He’s 1 today! Here he is in his Valentine/Birthday sweater.

It’s not completely finished. I decided at the last minute that I wanted to do the lining and button, but wouldn’t you know I couldn’t find anything I liked locally. The neck rolls a little more than I’d like, and I think the lining would at least make it look better in that area. There’s a red crocheted edge there, too, you just can’t see it.

I know I said I was going to post stuff about Lucy and Ricky, but I just don’t have the mental energy right now. Managed to get through yesterday just fine and I’d like to leave the emotions unstirred for a while, if you know what I mean. :D

I’ll come back and post all the details on The Boyfriend Dog Sweater in the next week.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This is turning out to be a busy week for me. That’s something new.

Want to know what I can accomplish in a week-and-a-half while consumed with nerves? Three mitered squares, the start of a fourth, and the start of a log-cabin square. Plus this:

Not what I’m accustomed to, but not bad. For the record, I haven’t worked on the cable jacket since we last spoke, and I only succumbed to Rock Band on one occasion (which happened to be that very night), so I’m all healed up and ready to get back to work on the big stuff. As soon as my nerves take leave.

The good news is that I am changing jobs. Can’t wait, but the new-job-nerves are in high gear.

The bad news is that tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Lucy’s passing. I’ve been trying to ignore it, for the most part, but it’s getting harder.

But there’s more good this week, which is helpful: Ricky will be one on Thursday. My little Valentine. You can be sure there will be non-knitting related posts the next two days. (Except for the FO details on that Valentine sweater above, which is for Ricky.)

Is it just me, or does the food in the A&E Pride and Prejudice look scrumptious?? Off topic, anyone?

This post is sponsored by another “Well, @#$%.”

If it happens again next week, folks, I’m lettin’ it fly.

That would be the second Simple Sock on that broken needle.

Because of an elbow over-use injury (caused by my mad Rock Band drumming skillz), I have been unable to work on this but for a couple of rows a day:

My new (additional) sock needles are not here yet, but I received an e-mail today that they have shipped. Therefore, I assumed I had nothing to work on (always forgetting about the blanket squares which need to be made - must remember those at some point) and figured I’d practice a Composed Mitt:

All was going well and I would have continued but for two things: (1) it was too small, even though I was using heavier yarn (worsted); and (2) I hated how the yellow yarn was looking with the red (as opposed to lime with red), so I opted to stop and order more yarn (here we go again). Oh yeah, there’s a (3) and (4). (3) I didn’t like how the yarn looked overall - it wasn’t “rustic” or heathered enough - and I want it to look exactly like the pattern photo. I love the colors and the yarn, apparently; and (4) I don’t like the bobbles at the cast-on edge and I’m going to try to do a picot edge next time, or just leave them off all together.

I don’t know what this leaves me with for tonight and this weekend. I could certainly swatch and cast on for something new, or I could just give in and make a blanket square. I’m also torn between the drums and knitting the cable jacket - I obviously can’t do both, for several reasons. But me loves the drums….very good stress reliever. Can’t think about anything at all while you’re drumming. Can think about LOTS of things while knitting. And I have LOTS on my mind right now, which would be where the problem lies. Now you know that I mostly walk around with absolutely nothing in my head, or else I wouldn’t get so much knitting done. Maybe I should just cast-on something new…it helped yesterday when I cast-on the mitts. Something that I could really throw myself into and set aside all the silly thinking. Ugh. Decisions. I’m supposed to be avoiding decisions right now, not creating more!!

See that? Oh, I’m sure you do. Wish I did, about 8 rows ago. Now I get to practice my mad cable fixin’ skillz - I sure don’t want to have to rip back. It’s not real slow going, but it is real hard on the hands. 8 rows is a lot on this deal. ETA: UGH. I tried ripping back just the affected 6 stitches and redoing, but on the very first row I redid, there was such a huge amount of yarn leftover, which equals big hole, so I opted to just go ahead and rip/reknit instead of worrying about it any further. I ripped, and reknit, and sad thing is: if I had just looked at my knitting last night before I began, I would have seen it in the middle of the row that I had just completed the night before. But noooo……..

