This week I started two new projects.  The first is A Better Bucket hat, using some of my handspun yarn.  I wear hats all the time, especially in cold weather — more are better!

I also bought yarn for a KAL starting Feb 1 …. and already cast on.  It’s ok, don’t worry — I’m not in trouble. The designer, Nancy Whitman, assures us that the “Feb 1st” date is only approximate. Her Eden Prairie shawl is so interesting and graphic.  Worked entirely in garter stitch, in sections from live and picked-up stitches, this is a relatively “mindless” project much of the time, punctuated by occasional color changes.

Check out the awesome sample:

I settled on Alpaca Sox after much hemming and hawing.  Here are my colors:

Charcoal for the border color, Pansy for the center squares, Wren and Oatmeal for the stripes.

This week I started a cowl project using some of my handspun.  The Quaker Cowl is a free pattern — perfect one-skein project for handspun worsted-ish yarn.

Does anybody still watch Letterman?  Last time I did, they still had the “mailbag” theme song: “Letters, we’ve got letters! We’ve got lots and lots of letters! Leeetttttttterssssss!”

That’s how I feel when I get yarn for a design project: “Yarn, we’ve got yarn! We’ve got lots and lots of yarn! Yaaaaarrrrrrn!”

Classic Elite bought two of my designs for the Fall 2013 collection: a hat/mitten set in Liberty Wool, and a sweater in Alpaca Sox.  I picked up all my yarn this week, and the colors are wonderful!  Couldn’t be happier.  I started the LW project first — so far, it’s just as I planned.

This week I started Julian’s fingerless gloves — which are different than fingerless mitts, because each finger and thumb has it’s own little cut-off bit!  He was very specific about what he wanted.  I wasn’t thrilled with any of the patterns I found online for child-size fingerless gloves, so I’m winging it.  If they turn out great, I may write up the pattern as a freebie.

I worked two of the three-day anniversary sale at the Hub Mills shop, and spent a good deal of time looking across the room at a gorgeous Inspira Cowl worked up in two shades of Liberty Wool Print.  Guess what I took home?  Four balls in two colorways of Liberty Wool.  I decided this was a great time to start a new project.  We shall not discuss the impending design projects that may or may not be picked up and then become Imminently Due to the Magazine/Yarn Company.

Last week I turned this …

… into this:

I love the visible improvement from hank to hank — the last batch really is a lot like real yarn 🙂 .

I’m using my very first handsoun to make some Fried Chicken Mittens, which have superior fit in the thumb gusset. They may turn out to be finger less, if I run out of yarn. I’m using the lumpiest yarn for the cuff so the hand will be smoother.