I got something for ya

No drama this time, honest!

I have some WIPs!

First off, my Aurora Shawl Cardigan is coming along nicely. My progress on it has seemingly slowed down, since it's too bulky to take along with me to knitting groups. I really hoped to be done by this weekend, since tomorrow will mark a month since cast-on. Alas, my dreams of finishing a sweater in a month are now shattered.

It's getting close, though:





I can't wait to start the collar, which will add an inch or so to each side of the front and keep the damn thing from curling! The collar is all in garter stitch, and hopefully will go by quickly. I don't have a button for it, though -- I guess I should think about that soon, eh?

Since I lost the portability of the cardigan, I needed a project to take on the go. One of my Christmas gifts had been some Holiday Yarns sock yarn in the Bacon colorway. I had initially cast on for the Wasabi Pea socks from the current Interweave Knits, and had gotten just past the cuff (which is a folded cuff, something I had only done before on a hat). Once I started the pattern (which, admittedly, I hadn't read beforehand), I realized that it was full of something I would rather gouge my eyes out than do - p3tog. Slick Addis needles, slick sock yarn, and purl 3 together. Um, no. Just no.

So, I went looking through some of my sock pattern books for something else. As I was searching, the name of one stitch pattern caught my eye. I am now working on some . . .

Bacon and Lattice (Hold the Tomato) Socks







The worst thing about knitting with this yarn? It makes me hungry for bacon! I'm not even one of those crazy bacon fanatics who does things like buy bacon flavored lollipops (yes, they exist - maple bacon flavored! Personally, I find the lollipop part grosser than the maple bacon part, because the thought of my teeth touching a soggy lollipop stick makes me shudder. I have my hangups.) Bacon on a cheeseburger, in a turkey club, or with eggs, though - oh yes! I don't even know the first thing about cooking bacon at home. It's a restaurant food to me, like fish and deep fried stuff - things I couldn't be arsed to cook at home.

As I was here typing, a mail truck came by and dropped something off. A big box from KnitPicks!!! While they were on sale, I couldn't resist ordering both the Town and the Country slipper kits. At the price it's at now, the yarn alone comes out to a little over a dollar a skein. I haven't used much of KnitPicks' yarn, so I figured I'd give their felting yarn a shot. I know a few people who'd probably love some cool felted slippers like these (who WOULDN'T want cowboy boots or Chuck Taylor felted slippers? Really!) I threw a few circular needles on my order to get the free shipping. The best part? I ordered these Thursday morning. Today's Saturday. Wow!

Luciano let me hold him for a little bit today (I think he was hoping to be fed), and Mike was able to get a good one:



He looks put upon because he IS. He's not a big fan of being held, or forced love in general. When HE wants it, it's a different story.

He got to enjoy some open window time, since it was in the 50s and sunny today:



Ellie let me know what she thinks of it all:



Did I mention it was in the 50s today? Even though it's going to be written up on another blog, I can share a few photos that I took on our first hike of 2010, at Allendale Woods:





Blue skies, but it obviously wasn't warm enough:



Either Mike or I will blog at the other place about this walk. I'm hoping to not be as lazy about blogging this year as I got to be last year. I feel as though I shouldn't blog without photos, as if my words aren't enough. I also spend more time typing my one-line snarky comments on Ravelry. I should put some of that snark into my blog, shouldn't I?