HEY! Where am I?

I'm still here! Two weeks ago I started a new job & while I enjoy not working for my previous employer, I cannot say that I don't miss the icey cold temperature the store was kept at in the summer months. Last friday I called in sick as I was suffering from some pretty yucky flu-like bug. I have a feeling my grossness came as a result of working in an office that hit 33 degrees 3/4 of the days I was there last week.

But I digress.

I wonder if Susannah could hear the heavy sigh I let loose when I cast off the last stitches of the second sleeve cap(for the second time) last week? Why is such a teensy tiny little sweater taking me SO freakishly long to knit? And why why why didn't the sleeve cap of the second sleeve match the first?? I don't have the answer to that second one - the first one boils down to the answer for why it takes me a long time to do anything I design & am responsible for. I make it too precious in my mind - I want every single thing to be perfect about it - My brain thinks "If I'm still MAKING it, then I can't fuck it up." I'm getting over that - because tonight (after I put down my laptop in fact) I will set in the last sleeve & seam it up & put that mofo in the mail.


Honest, that lump o' Cherry Moon Cotton Fleece will be a real live sweater in mere hours!

So last week while I was sick, I still wanted to knit - I didn't want to seam anything, I didn't want anything finicky & I wanted to see real live progress. BUT! I also didn't want to start on anything I hadn't already *planned* on starting.

With a cold you can knit practically anything - I actually thinking knitting with a cold helps you get better because it's a cozy soothing thing you're doing. Knitting with a fever & cold sweats & joint aches however, is a different story. So, following all that reasoning does nothing to explain why I chose to start on my Deep V Argyle Vest. I got the yarn I ordered from knitpicks in the mail a couple days before & I was anxious to start her up.



I've never knit a sweater in the round before. This was brought to light after I cast on 112 sts & then sat & wondered how on earth that was going to fit around my body - let alone join on my circulars. After a shamelessly long time I figured out that those 112 sts were only *half* of the body & of course, I needed 112 more. I guess I can blame it on the fact that I was sick. The pattern isn't all too complicated, it takes some getting used to though, and my eyes just wanted to sleep - so that little bit there took me most of Saturday afternoon (I had the ribbing done the night before). Just for the record - the yarn is knitpicks 'merino style' & I was a little skeptical of it when I ordered it - it was very cheap - so I figured it had to have something wrong with it. Not so far as I can tell. So far, it's super soft & squishy & I love the colours & I'm excited to see it turn into a sweater I'm sure I'll love.

When Saturday night came I wanted to knit something *else* - I couldn't knit the one project I have on the go that is mindless since the intended recipient was all up in my grill all day (okay, he was taking care of me...but still....) so I started my Orangina Sweater!


It's not too far along but what a super easy lace pattern! It's only made up over 2 rows & those 2 rows only differ in the number of stitches knit at the beginning, so memorizing this was a snap. I'm not actually sure it's going to be my style when it's done, but I am willing to give it a go.
And finally - I'm one thumb away from finishing my first Christmas knitting project! I've surprised myself! A previous co-worker of mine was none too subtle last winter about how nice it'd be to have a pair of red mittens....If only he knew someone who could knit them up... this comment was usually followed by a lingering stare in my direction with an exasperated sigh. So here then, are some red mittens for my friend Walter:



Right, so there you have it - 4 projects in progress. Yeah Buddy!