Multi-tasking

As I knit on my second "circular" sock yesterday evening, I watched my 7 month old lab trying to capture four tennis balls in her mouth. She'd get 1, maybe 2, tennis balls locked in her grip and then go after the loose tennis balls. Inevitably she'd lose the tennis balls in her mouth and be back to chasing all four around our living room. I realized I'm a little bit like her. I really should be concentrating on one project rather than trying to work four at a time.














At the bottom right of this pic is a mistake rib scarf knitted with pumpkin rowan yarn. Love the stitch, love the yarn. I intended to finish this in time for Keene's pumpkin festival on October 22. The pumpkin fest is long gone, so I may abandon this project for a few months.

Clockwise from there is the start of an Easy Bulky Sweater in Lamb's Pride Bulky Winter Blue. I have a real block (and it's not the good kind of finished knit blocking) when it comes to sweaters. I gravitate toward the quick knits like socks and mittens. Some one of these days I have to suck it up and commit to a sweater.

Then we have my first pair of "socks on circulars". I love this project. But I am waiting to corner the owner of my lys on how to graft a toe. After 9 pairs of socks, I have still not mastered grafting a toe. This weekend, I occasionally put the circular socks to the side so I could knit these Malabrigo mittens (upper right of pic above).

I picked the Malabrigo yarn up at my lys on Thursday and could not wait to cast on for mittens for my Mom. The yarn is soooooo unbelievably soft and I think the medium blue color will match Mom's winter pahka perfectly. I have had bad luck with variegated yarn, but these mittens seem ok so far. When I knit with variegated yarn, the colors seem to always pool in one spot like the red in these socks.















If I always wear them like this, it's possible that people might think it was an intentional "design consideration". Nahhhh. Who am I kiddin'.

I can't wait to finish either the mittens or the circular socks. I am anxious to start a bucket hat from a chicknits pattern I bought months ago. Not sure if it will be gift worthy for Christmas, but I hope so.