The warp is a varigated Tencel and he Weft (purple stuff) is Cashmere.  It’s a kit from Just Our Yarns that I purchased at Madrona this year.

Well it’s the start of a New Year and again I cast on a sweater. Maybe I will actually finish this one this year, the one I started last year on New Year’s Day is still patiently waiting to be sewn together and for a button band. This year’s sweater? Well back when I lived in CA, I did Symbolic Knots, if you’re curious you can find it here.  That sweater has seemed to have grown legs and disappeared on me, and I so loved it.  So I’m doing it again sort of.  Still using a Melissa Leapman pattern but this one out of her newest book, Continuous Cables, the pattern is Quick to Knit Bulky Pullover, same pattern on the front, the only real difference is this time it will have a small amount of waist shaping, where the first one didn’t.

On that note, I’ll be casting on at least 1 project a day for 6 more days, my So. Cal Knitting group is doing a group knit along and starting the new year with 7 days of casting on .  The name of this GKA is Feel like a Fl00zy GKA.   If you’re of a mind to, cast on along with us, the only rule here is cast on one a day or more if you feel like it.  There is no rule that says when you are expected to finish by or even that you have to finish.  Oh yeah, I forgot the one other rule have FUN.  This is guilt free casting on to start the New Year.

Yes, that is 1 complete sock, and one sock that almost has a complete gussett.  Yes I realize that yesterday was DH’s B-day.  Yes I do realize his feet are probably cold today all because I’m a bad wife and didn’t finish his socks. Yes, I am a bad knitter because I didn’t finish in time.  In reality, I am not really a bad wife or a bad knitter, I just get distracted so easily, so in the case of the sock I am both.

I didn’t make it, so this is what DH got for his Bday yesterday.  Granted I have several excuses good reasons for missing on this one, well ok, 2 shiny objects got in my way, and it didn’t help that when we went to breakfast I fogot to bring the 2nd dpn i was using on the heel.

 There’s this bamboo i’ve been trying to finish spinning, and for what ever reason it chose yesterday to call my name and call it loudly.  So I was just going to take a 15 min break and spin some bamboo and one thing led to another and an hour later I was still spinning.

 The other shiny object, well I’m beta testing software for a friend and I fell into the black hole of my computer for quite some time late yeterday afternoon. Then DH got home from his SB activities and well I couldn’t very well put his sock over him. 

Ok, I’ll have to admit I heard the call of sleeve island yesterday too.

Oh, my pleas to make it melt apparently worked, what was predicted to be another inch or 2 of snow, just enough to keep me stuck at home, turned to rain.  While there is still a little snow at my place, it’s not enough to keep me house bound. 

  Gotta knit!

 Oh yeah and some flooding, not at my house, but in the neigborhood.  As of this morning, there are very limited routes for me to take to get to work.  All alternate routes are currently flooded, one of them is a small city and I haven’t yet taught my car to swim.

 On the knitting front, I’ve now finished 3.5 pairs of clogs, 1.5 more go go. one side of the Celtic Tote is finished, 1/4 of the sleeve on one of the Tomten jackets is done, and half way through the body of the other one.  Hopefully I’ll have everything that needs to be felted done this weekend or the next, so it all has a chance to dry. Toss in a BSJ, that I have to finish tonight (baby shower is tomorrow, but in my defense it keeps changing on me, it may not be tomorrow when tomorrow comes, we’ll see what happens). 

On the spinning front, my Spinning group met at one of the ladies houses this last Saturday, so we got to spin in a nice cozy living room, with a big picture window, watching the snow fall.  It fell, accumulated to about 2-3 inches or so, then melted away overnight, and gave way to rain, rain, and more rain, resulting in the flooding mentioned above.  Our house is high and dry, though there were complexes down the street from us that weren’t so lucky. But I digress, spinning oh yeah, total skeins that need to pose for the camera is somewhere around 5 or 6 (I think).  Another one of the ladies in my spinning group carded up a bunch of rolags, and I mean a bunch, and gave us all a lesson in English Long Draw.  All in all a great time was had by all. 

