New Starts

How amazing that I can be sidetracked so easily by a simple trip to my local yarn store.

Yarn Store Visit
I stopped in at Simply Knit on Friday to show them the final Chock-a-Block sweater. They all seemed to like it, so I was happy. Not happy that it won their approval, but happy because it looks like it will be a successful design from a sales perspective. I'm hopeful that the editor at Unicorn books will like it as well. If some of the guys who have expressed interest in submitting a design for "men by men" book come up with a few designs, then I will propose this one as part of that effort. If not, I will hope to get it into one of the next Jamieson books.

As it turns out, Jamieson is going to be coming out with an entire new line of yarns. I got to see a lot of them, and they look very exciting. It was one of those that triggered me to be sidetracked. Jamieson had sent a bag of random skeins of yarn in the upcoming line. One of them caught my eye, so the ladies at Simply Knit gave it to me to play with. I couldn't help starting it as soon as I got home.



There is really nothing extraordinary about this yarn or the sock that it's making. It's just another self-patterning sock yarn. Up until now, I have resisted knitting with any of these yarns. I feel like I shouldn't like them. They seem fake, or too easy, or taking away my ability to be creative with colors of my own. I have to say, I am LOVING knitting this sock. I don't know why, I just am.

Baltimore Orioles
As a celebration for the success of my last project at work, we had a party in one of the executive boxes at the Baltimore baseball field, Camden Yards. In addition to food and drink, we got to watch the Orioles get spanked by the Kansas City Royals. I thought my blog-buddy Justin might be interested to know I witnessed this public humiliation.



Donegal Progress
Getting back to the point where I could actually start knitting this garment again took a while, and I had to count 336 stitches a few times just to make sure I was really back to where I should be. I haven't even gotten back up to the sleeve steek, so I won't put a picture in till later.

I plan on making this my primary project while I'm working in Albany, even though I have to carry a bag'o yarn with me, it will be nice to finish this wonderful sweater.

Knitting Blog Pets
For those of you who read Wendy's Blog as often as I do (and I know most of my readers know me from her blog), I have been hesitant to post about her cat Izzy having to be put to sleep. I have actually been shocked into paralysis about writing about Izzy, not knowing what to say, but knowing I wanted to say something.

As I type this blog entry on my lap top, my cat Gage is sitting on my chest, waiting for Thaddeus to come home. The thought of losing this wonderful animal is a devestating one for me, so you can imagine how I felt when I read Wendy's post. Izzy's personality was apparent in how Wendy showed him on her blog, and I grew to know him as well as I felt I knew Wendy. Her blog post that day had me crying for her loss. I also was glad that Izzy had such a wonderfully loving mom, like Wendy to take care of him, and having rescued Gage from the local shelter, I hope he feels the same way. I leave you with some pictures of Gage in his favorite napping place.