Where is the time going??

How can it be November already?? And over a week since I last posted?

Well, part of that is that I've not been doing much. It's weird. I'm focused on Monkey #2 right now. I adore the yarn (KPPPM)1, I adore the needles (Addi Turbos2, even though they're not really pointy enough for lace, I still love 'em), I adore the pattern. I love how the colors of the yarn work with the lace, I think they're gorgeous! So, what's the issue? I'm just pretty darn tired at the moment, so I don't really have the energy or focus to do more than 1-2 lace repeats at a time. I did two tonight...that's 22 rows, people. 1408 stitches. It's not a lot really. But I'm tired. I am at a natural stopping point, I did finish the lace repeats for the leg tonight. Turn the heel sometime this weekend and plug on down the foot! I might even get it done before Thanksgiving! How nice would that be?

So, Blue Moon Fiber Arts has opened up their Rockin' Sock Club registration for 2008. I've been saving my pennies, I could actually afford to do it out of my ME money. I even printed the registration form...but I think I've decided not to do it next year. I just don't think 2007 is going to be the year for me to have lots of time to knit. I have a bunch of BIG things in fight right now (more on that later), and I think it's going to be a busy year. Plus, I do have about 10 pairs worth of sock yarn to knit already, not to mention some other things. I think I will comfort my disappointment by ordering a couple of skeins to have in my stash...I think I'm going to go with mediumweight, as someone mentioned to me that that's closer in weight to KPPPM. AND, many of the patterns in New Pathways for Sock Knitters use it. So, you know, it's not a luxery, it's a NEED. RIGHT?? Right. So now the burning issue is, which colorways???

1 Anyone know the different between KPPPM and KPPM?
2 I have to admit that I've been thoroughly converted to KnitPicks Fixed Circs in 32" length for Magic Looping socks.

I just can't help myself.

I had a lovely, though not too relaxing time in VT, celebrating my mother's birthday, and remembering my uncle, who died 3 years ago. Miss you, Uncle Bob.

I did manage to sneak off and get a little time to myself, so of COURSE, I had to do my usual tour of the local yarn stores. I have NO idea how it happened, but a few goodies happened to make their way home with me. *innocent look* It's truly a mystery.

Let's see. Now residing with me are:
2 skeins of Regia Cotton Color, in Colorway 5407
2 skeins of Koigu KPM in 426
1 skein of Araucania Ranco Multy in 310 (I've never heard of this yarn but it's so pretty! Hmm, this one doesn't seem to be on their website. Well, it's gonna be socks, big surprise.)
Cat Bordhi's new book New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book 1.

And from the local Ben Franklin, one ball of Sugar'n'Cream's new self-striping yarn in Baby Stripes.

I cannot WAIT to start on the NP book! It looks SO cool and the socks are pretty and look like they'll be so fun to knit! I have got to finish ALL pairs of socks in flight first. No, really. NO REALLY, I DO. :)

Psychologist, diagnosis thyself!

I think I have a combination of knitting-focused OCD and ADD. The OCD part is that I am obsessed, OBSESSED with planning projects right now (err, in retrospect, that may not be all that atypical, as a brief read of this blog will show), and the ADD part is how many different projects I have in flight. I don't mind having a few, but it's starting to get a little out of hand. Let's look, shall we?

Currently on Needles:

1. Jaywalkers (to be ripped out, and started with a different sock yarn, probably a self-striping as opposed to varieagated)
2. Monkey socks: in a KPPPM, this is gorgeous and I LOVE IT! I turned heel #1 last night, and I'm on a rampage to finish this and get #2 going. This yarn and this pattern are really pretty. This is my Santa Monica/Dartmouth memorial sock. I bought this yarn while out there for my wonderful friend P's wedding, and I knit a bunch of it at my Dartmouth reunion this past weekend (where I met P! And I'd say most of my good memories of college involve her.)
3. A pinwheel discloth.
4. A diagonal knit baby blanket (essentially, this pattern, but bigger). This is completely gorgeous, but it's really more of a girl blanket, and it turns out the person I intended it for is having a boy. Turns out also that her shower is in a few weeks, and I'd love to have something handknit for her.
   
