I'm back

We're back from a fun time in Florida, where we had a lot of fun. Not much time to knit, except on the plane, where I started a new pair of Monkey socks using the Kool Aid dyed yarn Kariola sent me.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled ice and snow.

Moderne Log Cabin

It has been a stressful few days. I'm glad I started the blanket last week because it is all I have the brain power for. Here is what it looks like at the moment.



That green square is one whole skein of Encore. The pale yellow is about 1/2 a skein. The blue is not done yet--just a little bit more and it will be a whole skein. I think I might save an entire skein for the edging. This will be a good size blankie.

I will be taking a vacation soon (can hardly believe it!!). I'll be flying for the first time since I became a knitter--yes, it has been a long time since I took a proper vacation. After this Wednesday I should have some time to consider which project to take with me. Socks, I think. Small and portable is the way to go.

Circle Yoke Progress

I've knit two arms and a body up to the arms.

Here is what the arms look like:

And what the body looks like, at the moment.

Then I stalled, because the next step takes a small amount of brain power. Really, not much, but enough. And I just wasn't in the mood. On Saturday I was running out to the library. I didn't want to take the sweater--too much brain power. I had no socks on the needles (weird, I know) and I have nothing else planned and ready to go.

So, I grabbed a skein of Encore took a peek at the Mason Dixon book, grabbed the needles and headed out. What I failed to notice was that the Moderne Blanket calls for DK weight yarn, and Encore is worsted. So my blanket will be unique. I've gone through one skein already, and I'm halfway through a second. I bought a total of 12 skeins for this blanket.

So brainless I was able to cook dinner, read a book and knit this blanket at the same time on Saturday night.

2009

Most of my free (ha ha) time for 2009 will be dedicated to completing my thesis--at least through June. Until then I plan to work on projects as stress relief. These include my current project, the Circles Yoke Sweater, and a new blankie to match the couch we got last year. Throw in some socks too--for portability.

I don't think I will be able to start any serious fibery learning until the summer--but I did decide what it will be.

I think 2009 is the year that I finally face the hook. The darn thing baffles me. All I can manage is a chain or a provisional cast-on. I even took a book out from the library a few months ago. Pages and pages, and I could only find one page that gave how-to info (and this was a learn to crochet book)--and it may as well have been written in hieroglyphics.

I think some time this summer I will either need to sign up for a class, or schedule some time with my friend Chrissie for some instruction on how to crochet. I'm tired of clicking a link on ravelry only to be disappointed that the pattern is crochet.

We'll see how it goes.