This and that

A couple more finished items:



This is the second pair of Soccer Mitts from Erica Lueder's pattern.

I know I said the other day that I didn't recommend that unicorn pattern because of errors. Well, this is a FREE pattern, and I DO recommend it. It's a very nice pattern: easy to follow, simple, works up well, and the finished mitts are aesthetically pleasing to me in their proportions. I knit one pair of these for the AAUW gift exchange (they were well-received) and this pair for myself; I would totally use it again to knit a simple pair of mitts for a friend or if I wanted another pair like that for myself.

They are a *little* big on me but I knit these on 2s. I would use 1s for another pair (that is what I used for the AAUW gift mitts). I have fairly small wrists and my hands are about 7 1/2" around.

The pattern says you can get it out of one 50 g ball of sockyarn if you don't care about matching the stripe pattern. I used a 100 g ball (one of the String Theory colorworks ones) and did try really hard to match the stripes.

I also finished the Honey Cowl. I had forgotten to do the "four rows stockinette" at the beginning of this (so I didn't at the end) but I like it just as well without:



The yarn is a Life in the Long Grass dk weight in the colorway called "Nestle"

And here it is on:

I knitted it a *tiny* bit bigger (130 sts rather than 120; any multiple of 2 should work, I think) because I was concerned about getting it over my head. I'm pretty happy with it. (Even though right today it's not really cold enough to need it.)



I also opened the accumulated "crates" (a Sanrio, two Gachapon, and a Doki Doki). And here are my favorite things from them:






The little pig (really: a boar) is from the Doki Doki crate. This coming lunar year is the year of the boar in the Chinese horoscope (which I guess some other Asian countries use) and so they sent a little boar stuffie (and also, there was a boar-shaped dish sponge in the crate). I haven't named him yet; I can't come up with one I like.

The Hello Kitty pillow is the flat snowman pillow in the Sanrio loot crate that I talked about. She is nice to hug but also makes a good sofa pillow as well.

The last item is a "big headed" Daisy Duck from the Gachapon crate. Hands down, this is the favorite thing I've gotten out of these crates so far - so cute. And it was funny: you get the head, and then you open it up and all the other "parts" (the body, the beak, the tail, the bow, and a little "lock of hair" shaped piece that goes on the back of her head) were inside, and you put her together. And I'm happy I got Daisy - she's probably my favorite character design of the "big 5" (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy) characters from Disney.

In a few minutes I'm heading out to Sherman - I need a few things from the Ulta and I also just want a day out for self-care related things today. (Tomorrow I will go back and work on the stats stuff more, and maybe even put in a couple hours on it Saturday. And Monday, classes start). I also need to pick up my house a little (this afternoon, after I get home) and wash sheets and towels.