A lack of forward motion

This weekend was so busy that I didn't get much knitting done, and the knitting that I did get done is not particularly blogworthy. I got a lot done on my hemlock ring blanket on Friday night and some on Saturday and a teeny bit on Sunday morning, but the whole thing still looks like a giant purple blob so I haven't even attempted to photograph it. I had hoped to get my sweater sewn up this weekend but it just didn't happen. I had some work that had to be done over the weekend, and I spent the rest of it out various places. I did finish the Caribbean socks earlier in the week, but I didn't photograph them either. (Tip: They both look like this.)

I did, however, wear them on Monday, which was lovely since the weather is gray and rainy. In fact, I have worn handknit socks all three days this week and it is very nice to have enough now that I can do that. Yesterday was the embossed stitch socks from C*EYE*BER Fiber (I'm hoping to get some more at MD sheep & wool, since I really liked that yarn and her website has been barren for ages) and today my favorite Casbah socks.

I do think the caribbean socks turned out a little more loose than I generally like my socks. The leg is fine but the foot is a little baggy. I think if I had to do it over, I would knit the bottom of the foot, where the stitching is plain, on my size 1 needle and leave the top of the foot on the 2. That way the part with the pattern would still be stretchy, but the tighter fabric on the bottom would make the end result a little less floopy.

I'm at the end of the standard chart on the Hemlock Ring but I still have a lot of yarn left, so I figure I will keep going until I hit the end of the extended chart or until I run out of yarn, whichever comes first. I'm definitely at the 'slogging along' point, though. I'm ready to be done! Also, the thing is getting kind of heavy. I moved it to a longer cable last night, and that took some of the weight off, but the stitch pattern wants the cable to go all swoopy (as feather and fan does) which makes moving the stitches along it a little more difficult now that they have room to move. Ah, trials and tribulations. I know I can stop at any point now and that gives me comfort - but I hate to quit right before the finish line. I am eyeing the yarn a little nervously, because I don't have a very good concept of how much I need to have left over. I'm afraid of getting 3/4 of the way through the bind off and running out! Last night I got through the first row of the extended chart, and I'm kind of thinking I might be able to do one more pattern row but no more than that. I'm not sure I have enough yarn to make it to all 3 extended rows. Which would both be annoying and a relief - It'd feel like getting to the last mile of the marathon and finding out the track ends because the road is still under construction, but at least I'd be done!)

Other than that, no sweater progress, no swan lake progress. I did go to one of the yarn shops in Alexandria that I wanted to see. I managed to buy only a couple of balls of charity yarn, which is breaking my diet a little bit but since it's for charity, I don't think it really counts. More importantly, I got to look at and touch some of the yarns that I had seen online and was interested in. I am now really jonesing for some Schaffer Heather. The Alchemy lines were stunning but very expensive. I enjoyed looking at some of the local artist yarns as well. I don't think I will make the trek out there very often (the parking situation alone would scare me off), but when I want something special or I'm planning to get a treat I will definitely hop that way.

We also went to the bead store and I picked out some beads for some of the other projects I was looking at. Although, if I had been smart I would have checked my patterns because the Shipwreck Shawl? Takes FIVE THOUSAND BEADS. I can tell you this - I did not buy enough. But, I did find beads that I like for it, so at least I know what I'm looking for.

I'm also in a bit of a quandry with the yarn I planned. My ravelry stash notes said I had 6 skeins of KP Gloss, but there were only 5 in the ziplock when I got the bag out of the closet. I bought this so long ago that KP does not have a record (or they may, but it's not on the website) so I don't know if I actually bought six and took a skein out (I don't know why, maybe just to look at or pet or think about) or if I only bought 5 and I made a mistake on the ravelry notes. The pattern I originally bought it for requires 1090 yards according to the ravelry page, so I PROBABLY bought 6. But where number 6 could be, I don't know. I suppose I could carry on with 5 and just make a smaller shawl.

I think my next project, once I get the hemlock ring off the needles, is going to be a Water Turtles shawl from Wrapped in Comfort. I'm tired of constantly being cold in the office, and the pattern repeat should be fairly easy to memorize, so that can be my easy travel project. I have four skeins of Jojoland Melody at home that have been waiting for this project. I should be able to get it done just in time for it to get warm out and render it totally useless. But, if I don't knit it, I will be cold for months, just you wait.

I have just been informed that a friend of the SO is in town and is having a baby shower on Saturday. I'm extremely miffed. I can't get anything for a baby knit by Saturday!! Does he expect me to show up with a store-bought gift? That is just not acceptable. Maybe I can do a pair of booties or baby socks. I'll have to check ravelry and see what I can find that looks quick, that I have the pattern for, and that I have or can locally find yarn for.