5. Fuschia Fetchings for my wonderful friend K. (I had to stall on those until I saw her this past weekend because she has petite hands and I don't want them to be too long.) Have I mentioned how much I adore Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino Aran? It's lovely.
   
6. NICU hat - finishing up the leaves for an apple hat.
   

Okay, it's not quite as out of control as I thought, but still.

Projects being planned in my head:
Baby sweater and hat for the above mentioned friend. I think I'm going to do a simple cardi in this yarn in the Fruit Salad color, with these buttons. I think it will not be ready for the shower.
Scarf for a college friend (by request). Probably just in some nice, worsted yarn - blue, I think.
Queen of Cups socks, so I can use my new HiyaHiya needles, to try them out for lace. I've got a lovely Lorna's Laces (in Somerset) set aside for this. (Note, why is it that US 1 means different things to different companies? 2.5mm is not the same as 2.25 mm!)
I need to do something with this yarn in the Monet's Garden color. All of a sudden I really really want to knit a shrug! (Could you do this with the Artyarns yarn, do you think?)

This doesn't even take into account all the yarn I have as well!

Say what?

Okay, I can totally understand that different dye lots may be different, maybe even radically different. But...I expect a dye job to be consistent WITHIN the skein, right? Am I crazy here? I am starting a Project for a friend (can't talk too much about it, not sure if she reads this blog or not!), and there is a point where the color of the yarn shifts. It's subtle, but there. It gets lighter.

It's not a particularly high end yarn, it's Lion Suede, one of the variegated colorways. It's gorgeous, and I love the colors (I actually really like the yarn), but this is...annoying. I don't think it's quite annoying enough to actually stop the project, and as I move along, I think it's shifting back, but come on, people! I know this is going to bug me, but I have no idea what to do about it..."use a much nicer yarn" isn't really in the budget right now, and this yarn is exactly what I have in mind for this project. Hmmph.

In other news, I finally made it to Mind's Eye Yarns (a) when it was open and (b) without kids so I could go in! I don't quite understand why I've never gone (may have something to do with (b) part of my visit today). The woman who owns it is SO nice!! A skein of her sock yarn somehow managed to make its way home with me. *innocent look* It's in my favorite green and purple combo, it HAD to be done! I can't remember if I wrote this or not already, but I think I need to have more than one pair of socks going at a time: one pattern, one plain. By the time my knitting time rolls around in the evening, I'm often not good for much beyond stockinette.

Fetching is DONE!

Both gloves completed!

Details
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Purple (607)
Needles: Knit Pick Options, size 6 with a 40" cord for Magic Loop
New Skills: None

This is an easy pattern that translates well to the magic loop (I put 20 stitches on one needle and 25 on the other). There are a couple of things I still haven't really figured out how to do well. The first is the Picot Bindoff. I can't figure out how to get the last stitch to match the other loops. Practice, maybe? Also, I have had a lot of trouble pickup up the stitches for the thumbs without leaving gaping holes. Well, is it trouble if you can't actually do it? On all four of these that I've made, I've had to sew up the little holes on either side of the thumb. On the second one of these, as well, I miscalculated on yarn, and had to attach another ball during the bindoff row, which I don't recommend.

Other than that, I lovelovelove the fabric this yarn makes on size 6 needles, it's so soft and cushy! I made these for my SIL and just loved them, so figured I needed some for myself! Now I need a hat to go with them.

Have I mentioned that I love the color purple?

I realized also in my other post that I forgot the other yarn that I got: some Koigu KPPM in 407 (though mine looks like it has a lot more yellow and brown in it than this picture shows). Now I just need a great sock pattern for my Santa Monica Memorial Socks!

Getting Back My Knitting Mojo

We went away this weekend WITHOUT kids - the longest we've been away from them. Our trip involved a lot of sitting in airports, so I got some good knitting done. I got about 2 inches of my first Jaywalker done. I'm doing it in the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn, in Purple Club. I'm not sure I'm loving the pattern as it comes out, but I'm definitely enjoying knitting it! I haven't done a top-down sock in a while, so hopefully the heel flap won't be too confusing. I am doing the leg in Magic Loop, but I may switch to DPKs for the heel, since that is how the pattern is written.

