It's probably a good thing that I still cannot find the camera cord, I'd have a hard time not posting pictures of the next project I'm going to cast on - it's a secret project! Secret because I'm going to knit it as a gift. Regardless of it being something I need tutoring to help me with. And since I know the person I want to give it to checks the blog regularly...I need to behave and not tempt people overly to guess it's for them or what it is.
Of course, if I had the camera cord I could post all I wanted over on Ravelry. But that satisfaction too will have to be delayed, and even stomped upon - project pages with no photo bum me out most when they are my own!
You can know that I'm at the half point in the body of a cardigan I'm making for myself which will be my first foray into anything with actual sleeves. Doesn't matter that they are 3/4, they get picked up, knit in the round, and are a far cry more sleeve than the yoke sleeves that I've done thus far. I'm using O-Wool's Classic, a worsted weight, in Robin's Egg Blue. There is a heaping mountain of the same yarn in another shade in my stash and I was unsure after buying it on clearance, but now that I've begun working with it - I'm sooooo glad to own more! There was a rumour that the yarn was not just discontinued but that the whole company, Vermont Fiber Co. was closing. Ravelry states that the same yarns is now under a new name: Tunney Wool Co. rather than Vermont, so thankfully this ethically responsible yarn has just been juggled about, not ended. Why ever and how ever it's happened, I'm gleeful that I also have some of the O-Wool Balance (50/50 organic wool and organic cotton - stupendously nice) untouched in the stash, and wish I'd discovered their hardy but delicate worsted before now.
This weekend I'm biting the bullet and pulling the Colinette Jitterbug out of time out. It's been there since, oh... MARCH. I was onto the feather and fan at the bottom and first I messed up my math (no surprise there) but then I noticed that it had a giant gapping dropped stitch way up high in the beginning so I ripped, ripped, and ripped.
With two shawls blocked, and two more waiting to be done, it might seem insane to begin again on the 10 Shawls in 2010 challenge. However, that's what I'm doing. Since I have a history of crazy in the realm of knitting - why not! All I can do is not make 10 shawls. Anyone who thinks the world will end with that outcome is welcome to let me know how my shawl knitting failure affects the rapture.
So, Multnomah with the Jitterbug first, to make five. Ishbel in Fleece Artist Suri Blue (I've had for 4 years or so, since one of the first Seattle LYS Shop Hops) second, to make six. After that...I'm a little unsure. 3 of the 4 done to date are Evelyn Clark designs and I love them (she's a native of the PNW too!) and would like to do more, but I think I'm out of free ones. And since the fingering weight is proving doable I'm as a matter of course looking more and more longingly at my lace weight yarns beyond the Suri Blue. I have Posh people! In 100% cashmere! In 50/50 silk and cashmere. In a merino/silk blend that totally matches the shade of my dear Anthemis Nobilis. I've got a peacock teal Zephyr 50/50 wool/silk. Sigh.
Being a sock yarn girl who doesn't knit socks, I've got plenty of that to work still. I guess I'm just less inclined by the patterns now. There is one that I like a lot, the Candlelight Shawl, that has gentle flickering lace patterns...but which yarn!? I seem to have too little of many individual skeins to do proper shawls with, but two sock skeins sort of defeats the brilliance of so much yarn/potential for a decent price (this is I think how I started buying lace: lots of yardage for a wee price, but I'm encountering the same problem with it!). Ah well, I'll torture myself alone with the unending pain that is matching a yarn to a pattern and leave you all to be happy and unfettered by such pressing issues.
Besides, I've got to pack for our long weekend down in Kaikoura with friends! My knitting is fairly well sorted (big secret project I spoke of, little secret project I'm just teasing you with now, and the shawl and cardigan) and I know that I'm hauling Yahtzee! and some wine down too. Clothing though...I'd best get on that!