Hanging new curtains

That's what I've been doing, bloggily. Thanks to the Knitter's Review Forum and the inimitable Kim, I finally found a good way to monitor my knitting progress! It's in the sidebar. Do you like how the green in-progress color matches the blog background? Me, too. And the finished object color is a pretty yellow. That's what I mean by hanging new curtains -- just a little redecoratin'. A big thanks to Indigirl for posting this information on her website in the first place! Brava.

(Note: I normally use too many parentheticals, in my opinion. As an experiment, I'm switching to italics for this post. Just to see if it annoys me less! I'm a parenthetical thinker/speaker/blogger by nature...As is usual with parentheticals, feel free to skip the italicized stuff if you're in a hurry! Hee.)

Edit: As of now I can't get the progress images to fill up with color. I can see it when I preview my blog but not after I save it. Any and all tips are welcome! Thanks again, Kim! She realized I coded the color wrong. Darn you, HTML and your sneaky ways!

As you can see from the new progress bar, I am down to three projects right now which doesn't include the soon-to-be-frogged, barely-begun Banff, and the remnants of an ill-begotten idea to knit a non-feltable fun fur purse monstrosity -- which I would frog but I don't want the yarn anyway. I finished the Loopy Pillow from Stitch n Bitch Nation and Xmas-gifted it to my Gramma. Pictures to come soon! I would put it as a 100% completion on my progress bar but there's no good shape for a pillow...yet. I may find a way.

On the Kepler see knitalong page here with a link to the free pattern, I have knit the two cabled sleeve bands and begun the first hip band. Not sure if that's worth 20% but I sure feel like it should be. It's in Rowanspun Aran, in an earthy orange called Autumn. Have I mentioned how much I love Cucumberpatch's UK yarn store on eBay? Got this at a deep discount with free shipping.

The swirl cap is a pattern from Vogue Knitting On the Go Caps & Hats. I've been attracted to it for a long time and can now actually make it, what with my new abilities to cable and read cable charts. It's in fuchsia Rowan Cashsoft DK -- drool. Yay for Arcadia!

NOW after typing that I realize the Rowan whore I am this season. Yay! Not to mention the recent stash acquisitions due to discontinued Polar and Rowanspun (I got DK). And I have a few colors of Kid Classic that stare at me whenever I peek at them in their drawer. I did get to use a bit for the trim on my Ladybug Shrug, at least.

Well, the scarf for my boyfriend's aunt and my friend, Lell, is in Berroco Softy, in a dark muted green. Not really a less expensive yarn than Rowan, but I got it in sale sale sale at the Webs booth at Stitches Midwest this summer. The Softy is true to its name. A tip: this yarn, with its occasional fluffyfluffs along a nylon strand, really doesn't look good in either garter stitch or stockinette. I'm using a suggested broken rib pattern, and it looks tons better. A new discovery. Not that I plan on becoming a novelty yarn expert or nothing. Yeesh. This scarf is really almost done, but I only put 80% because I have to attach FRINGE. Lell, let it be known I love ya!

Photos of FOs, WIPs, and stash acquisitions from across the country to come! Still waiting on yarn packages to arrive. And three hundred hugs to my boyfriend's dad for insuring that yarn package. He even insured it for the right amount! Seriously, bless him. How many non-fiber addicts do you think could correctly assess the worth of handpainted yarn?! Though now he knows how much I really can drop on really tasty wool.

Off to bed. Shouldn't have had that latte at 5:30!