Cashmere neck gaiter started

I got the first few rows started on my gaiter and it's going to be nice. I've never had the opportunity to work with cashmere before, but now that I have, my next cashmere project -- when I can afford it -- is going to be the bird's nest shawl from Oberle's Folk Shawls. I don't always insist on working up a project exactly as described in the pattern, but this is one that I'd like to. Or maybe someday I'll get lucky on a thrift store run and find a cashmere sweater I can rip out and rework.

The rest of this week will be devoted to getting last minute stuff ready for the auction. Printing out bid sheets, baking stuff to sell for donations, bugging folks for last minute items, etc. I only hope it doesn't rain so we can get a good turn out and raise some money for the JCT.

Gyrid: Viking Tank Top completed

Last night I made myself sit down and complete the onerous task of sewing up the side seams for my tank top. They're not the neatest seams in the world, but they're done. It's a pretty good fit if I do say so myself. My only problem is that I've got a whole skein of Silky Wool left over and I'm not sure what to do with it yet. I can try to match dye lots and buy a second skein to do a hat, I can probably work up a pair of fingerless gloves from the single skein, or make yet another scarf, a bag from LMKG... or who knows what. It's not as if I'm in any danger of running out of projects any time this century, so the lone skein can just sit in a drawer until it's ready to be made into something. Cashmere, here I come!

Jasmine Trust Holiday Silent Auction 2006

The time is almost here for the auction and we're still scrambling to get ready. Juli was kind enough to get pictures of items and put together a blog so people can preview auction items. Patrice used her artistic skills to put together the flyer shown above. (It's supposed to be more purple and less blue... it looked right on her computer monitor!) There will be some last minute donations to the item list, so not everything will be listed beforehand, but we've got most of it. Patrice was working on a flyer design so we can get a little more publicity around campus. I only hope that word will get around, and those that attended last year's auction will bring some folks that didn't make it the first time around.

Since I finished the shawl, I have been able to devote a lot more time to my own projects, namely the Viking tank top. After much ripping out due to ignorant mistakes, starting over, reknitting, blocking, and binding off, I am now ready to sew the side seams and be done with it. I tried it on as well as I was able to last night and it seems like it will fit, though it's a bit longer than I imagined it would be. Not because I didn't do a gauge swatch, mind you! It's just the way the pattern was written to accomodate the design. We're due for some ridiculously warm weather for Wednedsay and Thursday (seasonally speaking), so I may try to wear it once for the hell of it while I still can. I don't want to have to wait until next summer to show it off.

I also decided that since I was almost done with the tank top, I might as well get cracking on one more Christmas gift. I have a feeling that I'm probably going to add one more project into the mix when I actually do finish the tank top. Just because. But it will have to be something easy... that cashmere gaiter I keep contemplating. I better get in all the knitting while I can because if all goes as planned, I'll be taking classes next semester at William & Mary. (On top of a full time job.) That means homework and study time -- bleh!!