Back in the swing of things!

I sat down last night with my second Malabrigo Mitten and I worked on it! I did actual knitting! I was so excited - it's been so long! I said to the husband, "Jon, look! Look at me! I'm knitting for real again!" and he was happy for me, and commented that it had been several weeks. Wow.

I think what got me going again was that I had bought a skein of Malabrigo in Applewood this weekend, and put it on the beautiful swift that Jon gave me, and hand-wound it up. I love winding balls of yarn, especially something as lusciously soft as Malabrigo. It got me so happy I thought I should dig out something that I could work on and see some progress (I'd made an attempt at Jon's sweater the night before but couldn't get a good rhythm going). The mittens were perfect. I was a little past the thumb and wanted to get a few inches added so that the next time I work on it, I can go straight into the decreases at the finger end. I should be able to finish it up tonight. Or at least close the top. I'm doing afterthought thumbs so I might have to wait until tomorrow to do the thumb, but at least I will have finished something! This hasn't happened in quite a while.

Speaking of FOs, I made an attempt at getting a picture of my Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf since it's been finished for quite some time. I have no idea why I didn't take any pictures while it was blocking, and I don't know why I didn't lay it out nicely to take a picture, so for whatever reason, here is a weird attempt at a self-portrait of me wearing it:


Kind of artsy, no?

Well anyway, even after a wash in Eucalan (with lanolin and everything!), it didn't soften up enough to make me happy. It gives me a pink itchy neck every time I wear it. So I gave it to my friend Inga, who absolutely loves it and doesn't find it quite as itchy as I do. I'm so happy that it's gone to a good home!

I guess I could also stick up a couple more "action shots" of the Kitty Pi here. Indy, the smaller cat who wasn't too interested in it before, has tried it out:




And the dog has been trying to get into it again. This last week or two he's done it a few times! Bonzo is always good for a chuckle.

(It's really there under him! See?)

I am glad that I'm starting to get back on track with my knitting. I suppose after I finish these little mittens, I can work on Jon's sweater and the Peacock Shawl a bit, and I would like to get that Applewood Malabrigo made into a lacy little scarf for myself. Should be nice, even though scarf weather is probably behind us now.