Summer Cuddlebug

I'm moving this weeks!  And in the interest of "finishing projects so that I don't have to move knitting on the needles"  (aka... not wanting to pack)  I've finished the gauntlets that I started a small eon ago!

hiya!

This was a really fun pattern that I a co-worker passed on to me sometime in November.  I tried to find the link in the back-logs of my myspace inbox but, no luck.. sorry!  let me know if you're interested in knitting it and I'll look harder.  

Anyway- they're great!  The pattern is designed to make the gauntlets come all the way past the elbow and allows for the knitter to decide how far up on the hand it covers.  I made mine go just to where the fingers start, thinking that would give me the greatest dexterity, say, on my bicycle.  The thumb hole, which is knit on different sides for each hand, is nice and wide, making it possible to wear a pair of those cheap, stretchy gloves underneath for warmth.  (Too bad it's, like 90 degrees out right now....  But one can only hope winter will come again!)  The back is ribbed and cozy!

Ribbed for my pleasure.

I decided to knit them in an "I'll match everything" slate gray merino-silk dk weight yarn by Valley Yarns:  a yarn company local to the area my parents live in.  I bought the yarn at Webs (where else!)  and they are soo soft and comfy.  The other nice thing about the pattern is that it uses almost exactly 2 50gm skeins, so there's no just-enough-to-sit-in-my-stash-forever pieces leftover!

Summer Cuddlebug.

As you can see, the gauntlets have a panel of dragon scales traveling the length of the arm on the front side.  The pattern called for a "create stitch" along that middle row and at the sides... but partially because I couldn't find a nice, indiscreet create stitch to use and partially because I've recently been really into lace work, I decided to replace the "create stitch" with a "yarn over."  Ooooh, sexy.

One project down.... damn.  I suppose I have to pack now.

In Other News!

I decided to get myself a birthday haircut.  Which is just another example of me trying to convince myself that what makes other people excited and/or satisfied DOESN'T make me so!  Gah!  I asked the hair-dresser for something a little shorter, evened out and shaped...  but when I put my glasses on at the end it was like that scene in Beauty and the Beast where they're getting Beast ready for that dance/dinner/date with Belle and they spin him around to look in the mirror and he looks RIDICULOUS!!  There were curls radiating from my head like a product-induced aura... an atmosphere of perfumed hetero-femininity.  It was terrible.  It's settled down a little since I washed out all the smelly goo... but, damn.  I just don't know why I did that.  I really liked my long hair!  I think I really just didn't expect her to cut it this short...  But I always end up feeling like bad hair cuts are MY fault because I seem completely incapable of communicating what I want to someone else...  I think this is why I'm also completely incapable of even beginning a relationship.  Gah!  (Also, I spent about 7 hours in the car over-thinking things today, can you tell?)  

Le sigh.  Happy Birthday to me!  What's Next?