sweater, even a baby sweater, with size 3 needles again.

I'll be at Rhinebeck only on Saturday this year so maybe see you there!

Costume progress

If you're wondering why it's been a while since my last post, take a look at the sidebar. Yes, all my works in progress are sweaters. It's slow going I'm afraid. But I did finish the Tomten sweater, except for the zipper and Halloween details (ears and tail) I still plan to add. Here's a preview.


Luckily I haven't washed or blocked it yet as my little darling decided to wipe his nose on the sleeve.

I was worried about running out of yarn, which is why it's a little on the short side. I ended up with 1 skein left to do the ears and tail so I should have plenty to add a few more rows to the bottom. Or maybe I should break down and buy another skein. I'll see how the blocking goes.