I also got almost all of my second Fetching done. I just have the bind-off and thumb to do, but I'm not quite sure I have enough left of the skein (not sure why I have less this time than the last, oh well). I do have more, so no worries. I'm planning on doing Knitty's Coronet in the same yarn, I think it'll be cute. Yeah, I know, the cables aren't the same, but I'm strangely okay with that! It's odd, as I'm typically a matchy-matchy sort of person.

I made it to Wildfiber in Santa Monica (a mile from our hotel) while we were in So Cal. I really wanted to see some Socks That Rock in person, but they were out. Ah well, I'm just going to have to order some next month (when I have money again). so many questions - what weight? What color? I did got some wool wash that I've been needing (I have a couple of pairs of non-machine-wash, handmade wool socks to do so I can wear them again!). I think I may have to designate one night a week for sock washing! I am feeling very inspired to keep moving on socks.

I also bought some GGH Samoa for a hat as well. I got that started. It's a hat of my own design, in light and dark green. I got some red to do an apple hat as well. I like the yarn so far, it's really nice to work with! It's machine washable, so this would be an option for baby clothes as well. I'm going to make something for my own kids with it, and try drying it to see how well it machine dries.

So, some funny moments on my trip. This was for the wedding of a dear friend from college, and I saw many friends - some that I've stayed close to, others that I hadn't seen in more than 15 years. For these folks, the news that I've become an avid knitter was a tad...surprising. The initial response was not unsupportive, but more baffled (I think they thought I was joking at first when I said I needed to go to a yarn store before the wedding on Saturday). Once they realized that (a) I was serious and (b) this is a past-time that brings me tremendous joy, they were accepting (not that it actually matters much, as I do this because I love it!). One friend (D) asked me what I knit. I told him the various things I've done. Then he said "What are you going to make for me?" I said "What do you need?" He suggested a scarf, since he lives in DC. [Note: I am thinking something like this for him, because it's pretty, or this.] I may actually do it, but it was a funny moment of "You just don't get what you're asking, do you?" I mean, for what other thing would someone request as a joke a handmade item, the materials for which are not necessarily inexpensive, and which requires a significant investment of time from someone?

I think I'm going to go finish that Fetching so I can wear it tomorrow, the weather seems like it'd be perfect (low 40s and rainy!).

This isn't a good thing to know.

That Yarnmarket has my credit card on file, so I don't even need to have it handy to order!! Uh oh!!

I ended up returning the Berrocco Plush (and being berated by the sales woman for daring to make a credit card return), and I just ordered a bunch of cotton chenille from Yarnmarket. Yay! I made a washcloth out of the sample ball I bought, and it's lovely! It also claims to be handwash, but I put it through the washer and dryer, and it looks great, didn't shrink at all, held it's shape, etc. It's so nice to work with! I'm not sure why some folks are so down on cotton chenille!!

I finished a hat that will be a NICU hat since it's too small for a full-term baby. I didn't actually swatch (BAD), so I figured it would either work for a friend, or for the NICU. It felt really nice to start a new collection of those hats - it's a good perspective-builder for me when I start moping. So yeah, maybe some stuff has happened that's not been great, but DUDE, you don't have a kid in Childrens' Hospital. Come on. :)

Impulse Buy

And it's going right back to the store. I bought some Berrocco Plush Colors in Taffy, and when I got it home, realized that it's not machine washable/dryable. Since it's to be a baby blanket, THAT ain't happening. I know how often blankets (that get used) need to be washed, and I know how much time a new parent has to do hand laundry. Luckily I can easily return it, it's just getting back to the store.

I think I'm going to do another Webs order soon, and get some Plymouth Heaven. Someone on a knitting group recommended it, and it IS machine washable. Now I just need to figure out what else to get to get my order up to $60 to get the discount. I am thinking of getting some Noro Kureon to make a Booga Bag. For some reason, I am also interested in this bamboo yarn, short-sleeve sweater (I can't find the pattern, but it's in the current Webs catalog). And of course, sock yarn. Basically, I don't think spending the $ will be a problem.

