On the Needles January '09

I wanted to know what I have on the needles so I can finish some things up and feel like I've accomplished something. I'm afraid that this post is just reinforcing my insanity and now making it obvious to the whole world, but here I go anyway:


This about 1/3 of Abby from Knitty. A nice, soft, lacy cowl made from Royal Fiber Spinnery Alpaca which I bought at the Alpaca Festival last spring. I like how this yarn is knitting up, and the lace pattern is fun...easy enough, yet still interesting to knit. I'm hoping to finish this project soon. I have some podcasts downloaded and I am planning a little knitting time this afternoon.


This knitted object began it's life as a garter-stitch scarf from some more yarn from the Alpaca Festival. This is Hand-Spun and Hand-dyed mohair/merino/silk from Wynham Farms. I love the color and I love the look and feel of the yarn, but I swear I do not know what it wants to be. The garter-stitch just isn't doing it for me, but I don't have any other ideas. So, please comment if you have an ideas for this bulky and loopy, fuzzy, soft yarn. (I have 220 yards of it.) It's on it's way to being a novelty-yarn, but it's not really. It just has me stumped. This one is destined to be nothing but a swatch if I don't have some sort of knitting revelation soon.


This unfortunate February Lady's Sweater has been cast-on since October. I am having bad feelings about it because of it's girth (which also happens to be my own girth, and that is adding to my bad feelings toward it) and the fact that I feel I am stuck in a never-ending section of Gull-Lace. In reality, I only have about 3-4 inches of lace left and then I can whip out the bottom garter-stitch. Once I'm past that, the sleeves will be a piece of cake. I want to wear the thing, I just am having some trouble getting through the knitting.


That cute little triangle is the first installment of the January Afghan Knitalong at Knitty Cat. I have let the knitalong go for the past 3 months, and I am excited to be jumping back into it. Partly because the surprise of receiving a few rows of pattern directions via e-mail every day is really fun, and partly because I have chosen the perfect spot in my house that needs a new chair, and this afghan will look beautiful draped casually across it.


This is the beginning of the first of a pair of Jared Flood's Green Autumn Mittens from Vogue Knitting Magazine. I had been wanting to try Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift, and I really love it. This is the "foxglove" colorway, and it is a little more pinkish than this photo shows. These are a fun knit, a little bit difficult and requiring some concentration...good for when I need my knitting to take my mind away from life for a while. My brain can not handle thinking about anything else while I'm Cabling and Bobbling.

Have a great day, and I hope we can all fit in some knitting-time today!