Hey, I knit something!

No, really!! Look!!!!

And check out the adorable buttons:

Pattern: Presto Chango; visit my Rav project page here.

Yarn: Knit Picks Simply Cotton worsted, 1.33 skeins-ish

Size: 6 months

Mods: I replaced the front panel design with two owl cables. I decided to do it and then checked out Ravelry to see who else might've had the idea already so I could steal their pattern. I based my mods on katafi's notes, but switched it up a bit to fit two owls on there. In retrospect, I sort of which I'd put them on there catty-corner (or kitty-corner, depending on what part of the U.S. you reside in). I'm debating putting button eyes on them or not.

Loved this yarn, very soft, not splitty at all. Pattern was easy too, no problems, but seaming the arms is tricky. Most people who tackled this sweater, myself included, went with fake grafting, which looks ok but creates quite a bulky seam. If you put more advance thought into it, you might be able to do a provisional cast on for the sleeve stitches and then graft them for real.

The buttons are absolutely ADORABLE. I got them from seller cutecumber on etsy.

I used only one skein for the body of the sweater, so the second skein is available for making multiple front panels. I do plan to make some additional panels . . . eventually. Fortunately the baby's not due for a few months.

In other news, we've had a few sign ups for the Christmas swap, but I'd really like to get a few more, so keep spreading the word!

And just in case this works as an incentive for some knitters, I'm going to do a contest! Christmas Swap 2009 is a rather blah name, so as soon as I've got some time I'm going to get my act together and announce a contest for naming our swap. You'll win some yarn from my overflowing stash.

Also, if you're reading this in Google reader, you can't see that I've created a little swap graphic and put it on the right sidebar of my blog. Feel free to use it! Right now it links to the blog post with the swap details, but once I get the group blog up and running, it will link there.

And, though I hate to end on a down note, I do have some sad news to share: my grandfather passed away over the weekend. :( He was 89 and had been ill, so it wasn't a total surprise, fortunately, but obviously sad nonetheless. My Pop Pop lived with my family on a couple different occasions when I was in high school and college, and had been living with my parents for the last few years until he had to move to assisted living earlier this year. He led an interesting life. He grew up in an orphan home, but don't shed any tears for him, because from his stories, it sounds like he had the time of his life. He was stationed in the Phillipines during WWII, and to hear him tell it, that was one big party too. Then he became a letter carrier--he always loved to ask my friends where they lived and then tell them about delivering mail in their neighborhood.

Bye, Pop Pop, you will be missed.