I Would Like to Point Out That...

I am NOT participating in any "knit 12 sweaters in 2009" knitalongs OF ANY SORT. NO. Sock Madness took it out of me (although it certainly put it into my sock drawer) this spring and, well, let's just say it wasn't acceptable to be driving around looking for Wi-Fi to keep track of the group at inappropriate moments. Just saying.

Which is not to say that I am not a stasher-of-yarn and could not, if pressed, do it. I live in fear that my yarn/fiber budget will be (and it has been so don't think this is hyperbole) so small (who are we kidding, it is now) that yarn purchases are right out. Completely. For an unknown period of time. But the stash is an important sanity-retaining device. For if I had nothing to knit, who knows what trouble I would get into!

Instead, I propose a knitalong of my own devising, in which I will contentedly be the only participant (although others are welcome and encouraged!). It addresses the aforementioned problem of USING UP THE STASH (this would be bad) and also my desire for NEW SWEATERS to appear with reasonable frequency. And my children's concerns about my sanity, as I will be able to keep knitting.

I will call my knitalong NaFiExpleDeUnfiSweStaSa, or National Finish Expletive Deleted Unfinished Sweater Stash Saving. Can't I do better than that? How about SoCalFiSwe or FiGDUFO? Ooh, that's almost Finish it, Doofus!

Obviously, suggestions are needed.

WTFAYSASF? (WTF Are You Starting A New Sweater For?)

It is to be profoundly hoped that the prospect of so many newly completed sweaters will stop me before I cast on again. But I'm only cautiously optimistic on that.

Here are the culprits:

I knit this sweater as a mindless project for standing in line at Disneyland, the yoke is handspun, the rest is lovely sale Montera that my mom got me in New Jersey. I've worn the thing. And I love it, except that the neck opening is a bit large. Always intended to steek it and turn it into a cardigan. Ought to be able to complete that before going away for the holidays, right?

This is Scoop du Jour by the always talented Bonnie Marie Burns of Chic Knits and, notwithstanding this picture, is about 75% completed. The yarn is beautiful (way on sale) Merino in my absolute favorite color. I could take this one with me on my trip and finish it while I'm gone, easy peasy.

This lone sleeve is the extent of my Must Have Cardigan. I really liked knitting this sleeve and have had a crush on this pattern FOREVER. While I attack my next project, this will be the one on the needles in January/February, if I can resist the urge to cast on...Kauni, Tangled Yoke, Tempest, Mr. Greenjeans, February Lady, all of which are in the stash. Calling my name.

However, as you have suspected, I will be spinning this winter as well. And I have big ambitions. I have stalled on my Bettna sweater out of handspun (and you can see it has not yet resurfaced), although almost all of the yarn has been spun. This one is hard to work on as it requires yarn changes that mean I either have to be home or carry around a huge bag of stuff. What I should do is take the (endless) time to make a ball of yarn that changes on its own and then just carry that around till it runs out. We shall see.

If you remember, last year I was spinning up samples for October Frost from A Fine Fleece. I was going to try to use fleece that I have in the garage, but the wool I carded up did not want to be spun into the yarn that I want for the sweater. So I am back to my original plan of Oatmeal BFL. News at Eleven!

However, since I don't yet own that, and in a terrible paroxysm of switching fiber in the house for fiber in the garage, I believe that I can spin for a Tempest with two lots of fiber I have here. What I want are two analagous yarns, one light, one dark. I don't need a huge amount by weight as the sweater is knit with sock/laceweight. So my new spinning project is:

Targhee for the main color. This fiber is MUCH darker than shown here, very dark blues and purples. I have about 6 ounces.

And for the contrast color, Acacia from Spunky Eclectic's Fiber Club on Finn. I lurve me some Finn.

These pictures really do not show the contrast in value of these fibers. And I am hoping that my Acacia will come out like the yarns I have seen already spun up and even itself out to a light bluish green sort of yarn. If not, I will move on, but since I'm going to end up with sock yarn either way, I won't be disappointed. Handspun socks are always welcome here!

Is this long enough? Sheesh!

Meanwhile, life goes on around here. We're working as hard as we can, volunteering as much as we can, giving as much as we can and looking forward to spending some time with our families far away. This week is all the usual stuff plus: getting DS through his requirements for the Computer belt loop for Cub Scouts, cantoring a Christmas Carol singalong (cross your fingers that my currently-gone voice reappears by Wednesday), Girl Scout meeting with our girls and a troop of Brownies to make stockings for sick kids in our local hospital, Parent/Teacher conferences. And the kids come home early every day this week. But it sounds a lot worse than it is. Hey, next week it will be time to bake cookies, rehearsing for and performing a radio play of "Little Women," a birthday party at Build-A-Bear and two Caroling parties with the kids. Luckily, it's all fun until someone loses an eye.

Hope your Thanksgiving was fun and filling!

Peace.