A sweater in progress and other wips

Well, I did end up starting a sweater.  Ambrosia from this summer's IK. And while I did a great deal of knitting on it over the weekend, I did no work on it at all on Tuesday. Why, you may ask? Because I needed to wind another ball of yarn for it, and I have no swift or ball-winder so it takes me a while.  Anyway, here's a picture. I've just put the sleeves on waste yarn, and about to start the front shaping. Since I didn't want such a low neck in front, I'm starting the front neck shaping after 3 rows instead of 9.

 I ended up working on the scarf instead, and it's past the halfway point now.  I'm quite happy with it, and it looks like I'll have plenty left over.  Maybe I'll make a pair of handwarmers to match?

And then, because this week ended up much more stressful than I had hoped, I cast on for something else.  Okay, I bought yarn, then cast on for something else.

Sorry about the out of focus, the camera did not like this.  This will be a pair of hand warmers done using the Elegant Ribbing from the Elegant Ribbed Socks from Favorite Socks.  Originally I had planned to do a cabled knot in the center, bordered by two simple cables, but then it occurred to me that the variegated yarn wouldn't really show that sort of work and I'd have to re-chart the motives for working in the round anyway, so I decided to go with the Elegant Ribbing instead.

And while I was taking pictures, here's one of Versatility...

In person, the cabling, lace, and bobbles are much more visible, I swear.

I have a pecular craving to start working on socks again, but I am trying to resist. I want to finish Ambrosia before summer's over, and I have many WIPs.  Must finish what I have before I start more.  Really.

Stupid Yarn, Stupid Brain

I have become slightly obsessed with knitting a sweater. Now, not just any sweater mind, but this one.  I want to make it out of the grey cascade I have, minus the stripes. It is the middle of summer here, currently over 90 degrees, and I want to make a sweater. Even better, I want to make a sweater using yarn I currently can't find. The Cascade is in a sealed plastic bag somewhere in my bedroom, but where I dunno. I got busy organizing my closet to get rid of clothes I can't wear anymore (almost all my wardrobe) and things have gotten buried. It's my own fault for not putting it in with the rest of the stash.

I know that part of the reason I'm so obsessed with this sweater is that I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to manage anything complicated on Tuesday.  I know I'll need to knit, and I'm starting to think my best bet may be to grab that gorgeous cotton yarn and do a tank top of some kind. Hmm, should find tape measure as I can't remember what my bust measurement is, and guessing would probably not end well.  (I think I'm 37, 33, 42 but I've also dropped a jean size since my last measurement so Merlin knows what it is now).

I have several other projects I want to do, like Bella Paquita in the purple Calmer I have, but I can't get that darn sweater out of my head. It's not like I don't have enough stuff on the needles, after all my current WIPs are....
Versatility in Malabrigo. I've given up on the shawl I was making with it, as the book has vanished into the aether, and instead am making this. I've been wanting to for a while and thanks to the weight loss, I could actually wear it.
(no, no picture of this, sadly. It doesn't really transport well)

the Raha Scarf from Knitted Lace of Estonia. This may or may not stay with me. It may end up as a gift for mom, I haven't decided yet. I started it Saturday and am already on my 5th repeat. I am loving it, and it's just what I need right now, easy but not boring. If only I hadn't decided to try straight needles again with it. I now remember why I stopped knitting with straights. I always get the yarn snagged on a needle end during purl rows and it's annoying.

And the hibernating stuff...
Ice Christmas socks: I'm on the second heel flap and haven't touched them in months.
That other pair of socks: yeah, haven't even gotten one leg done
Nubby Trinity: Last worked on during Knit in Public day. I've gotten distracted by other shawls, ones that are not in lace weight.
The Grey Lehe: I need to find the notebook that tells me where in the pattern I am.

But hey, there has been some finished stuff!
First off, the Verdant Rose Shawl. It's an Evelyn Clark pattern, found in Knitter's Book of Wool.  I love Evelyn Clark's patterns with a passion. Love, love love!

This was made using one skein of hand-dyed sock yarn.  I didn't quite have enough, so I added a very simple crochet edging in some left-over lace-weight, the same lace-weight I used for my first lace shawl. The color isn't quite accurate, it's more blue-green than shown, but none of the pictures I got really captured the color right, so I went with the one that showed the lace best.

And the Ink Shawl. Again, sock yarn (knit picks actually), knit on size 9 needles. I ran out of yarn again, so most of the border is missing. I also did it in garter stitch rather than stockinette, mostly cause I knew that way I wouldn't have to fret about curling.

It looks kinda odd because I wrapped it around the tree to show the lace pattern. I've yet to block it. And yes, that is a stray puppy hair right in the middle.  Pattern is the Fountain Pen Shawl, from Interweave Knits, and I did 5 repeats of lace instead of 10 and it's quite big and likely to grow once blocked.

Maybe I'll just grab that big ball of green laceweight I have and start making Old Shale from Knitting Traditions? It's garter most of the way.