Look what I’ve been making!

I’m knitting a pair of Snapdragon flip-top mitts by Ysolda Teague to replace the ones I knit a few years ago. Yeah, I didn’t knit them that long ago, but tragedy struck last March when I moved, and I LOST one of the mitts I knit. I spent an entire year looking for the lost mitt, but I must have dropped it somewhere that isn’t in the apartment. Cue sadness.

This time around, I’m knitting them in a lighter, pinker, funner yarn. I’m still using madelinetosh tosh dk, but in a punchy bright pink that makes winter almost tolerable! I’m in love with them, I think. (Don’t worry, I won’t tell Ted.)

So far, I’ve made just one minor modification to the pattern; I’m using size 4 needles instead of the size 6 the pattern calls for. I knit my originals with my trusty size 6 needles, but always felt they were a little loose, especially around my wrist. The size 4s make them fit so much better.

Another noteworthy item pertaining to these mitts; I’m FLYING through them. I’m most likely the slowest knitter on the planet and I still made this much progress on the mittens in just one day. Yeah, I can’t believe it either. I really, really want to get these done so I can focus on other knitting, especially that Arisaig cardigan I’m wanting to FINALLY finish. I’m confident I can do it.

What have YOU been making recently?

Firstly, thank you all for your congratulations! I realize it’s been, you know, a MONTH since I’ve written in here, but eh, I knew I’d get back to it sometime soon.

Anyway. What have I been up to this past month?

Knitting. Lots of it.

A few years back and many blog posts ago, I cast on Arisaig, a sweater I’d wanted to knit for ages and ages. I started it sometime in 2007, but didn’t keep track of needle sizes or alterations I made to the pattern. So, after it languishing in my yarn bins when I moved out to New Hampshire, I frogged it, vowing to try again in a couple years when I felt more inclined to do it.

Enter my 2012 goal of knitting a sweater that actually fits. I looked around at a few other patterns, but I always came back to this one. I need to finish it, I need it hanging in my closet, I need it to wear both to work and at home! I need to make this sweater.

So, I cast on for it again on the 7th of January, and I’m making actual progress!

A few changes this time around: This time, I’m tracking my needle sizes. I’m using a size 1.5 for the ribbing and 2.5 for the body of the sweater. Last time, I believe I messed up the sizes and didn’t keep track of what I used where, so the sleeves came out HUGE while the body was so tiny. Not this time.

Also, I used a plain ol’ long tail cast on instead of a not so stretchy tubular ribbed cast on. Actually, I don’t remember if it was tubular I used all those years ago; either way, the cast on edge did NOT stretch, which I knew would cause problems in the long run. Yes, I was right.

I’m having fun with this pattern so far. I’m really hoping that I finish this time.

Edit: Did you see the nifty Ravelry icon next to the Arisaig link? Well, thanks to this post right here, I can denote links like this as Ravelry links. I knew how to do this already, but I’m happy to have gotten the awesome icon from the user on the thread!

And, the news you’ve all been waiting for…

Ted proposed to me during our trip to California! We are engaged and it is STILL strange to refer to him as my fiance.

I can’t believe all the planning that went into his proposal. When he told me all he had done, I was floored.

He proposed to me in front of the beautiful outdoor gardens of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, at around noon on Wednesday, December 28th.

The weather was perfect, the gardens were perfect, his proposal was perfect, and, of course, the ring was perfect.

But wait, there’s more!

After he proposed to me, he revealed two surprises; he had hired a photographer to take pictures of us both before and after the proposal! I’m very happy to have pictures of our awesome engagement and of our even more awesome day at the Getty.

It gets better!

“Oh, and also, we’re spending two nights on Catalina,” Ted said to me offhandedly as the photographer made her appearance. Jaw drop.

Engagement honeymoon on an island 22 miles off the coast of LA in a super fancy inn at the top of a mountain? Sign me up! Love, love, love! Free drinks at the hotel, fancy veggie sushi and sake at a restaurant in Avalon, and a deck off our room overlooking the harbor? Yes. So much fun.

Needless to say, our California trip rocked. I am so happy.