Knit One, Purr Too

Saddles, Socks and Suds

Tuesday night I sat down and whipped out my shoulder saddles for FLAK. I got the first one done before the library knitting group, got a few rows done at the library, and then finished up the second once I got home. They're on stitch holders now and I am hoping that tomorrow I will be able to get a really good start on the back. Amusingly I am still eying my chosen cables and pondering a few tweaks to the pattern, but I am hopeful that once I finally get started on the back, I will be less willing to rip it all out and try something new. At least, this is the prevailing theory. Considering that the window of time I've got to get this cardigan done before we leave for Ireland is closing rapidly, I just need to shut my brain off and do the cables I've got, and if I really find I wanted something different, use that as the perfect excuse to make myself another cabled sweater or cardigan later.

Wednesday I carefully unwrapped the bear rug, wove in the remaning ends, removed the wrappers from the yarn skeins which had been 'blessed' (euww), and took the afflicted Denise needles apart to soak in some warm soapy water. I went onto the Lion Brand website to double check that the fun fur can go through the wash - and yes, by the way, it can - so in it went. The doused skeins also went into the washing machine, dumped inside a pillow case I tied shut. And so far, it appears that everything has come out clean and fresh and none the worse for wear. Phew. However, until the rug is done, it is going to live in the one room of the house where the cats cannot enter - the laundry room. They can 'help' me all they want when I am actively working on it, but this is just a reminder that when it comes to cats and yarn, cats just cannot be trusted (grin).

And in the middle of all the FLAK'ing and the bear rug bathing, I managed to finish up the first of Richard's slowly striping Limbo socks (when I post a picture you will see what I mean about the slowly striping part) and it fits him perfectly. I've cast on for the second and am about halfway through the leg, and I am really hoping to get it finished soon because I've got some Sockpal000za socks to start one of these days and I do prefer to only have one pair of socks on the needles at a time.

Speaking of socks, I think it's time I admit that I have a teensy little problem with sock yarn. Every time I tell myself that I am not allowed to buy any more yarn, there is always the caveat of 'but sock yarn doesn't count'. And naturally this has resulted in a rather large pile of sock yarn in my stash - enough to keep me busy for quite a long time, even if I did nothing but knit socks. So it was probably for the best that I discovered The Sock Yarn Addicts Club and was able to join just in the nick of time. Of course, I do have until April 1st, when it officially starts, and there is at least one more opportunity to go browse the huge selection of gorgeous Opal sock yarn at Fiber Elements between now and then, but I am telling myself to be strong and resist. And also thinking that it might be a really, really good idea if the next time I went to Fiber Elements (and was faced with Opal sock yarn temptation) that I ought to leave my checkbook at home.

Posted by Jenipurr at March 17, 2006 08:44 AM