Knitting promiscuously...

Greetings and Dear Laura:

So, I am currently enjoying a 10-day visit by my oldest Goddaughter and her two children. Hmm, her son Logan is my youngest Godson! We're having a wonderful time - took Monday off and went all of the great nieces and nephews and some sil's and nieces to the zoo and picnic in the park - that was SO much fun!




I've been knitting quite a bit, it seems like, and I've thrown all sense of project monogamy to the wind! I think we can blame Knitting at Lunch, actually! AND the Thursday Knit-In group at the Wool Barn in Avilla. I had JUST finished this pair of socks that Isabella asked me for, using the leftovers from my socks.

These socks mark the project where I figured out the short row heel - thanks to the article that you pointed out to me! Thank you so much - it makes perfect sense to me now, and I can actually look up from the instructions occasionally and just knit.

So, I had finished those socks, and was at that odd place where I did not have a major project with a deadline to focus on. Always dangerous. While I had started playing around with a dishcloth pattern, I was at a bit of a 'loose end,' so to speak. When Lauren broached the subject of knitting shawls together, I jumped at it, being in a bit of a 'lace mood' myself.

This meant a lunch run to the downtown LYS. I reluctantly chose not to buy the Rowan Kidsilk Haze, because they did not have a color that grabbed me. I was hoping for the lovely green shade of the original. Since I couldn't have that shade, I paid heed to countless warnings that the mohair is 'difficult to rip back.' I can't tell you the last time I did a project without ripping back! I chose a lovely red alpaca laceweight, and I'm really enjoying it. The yarn.

The pattern was a bit challenging at first, and I've already ripped back twice so avoiding mohair was a good choice! Now that we're in the body repeats, it does seem to be going a bit smoother. I've only worked on it at lunch tho, and with everything else going on I've spent a lot of lunch breaks running other errands, so I'm hoping to make more progress soon!

And then I made it to a session of Knit-In. It happened to be the night that they were doing a dishcloth pattern exchange. I took the slip-stitch pattern that I've been working on with some kitchen cotton.



At that point, I hadn't actually started the shawl, so when I saw the cool new cotton yarn they were using....well, I had a bit of an accident.



Considering the fact that I rarely knit with cotton because it makes my hands hurt, and this yarn is CONSIDERABLY more expensive than basic kitchen cotton, I can't say it was my most shining moment. But I've been having fun with it nonetheless.








I came very close to casting on a new pair of socks, but remembered that I had a pair in progress.

I started these almost a year ago, and had done several pattern repeats. I don't remember why they were put aside - I think because the lace required too much concentration to be portable. However, I've done enough lace now that these don't seem difficult to me. I don't have to pay as close attention to the pattern, and I'm loving the yarn and pattern combination. I did a short row heel (easy-peasy!) and I just less than one full pattern repeat until I reach the toe! And since I've technically only knit 1/2 the sock in the near past, I still feel fresh about starting the second sock!



I do still have several UFO projects, and of course, I've planned 3 or 4 more in the very near future, so you needn't think I'm only really knitting 3 things right now....

Anyway, hope this finds you well - busy, I'm sure! Hope you had a break for the fourth - we had a lovely time! I'm enjoying my visitors, and I may have another new knitter to report. Amber is anxious to learn to make some baby gifts for her friends!

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter!)