Works in Progress

Oh my. I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted to this blog. My sincere apologies. The last two months have seen some big changes in my knitting life. I finished my second year of law school and began working as a summer associate in BigLaw. Needless to say, I haven't had nearly as much time to knit. But don't think that my new job has kept me away from my knitting needles. Here is a quick peek at what I have been working on:



First off, my latest sock project - Bex (Ravelry link) from Cookie A's new book. I'm using Shibui Sock in colorway Rapids. Those of you who have used Shibui's sock yarn in the past will know that while it has a lovely, sproingy hand and terrific stitch definition, the yarn tends to pool and flash in certain patterns. So you will be very surprised to know that it is not the excessive sunlight in the picture but the pattern itself that is doing such a lovely job of breaking up the colors in the yarn. This is definitely my favorite use of the Shubui to date.



Next up is the first half of a pair of Druid Mitts (Ravelry link) by Jared Flood. This is yet another stunning pattern from Jared of brooklyntweed fame. I'm using some of my 2-ply handspun colonial wool, spun from a braid that I bought during my first visit to MS&W several years ago. I spun this yarn two years ago and point to it as the sign that spinning had finally started to "click" for me.

If you really want to see what I mean, compare this



with this



There you have my very first yarn and my latest project off the wheel.

I've also been working on some mindless, yet strangely satisfying garter stitch. Here is my closest-to-completion current WIP: a tomten.



The sleeve seams are now sewn up and I am ready to start an applied i-cord around the edges. On second thought, I should probably hold off on that until I can get my hands on some buttons. Hopefully there will be a nice selection at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair this weekend.

Last, and certainly not least, I've made progress on Lismore.



'Nuff said.

My spinning wheel has started to see some action again in this last week or two as I've begun the second bobbin of a merino/silk blend. If you have suggestions for how to keep the silk from sticking to my fingers when it gets humid (other than not spinning when it's humid), I'd love to hear them.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.