Knit It Black: And...We're back

Or at least I am.

Kristen, where art thou?

The beach was beautiful. Seven days filled with my favorite life routine. Wake up when you feel like it. Eat breakfast in your bathing suit while your sunblock soaks in. Wander out to the beach. Wander into the house for lunch. Wander out to the beach. Wander into the house for dinner. Read a book. Knit a little. Repeat.

The days were hotter than Hades with a heat index between 110 and 115 the entire week. Believing delusionally that an SPF 30 would protect my seriously white self I received a glorious burn the first day. (Who the heck did I think I was ignoring the beach and sun for 5 years running?) I also managed to read 5 books and work a little on this sweater. It's Debbie Bliss' "Grace" pattern worked in cotton angora yarn. I adore this yarn even if the color is not really me.

That's right folks. You did indeed spot a rogue piece of knitwear. This is not a Rambling Rose, nor is it a Somewhat Cowl. It is not even a pair of Arrr-gyles. You see the full moon came a full week and a half early for me. While everyone else was happily packing for vacation two weeks ago Saturday I was freaking out because the one yarn store in town was closed. Simon and I had planned a fabulous day in Shepherdstown, W.Virginia where we would poke around cute shops in an even cuter downtown, consume a lovely dinner and watch "An Inconvenient Truth" in a movie theater that served beer. So, I did what any self respecting knitter would do, I located their local yarn store. Except it the internet didn't bother to tell me that it was CLOSED - not just closed on a Saturday closed, but closed for good, never to reopen again! And by the time we realized our folly there weren't enough hours in the day to get to the yarn store in Frederick, MD before it shut. So I cried in a parking lot (literally) and then sucked it up and went to the movies. It was a very sad moment. But seeing "An Inconvenient Truth" mostly balanced it out. I highly recommend both Shepherdstown WV and the movie. Both are excellent.

On the drive to Topsail Island I completed the Neil Gaiman socks. They are fabulous if a bit slouchy in the way of cotton socks. I would certainly knit a few more pairs of cotton socks but I'm not sure I would work a lace pattern. I prefer it when socks involve lots of mindless stockenette.

Happy feet!
Pattern: Carousel Lace Socks by Saratoga Knits
Yarn: Fortissima Cotton 2 skeins
Needles: Addi Turbo size 1
I'm still knitting one sock at a time, top down. I really should learn how to do the toe up 2 at a time method, but I just plain like it this way...

And now there are new projects. I am a complete and utter project monogamist. There is something incredibly satisfying to me in seeing something through from beginning to end in one fell swoop, but I am beginning to believe that this behavior is also limiting. So I'm working on expanding my reach to monogamously working on two things at once. The first project was the one you saw above, my "at home project". And the second is a pair of socks, my "traveling project". The socks will be knit using the yarn pictured below. C.W. Ewe dyed especially for the Mannings in the "Uptown" colorway. This yarn was purchased at MD Sheep and Wool so I could knit a pair of socks for Simon. He's pretty excited about them since this particular colorway features all of his favorite clothing colors. Yay for stash!

Upon arriving home I succumbed to the need to at least own the materials for the Arr-gyles so below you see the new additions to the stash, Red, Grey and Black Dale Baby Ull (I already own the white). I love this yarn so much that I was willing to pay exorbitantly for the pleasure of owning it. (Don't even ask...It's embarrassing, I could've purchased this yarn more cheaply online including shipping...) The LYS not only overpriced this, they overpriced everything and were rude both to me - don't you know I look too young to actually be a knitter - and another knitter who was new to the area and *gasp* asked if they might know of another store that offered night classes when her husband could watch their 2 year old for free. They are now officially on my shit list and I will always purchase online or haul ass to the Mannings instead.