Knit-A-Thon

One secret project done, and yesterday I industriously knit on the socks (I've turned the heel on the second one so the end is in sight.)  But then I had to cast on something new since today was our charity Knit-a-thon kickoff.    It works like this- since we all know it's coming, we set aside various hats, mittens, scarves and the like.  Kickoff day, we all get together, eat snacks, swap yarn we're tired of, and pile up the completed donations, admiring each others' work.   Then we spend the afternoon knitting more.  In December, we'll have the closing party, where we all bring the things we've finished in the last few weeks, eat more snacks and there will be a drawing with various yarn-y prizes for the participants.  Snacks, you note, are very important to this process.

So.  I had to cast on something new and this is the time of year for bulky projects.  Fortunately, I had a brand-new skein of cheery yellow and I cast on an Unoriginal Hat, as something nice and speedy.   I didn't quite finish before the party broke up, but that's just as well since I had forgotten my camera.  Cookie helped hold up the hat like a pro so I could take a picture.  Heck, he could do it in his sleep.

(Yes, it's really that bright.)

And then, having discovered that I had several more skeins of bulky weight lurking in the stash, I promptly cast on another hat.    Biscuit somewhat reluctantly assisted me in photographing this one.

(I don't know what the look is for, he's keen enough to have his photo taken with knitting when it's his idea.)

Jake cunningly relocated out of sight until all this annoying flashy stuff was over.    Don't worry, pal, you'll have a chance to help show off the knitting next time!  After all, there's going to be quite a bit in the next few weeks!

The Day is Coming

Thanks to a sudden cold snap and veiled references elsewhere, the calendar has sneaked up behind me and yanked yet another month or two out from under my feet once again.  As I ponder planned knits and the many knit-worthy people in my life who deserve them, I have become abruptly conscious of the lack of days remaining before Significant Dates happen. 

This has persuaded me that a certain amount of focus about now would be a good thing.   So, I have been making progress on the next pair of socks:

These are in the new Cascade Fixations cotton-elastic sock yarn.  It's very elastic, and when I first started the socks, I wasn't sure I liked it.  But I adjusted to the elasticity quite quickly and am quite pleased with it now.   It's a bit heavier than other cotton-elastic yarns I've used, so the socks won't be lightweight, but it knits up gratifyingly quickly. 

And then I got a WIP out of time-out and had a serious talk with it about its behavior, and cast on another project (which seems suitably intimidated, as it's been going fairly smoothly) but they're both gifts, so I'm keeping them tucked beneath the cloak of secrecy for the moment.

In other yarn-related news, Wandering Cat Studio is running a sale to finance some upcoming vet bills.  I could claim that I was touched by the sight of poor Tux wearing his veterinary cone, but the truth is, I scored a skein of Wandering Cat Yarn in a contest last year, and loved it to bits.  So I seized on the excuse, threw caution to the winds, and will have some new yarn (oooh!!!)  to show you Real Soon Now.   Do check it out- you won't blame me a bit!

The Socks of Summer

Thanks to our local sports team (the Sox, of course) and a long conversation with a friend on the phone, the cotton socks are done at last.  I love it when a plan comes together.  Though I can't believe they took this long- especially since they're short. 

That lets me move on to the next pair of socks on the needles, since I somehow wound up with three pairs cast on at once.  (That would be the random crazed casting-on I've been indulging in these past weeks.)
And then this weekend we had a board gaming marathon and house party.  As I am wont to do when socializing, I picked up needles occasionally through the weekend, resulting in another hat and mittens.  Yet more colorwork.  Strangely, despite the simplicity of the pattern, I did way more tinking back on this hat.  Possibly because I was simultaneously plotting the ignominious defeat of my opponents on the game board at the time.

That was in between watching Biscuit, who came out and participated in the party way more than he ever had before. We've often lamented his timidity, because of the three cats, he's the one who is most interested in People Doing Things.   But when company would come over, he'd flee under the bed, apparently under the illusion that almost anyone might be a Cat-Eating Monster.  As the years have gone by, and he has failed to be eaten...not to mention that a good many of our friends are cat lovers, and will pay attention to him given the least encouragement...well, he's evidently turned the corner.   He watched.  He let people pat him.  He jumped up on the couch between me and another guest.  He even checked out a guest lap.  There were still hints of nervousness, but altogether, he seemed to enjoy it.  (Of course we did have to keep a closer eye on the food, because Biscuit's increased boldness meant that he was less inhibited about things like, say, sampling the cream cheese left open on the counter....)

Cookie was his usual social self...investigating all the various bags that came in, greeting people and assessing their state of thumbs and whether they might be willing to employ those thumbs in opening cat food cans.   Jake came out and made the rounds occasionally, but generally seemed to regard the company as a mild inconvenience to his nap schedule. 

And speaking of People Doing Things- the Norwegians have come up with an idea that is either insane or sheer genius, I'm not sure which.  Yes, they aired a 12 hour program of live knitting.  See stories here and here.  I love knitting, but I'm not sure that watching other people knitting for 12 hours would necessarily be my thing.  Of course, there's nothing to stop the people watching at home from knitting along companionably.  Thanks, Mom, for alerting me to this entertainment innovation!