I certainly wished that I wasn’t being quite so monogamous with this project last night when I discovered the mistake. I was too emotional (read: tipsy) to fix it last night, so I sat for a couple of hours with nothing to knit. It would have been too easy to go to my car and get out the other simple sock which I started. Too easy. However, I’m apparently stubborn. This is the way I see it: I need a project in every room of the house plus one in the car, that way I can just grab something and start knitting, no matter where I am. Therefore, I absolutely refused to remove my car project, in fear that I would not have it tonight when I need it at basketball practice.

So today, I wound up the completely wonderful most beautifulest yarn I think I’ve received from the Yarn Pirate. The January Booty Club is now my absolute favorite, and I must knit socks with it. WHAT? I know. This yarn is screaming socks and I’m not arguing. So, I wound that sucker up into a nice little cake and what do you know, I don’t have any extra sock needles. They’re on the simple sock. Damn. Don’t know how I’m going to rectify this situation just yet. Probably just knit really fast on the simple sock and try to ignore the fact that I don’t have a project in every room of the house. If I was to do that right now (cast on about three projects for my various locations, that is), I’d never hear the end of it. I do know one thing for sure: when I do free up those sock needles, I’m going to make a toe-up, plain Jane pair.

I think it’s a little WRONG that both things I’m knitting on these days are for my husband. Just wrong.

Also ETA: After I ripped and reknitted, I couldn’t knit on the jacket anymore because my hands were just toast. How am I supposed to do this monogamy thing?? I was just sitting there, trying to figure out what to do for the next few hours (again, NOT getting the sock out of the car - what a weirdo). I’m going to have to cast on something this weekend that I can work on when my hands get tired of the jacket. Something easy on the hands, like Oblique or Mr. Greenjeans. Or a shawl. What do you think? Speak up. Please. I’m begging.

(OH, I just pre-ordered three knitting books, so I really don’t feel like buying more needles for socks is a good idea right now. I’ll be getting the soft cover of Victorian Lace Today in April, the Yarn Harlot’s new book in April, and the new Mason Dixon book in September. Turns out my new knitting friend is really helpful on the strategory of ordering knitting books from Amazon, and she shared her wealth of knowledge, a/k/a enabled me to buy those books. We won’t mention that I was *this close* to buying On Line sock yarn last Saturday night because of her. She has the cutest Jaywalkers. But you’ll never see them because she doesn’t update her Ravelry projects page. Ahem.) :D

I’m baaack. I’ve got new FOs, new yarn and a new friend to tell you about, not to mention my current angst in wanting to cast-on for things, but resisting. R-e-s-i-s-t-i-n-g. It’s killin’ me.

Ah, but American Idol is on, so all is now right with the world. Damn writer’s strike. What’s a T.V. knitter to do?

So, FOs. I finished Danica. YAY!

Pattern: Danica by Jesse Loesburg for Knitty Winter 2005
Yarn: Patons SWS in Natural Earth, 2.75 balls
Needles: US 8 (5.0mm)
Started: Gosh, December 2006?
Finished: January 8, 2008
Measurements: Before Blocking: 4.5” wide by 47” long. After Blocking: 6” wide by 66” long.
Mods: None
Notes: This yarn is a pain in the neck to rip back, but the colors are beautiful and it really worked with this pattern. It kind of had a halo about it that got worse with handling, which I think will pill and need to be trimmed up. However, since I gifted it to my aunt in Minnesota (along with the Short-Row Hat), I probably won’t ever know how the yarn behaves. It grew almost a full 20 inches after blocking and I think it came out just beautifully. I have several more skeins of the SWS in a different colorway, but I won’t knit this pattern again because we all know that my attention span couldn’t handle it once, much less twice. Nothing against the pattern - I’m that way with everything.