Back to the grind, maybe after I finish the BSJ, I’ll actually do a photo shoot with all those skeins of yarn.

No I really didn’t forget about the SotS, I just got a little side tracked, but here is Clue 1, I quite literally just finished it.  It’s not likely I’ll get on track and finish Clue 2 before Clue 3 comes out, but I’m just a little bit behind.

Flight of Fantasy shawl, I’m knitting along on it and making progress.  I think I’m at the half way mark, the rows are now up to over 200 stitches.  I finished the 3rd pattern set Wednesday night.

Marlinda socks are slowly but surely coming along.  Still working on the 1st one, but I’m making some progress, at this rate I’ll be at the heel turn by the end of the month LOL.

Soy Silk Shrug, chugging along as well, I’m back to where the arm holes split out, this time the sizing is a lot closer to right.

 Kauni is still in time out, but at least it’s back OTN after the last ripping adventure.

I’m so happy for Christina, her husband passed his test and is getting the transfer they wanted.  I’m sad that they will be leaving us soon, but she’s only moving a 6 hour drive away.  I will miss her, but at least we still have the internets and phones to keep in touch with.

 Tonight Christina, Libby and MHP are going to see the Yarn Harlot .  I’m hoping I actually remember my camera.  Oh and Libby says I get Mr. Pink next, he’ll be going to see some of his old stomping grounds, maybe even get very close to home, but no worries, it’ll just be a teaser, he won’t be going there.  Then we’re off to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival next weekend.

 So in the works this week:

 a pair of socks – Marilinda Socks, pattern by Cookie A designed for Sout’s Swag club

a shawl – Wings of Fantasy shawl

a shrug – the same one that I’ve been working on for a while now, I’m down past the arms, so it should get done anyweek now.

Dad’s Golf shirt, is still in the works, it just didn’t make it out the door this morning, and neither did Clapotis, or the 2 scarves from my own hand spun.

 There was another FO, just a small one, that I couldn’t post about since it was heading down to Madgik  She got it safe and sound, you can see a pic here.

 Stats:

Pattern: Sit-ster in Natural knits

Yarn: my very own hand spun

Needles: Options #2 and #3 dpns

There’s Christina taking a picture of me taking a picture, not intentional, one or both of us were probably to busy laughing to notice, Libby and there is MHP playing with his cool little cars.

Another attempt at a picture from a different angle, and MHP decided to help, he was showing me one of his cars, it’s all good.

One last shot, we’re still laughing about MHP helping frame the pic, but there we are.

Village Yarn and Tea is a great place to knit, they have a seating area where we can enjoy tea nd chat and knit.  Now when you need a break from knitting, temptation is close at hand.  On the other side of those shelves full of tea goodness, is another seating area and shelves full of knitting books and patterns.  and in the 2nd picture you can see some of the tempting yarny goodness just calling to you.  Great place to sit and knit and visit, but the temptation is just a bit much.  I know I left with more than I came with, I have 3 receipts to prove it.  First trip was some roving, 2nd trip, I really needed stitch markers because I was casting on another sweater with eleventy bagillion sts, and the last trip, well it is a yarn store afterall….more about that in another post.

Got home from work Friday night and there was a pink notice on my door.  Come to the USPS and pick up your package.  Look what I found.

Ok, so there were 6 skeins, but only in 3 colors.  Kuani yarn.

It didn’t take me long to wind 2 of those bad boys up into 2 ginormous yarn cakes, they barely fit on the normal ball winder, next time around, I bring out the big guns.  Yes, that’s what I cast on Saturday afternoon, ripped and cast on again on Sunday Morning, my stitch count was off, even with the help of the markers.

As for last night, the Kuani Sweater was all I knit on Wed night, I have a feeling it will be occupying my attention for a while.  No I haven’t fallen of the MS3 bandwagon, I’m just about half way through Clue 6 and still aiming to finish it this weekend.