Normally, I don't hide yarn purchases from my spouse.  I hid this one.  20 skeins at $14.00 per?  Yeah, you'd hide it too.

Of course, posting the evidence on a public blog more than likely defeats the purpose.  But, then again, he doesn't read my blog.  Either of them.  And I'll count on those of you who know spouse not to tell him.  It'll be our little secret...until the day I pull out a skein and start using it for its intended project.  Then it will be like my clothing or shoe purchases.

"Is that new?"  he'll say.

"This?"  I'll say.  "Oh, no, I've had this for ages!"

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I've had a book in my hands more often than yarn over the last couple of weeks.  It's hard to juggle these two favorite pastimes when I've never been able to enjoy audiobooks.  Reading has always been a tactile experience for me:  the weight of the book in my hands, the feel of the paper between my fingers, the scent of the glue and binding (especially if the book is leather-bound!), the crisp sound of a turning page...all these lovely sensual experiences vanish with books-on-tape or -CD.

Maybe the tactile sensation of fabric and yarn is the reason I love fiber arts so much.  I know I buy fabric and yarn for their feel at least as often as I buy for color, perhaps more so.

At any rate, these are the two projects I have going right now:

Slouch Rib Cardigan by Cathy Payson for Interweave Knits in Paton Shetland Chunky.  This is a "back-burner" project for the moment:  it's far too warm to wear the finished product right now.  More than likely, I'll pick this one up off and on for the next few months, and concentrate on finishing it when it gets closer to autumn.

Crocheted Crop Cardiganby Monica Brown in Lion Brand Microspun.  I plan to finish this one fairly soon and add it to my work wardrobe.

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My first big knit project, a mohair blend garter stitch shawl, has been sitting here for the last several weeks telling me it wants to go live with someone else.  I finally decided it was right, and took it to work today to give to a purple-loving colleague.

Colleague modeling her new shawl

Bat wings!

Colleague was thrilled!  She wore it all around the office, and gathered many compliments.  We both beamed.

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Behold, the loveliness!

The front.

The back.

The front, again.

Detail of eyelet yoke.

Now, let's hope it fits its recipient.  Living some 1600 miles apart made in-progress fittings a tad difficult. 

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Hmm.  Knitting eyelet isn't nearly the ordeal I thought it would be.  Before I started, I read the little section on yarn-overs in Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting (the most useful knitting resource book I own).

Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting (Donna Kooler's Series)

If you don't have a your own copy, it's worth the $25.00 to get one new if you can't find one on half.com like I did.  Anyway, I've gone several rounds on the yoke of Jordan's cardigan, and it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Yoke over one shoulder

Yoke and right front (sideways view)

Just for grins, this is an upside-down shot of the right front showing my valiant attempt at seed stitch.

A few more rows of eyelet, and then I'll make my first buttonhole.  What a learning experience this little project has turned into!

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Recently, and courtesy of Ravelry, I discovered Rowan, and instantly became smitten with their patterns and their yarn.  I subscribed to their pattern book, and my first copy arrived in the mail yesterday.

With it came this nifty little lapel pin.

Which I will probably never wear, but it's a cool gimmick.

Eagerly, I paged through the magazine and found many lovely spring-time patterns which were immediately added to my queue at Ravelry.  Prediction:  I'll never run out of projects.  And the money I spend on yarn will increase dramatically.  These patterns are too gorgeous to make up in run-of-the-mill acrylic.  They cry out for linen and silk and bamboo and cotton.

Speaking of run-of-the-mill acrylic, however, Jordan's cardigan has reached its penultimate stage:  making the eyelet yoke.

Assuming I master the art of eyelet, this project will be ready to send off to the little darling in the next couple of weeks.  Of course, she won't need it until Autumn, so I'll probably hang on to it until her kindergarten class starts and her birthday is nigh.

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Lookie!  Isn't it pretty?

Allie's Afghan #6

Now to find her address and ship it out.

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My niece's sweater (that's "jumper" to you UK folks) proceeds apace:

Jordan's sweater #3

Considering the sweater is intended for Jordan's autumn birthday and her first year in school (kindergarten, woo hoo!), I probably shouldn't let it take up so much of my time and instead concentrate on the baby afghan.  However, the afghan project gets picked up only when my elbow hurts too badly to knit:

Allie's afghan #3

Seven squares to go, and then construction and border.  The squares take hardly any time at all, just over an hour if I don't allow myself to get distracted.  Maybe I'll focus on this project for the weekend.  But then again, maybe not.  Other yarn is calling my name....

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Picture heavy post!

Two finished baby blankets for a friend who is having twins:

1st Bamboo Baby Blankie #3

2nd Bamboo Baby Blankie #3

Felted crochet hook pouch, to keep all my hooks in one place:

Crochet Hook Pouch #4

Crochet Hook Pouch #3

A sweater for my youngest niece, in progress:

Jordan's sweater #2

And, because so many people around me are having babies these days, yet another baby blanket in progress:

Allie's Afghan #2

None of this activity is doing my tendonitis any good.  Such is the price of productivity!

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Just as I should never enter a bookstore alone, I should never go into Michael's alone.

Yesterday, I was on the hunt for a particular yarn, and needed a couple of circular needles and some large-size crochet hooks.  I didn't find the yarn.  I found the crochet hooks.  As for the needles?  Um.  They had the needle size, but not the length I wanted.  Instead, I found this:

So I spent more money than originally planned but, in theory, I need never buy another circular needle, therefore saving money in the long run.  At least, that's what I told spouse.

And I ordered the yarn off the internet.

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