5, 6 Pick Up Sticks

Cast on with U.S. size twos for my mindless plain old sock. Nothing fancy but the yarn.

I have tried mighty hard to stop buying yarn. I've said many times that I have enough, but do I? Can there ever really be enough? I'm always enticed by new yarns or the same old yarns in new colors. In a way, I'm a bit envious of those with project fidelity. These are the knitters who buy only what they need and only when they need it. You know, I think that's not normal. While I'm venturing into this dangerous territory, does sock yarn count? One buys one and sometimes two skeins to knit a pair. It's not like the many skeins a knitter has to purchase to make a sweater. Or an afghan. I admit though, I have enough yarn to knit a boatload of socks. I don't think I could run out within the next year. I see a yarn and have to have it because I know when I go back to get it, it'll be gone.

Joined in a circle-well sort of. Looks more like a diamond to me, but it does knit a tube.

While in Virginia, I finished one sock that I was knitting and have cast on the second. These are for someone I know who just has to have these. My idea, not hers. I believe you haven't lived through winter comfortably until you put on a pair of hand knit wool socks. That's what I tell myself anyways.

Finished with sock one. I loves me some Bearfoot. This is close in color to what's in my hands.

The other thing I did while away last weekend was drop into the Needle Lady's shop. I always seem to get there right before closing. This time they were closing early and said if we didn't hurry, they'd have to lock us in for the night. One of these days, I hope that happens. Gee, what a horrible punishment for dawdling while perusing the yarn. Not. I scored 3 skeins of yarn. Sock yarn. My new favorite sock yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot. Love. It. It knits like a dream, holds shape and is sooooo soft. When I bought this, I found myself wondering if I already own it. Since I haven't yet organized all of my hoard yarn yet, I still don't know. Oh well, if that's the case, there will be two pair of those. While looking through the bins and trying to hurry, I fell hard for a new color of Jitterbug. It's fun and reminds me of autumn. The last skein I bought was from a local artisan, Blue Ridge Yarns. I've not tried it before but the colors spoke to me. That's all. Just 3. We won't talk about the two skeins I bought online last week. OK? That will be our secret.

From the top: Jitterbug, Blue Ridge and Bearfoot and all are true true to color. Can you blame me?

Despite being ill this week, I've made progress on a pair of socks and I cast on the sleeves for my pink sweater. I was beginning to think I never would. To make them even, I cast them on one long cable and I'm knitting them side by side. I have to thank Pink Lemon Twist for that idea. I would not have thought of this trick on my own. Doing it this way, they will have the same number of rows with increases that correspond. It's impossible to count the rows in the alpaca boucle I chose, it's way too nubby so I think this way will make for identical sleeves.

To keep it organized, each sleeve is knit with it's own skein of yarn that I keep in zip lock bags for sanity's sake. If I didn't, it would be a tangled mess and the sleeves would never be knit then. That's it on the knitting front. I haven't worked on my daughter's sweater in a bit but feel compelled to finish these two projects first. I hope I don't end up helplessly casting on for something else while organizing my stash this weekend.

What's on your sticks?