I am going to finish the Berrocco scarf and give it to my sister, who wants more red in her life. I am not feeling inspired to do the Magic Waves shawl...I should start it though, once I finish the pattern. Tonight I'm going to cast-on some socks, I think. I frogged the sweater, I'm going to do some hats (NICU and gifts). Then I need to commune with my stash and figure out what to do next to get out of this rut.

FOs and a bad yarn store experience

DH was off to London last week for a long weekend (visiting with his sisters), so I took the boys to the ILs. We had a great time, and I got tons of knitting done! I finished one of DHs socks, and got the heel turned on the other, so now I just need to finish the leg of it. Sadly, they're a tad too big. Still wearable, but I'm still figuring out how to size socks. The pattern called for the sock to fit exact to foot length, but I think it really needed to have a small amount of negative ease. Maybe all socks need this? These are in a worsted wool, so they're quite heavy. Pictures to come when I finish the other.

I also decided to jump on the Fetching bandwagon. Overall, I'm fairly happy with how they came out. I didn't actually block them, and perhaps I should have, to stop the top of rolling. These were knit using the Magic Loop technique, with KnitPicks Options size 6 needles and a 40" cord. I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in Red (I think I used 610 or 611). New techniques for me included cabling (not hard at all, it turns out, though like all things, probably difficult to do really really well), and the Picot Bindoff. I bought two skeins of the yarn, but used only one. I was a bit short, which leads to me to the things I am not as pleased with on these. Basically, the thumbs don't match. The left thumb is 4 rows and a sewn cast-off, the right thumb is 3 rows and a regular bind-off. You actually can't really tell that they are different lengths, but the bind-offs do look different. I just wasn't willing to crack open the second skein when I knew that I'd not use the rest of it for anything. I'm also not happy with the regular bind off, as there's a bit of a gap. You can see it on the right palm shot. I did get more of this yarn in purple, and I'll be making myself a pair, and a matching hat. The yarn is delicious! These got sent off to SIL today.



































So, this leads to my unpleasant yarn store experience. There's a cute yarn store in the town that ILs live, that has a nice selection. I've not gotten a great vibe (they seem to be of the Snotty Yarn Store persuasion as opposed to the Friendly Yarn Store persuasion, if you know what I mean). I bought the yarn on...Saturday. I finished the gloves on Monday (I think, maybe it was Sunday, they're quick). I went in on Tuesday to exchange the second ball for a color that I like, to make a pair for me. I will admit that I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice the Closed sign. I opened the door and started to go in, and Condescending Lady said "We're closed, we're doing inventory." She sounded beyond annoyed. I said "Oh, I'm sorry, are you open tomorrow?" She said in the snottiest tone imaginable "Yes, at our usual time, 11:00." I left, feeling bizarrely humiliated, and almost in tears. It was very strange. This is a town that makes a living off of tourists, and people are typically really nice.

My first response was "I'm never setting foot in there again." By the next morning, I was able to let it go enough to say "Why should I let her rudeness stick me with a ball of yarn I don't need when I've already paid for it and I can get something I will use?" So I went in, and exchanged it, and left. I will never spend a cent there again though. The other women who work there were pleasant enough (though a bit inept), and I think this woman is the owner. I heard her talking to the other people working and she definitely had that attitude about her, but still. I didn't do anything wrong other than make an honest mistake in thinking the store was open and not noticing the sign. I'm not hypersensitive typically, and I don't look for reasons to feel offended. I was planning to write her a letter, but decided that (a) for spiritual reasons, I need to let it go and (b) she wouldn't give a sh*t anyway. So, I'll express my displeasure with my buying power. There are many independent yarn stores that I can support, not to mention ordering on-line, and I don't need her store, and I really don't need to support a business that treats people badly.

No, seriously, I need help.

I bought MORE YARN today!!!
And, silly me, forgot to look at how much I needed (4 ounces) and bought half of that. I did have a project in mind, but I think I'll dedicate this to other things. It's the Fantasy Naturale in a couple of pretty, pastel colorways. Baby hats, baby hats!

