Oh dear, oh dear … how has January slipped away from me?

Actually, I know the answer to that question.  It has multiple parts. Part the first: I committed to finished two large/long projects for Classic Elite for their fall(ish) pattern books. I knit a big crescent shawl/wrap and a cardigan, both on size 4 needles, using about 1100 and about 1250 yards of fingering-weight yarn, respectively.  That’s a lot of stitches! 🙂  I finished both samples by the contracted deadline, but it was a near thing with the cardi. I’m really glad I finished on time, but there was a couple weeks there where I was really head-down on design — so no new projects at all the first two weeks of January.

Part the second: unrelated to knitting, I was competing in agility trials with Clewe and Gromit four weekends in a row. It was awesome and fun, but also exhausting.  Often I come home Sunday evening after a trial, and just fall down. My usual Sunday post-writing doesn’t happen.  When I have my act together, I write posts for the upcoming week BEFORE leaving for the trial, say on Friday for instance, but again — the knitting. The busy. The holiday hangover….

ANYway, excuses aside, here I am — with any luck, back to my regular schedule of Cast-On Monday, Finished Object Friday, and Something Else on Wednesday.

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I started lots of new projects in January.  I made it even easier to cast on (as if I needed help) by tagging all my “haveyarn” patterns in my Ravelry Queue with the size needle I plan to use when I make the project. This means that when I finish something, thus freeing up my (say) #4 Signature needles, I can narrow down my choices to patterns that I both “have yarn” for and want to use a #4 for.

Speaking of freeing up my #4s, check out these delightfully purple mittens!  I’m nearly done with my Sssstarter Mittens in Aesir (“Bacchante”):

 

Moving on into gorgeous pinks, I cast on for a new design project. This one is for Dream in Color, and uses both Wisp and DIC Classy-with-Cashmere:

 

 

Next up: Miss Winkle in Iachos (“Frances and the Leaping Fairy”)

 

 

I started two new hats: Jean’s Irish Hat in Jill Draper Makes Stuff Hudson (“Stormy Aegean”) and Lutine Cap in BMFA LW (“Mustang Sally”)

 

 

Last but not least, a new design project — a variation on my Wibbly Wobbly Cowl that is designed to be worn as a head kerchief.  No name yet, but you had better bet “Timey Wimey” is in the running :).