Approved project list.

So, here's the plan. I am structuring things. I know, I know, don't laugh. It's going to work. It has to work. So, here's what we're going to do. These are my three approved projects.

First: The scarf that was supposed to be a mother's day present for my mom, but has become a birthday present due to non-finished-ness. Oops. I can't tell you an awful lot about the yarn for this project. It was a gift from AlisonH when I was feeling (haha) blue. I know the yarn is a silk/mohair blend, and that she dyed it that gorgeous shade of blue herself (isn't she amazing?). The dye felted the mohair some, which is why I was the lucky recipient of the beautifulness. Which was extra lucky, because it's a shade of blue that's just perfect for my mother. The pattern is a really simple ripple pattern that reminds me of the ocean, and the scarf is very wide so she can wrap herself up in it, or fold it in half and use it like a regular scarf, if she wants. This pattern has been obnoxious since the beginning, though, partially because the mohair hides your stitches so well. I've reversed the pattern a couple of times. It is not frogable. Benefit -- no one but me can tell it wasn't supposed to happen. Muh-wah-ha-ha!

This is the project that goes on the bus with me, since it goes best if I work on it in bits and chunks.

Approved project the second: Socks for brothers. I'm not saying which one (they don't read the blog, but just in case) but suffice it to say that this Lorna's Laces in Baltic Sea reminds me of the intended brother's moody days.

Side note: This is totally why I love knitting socks, especially worsted weight ones. I spent maybe an hour and a half on this yesterday, and look! I'm past the heel on the first sock. I love socks!!

I'm a little concerned about the yarn; it's much...softer than the other yarns I've made worsted weight socks out of, at least in the skein, and I'm worried that it won't have enough durability. My brothers will wear the heck out of these socks, though, so we'll see how quickly they're presented to me for repairs, and go from there.

And, approved project the third: Sivia Harding's Shetland Garden Faroese Shawl. It doesn't look like much all piled up on my needles like that, but I'm actually impressed with myself over this. I'm at pattern D of H (that makes me laugh, sorry) which means, if you look at the picture, I'm right at the point where that gorgeous diamond pattern starts to V off like wings.

Mom picked this shawl for her Christmas present herself, although she doesn't know it yet. She saw it in my pattern library and actually cried out over it. "Look at it," she said, "It's like a butterfly." I had to make it.

The yarn is something I got at the Sheep & Wool fest for this area a couple of months ago. I'll try and dig out a yarn label for you tomorrow if you want. I could tell you that the color is navy blue, but that would totally ignore the highlights and threads of pink, yellow, green and lighter blues running through this yarn that the camera just can't capture.

This is my paying attention project, as it is easily the most complicated thing I'm working on right now, if I drop a stitch, I cry, and about half the rows are patterned on both sides. Thank goodness I did that Angel Pearls scarf first, huh, or who knows what would have happened to me?? Other than, you know, mental breakdown. But whatever.

So here's the plan. These are our three projects, for three assigned areas. They will be worked on each time I am in the appropriate area (waiting for something on the computer, waiting for the bus, or actually able to pay attention to the knitting). When one project is complete, another, similar attention level Christmas present project will be cast on. In this way, all Christmas knitting will be done by the end of the month (hahaha). When I am done Mom's shawl, I have my own permission to start the Scheherezade Stole which I aim to take to Vegas with me in March.

Please don't laugh so loud. You'll hurt my feelings.