Maybe I'll learn to cable.

I need a twelve step program...

...for Yarn Addiction.

I am lusting over a bunch of yarns at the moment, to the point where I'm spending more time on-line looking at them than I am, you know, knitting up what I have so I CAN buy more yarn!!!

Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille in printed colors. I want to make washcloths out of this, I think it would work, and wouldn't it feel luxurious?? I love chenille! You could also do a lovely baby sweater out of this, couldn't you. Baby hats?

Plymouth Yarn Fantasy Naturale. My knitting friend is making this gorgeous baby blanket out of this stuff, and it's SO nice. And she told me about a new yarn store to try out too.

Various sock yarns. What else is new?

Okay, I'm going to do a little knitting on the poncho and then go to bed early, since I was up ALL NIGHT with a barfing baby. Not the most fun I've ever had.

*sigh*

What I learned yesterday...that I cannot do projects that require more than minimal brain power when the boys are awake. That multidirectional scarf with the Boho yarn? F-cked it up, and frogged it entirely. I wasn't 100% on-board with the yarn anyway, so perhaps it's just not meant to be, and I'll get different yarn for that scarf, but still, a bummer.

So, that leaves me...DH's socks, and I just started another NICU hat. That can be my brainless project. I think I'll start the poncho tomorrow night (or my school work, yeah, there's that to be doing too). So, what to do with 4 skeins of Boho burgundy yarn? It's not enough for a shrug or shawl....maybe a plain garter-stitch scarf? It's so pretty, the yarn really speaks for itself, you know? It doesn't need a pattern.

I also need to figure out how to fix my hands before doing more knitting with this yarn, it's really prone to snagging on my rough hands. I haven't encountered this before (I've mainly knit with wool, cotton, and non-natural fibers). It's winter, I have two kids, so I wash my hands A LOT and they are dry. I do my MK hand treatments (but every time I do, the boys insist on having hand treatments too), but that doesn't seem to be doing enough. More hand lotion? I dunno.

Some FOs!

I actually have gotten some stuff done (almost).

This is Baby J's sweater. The gauge was off, so it's kind of...small. I really hope it fits him. I just can't seem to knit right for this kid! This is my third attempt - two hats frogged. I'm doing a hat too, but if I don't get it done tonight, the sweater is getting sent tomorrow without it. It needs to get to him. I'm not loving how the colors clumped up on the body, but I love the stripes on the arms. Ah, the fun of variegated yarns! You never know what you're going to get!

Here's the button on the sweater. How cute is that? Well, IMO, very cute! I got the
buttons at Windsor Button. The yarn is Bernat Softee in Dreamy Blue. I thought it would be...softer, somehow, but it's fine. Not great yarn, but totally machine washable and dryable, and these aren't folks who are going to notice really nice yarn. I've got a whole 'nother ball of this, so perhaps I'll do some NICU hats with it. The patterns is one that I found on-line a while ago, but seems to be gone from about.com - do they not have tons of patterns anymore? It's the top-down, all one piece baby cardigan with the button band integrated into the body of the sweater, so you don't have to pick up any stitches. This was knit on size 4 bamboos.

Yesterday/last night I finally finished the Garterlac Dishcloth (by way of Knit Worth), which looks complicated, but once I figured it out, was so easy I didn't even need to keep track of my rows! Mine isn't quite as pretty as the others...it's sort of a funny shape. But hey! That's okay, I'm just going to be washing dishes (or myself) with it, so it doesn't have to be perfect! I don't know if I was knitting too loosely or if I cast-on too tightly. I did a regular knitted cast-on, maybe something looser/stretchier would be better? I don't know. I am so doing more of these, I have so much Sugar'n'Cream yarn!

And I finished a pair of socks!!! They were done using 40" Addi Turbos, size 2, with Cascade Fixation. They definitely aren't perfect (err, that seems to be my theme for FOs right now, ah well). I didn't think about the fact that the yarn is 1.7% elastic, so they're REALLY stretchy, and I made them exact length, so really, they're too long. I also didn't do the best job on the double-wrapped, short row heels, so I've got some little holes, but that's okay. AND, I did a regular bind-off on one of them (hey, I was on a plane with no internet access, so I couldn't look up a stretchier bind-off, and how DID people do this stuff before the internet??), but I did EZ's sewn cast-off for the second, and that's way nicer. I don't mind the fiddly-ness of it.