I should probably mention that I technically took Sharfik away from my husband and gifted it to my uncle in Minnesota. Let’s face it, the man would never have worn it and didn’t even know where it was. I wanted to send my aunt and uncle something to thank them for sending us a Christmas gift (which completely took me by surprise), so I knew Sharfik would work and would probably get much more wear up in Minnesota than here in SoCal. Since I had the Short-Row Hat to match Danica for my aunt, I obviously needed to knit up a hat to match Sharfik for my uncle. I give you the Sharfik hat (forgive the crappy photos; my husband didn’t want to model and actually said, “This is so silly,” during the very short photo shoot) (I must make him do it much more often now since I know how much he lurves it):

Pattern: My own, to match the Sharfik scarf by Grumperina
Yarn: Cascade 220 in charcoal gray, less than one skein
Needles: US 8 (5.0mm)
Started: I can’t even remember and it was just last week! Friday, January 11, 2008?
Finished: January 14, 2008
Size: Adult large (very stretchy hat)
Notes: I took notes re my exact moves and I’m going to go ahead and write it up, maybe this weekend, in case anyone wants it in the future. I’m bad about figuring out what I did even with good notes if too much time goes by. I think it turned out really well and I’m very happy with it. I hope my uncle loves it as much as I do.

The yarn for hubby’s cable jacket arrived yesterday, so I promptly cast on for a swatch. Wanna see it?

Thrilling, huh? This yarn is wonderful (Beaverslide McTaggart Tweed). It’s soft and the exact color that hubby requested (charcoal heather). As if that wasn’t enough, it knits up at 3.25 stitches per inch on US 10.5s. Please, oh please, let this project go by quickly. I’m excited to knit it up, but it’s going to be the biggest thing I’ve knit so far and I don’t want to stall. Not that I could, with that obnoxious man sitting in the recliner constantly asking when his jacket is going to be finished. Goob.

The swatch has been blocked and remeasured, and it didn’t change. Is that normal? Am I supposed to wash it with wool wash or whatever - does that change its size? I just got it wet, pinned it out, let it dry, and then remeasured. Yea? Nay?

So check this out: The other day, I’m going into Ravelry, doing my daily inspection, making sure all is well in the land of Rav (it was, no worries), and I see that I have a new private message. Okay, first of all, I love getting private messages in Ravelry. It’s like Joe Fox’s description of the words “you’ve got mail” to Kathleen Kelly. Very.powerful.words. But I digress. I got a private message from someone…wait for it…who actually lives in my town. Holy cow. As she said, another knitter in this town - impossible! We have been messaging back and forth and she has very eloquently described my exact thoughts at certain points in my knitterly life. To say that we’re excited is an understatement, and we’ve already scheduled our first get-together. Wahoo! If you’re reading, hey B! /waves obnoxiously from computer

Okay. Almost done here. Maybe this is why I don’t post very frequently - because I exhaust all conversation in one post. :D

I’ve been wanting to cast on for the Composed Mitts, but I had the Sharfik hat to knit, and then the Beaverslide yarn arrived, so I didn’t have a chance. I do need a portable project to take to the kids’ basketball practice and games which I’ll now be attending 6 times per week. Since I was good at jacking up Danica while knitting it at practice, I decided that I needed something way easier/mindless. You’re not going to believe me, but at tonight’s practice I went ahead and cast on for the second Simple Sock. I know. Let’s contain ourselves.

Aaaand finally: Have you seen the Craft Pirate’s Greta Garbo Sweater? If not, go have a look. It’s beautiful.

I’ve been looking through Ravelry a lot lately (more than usual? probably not….) and adding things to my queue that I really want to knit in 2008 (ha - what wasn’t already there, I mean). There are lots of shawls, cardigans, jackets, sweaters, gloves and fingerless gloves, and bags. Considering that I have most of, if not all, the yarn needed for my queued projects, I’ve promised myself no new yarn (except for the YP Booty Club, which I still love) until I’ve knit up the first five things in my queue. Er, finished five things in 2008. How’s that?

