look, some knitting!

While I've been away from the computer, I've been knitting like crazy! ;) Here's a nearly finished swell. I just need to block the thing and add the strings tassels. I absolutely love this finished item. Though I ran into some problems...first off, the pattern calls for size 5 needles. I had the size 5 needles but I didn't have the circs in the recommended length--but I did have them in 24 inches which were really hard to use so being the genius (you can laugh now!) that I am, I thought I could just use size 5 dpns. Um, no. The first hat would've fit the bulldog very nicely but that would've been a problem since this hat was supposed to be for my fiancé whose head is quite bigger than bulldog's! The only set of circs I had in a length of 16 inches were 8's. I frogged back to about where I cast on the rest of the hat and had at it. You can totally see the needle change. Ugh. Oh well..and that lil bump on top? I didn't account for my fiancé's big head being that big so I had to do a few more rows. I'll definitely be making this hat again though--most likely one for me with the leftover patons I still have lying around and I have a lot of cream left. :) Yesterday, the itch to cast on for some socks finally got scratched. Here's my progress on my first coupling sock. You can't really see the lacy pattern. I figured if I put the sock on you'd be able to see it better but no. Maybe after I've blocked the pair when they're finally finished. I'm to the gusset!
Before casting on for my sock, I tried teaching myself the figure 8 cast-on and the magic-cast on. HA. I'm going to stick with my rectangular toe until I can figure the two out..or I may look into the turkish cast on. We'll see!