More things to cure all ills

Thanks for all of your comments on the Swallowtail! I'm so pleased with how it turned out, and I think it's made me a lace convert -- I keep finding all these new patterns I want to make. So get ready for more lace to come.

So here and there over the last few days, I've been working on small new projects. I'm in the throes of my last major grant application and have had to lay down the law when it comes to knitting (something, I suppose, I should do more often) -- no knitting until I've written at least three pages (or whatever my daily goal happens to be. Today, for example, it is to finish the nasty draft of this proposal). So in the evenings, while trying to think of how to say something, or deciding where I want to go next in this chapter, or generally giving my brain a break, I've been craving small things to knit -- things that can be knit in pieces (and, of course, from the stash, since I'm dead-set on not buying yarn until March). This little guy is a product of this craving. [This picture does him no justice...]


Pattern: Elephant loveable toy, from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: less than 1 skein of Malabrigo (Frost Gray), Misti Alpaca Worsted (in pink) for the nose, scraps of Knitpicks Gloss for the eyes, and Sundara Merino Sport for the snazzy Kerchief.
Needles: Clover bamboo dpns, 4.25 mm US 6

Modifications: Well, other than yarn selection, I knit the whole thing on dpns -- The pattern calls for this very complicated process of knitting from the legs up the body on two circulars. Bah! I knit the legs flat, and then rearranged them on dpns with half the leg stitches on each of four dpns. Worked fine. If I had it to do again, I'd knit the arms on slightly smaller needles. My gauge knitting in the round is considerably tighter than it is knitting/purling stocking flat (knitting socks is beginning to take it's toll... my purl tension is considerably looser than my knit. doh!) and it's noticeable. I sewed the ears on a little wonky, but i think that's part of the little elephant's charm. I stuffed him with yarn scraps, so not a thing was wasted in the process. What a fun and rewarding (and adorable!) knit. Any name ideas?

I just finished brewing coffee. This will be the first cup of coffee I've had in almost a week. I decided to cut back this year, after I found myself going through almost a pot a day in November. Coffee is my treat to myself today.

[and for those of you who think I seem to be churning out a lot of projects these days (Minty), I don't really knit that fast. I've had a lot of things languishing around, half finished, that I've suddenly motivated to complete. Also, keep in mind I live in a town of 78, about three hours from a reasonable sized city (and movie theaters. and restaurants. and FRIENDS) and I have no day job. Things can get pretty dull chez Twinknit in the winter, and knitting has proven to be an excellent way to pass my evenings).