As you’ve seen, I’ve been on a finishing spree. I haven’t cast on anything new at all - and it is a complete shocker that I’ve held out this long. I would have already cast on for my husband’s cardigan if I had the yarn (see below), but since I don’t I’ve been trying to hold out. He wants it sooner rather than later, so I’ve promised to be monogamous with his cardigan until it’s complete. I’m good that way. ;)

Aside from the two blankets (which have gone untouched since about October), I only have two projects on the needles which need to be finished. First, my Patons Cabled Bag (Ravelry project page). I finished the knitting on it last week, and then wove all the ends in and blocked it like a good little knitter.

(In case you didn’t notice, I threw in two wonderful design elements. You know, to keep it real.) I was determined to complete it on Saturday but was sidelined most inconveniently. The handles that I had, which I purchased on a whim over a year ago for a different project, were much too small. Well, at least I can get the lining done, right? Wrong. The lining, which I must admit is so much easier than the Brea Bag lining, turned out too small. So I have to make it again. Yippee.

The other WIP that I need to get done is Danica (Ravelry project page). I’ve been knitting away on her, at least that’s how it feels. I knit and knit and knit and it just doesn’t make progress. I’m so tired of knitting 10 stitches and then turning around and knitting 10 more, and then turning around again…. It’s getting old.

We won’t talk about the three lonely socks in my UFO pile, nor about the monthly sock yarn. Thankyouverymuch.

So instead of talking about what I need to be doing, let’s talk about what I want to be doing.

For the year’s first project, I’ll be knitting my husband’s Cable Jacket from Knitting for Him, which I’m going to start swatching for as soon I receive the yarn. I originally purchased a heathered brown from Valley Yarns, but it was a little too dark and he asked for a tweedy gray. Since he offered to pay for it, I obliged. It was really hard to buy more yarn, I’m tellin’ you. I ordered the McTaggart Tweeds charcoal heather from Beaverslide Dry Goods and I can’t wait to see it.

Next is Oblique, for me. I’ll have to swatch again since it has been so long, but I should do a proper swatch and wash it anyway. It’s entirely possible that I might also be monogamous with this project. Well, as monogamous as one can get when there are three socks which need to be knit up. Woops. We weren’t going to talk about that, were we?

I also have yarn for Mr. Greenjeans and it has been torture putting it off. Torture, I tell you. Ah, and we cannot forget the Ribby Cardi, which has also been on my mind for quite a while now. And the Dollar and a Half Cardigan (scroll down). Then there are the bags in my queue. Definitely on the plate for 2008 are the Finnish bag (Aurora-laukku) and the Doctor’s Bag, not to mention the DROPS cabled bag and the Celtic Tote (scroll down).

Because I have long admired the Shoalwater Shawl and have the perfect yarn for it, I will be making it soon. Soon. Then there’s the shawl I’m wanting to make with the Yarn Pirate yarn that I just adore - you remember, the one which my dog took and tried to destroy (which is still waiting for me to completely untangle). There are shawls aplenty in my queue. Only time will tell if I’m a shawl person. Just like we’re still waiting to see if I’m a sock person. Tsk tsk. Quit bringing up the socks, wouldya?

Finally, I’d like to conquer fair isle in 2008. My first project will be a hand-covering of some sort, either the Endpaper Mitts, the Composed Mitts, or the Bird in Hand mittens. I’m leaning towards the Composed Mitts because they appear to be very forgiving for a first time colorwork project. If all goes well with learning fair isle in 2008, I’d like to try a top in 2009. I dream of making the Venezia Pullover someday (scroll down).

