Eye on the Prize

My new mantra:  Eye on the prize!

I have a dream.  One day, knitting and yarn and fiber will be what I do every day, not just when I can squeeze out a few moments in the evening or on the weekends.  It's going to be what I do.  So, with that in mind, I am going to keep my eye on that prize, and I am going to find a way to get there.  Serendipity might just help me out a little along the way.

This past weekend, I finished the "samples" for Knit Picks, re-did the pattern--I even re-wrote part of the pattern to make the smallest size more attractive--signed the contract, and Monday morning will bring the big send off.  Eye on the prize.

Talus, the cable-y striped scarf that is physically available in my Etsy store, is ready for a pattern release.  That's going up on Etsy and Ravelry this week.  I actually saw a sweater done partially in this cable pattern, and the wheels have begun turning ... Eye on the prize.

The Swing re-do is almost half-way re-done.  I've mentioned that I am knitting it in a gorgeous butter yellow--there was that little set-back when I forgot an entire sleeve and had to tear it down to the collar in August, but I am back to where I was 6 weeks ago--and I happened across the perfect vintage yellow buttons in a local antique mall on Friday. Serendipity.  Look how fabulous these are!  They actually make a little square bowl, which is just plain nifty. Early November for this FO.  Eye on the prize.

The rainbow Potato Chip scarf must be an FO by this Friday--Rocket's birthday is on Sunday.  So far, I've done half plus about 3 inches.  Discovery:  Mini Mochi does not continuously stripe in the same pattern as I was led to believe by the initial 12 inches of scarf.  Instead, it doesn't make any kind of continuous pattern at all. It's doubled back on itself twice now, and the pretty rainbow striping is all amuck.  The type-A personality in me is gritting its teeth, hard.  But, gotta be done by Friday. Eye on the prize.

Scout 1 and Scout 2 went camping after participating in a Georgia Rivers Alive river clean-up on Saturday. Turns out it was colder 20 miles northeast of us than anticipated, and they actually froze their rear ends off.  They should have listened to their mother (me) when she said, "Bring extra, warm clothes and an extra fleece blanket".  They didn't listen.  35 degrees F this morning, and Honey reported that Scout 1 was wearing shorts because he didn't bring an extra pair of jeans.  Boys.  This brings me to the next prize ... two pair, one for each Scout, of wool gloves for the November campout.  Already have the yarn and have already done the pattern--Cigar (see Knitty.com if this link doesn't work) for Honey.  The boys will get fingers to their middle finger digit.  These are expected to be a quick project. Eye on the prize.

November will also bring the knitting of Swing for my mom, with collar modifications. The yarn should arrive by Tuesday--"Berry Frappe".  That's going to be an experiment; but if it works out well, the pattern will get an alternate collar option.  Anyone who has already purchased the pattern will get "plan B"  emailed to them.  Eye on the prize.

As for non-knitting plans ... I've ramped up the Etsy store with new yarns (silk merino) and a slew of stitch markers in Czech glass and assorted metals, and I finally figured out how to do gift certificates--just in time for the winner of my first give-away.  The winner was Kelsey Rose, and I've already contacted her with the $25 gift certificate.

Some gorgeously soft and delicate 100% alpaca lace weight and Australian wool superwash arrived last Saturday from a new supplier; so as soon as I can measure them out and find some color inspiration, they'll be making a debut, too.  I've spun up about half of the alpaca roving that I have--the other half still needs to be carded and mixed with soy silk.  Did some spinning on this over the weekend, so now I'm at a stand-still until I can get some more carding done.  And Honey has all of the parts and pieces, finally, for the electric spinning wheel that he's working on for me, the completion of which will mean some gorgeous homespun skeins.  CANNOT WAIT!

With so much knitting to do, I don't plan on doing much blogging this week. I hope this is enough to tide y'all over until the end of the week, when I will have the FO of the Potato Chip scarf to show off.  Eye on the prize.  Toodles til then!