Turkish patterned hat finished

The day I left Victoria for Seattle (31Dec2006) I started this hat. I finished it last night (17Jan2007) at my knitting group! One project down, too many to go.

I've also been commissioned to do a hat for Chris, my friend from Couchsurfing. This coming Saturday, he volunteered to go yarn shopping in VA Beach at Ewe Knits, a store I've never been to. (Muhahahaha....) It's great when I can have other people buy the yarn for me to work with, so I'm basically getting my fix for free. I won't have any time between now and then to finish anything else I've got going, so I'll still have a running total of at least 6 WIPs. It will be a miracle if I do finish anything before summer, as I'll be starting class (human physiology) in one week. I've got to see if I can fit the upcoming Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival into my schedule... anyone got a carpool going?

A Busy New Year

Yeesh. I figured I'd be on the ball after I got back from vacation, but I've had a hard time catching up at work with emails, blog, downloading pictures, etc. All that and getting actual work done is a hard act to juggle! So now I'm finally getting around to my first post of the year. To recap:

I finished my gray Lopi sweater on December 24th, the day before I left for Seattle/Victoria. I didn't have time to block it as I wanted to wear it while in Canada, so I dealt with the lumps and bumps. I also started a pair of sort-of-matching mittens to go with it that same night. These should work up quickly when I get back to them. While I was in Victoria, BC, I finished my cashmere neck gaiter, and even worked up at the correct gauge it's still a little too slouchy for my taste. Therefore I'm going to rework it minus about 20 stitches or so in the round. I can't do that until I finish the project I started on my return voyage: the Turkish patterned hat. Why? They both use the 16" size 4 circulars and I only have one set. For the hat I used the Maratona (100% merino) I bought from Bev ages ago. I have 4 skeins, 2 each in brown and 2 in a pale yellow color, that make for a good contrast. I'm sure I can get one hat from 2 skeins, so I'll have enough left over to make a second hat in the same colors, but using a different pattern. I'm sure that one of them will end up in a future JCT auction. I love hats, but this is getting ridiculous.

While I was in Victoria, I found a wool shop, Beehive Wool, recommended to me by a fellow Couchsurfer. I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the shop was only about a block from my hostel! Luckily I didn't buy too much, as there wasn't a lot of leftover room in my bag to be packing home much more than I originally brought. I wound up with 4 skeins of a lovely dark red, DK weight, merino yarn to be worked up into a scarf. I realize that all the beginner stuff I knitted was made with somewhat itchy yarn. And being the yarn snob I am now, I need to rework my accessories so that they're comfortable. Even some of the Manos is slated for reworking rather than giving away -- it's too nice for that!

On to lunch and a bit of progress on that Turkish hat...