Now let’s all keep our fingers crossed that I get to leave California in 2008. (Nothing against you, California, but I’m an Okie/Texan and, well, you understand.) Not to mention my poor little doggie. It’s raining in SoCal now - as I’m sure you’ve heard - and Ricky just cannot imagine why he should have to go outside to pee when there is something falling from the sky. He just looks at me, as though he’s saying, “What the heck is that falling from the sky, anyway?” Here he is after I brought him in from the downpour (I joke):

A small note about the rain in SoCal. It’s not that it’s such an inconvenience for me to have wet streets, it’s that I have to deal with the MUD and three dogs. Indoor pets. No grass. All dirt. You get the picture. Also, since I live in a valley, the dirt moves when it rains. Let’s hope that it doesn’t rain enough tonight to move the dirt into the roads, or else we’ll be four-wheeling it to school in the morning. (Oh, and thank goodness it’s the end of the holiday break! I could fall over from the joy of it all.)

I finished the Boy’s Banded Vest:

Pattern: Boy’s Banded Vest (#17) by Betsy Westman for Knitsimple Fall 2007
Yarn: Cascade 220 in navy (8393) (2 skeins), pale blue (7815) (4-6 rows worth), yellow (4147) (2 rows), and olive (??) (approximately 10 rows worth)
Needles: US 8 (5.0mm)
Size Made: 10
Mods: Did not do the cable rib pattern, but 2×2 ribbing instead. Added 2 stitches at each side for selvedge. Crocheted trim around neck edge instead of knitting.
Notes: The size came out just right and it just might be big enough for him to wear for two years (depends on how he grows). I haven’t found the perfect shirt for him to wear with it, yet, but I’m still looking. I tried picking up the stitches around the neckline and then binding off in rib, but it just didn’t look right. Since it was late, I just crocheted the edge there and figured if I wanted to I could change it later. Very easy to knit and put together, with a 3-needle bind-off on the shoulders. The color band was my favorite part, and I actually got to do one row of stranding!

Instead of a vest for my daughter, which I was having issues getting started last time, I decided to go in another direction. I made her a stole with the Cascade 220 Quatro, which made it a super fast knit.

Pattern: Convertible by Rebecca Hatcher for Knitty
Yarn: Cascade 220 Quatro (color 9436)
Needles: US 10.5 (6.5mm)
Mods: I cut the repeats down to 4 since I was using bigger yarn/needles.
Started: December 22, 2007
Finished: December 29, 2007
Notes: This was such a quick and easy knit that I’m a total dumbass and didn’t read the pattern very closely. I was under the impression that the yarnovers made up the majority of the button holes, but I was wrong. I did the set up buttonhole row, but then I completely skipped it for the rest of the pattern. So the only row with complete buttonholes is at the cast-on edge, so this Convertible doesn’t necessarily convert as it should. Once I realized my mistake (I only had about 5 inches left), I went ahead and consulted my daughter on the issue. She didn’t realize it was for her, and when she saw what it was and thought about it, she didn’t care. She didn’t want me to rip it back (and I probably wouldn’t have - :D - I’m lazy that way), so we decided that we’d find a way to make it work. I’ll let you know when I do. ;) There’s also another design element in here which I noticed about 10 inches past the mistake, so it didn’t get fixed, either. It obviously didn’t bother me enough.

Next up, we have My So-Called Scarf. Yes, it’s done.

Pattern: My So-Called Scarf by Sheep in the City
Yarn: Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Cuarenta, 1 whole skein
Needles: US 11 (8.0mm)
Finished Measurements: 4.5″ x 56″
Mods: None.
Started: September 22, 2007
Finished: December 30, 2007
Notes: This is a very easy pattern, but fiddly enough that I couldn’t take my eyes off of it while knitting. Once I saw that I was getting close to the end of the skein, I just pushed through and got it done. Thank goodness - this has been hanging over my head for months, it seems.

