Thank goodness I have a patient child

I went yarn shopping today.

Now, I really don't need any yarn. I have half a room full, and projects scattered all over the house, and I don't know if/when I'll ever use all of this yummy yarn that's slowly getting organized. Fortunately I have a husband who says I'll eventually use it and it won't go bad, so buy it while I can.

I also have a local yarn store (LYS) that tempts me almost daily. Currently the owner is running a series of trunk shows. These consist of displays of specific types of yarn or books, and finished products to see what you, too, can do if you put your mind to it. There's usually a discount involved, and even classes using the books or yarn.

A few weeks ago was a trunk show around 60 Quick Knits, a book of 60 hats, mittens, and scarves that could be made easily, with a nice reasonably priced yarn, and looked oh-so pretty. I managed to escape the LYS with just the book and one hank of yarn, at 20% off. I was very proud.

Today I was going in to pick up yarn to finish a project, and I knew there was a trunk show around Mission Falls yarn. I love this yarn. I made a sweater for S using their wool in a beautiful peacock color. I liked it so much I went back to the store and bought more wool in lavender to make the same sweater for her again. So I had to check this out. I popped S into her Ergo carrier and marched into the store.

Oh, my fingers will be flying soon. I found a book with a gorgeous striped hat and a scarf that looks like linked flowers. And a toy fire truck that I can make for my nephew for Christmas. I decided to get the yarn as well, and had so much fun with the owner's daughter, picking out a rainbow of colors described in the book. And they're crocheted, which means I can bang them out pretty quickly. Then I was tempted by another book that had beautiful sweaters. I'll go back for yarn later. Maybe Saturday, when S is with Daddy.

The whole time, S just hung out and watched Mommy shop. She smiled at the ladies who wandered by and said hello. She patiently gazed at the pattern books as I oohed and ahhed over this or that pattern. She was such a good girl. Maybe she'll be a knitter. She'll certainly have yarn and patterns to work with.

Back to knitting

I've been working on a project that kicked my butt from mid-December on. But it's finally finished, so I can start working on some new stuff that's been sitting in the backlog pile.

((Pssst...I'll show a picture of the butt-kicking project when it reaches its recipient))

I knitted up all the pieces to a baby sweater I want to finish by March. It's buttery soft alpaca in tonal shades of dark blue. I might have enough to make another one a lot like it! I'll finish it off this coming weekend. And I'll post pictures, I promise.

I'm also starting a pair of mittens for me. They're the Bella's mittens I did here, but using the same yarn as for this scarf. Yes, I will have a matching scarf and mitten set that I made all by myself.

I have another baby sweater in mind that needs to be done by June, I need to work on that Celtic knot shawl I took a class for in September, and there are some crochet projects lying around too. Oh, and I scored big at my yarn store's Super Bowl Sale, so there will be more stuff coming up.

Hurray.

More roses, and a knitting update

My pink roses are popping!







And for the first time in a long while, I finished a knitting pattern! It's called the meandering rib scarf from Lion Brand Yarn.



I used this yummy yarn I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.



It's a luscious merino wool, but it's has a nice heavy cotton feel. And the color--the pictures don't do it justice. I still have one ball left, so I'm searching for another good pattern.