Anecdote Saturday

This morning I went to go pick up my race packet for the Dino Dash 5K that I'm doing tomorrow morning. The bank where the race committee had set up shop was hopping, and I had to circle the lot a couple of times before I found a parking spot, so I was already a little annoyed walking up to the table. I told the guy my name and he says to me,"Adult Division?" Just like that, in question format. Now, to be fair, this race has children's and adults' divisions - it's a family oriented event, hence the name "Dino Dash" and the cute little dinosaur dressed up in a race t-shirt at registration. But still, this guy looks at me and says, "Adult Division?" "Yes," I say, giving him a funny look.

Now, maybe this doesn't seem like such a funny story from the outside, but if you knew how many times people ask me if I've graduated high school yet or how many times I've entered a high school and gotten mistaken for a student, this would be just one more story to add to the pile. A personal favorite of mine involved a high school, a gig I was playing in said high school, a security guard, and a tardy list that he was trying to force me to sign.

You know how when you're 13 all you want is to be older? Well, now I am older, and people don't believe me!

Anyway, knitting.

Pattern: Evangeline Mitts
Yarn: Plymouth Encore
Needles: US 8

Destined for gifting, though I'm not sure who will receive them yet. I needed a quick, gratifying project, and these certainly fit the bill. Less than 2 evening's distracted work for the pair.

I finished the Man's Vest v2.0 but, alas, it does not fit. Too small. What I needed was something between the two sizes I made, but after knitting it twice, I can't say I'm anxious to rip it out and do it AGAIN. Besides, we seem to have skipped over vest-wearing weather here and have landed squarely in sweater country. I have only good things to say about Classic Elite Four Seasons, though. Lovely to work with, blocks beautifully, and showed zero signs of being ripped and reknit. If you're looking for a cotton blend, I highly recommend it.

So, I've moved on to Anais. Here's what I've got so far:

Not much. I think I've got sizing figured out, if I can get gauge, but that requires purchasing some smaller circulars. To speed this thing up, I'm going to knit it in the round.

I'm also on board for Socktober Fest, and I've got my pattern picked out - another Nancy Bush special in a medium blue for my brother's fiancee!

Project Spectrum: Earth

Ok, the real truth is that I finished these last week, while still in the Fire element of Project Spectrum. But I'm blogging them now, so I'm counting them towards my Earth quota. And as Lolly said, there are no deadlines for this, which makes it just the no-pressure kind of thing I need right now. Pattern: Evangeline Mitts by Michelle Szeghalmi
Yarn: Berrocco Ultra Alpaca in Peat Mix (leftovers from Gretel)
Needles: US 7
Mods: Added an extra pattern repeat before the thumb to lengthen them. Total 4 repeats. Also, didn't do the thumb as directed. Instead, I knit the four stitches to be held for the thumb on a bit of waste yarn, slid those stitches back to the left needle and knit them again with the main yarn, continuing on as usual. Then, just unstitched the waste yarn and picked up the proper number of stitches to complete the thumb.

I am completely in love with these mitts. My love of Ultra Alpaca is well documented, but equal to that love is my love of this cable pattern. Unfortunately, lighting being what it is, and my photography skills being what they are, I was not able to get a really good shot of the cable pattern or the color. The color is very much an evergreen kind of heather. Not spring-y per se, but green and conviently located in my stash. I think I even have enough yarn left to make another pair to gift. How nice! You may wish to look at the pattern or this version for a better look at the cabling.

Love, love, love!

Can you tell from this pic that my poor hands are tired and in need of some Ultra Alpaca love? I have a half recital coming up next Friday, and things are certainly cracking along this semester. Hang in there, hands. You can do it!