Downtime Post

So I've found that I have a little bit of downtime and think that a proper post is in order. This post will probably be kind of light in the photo department, so I'll try to make it as interesting as possible. :)

As you can see, I dove right in and started on some Endpaper Mitts. I tried a little 'headband' with some scrap yarns and a pattern I found on Ravelry. It was a horrible end product because it was purely for learning the technique but I felt very confident in my yarn handling and was ITCHING for a real fair-isle project. I have TONS of sock yarn and I know it'll never get used for socks, no matter what delusions I like to believe, so I grabbed two coordinating skeins and got started! I've finished that first mitt and gotten through the ribbing on the second. I really amazed myself with how even the stitches are and how stretchy the end product is.... Yesterday I found myself trolling around Ravelry looking for a Fair-Isle sweater to get started on! Good thing it's going to be so warm in the coming months, my Fair-Isle bug will be hindered if I can't immediately wear my product. :)

Also, that spring sweater I was working on sat on my table for almost a week until I realized that it's just not going to work. That shade of green isn't something that I have in my closet already and it's a bit.... pale to look good against my skin. I kept telling myself that maybe if I made a three-quarter sleeve button up sweater it would look better. I don't know how I was able to rationalize changing the sweater style as a means of negating the color... that one is still beyond me. However, I REALLY want to knit up a sweater and so I was disappointed that I'd bought all that yarn and can't do anything with it. I'm trying to sell it, as you also may have noticed.

I was moping around (only for a few hours) until I saw another project that has been neglected for QUITE some time:
The Lotus Blossom shawl! While I LOVE the pattern, the color isn't something I could see myself wearing in a shawl. Then I thought... I have plenty of the yarn, why don't I see if there's a sweater pattern I could use it for..... I went trolling on Ravelry again... and found this!

If you look at it on Ravelry a few others have knit it up and you can see that the yoke pattern is a bit lacy, something VERY appropriate for the spring/summer months that are fast approaching. Since the pattern is free I didn't feel to bad about downloading it and printing it out last night! BUT!! I don't think I am going to get started on it until I (start and) finish another project I thought of last night.

I was talking to my mom and she was thinking that the night before the wedding we could have a rather informal come-if-you-want dinner for the family that is coming in to visit from out of state. I already bought a dress that I could wear to some of the other wedding functions but it has short sleeves and I could see myself just shivering in the middle of a restaurant somewhere. Then I thought.......... shrug! That would be perfect, something quick and easy and warm but not too bulky. Ravelry shopping led to me finding a pattern by the same guys that gave me my last pattern: here. I felt a little bad about not picking the retro shrug in Lace style (because I've only knit one pattern from the entire book) but I rationalized that by saying it was too lacy, I need something warmer. Also, it helps that this pattern is free too!

I am currently in the process of looking for some off-white yarn to meet gauge and match the dress without appearing too yellow. Yellow next to my face REALLY washes me out and that would not be a good look the night before the wedding.

Wow, that's a pretty sizeable post, and a fairly conclusive update to what is going on in my world this week! Hope it satisfies you as much as it has me!