Currently the only socks on the needles are some S.M.I.L.E. socks that were for the boy but now that he’s gone are for me. Heh. Those are my carry around in my purse socks though so it’s time to start a new pair.

After the last pair I knitted I decided that it was time to knit a pair for me as I only have 6 pairs of socks. Now I could work on the Tofutsie’s sock that got shredded and I need to knit another one but … eh. The yarn is small and I just got done with some small small yarn. Instead I decided that I’d work on the sock yarn dyed by my local Fiber Floozy. It’s light rust, dark apple green, lavender, peach and pink. Trust me, it looks just like me.

I did have a pattern picked out but when I went to check out the base yarn to see what gauge it was knitting up Monkey socks were popping out at me everywhere. I knitted this pattern once and loved it. As a result just about everyone in my local group who knits socks has knit this pattern. But the socks I knit weren’t for me and it’s high time I had some Monkey’s of my own.

Here’s how they turned out last time…

How could I not want a pair of my own?? I’m off to swatch!

I ignored it when it pointed out that these toys were not washable.  I ignored it when it pointed out that the wool was very very fine and I ignored it when I saw how big the monkey would turn out.

Finally, when I was stuffing Mr Ben #1 last week I could ignore it no more.  One snag and Mr Ben would be Mr Shred.  This was simply not a toy for a little guy.  Last night, I finally admitted it to myself and in doing so I also admitted that I had committed the error that so many other knitters I know are guilty of.  Not every gift must be knitted.  So the boys will get something not knitted from me this year.  Maybe, when they are older and have requests I will knit for them but this year’s gift just wasn’t meant to be.

I’ll still finish Mr Ben and he’ll find a good home some day.  The yarn for Mr Ben #2 will find another purpose and yet another project will be cleared off my list.

This takes me down to the Shipwreck Shawl, the faroese shawl, the art deco tam and my KAL sweater.  Now I can attack that pile of sock yarn for Soozy, who, in a very strange coincidence, sent me a message this morning asking for more socks.

I took a class from M’Lou Baber at Ewephoria this past February in double knitting. M’Lou literally wrote the book on Double Knitting. She’s a freaking genius and having her in our knitting group is a major treat. We have been privileged to see some of her designs that weren’t in the first book but hopefully will be in future books that we are trying to talk her into writing.

But I digress. I am working on the art deco tam that goes with the art deco coat in the book. Mine is being knitted in Silky Wool in a lovely milk chocolate brown and dusty mint green.

This project has taken much longer than I thought it would. Partially because I let it hibernate for months and partially because this style of knitting is way more time consuming than I thought it would be.

I knew M’Lou’s designs were amazing but I am even more impressed because she has knit more sweaters than I can count in record time.

In my world that means its lace shawl knitting day. Yes, that poor ignored Mountain Colors Wool Crepe Shetland Lace Patterned Faroese Shawl that I started last year.

The good news is that the Shipwreck Shawl from Knitty has cutes me of the issues I was having with lace and charts so the shetland lace shawl is so much less intimidating now. I keep finding myself sneaking in a few rows when it isn’t this project’s day. These means that soon this shawl will be off the needles and Project Finish These UFOs will have cleared 3 hibernated projects.

But I am getting ahead of myself. I am only on row 159 of 172 of the chart and then I believe there are several rows of garter stitch in my future.

In other news, The Boy has announced that he is ready to start his first project. Cold weather has arrived in Idaho and suddenly a wool hat is very appealing to him.

Its a simple two color stockinette hat with a bit of 2×2 rib but he’s already planning a Dallas Cowboys intarsia hat for his next project.

This piece was made by a lady we met named Lucy, this was her first “simple” piece made when she was 14.

Amazing, no?

So as if that wasn’t enough, another gal came into the shop and was showing Mary a book that she published and had just received in the mail.  I fully admit we all eavesdropped to see if it was a quilting or knitting book but we couldn’t figure it out.  So when she walked over to the group in my very shy fashion I asked her what the book was.

I would not lie if I said that a choir of angels surrounded this woman when she showed me the book.

Oh. My.

Seriously.  I opened it up and I was blown away.  First of all the creations in it are astounding.  Secondly the pictures actually do the pieces justice.  Laura and I ooh’d, aww’d, gasped and moaned our way through the book.  My new best friend, M’Lou Baber, said that our reactions were quite enjoyable for her as the author.

The book is called Double Knitting: Reversible Two-Color Designs and is available at Amazon.

But wait, there’s more.

My very own LYS is going to get in an order of the books.  Have a book signing.  And.  No wait, you aren’t ready for this.  Take a deep breath.  Ok.  AND!  M’Lou, who herself knitted every piece shown in the book with her very own hands is going to bring said pieces to the store for us to see AND try on.

*SWOON*

Seriously.  This book is a treat for the eyes.  Even if I never knitted a single thing out of this book I must own this book.  I am simply amazed that last night I actually got to talk to this woman.  I have met a knitting celebrity and actually had a conversation with her.

I will eventually knit something from this book.  I haven’t decided what yet but there were a couple of pieces that really spoke to me.

See, I wasn’t using a lifeline.  I tried furiously over several days to fix the one issue in this section of 28 stitches and finally decided to frog even further down.

Finally I had pulled out all the rows in this section.  I went to fix it and had to realize that now I’d have to frog all the lace.

So I frogged.  If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.  So I frogged back to row 127.  I counted my stitches.  I made sure I had the correct amount.  Then I got out the dental floss.  The only floss I have in my house is mint scented so that should add a fun element to my knitting.

Now I’ve become paranoid and I’m going to run the life lines I should have been running.  I’m probably going to end up running one every row because I really do not want to have to knit this panel again.  Had I only done this the first time I’m certain this shawl would have been done by now.

Live and learn.

Last night though, I got to the part I’ve been not so much looking forward to.  For the first 128 rows I just had to remember to throw in some increases and then pay attention to the center panel.  Now I have to really tune in to the border, which is 43 rows long.I’ve done three of them but my lust for rushing to get this project knitted quickly evaporated in the need to count Every Single Stitch.

I’ve decided to be nice to myself and just shoot for 5 rows a day and then reward myself with some sock knitting once that’s done.

I was going to take a picture but the shawl has outgrown my 60″ circular and I can no longer lay it flat.  Hopefully I’ll have it finished soon and I can show it off.