Here’s one I’m sure we’re all happy to see is done:

Pattern: Brea Bag from Berroco
Yarn: Cascade 220 (color? green)
Needles: US 9 (5.5mm)
Handle Source: M&J Trimming
Button Source: Wal-Mart
Mods: None
Notes: The knitting of the bag was easy. The seaming of the bag was a little harder, but I figured it out (after one false start). The lining of the bag was a nightmare, and I’m hoping that it was mostly because of the awkward shaping. (I’ll let you know after I line my next bag, which is a simple rectangle.) Once I had the lining put together, I had one false start while stitching it into the bag (it became misaligned and I was stitching it in wrong). I sat down with it again on New Year’s Eve and was determined to get it done. I ripped out the stitching that I had in, and redid it all, pinning it into place first this time (duh). The button loop was easy, but I have no idea if I crocheted it correctly or not. All I know is that it doesn’t look bad and it’s very functional. Great bag - I love it. Here are close-ups of the button and loop and the lining, in all their imperfection:

Ugh. I haven’t done much. I have cast on for the front of the vest, but I haven’t been knitting a whole lot on it. My mother is coming for a visit tomorrow, so I’ve been doing other things (you know, trying to make my house look normal and not like that of a person obsessed with sticks and string).

But I have figured out why I feel like I’m knitting ALL THE TIME but not getting a lot finished. It’s because I get these urges to start new things ALL THE TIME, and they rarely work out. For example, I started An Unoriginal Hat, but my circ is way too uncomfortable and I really need DPNs to even think about picking that one up again. I also started the Everlasting Bagstopper (thinking I could make several as last-minute gifts), but it’s proving to be quite the pain in the ass (my gauge must be off again - I’ve been knitting freakishly tight lately, and I blame it on the bags - tight gauge means not enough mileage to get around the circ, which means PAIN).

The yarn for my husband’s cardigan arrived today and he approved, so the knitting there shall commence, uh, sometime. I think he thinks that since the yarn is here, the knitting begins, but he doesn’t really know me as well as he thinks he does. Shhhh.

Big News

Last night I took my daughter to her first basketball practice, and - OMG excitement - I met a knitter. We’re talking hold-yourself-back, holy cow, don’t freak out, you-knew-all-along-there-were-knitters-in-this-town-and-you-finally-found-one kind of excited! Yeehaw. Hopefully I can refrain myself from being a total knit-freak at Friday’s practice. I mean, really, that would be grand.

More Big News

Dudes, I totally know what I’m going to buy with my Christmas money this year! (I always get Christmas money. Those papas know what they’re doing.) I am completely enamored, smitten, besotted by this (that would be Ping-Pong by Hanne Falkenberg).

Me loves it. I’m *gasp* (get ready for it) (are you sitting down?) —-> hypKNITized. :D

Not only is this a big blue blob of rolling stockinette, but this is the completed back of the Boy’s Banded Vest that I’m knitting for my son for Christmas. YAY!

There’s nothing like a good dose of mindless stockinette stitch to get back into the swing of knitting!

I can’t wait to knit the front, because there is a little color involved and it’s my favorite part of this pattern. I also love the way the cast-on olive color looks against the navy. I did make one minor little mod to get started on this, and that was to skip the cable rib called for in the pattern and just go with plain old 2×2 rib. I did the cable rib the first time I started this project and, while it is a nice little detail, it’s very fiddly and I didn’t want to go through it again in case I had to rip - again. It’s big enough this time, though, so no rippage here!

I also slipped on the ole knitting budget again. I ordered the yarn to make my husband a cardigan from Knitting for Him (wonderful book), but I didn’t go with tweed because I couldn’t find any that was economical enough for my taste (I may keep slipping on the budget, but I haven’t slipped as big as I could have). I hope what I ordered works, but I’m confident that if it doesn’t, it will work for something else. I want to get started on this as soon as I get the kids’ vests done, although it won’t be done in time for Christmas. Maybe Valentine’s Day?

I’m still building up my courage to get the Brea Bag lined. I know what I did wrong and the solution is simple (stupid mistake, really; so stupid that I’m not telling), so I just need to get back to it and get it done. I really want that bag!

