I cut out early with my friend and we went on a tour of Bellevue's (two) yarn shops. One was large and stocked with lovely yarn and over-priced. And it's one of those stores that organizes the yarn by color. Why do they do this? It's so not helpful. It's looks pretty but so not helpful. But they have awesome sale bins overflowing with Anny Blatt and Bouton d'Or yarns. I held myself back. The second store was small and didn't have a really wide selection. They did have the new Cascade 220 Superwash. I didn't know they were coming out with that. It seems a bit pricey compared to the regular 220. A little over $10 a skein at this store. Then we went and had iced tea, Chinese food and did some knitting. A good afternoon.
I continued knitting when I got home and finished the left front of the GE Cardi. I had also started the back of the Shapely Tank. It's gorgeous. I've got the whole short row thing down cold, I'm used to the yarn, my stitches are lovely and even. The front is going to look like a train wreck in comparison.
I ordered a truckload of yarn this weekend too. I got Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora in Pale Blue for my beloved Mia. I also got some super cheap sale stuff to make one of the other patterns in the book. And I ordered a variety of solid and prints in the Sock It to Me Collection Esprit from Elann. I got some Schoeller Stahl Bandolino for yet another sweater in the Cotton Angora book. When will I have time to knit all these sweaters?
I also suffered a brief spurt of startitis tonight. I was digging out another ball of yarn for the right front of the GE Cardi when the other yarns in the bin starting calling to me. I want to use up my remaining Homespun from the No-Sweat Pants for the Critter Knitter's Knit-a-thon. I cast on to just make a big garter stitch square while I watched Criminal Intent. My needle developed a splinter which pricked my finger and snagged the yarn. I wasn't in a mood to go hunting for sand paper and an emery board did not do the trick so I put it back down. I also pulled out my Kidsilk Haze and considered--briefly--casting on for Birch. But the KSH scared me off again. That and the 299 stitches I need to cast on to start. I think casting on will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest challenge, on this project. I see that number and just lose my enthusiasm. I also dug out my Mission Falls 1824 Cotton for a Bottoms Up BOC. I can't decide on a stripe pattern so I put that back down too. So instead I worked more on the back of my Shapely.
For a taste of spring check out this lovely (newly completed) Arabella sweater from Rowan 35 at Knitting and Other Stuff. It's darling. I love the colors.
