Slouching into the New Year.

I started a new pattern on Saturday night. It really was just something to fill the time while watching a Middle School Boy's basketball game. If you have ever watched Middle School Basketball, you won't blame me for needing something interesting to do. But sometimes a last minute, lark turns out to be a great decision. Slouchy('s no Slouch) is a free hat pattern that I found on Ravelry by Lea Kobayashi. (Free is good -- Remember?!) I have been looking at the pattern for the last few weeks and I even saved a PDF of the pattern on my computer. So, of course it was a natural when I needed to make a quick choice.

I have been working the pattern over the last couple of days worth of commuting and have made good progress. At this point I am almost through the 1st of two skeins of the Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes that I had left over from my Avocado Carnaby. As I said then, the stitch definition of this wool is excellent.

The hardest part about the hat so far was knitting the cables -- not actually knitting the cables, it was getting under the seat on the train to pick up the cable needle when I lost control of it going over a bump. The cables were a ton-o-fun to do. I have not done any in a long time -- and these were small and easy. Forming ribbing, they are both lovely and useful. I also like the detailing formed by the SSK and the yarn over. The combo creates an interesting spiral to the ridge of the hat. The hat is topped off with a quick i-cord and a decorative bead.

I am nearly to the point of decreasing for the crown of the hat. The knitting has been so easy that I have yet to grow tired of it. This may end up being a "go-to" favorite for gift making.

Happy Knitting!!

Preparing for Jury Duty

I remember the last time I was called for jury duty. It was several years ago when I still lived in Florida. I got a lot of knitting done on what turned out to be the ugliest sweaters I ever made. But several hours with nothing to do but knit sound wonderful! So, I am planning to take a three different projects with me. That way if I get tired of knitting on one project I can switch to something else.

 Project one is my Haruni, Grandmother's Wrap. As long as the lighting is good where potential jurors wait, I should get some lace work done. I worked on it for awhile on the train on Friday, but I will have to tink back to get rid of two extra yarn overs that I put in the wrong place. I would try to just slip them off, but they are 2 stitches apart and I know that they will leave the knitting in that area a little too loose. I know lace is supposed to have hole in it, but not big enough to drive a truck through! The blue headed pin marks where the extra yarn overs are.

Project two is Jacklyn's Ginkgo which I started just a couple of nights ago. I am still in the early part of the pattern which is basically just stocking stitch. This will be a great project to work on when my eyes tire or my patience wears thin on the intricate lace of the Haruni.

Project three is yet another Southern Lights Chullo this time for my husband. Charlie's Chullo is in a brown, black and orange color combination of Noro Hitsuji. The colorway also has a lime green in it, but I am cutting that out so that it will be closer to the Black and Orange of his favorite baseball team, the San Francisco Giants. Don't worry, the lime green won't go to waste -- I will have enough yarn left over to make me another hat with lots of green in it! My plans are to make similar modifications to the pattern as I did to my daughters: more coverage on the back of the neck as well as a swap of crochet spirals (on right) instead of pom poms.

A little light reading may be in order -- especially since Saturday saw the arrival of my latest used book: In Sheep's Clothing, A handspinner's Guide to Wool by Nola Fournier and Jane Fournier. This book looks at a hundred breeds of sheep and the characteristics of their wool. I am looking forward to digging into this classic.

I would like to take my spindle and some roving with me too. That will get me through a few more grams, but I am not sure what kind of room in us captive jurors will be kept. I guess I could take some with me anyway, maybe I will meet a fellow spinner and make a new friend!

Happy deliberating!