I have a little question for y’all: When linking to things, would you rather I link directly to the patterns (if available) and books, or link to the Ravelry pages for the patterns and books? I have a preference here based on what I want to see when I am clicking links, but I want to know what y’all think before I spill my opinion. (Also, as far as I know, everyone who reads is in Ravelry now.)

I really don’t know where to start. Seeing as this is a knitting blog, knitting is probably the right place. :D

The Brea Bag is kicking my butt. I was working on the lining, and gosh, I’m no seamstress. It doesn’t look that bad (to my non-seamstress eyes), but dammit if it’s now giving me fits going into the bag. Sheesh. I don’t know what I’m going to do, except get the seam ripper out again and rip out the seams where I’ve already sewn the lining to the bag (it’s crooked now - needs to start over). I’ll just go over and drop to the floor and throw a fit now….

Okay, I’m back.

I knit up a little sweater for the Rickster about a week ago:

Pattern: Baseball Jersey from Posh Pooches
Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky in navy and gray
Needles: US 9 (5.5mm)
Size Made: 10-14
Mods: Made the front shorter to leave room for the little man to do his thing
Notes: I love the pattern - it’s very easy and fits well. However, I do have issues with the yarn/gauge. I got gauge, but the resulting fabric is just too stiff for my liking. I didn’t realize until I was done and put it on him, but Ricky can’t walk very well in it because the fabric is so stiff. I’m going to be making this again with worsted weight wool and I’ll just make a bigger size to accommodate my smaller gauge. The yarn was soft and not that bad to knit with, and I’m guessing that it would be better for me with larger needles. I guess I’m confused on this one, because I got gauge but the results don’t feel right.

I also made the boy another hat, which you’ve seen recently, but here it is again:

Pattern: Mine
Yarn: Cascade 220, black
Needles: US 8 (5.0mm)
Notes: I made the brim wider on this one, and cut the insert so that it was more rounded, trying to achieve a rounded brim (which I still didn’t completely get). This is just a basic stockinette hat, and I picked up almost half the number of cast-on stitches to knit the brim. The brim was knit flat and seamed, with basic decreases on both sides and then increases on both sides to form a pocket after seaming. Easy peasy. I’m much happier with it this time.

I had been working on the Patons Cabled Bag before Thanksgiving, when I started trying to finish the Brea Bag. I actually finished the pattern on the Patons bag, but I didn’t have row gauge so I’m going to have to keep knitting, maybe about 16 more rows of the cabled pattern so the purse will be deep enough. I think I’m going to put the Brea Bag down for a while and finish the knitting on the Patons bag, maybe even knit a few other things. I don’t think I knit anything all week last week and it just feels WRONG. Like I’m off my game or something.

I did go way off my game and spent WAY too much money on yarn last month. We’re talking WAY off budget here, folks. I got my usual e-mail from Yarn Discontinued and they finally got in what I had originally wanted from Wool in the Woods for the Shoalwater Shawl (they got Wool in the Woods a few months ago, it seems, but I hadn’t seen Cherub until now). I went nuts and ordered 7 skeins of Cherub, and then I apparently thought I could use Amerah to make Mr. Greenjeans, so I ordered that, too. We’ll see how that works out. Then, I saw where someone in the Ravelry Destash group was selling her Yarn Pirate Booty Club September skein of Butternut - which is the one I’m wanting to do a shawl with, so I grabbed that up. Unfortunately, my loving bulldog played with it while I was at the hair salon last Thursday evening. I will forever love my son for rescuing it. (Okay, I’ll love him for more than that but, you know, YARN. Focus.)

I was cleaning my office last Friday and put away the most recent YP Booty yarn (which is AWESOME), and I kept looking around thinking, “I know I had that Butternut on my desk here somewhere.” Kept looking…looking…looking…..then I spot it, laying over in a corner, all by its lonesome.

Holy crap, what happen to mah yarn?? I have some of it untangled and wound up, but not very much. It has been put away for now so that I can focus on actual knitting for a while, seeing as not much of that has been getting done around here. I mean, really, the things I put up with. :D