Starts for the trip

I generally like to start a few small projects in preparation for packing for a trip. I like to start it before leaving home to see if I'm going to like my idea rather than do that actually on the trip.

Here's my little start. A lacy scarf with 100% wool from one of my favorites Taos. This is I think a discontinued colorway. Why, I don't know because I really like it. Got it in the sale bin at my LYS (local yarn shop). Still not cheap, but more reasonably priced then it typical is. Taos is never cheap yarn to my way of thinking.
Holding it up here so you can see the lace pattern a bit. It's the old fashioned faggot stitch. Colorway is Tucson. When I originally purchase the yarn I thought I'd probably make myself a new scarf with it; but am now thinking maybe it will be a Christmas gift for youngest niece? Not sure yet. When I get further along I'll decide if it's youthful looking. This was one of the projects I started and put in my carry on bag for the trip to Mexico.

My plan for this past week to work on 10 rows for the corner to corner ghan for the homeless for The Bridge, and 10 rows for the scarf I'm working on my DD for Christmas fell a bit short. I did manage my 10 rows a day for the corner to corner ghan; but only managed 18 of 60 rows for the scarf assuming 10 x 6 through yesterday. I also planned to visit 5 people daily from my blog log and didn't manage that successfully daily--though yesterday hit a good number and just finished the remainder today. Seems lots of folks on my blog log aren't blogging as much as they used too, and for some reason Knitting by the Ocean--Joansie, is now a closed blog? Am receiving a message saying it seems you've not been invited to read this blog. What's up with that, anyone know? Joansie and I've been visiting and commenting on each other's blog a long time, so am puzzled and wonder if we've got a blogspot snafu of some sort.

Hope you all have a good rest of the weekend. I'm hoping to get 10 more rows on corner to corner, and see about catching up and or finishing DD scarf.

Help, PLEASE Opinions Needed for Orphan Scarf

Trying to decide where this scarf should go. You might also see the yarn texture better Here. This yarn was donated and therefore should be donated to a worthy cause; I'm just in a bit of a debate and need opinions. It's light weight, soft and pretty. Should I use it for the homeless via Bridge and Beyond? Is it better suited for Compassionate Creations or Threads of Compassion for Battered Women? Or perhaps you have yet a different thought?

The yarn is Italian made, but I've lost the label to tell you what it is. Just need to tuck the end in and it's ready to go...but go where?

Working on a knitted pink corner to corner (probably a baby blanket, depends on size when finished).
Need to find a blanket someone asked me to repair(no clue where I put it)
Candy Corn Ghan, wow it's almost the right season again for this long standing WIP
Opal Ghan (having a hard time gearing up for this), heavy and hard to work on it; but it's been a WIP too long.
**Added to my stash yesterday and really want to do something with it**, lol shhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell I bought more.

Fun and Funky

This is FUN, and funky to my way of thinking. Purchased this yarn some time back for a gift; but was delayed in getting it done. Rolling this from the hank to the ball to use was a job and a half. I spent about 4 hours working on it; then took it with me this past weekend where Julie got it done. She likes the puzzle and likes playing with all the fibers. I've counted 8 different fibers mixed here, and they do catch on themselves both when rolling into a ball and while knitting.

The suggestion from my LYS when I purchased this was to use to size 13 and knit straight. They also suggest lengthwise not width wise in order to see the colors and textures develop. I used most of their suggestion in that I am knitting lengthwise and one of my needles is a 13. I chose a 6 for my 2nd needle feeling it would be way to open, prone to pulls --stretching using only 13's. I think the 6 on one side helps to give it a bit more body? As a result is it going to be more narrow, or am I stretching the yarn where it will end up wider? These things always confuse me a bit. Bigger needles make bigger stitches, but also use more yarn. Anyway, I LOVE the fun in seeing how this changes as I continue to work on it.

I'm pea Green with Envy

Pea Green I tell ya. LOOK! I'm sooooooooooooo excited. Purple and green are my daughters favorite colors. She wears lots and lots of purple and green. Over Christmas she picked out this purple and green Baby Alpaca Yarn and wanted me to make her a scarf. Well...it is super super soft and I hope she's happy with it, as well as warm. I had to go back and get one more hang of each color, making it far more expensive than most scarves I make. Shhhhhhh, don't tell hubby how much I spent. I knitted this using Close checks in multiples of 6+3. One day, I'll buy some for myself because it feels so nice around your neck.


And drum roll, the purse....no I didn't make it. Not that talented with thread and needle. Karen did. You can look through all her wonderful creations on her etsy site as well as her blog. I highly recommend her work. And in a few days will show one I splurged and bought for myself. Her prices are reasonable, her workmanship is excellent, and her creative flare for putting together colors and patterns is awesome. Be sure and tell her I sent you.

Treating myself, LOVE it!

Technically, this is one of the 4 projects I posted when I posted my wip (ufo) before the end of the year. My goal was to finish by New Years, but I didn't make that deadline. This is a scheduled post. I finished this several days ago, and worked on some hats and scarves for The Bridge. This is using the 2 different sized needles, I blogged about it here. I LOVE this scarf, it's colors and texture; but wasn't all that happy with the yarn. I used 2 cakes of Taos 100% wool from Crystal Palace Yarn. It's super soft both around the neck and to work with; but twice the yarn broke/split and pulled apart as I was knitted. In both cases I was busy knitting and until I reached just a few inches (3-4) from the ripped piece didn't even know it. I assume that's a problem from spinning? This isn't cheap yarn though, so while I might accept this with a lower cost yarn, really wasn't happy about it here. Luckily I was at the end of a row each time this happened; and think (fingers crossed) I was able to restart the yarn without making a weak area in my scarf. Directions indicate handwash-dry flat or dryclean.

We're trying to stay warm, snow still coming down and it's cold. In 3 weeks we'll be heading to South Carolina where I hope to have a week of warmer weather.