And on to the future...

I did get really bored of stockinette with these, so my next pair, I'm going to do something with a pattern. I've got some Artyarns sock yarn, and I'm thinking of doing Knitty's RPM. I've also got some Plymouth Sockotta (in 6674) that I need a pattern for. Any ideas? Once I get done with Baby J's hat, I'm going to do a quick hat and booties for my son's nursery school silent auction. I need to finish DH's socks too, and THEN I get to figure out my next ME project...probably my Artyarns poncho, I really want to get that made so I can wear it, since it got cold here, and we're keeping the house really cold to save money. :) I think I need some sort of big bulky yarn shawl too.

What I'm doing instead of knitting tonight.

Documenting all my stuff, of course!

Two pairs of socks in process; A sweater I made for Gus (two years ago, yet to be seamed); Yarn for a Walter sweater; my dishcloth yarn stash; A baby sweater for a friend; my NICU baby hats stash; Artyarns Supermerino (poncho and hat); Boho and Boho colors for Magic Waves shawl/scarf; Sock yarn (not including the Artyarns that they sent the wrong color); Chunky sweater for Gus, now for Walter (side needs reseaming, I HATE SEAMING); Boho Multidirectional Scarf. This doesn't include a bunch of random odds and ends (some of which are enough to do more projects with)...this is just the stash that I am intending to knit.

Oh sugar!

In an effort to curtail Gus's swearing, I'm attempting to quit myself, hence the euphemisms.


My yarnmarket order arrived, and it's totally correct, but the yarns that I got to coordiante with each other...don't. At all. I got Berroco Boho Colors in Sangria and Boho in Raspberries and Strawberries. On my screen the Raspberries, Strawberries is very purple, in real life it's much more of a burgundy wine color. The Sangria is definitely purple and pink. Both are gorgeous yarns, they're just not going to work together.

I just called Webs and they've obviously written down wrong the colors they used. They said they used Boho 9268, but that's the green, so I'm wondering if they used the lighter red? I just called, and she wasn't sure. I went ahead and added the Torero to my order, and let's hope it works!

Now, what to do with 392 yards of a gorgeous, heavy wine yarn?? I'm not sending it back!!

I need to get out more, I think.

I am way, way too excited by the fact that my Yarnmarket order is due to arrive tomorrow. WAY. I am also too excited for my Webs order as well. Yeah. I really do need to get out more or get a hobby or someth...oh wait. That's what got me into this state. :)

I'm going to go finish foot of sock #2 and get the heel turned tonight, so I can get them both on needles and finish them!

Sometimes I amaze myself.

Or is that, amuse myself? Not with my knitting, but with my powers of rationalization! So I spent the rest of my birthday money today. Yes, on yarn, why do you ask?

I wanted to get the yarn to make the Artyarns lace poncho that I've been thinking about, which was 10 skeins, or $90. Well, since at Webs, if you spend $120 on discountable yarn, you get 25%, that's like spending $90, so I figured that since I was willing to spend $90, I should just go ahead and spend the $120. Or something. Yeah. So I got a bunch of Supermerino to make the poncho, and to make a hat. And I got some more sock yarn. I know, I know, I have yet to finish ANY of the sock yarn I already have!! But it's so pretty!!! And they gave me the shawl/scarf pattern that I've been obsessing over and already bought the yarn for. It's a sickness, it is. I need to FINISH something!

So, yeah, tons of yarn coming at me. I'm hoping it gets here before I head off to California, since I'm going ALONE and will have lots of time to knit. Can I bring knitting needles on an airplane these days?

