Kid in a Candy Store

So, after a painful Ashtanga (I thought it was Vinyasa, which would have been bad enough!) Yoga class on Sunday, I helped out the ladies at Yarns in the Farms by taking care of the shop for the afternoon. As always it was a lot of fun. I got to fondle yarn, dawdle over patterns, help a few people with projects (two, count 'em, two paying customers!), and hang out with no small creatures to worry about thanks to Peter staying home with the kitten/puppy/toddler show.

I cast on a sleeve for the Alpaca Cardigan, which I decided was the better pattern for my Alpaca Regal. At least with a cardigan you have the option of opening for ventilation. The beautiful Trumpet sweater with it's exaggerated cowl could be a roaster, even if I am more apt to shiver than broil. I'll have to find another yarn down the line for that one.

The yarn is yummy and knits up very nicely (and quickly!). I decided to start with a sleeve since it's smaller (I can re-check gauge without having to destroy half the project), and they can get tedious due to lack of "stuff" (ooh, increase at both sides every ninth row - be still, my beating heart), so why not start with that? When you're all excited about the project anyway, why not work on a moderately tedious part of said project? Then when you need the excitement of waist shaping to keep your interest, after the novelty of the luscious yarn has worn off (that's not possible, darling Alpaca Regal; I'll never tire of you), you've got it.

After I'd done a couple of repeats I realized that I should have done both sleeves at the same time, but I'm too far along now, and It will all be fine. I supposed I could go back and start the other sleeve, work to the same point, then alternate, since I have the lovely Plymouth Bamboo Sister Needle Set from Peter and can change circular length with the flick of a wrist. But I think I'll do one at a time. Wrangling two skeins in my household is probably a recipe for disaster at this point.

Back to the fondling and dawdling, though. I have been mooning over Eiffel since checking out the Sexy Knitters Club, who are doing this as one of their KALs (Knitalongs). I've considered doing it in the suggested yarn, Hemp6, but I think I'd like something warmer, though the properties of hemp sound interesting. What about Blue Sky Alpacas' Alpaca Silk? I think it has a similar drape but with more warmth and sheen. There are a number of hanks in Blue (surprise!) at the shop. But I had also thought of that yarn for another Hourglass Sweater, knowing what I now know about the pattern (make it longer and consider alternatives to the turned hems). But the Alpaca Silk might be too drapey for the pattern.

What about Schaefer Nancy? 600 yards per skein in some astounding colorways. Though I have to say, having mooned over the skeins at the shop yesterday, the color cards on Schaeffer's website are terrible. As are a lot of online yarn shops. Wow. But back to Nancy... Slightly finer than Elaine but same bumpy, thick and thin texture. I'm thinking Jane Addams from Memorable Women VI, which has vibrant fuchsia and some forest green. Don't look at the color card, which doesn't show nearly as much rose as the skeins of Elaine at the shop. There are no skeins of Jane Addams in Nancy at the shop, so I had to use the ol' imagination. But I think it would make a cosy Hourglass Sweater.

I like spelling it "cosy", don't you? Such the anglophile.

I think I'd love the Emily Dickinson or Catherine the Great colorways, but they only come in silk.

But back to the yarn. Two skeins should make a sweater, no? I mean that's 1200 yards of worsted weight yarn. I think the gauge is spot-on to the Cash Iroha used in the book. I don't know why some of the online purveryors say you need three or four. Maybe if you're making something enormous. Oh, and I loved the online store that told you to contact them for information on how many skeins a sweater would require. Come on. They probably teach a sweater class without giving out the pattern. You have to go back each week to progress.

And then there is the Jo Sharp Alpaca Lustre. That is some seriously yummy yarn. I wouldn't wear the orange, but it is so luscious. And the Reynolds Odyssey is alluring: 100% Merino in these multi colorways.

Of course, I still have to finish the Alpaca Cardigan and the unpatterned Handpaintedyarn Boucle. And some Fetchings, a hat for Peter in Malabrigo, a sweater for Isobel in Malabrigo, my grandmother's shawl, a new winter hat for me in Sheep Shop 1. I should participate in the Knit From Your Stash-along, but where's the fun in that? I also need to get some pictures up on this plain, white blog, no?

Ooh, I did finish two pairs of Garter Gloves for Isobel's Toddler Room teachers over the weekend. They were almost dry this morning, so I should be able to wrap them up tonight and gift them tomorrow!