Knitting Change of Plans

Well, all of you who are wondering how the Owls Sweater is going...it's not. I did a few gauge swatches. Couldn't get the gauge that I wanted (too many stitches per inch, too few rows per inch). I then played with the pattern numbers a bit and decided to put it on hold until I knit this. It's a star tree topper from the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2009 issue. I added a few more beads and used solid vs. variegated yarn and here is what the front looks like:


I have the front and back done and now need to crochet the two sides together. Unfortunately, I left the magazine in Virginia so I'll have to wing the rest of it included the i-cord to hold it on the tree. Wish me luck.

The Owls Sweater was going to be my next project. I even took my yarn, pattern and needles to Virginia with me for our Thanksgiving trip, but... while I was there my mom showed me the little dress she decided to knit for her three granddaughters for Christmas dresses. It is an adorable pattern and I can see why she decided to knit them but...she was only partway through the two smaller ones and hadn't even started the third so I volunteered to knit the third one. Unfortunately, the dress is 288 stitches per round with DK yarn and the first 8 rows are a picot pattern that I screwed up repeatedly. I even managed to knit 12 rounds before realizing I had joined the first round with a twist and had to frog the whole thing. I'm now doing much better, but still have TONS of knitting to do and this needs to be done in time to mail to Virginia and be worn for Christmas. What have I volunteered for? I'm sure it will all work out, but I MUST go knit now.