Spring Sock

Several weeks ago, Boy and I ventured west to check out the Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, WA. We saw huge fields of blooming tulips. Great colorful blocks of blossoms.

During a stop to get dinner, we came across a yarn shop and Boy helped me pick out a souvenirs skein of sock yarn. The color reminded us both of the tulip fields. I happen to also really like a bright sunny yellow but have no yellow socks.  

This is my current international travel project. I've chosen Cookie A's Monkey for the pattern. With any luck, I'll be we'll into the second sock by the end of my trip.

Taking Stock

At the weekly Sunday knitting meet up, I was asked how many unfinished projects I have going.  With the assistance of Ravelry, I have discovered that the total is actually lower than I thought it might be.  Between my hibernating and in progress lists and a few projects hiding in the back of the closet, the total is only 14.

Just prior to the Sunday knitting meet up this past week, I'd actually been considering starting a new project since the current batch of projects haven't been terribly satisfying and I have had to retire two pair of fairly recently knit socks due to large holes.  I had managed to not start a new project by striking a deal wtih myself.  I have to finish at least one existing project before I can start something new.  This should go very well with my plan to knit from my stash (with the exception of my Cookie A Sock Club membership).

So far, I'm working on finishing up the Mexicali Baby Ole sweater that I started for my not-yet born niece.  In 2003.  Needless to say, she's outgrown it by a wee bit by now.  But I'm sure I can find a baby of suitable size, either of my own acquaintance or through the GoodWill store or other charity.  After that, I have two sweaters that only need seaming to be complete.  Time to get over my seaming fears and get them done!

I'm on a roll

Only I think it's a nasty moldy roll and I don't like the direction it's heading....

I started the EZ green sweater a couple months back. Just yesterday I got the body finished so that I could cut the steeks. being rather nervous about the steek business, I made a point of carefully and repeatedly checking the bust measurement before I cut anything. And that's when I discovered that my gauge got tighter as I knit the body of the sweater. It is now over two inches smaller around than intended and now exactly matches my measurements--definitely too small. So I'll be tearing it out and starting over with a larger needle. I was thinking the body could have been longer anyway, so I'm not terribly upset. I figure if I am going to spend all this time knitting a sweater, it's going to be as close to perfect as I can get it. Now I just need to track down a size 7 needle....

Then after that discovery, I found that the Kiri Shawl pattern website has disappeared and i can't find my printed copy. Thank goodness for the Internet Wayback Machine.

On a happier note, I did weave in the ends on my Paraphernalia socks. The socks I knit for my sister were well-received. I also took advantage of the Morehouse Merino kit sale to have a bit of birthday retail therapy--a lace weight cardigan kit is now headed my way. This will be the eventual replacement for a cardi I bought years ago at a secondhand shop and wear very frequently. if the pattern suits me, I envision making several of them in different colors.

Spinning progress....
I finished the yellow/red roving. It may make a nice scarf though it may be a bit scratchy as the mohair is a bit coarse. I am now working on some dark brown Shetland that I am spinning into a sport weight 2-ply. I have some red, orange and yellow oddballs of Shetland that will make nice stripes or pattern in a brown cardi. It is going pretty quickly. Much more quickly than the merino lace weight I had been spinning previously.