Bunny Heads & Tank Top Trim

I've been working on some fun stuff in between busting my ass to fit into my bikini (t-minus two weeks!) and being the best domestic goddess I can be. All that stuff doesn't leave me too much time for knitting, but I find a few minutes here and there when I can.

This is the start of the head of Jess Hutch's free bunny pattern (http://www.jesshutch.com). I used some sport weight yarn and small size 4 double-pointed needles just to practice since that's all I had around at the time. Being a knitting idiot still, I just wanted to see if I could actually follow the pattern. And guess what? I have the top to a little bunny head now! I was sickeningly pleased with myself. It was difficult to knit on such small needles with such fine yarn though, and hubby was sweet enough to go into a yarn shop with me last weekend when we were downtown so I could get the right yarn for the pattern. I wanted pink (of course!) but settled for white so I could make lots of bunnies to give to friends who don't like pink as much as me. I bought the size 8 double-pointed needles I need to make them today, though I'm not sure when I'll find time to make that cute little guy when I have this pink tank top to work on:

This is the trim to the tank top I'm working on from the spring issue of Interweave. I finally finished my swatch last week and started on the bottom trim. The yarn splits easily so it is taking me a long time to make progress. I have to be really careful when I do my yarn overs, not to split the yarn. Otherwise I get funny threads floating around where they don't belong and it looks crappy. I have about 4 of those repeating motifs done and I've got 9 more to go. The pattern had a chart for this part and I got so frustrated trying to read the chart and then knit, that I took an extra hour to scan in the chart, print out a copy, and then hand write the instructions for myself so that I wouldn't have to go back and read the key and chart on every new row of knitting. I know that's kind of cheating, that I should learn to use the chart, but I think this really saves me time and frustration as a new knitter.

I'm also working on a knitting project bag made from a felted thriftstore sweater. Went and picked out fabric for the lining today. Check back for pictures of that project sometime soon.

It's windy and cold here today.... perfect day for sitting in and knitting. And I've got a mocha and Wallace and Gromit to watch! Life is good!