Putting the "knit" back into "knit wit"

I haven't been knitting much lately.

I worked on Branching Out and a cotton/silk sweater while at camp but got discouraged when my wrists couldn't handle the cotton yarn. I left my darning needle at home so I couldn't move my life line up as I completed pattern repeats on my scarf--I left it in its original place until the scarf was longer over the life line than under. I thought I would be tempting the Knitting Goddess if I pulled it out any sooner than necessary. Thankfully, no frogging was required.

My enthusiasm for knitting was re-kindled when my good friend and knitting partner Poppins brought me back some crazy self-striping sock yarn from her trip to Germany. Clearly, some Jaywalker socks had to be cast on. The zigzag pattern nicely highlights the bold pink, orange and red stripe in the yarn. I turned a few heads at my Weight Watchers meeting as I knit them last night. They are my first real attempt at sock knitting, so I will be mastering the heel turn and toe graft. Right now I am having fun watching all the pretty colours show up as I go around and around the leg.

Poppins is also quite the enabler. This sweater showed up in my inbox one morning. I must have it. I visit the website daily to gaze at its loveliness and imagine what colour I will make it in (suggestions?) In fact, the yarn for this pattern is on my shopping list for my trip Out East next week. I will be bugging hubby to download the pattern today (I can't remember the PayPal password).

Hubby was teasing me about my chronic case of "startitis". He has not seen me complete an adult-sized sweater since he has known me. He rolled his eyes at me while I explained how I needed the patttern for a bulky cabled sweater as I already had the yarn in my stash. I just never knew until I saw that pattern what it was going to be. You see, the yarn in question was already the back of a sweater I started before I was pregnant with Emmett. I have grown to dislike this sweater immensely. I suddenly realized how very little I would wear a bulky pullover turtleneck. I can't stand turtlenecks and prefer layers since my internal thermostat can go from Arctic to Equator in minutes sometimes. I toyed with the idea of converting the original pullover pattern into a cardigan, but then this number caught my eye. Top down construction, minimal seaming, interesting texture, cables--it was love at first sight. The back of the pullover was frogged for swatching, and now the cardigan is emerging from the needles--this sucker is on 9mm needles and the yarn is chunky, it is taking shape quickly. I had to go up a size in needles so the garter bits are a little holey, but I still like the look. This will be my plane knitting while on vacation next week--I think a giant plastic circular needle should make it through security. I may make this the priority project so I can get some wear out of it this Autumn.