Stash increase

I just ordered several Artyarn patterns (the zigzag scarf, the flat top hat, and a poncho pattern), plus Addis in size 0 (just to have), and the Berroco Boho. I am really nervous about the yarn purchase: I got the Sangria (colors) and the Raspberry Strawberry, in hopes that they'll coordinate to do that scarf/shawl pattern that I'm obsessing over. I just have to call Webs to get it. I am ordering my Artyarn from them too. I would have ordered it all from them, but they didn't have the Boho, and Yarnmarket's prices were better, with free shipping. I'm going to do the poncho for me, the scarf for me, fun! I don't do most of my knitting for myself, and I'm excited to do it!

I have a couple of pairs of socks in flight, a dish cloth going (the Bamboo stitch, which I'm finding a bit annoying, all the passing stitches over, I find it tedious). I've got a baby hat going for a friend that I'm going to frog because it's an elf hat, and, well, the holiday is over! I decided I need to finish what I'm doing before starting yet another project, though that's not going to stop me from ordering the yarn! Then my stash is going to be huge and I need to not buy any more yarn for a loooong time.

I just sold a couple of diaper bags, and there's nothing there that I'm longing to try, so I'll have some paypal to play with....but NO. Must. Resist. Gorgeous. Yarns.

So, tonight I'm going to try and get the foot and heel of the sock #2 for me done, then they'll both go on the needles and I'll do the legs together. This are a basic toe-up, short-row toe and heel, stockinette stitch. So far, I'm digging them! I'm doing them in Cascade Fixation, in a teal/purple/lavender colorway that's quite pretty! I'll post pictures when I'm done!

What would you do, O knitters?

While I was at Webs, I saw this absolutely GORGEOUS shawl. I cannot stop thinking about it! Now, I don't own any shawls (save a fancy dress one from a black tie wedding). I never wear shawls...but something about this yarn and this pattern captured me. The yarn is Berrocco's Boho (and Colors), and the shawl has this amazing lacy pattern. It was GORGEOUS, and I am obsessed. I would have bought the yarn but they didn't have enough in the colors I really liked (you did half of it in a plain Boho and half with Colors, so you need coordinating colors). It looks like the color I like is being discontinued. Ah well. Anyway, would you buy the yarn ($$) and make the pattern (I am sure that Webs would let me buy it), or let it go? You can also do a scarf version, which I would wear, I am sure. If you couldn't get the Colors yarn, would you do it all in one color?

I am also contemplating the Poncho again. I'm pondering one of the top-down ponchos with Artyarn. Again, pricey, but so pretty! I am thinking that if I'm going to be ordering, I might as well get one of the Modular Scarf patterns (triangles? diamonds? squares?) and the Flat top hat pattern too. *sigh* I am going to be so broke, but have SO many things to knit!!!!

I'm about to gear up for another round of baby hat knitting too. I got some Tahki colors that I'll do a simple roll-brimmed hat to start, I think. I just got my yarn all sorted and organized. I think I may try and make some dishcloths to sell also. And oh yeah, that whole professional development thing too! It's going to be a busy year!

Drop Off #2

DS1 and I went over to Children's yesterday morning before we headed out of town, to drop of the next round of hats. Like last time, it was a hard visit. Unlike last time, I didn't spend time thinking about our (brief) stay there, but rather this time, I was struck by the fact that at 9:00 am on the Saturday before Christmas, we had to park on the 5th floor of the Children's lot because it was so full. I am thankful that a place like Children's exists, but it just made me sad, and so, so thankful for my own healthy kids. I don't know about others, but I need (and appreciate) the reminders for gratitude about all my blessings. It's so easy to get caught up in the little hassles of life. It's good to take a moment to remember how FINE everything really is.

Anyway, we're now out in the Berkshires, and I'm about to take off for some ALONE time, to go to Webs!! The website claims they're open on Sundays for the holiday season. I'll have about an hour or so to play there before I have to head back, which I think should be enough. :) I'm needing more Addis in small sizes, and SOCK yarn. I've been utterly converted to short-row, toe up socks. I like counting better than doing increases. I've got DH's on the needles, toes done (finally!!) correctly. I just pulled out the ones I'm doing for me and I'll redo them with a short-row toe.

For all who celebrate, have a merry, merry Christmas, and to all, blessings of the season on you. :)