Extravayarnza

So, I have been knitting while attempting to keep up with my life right now...

It is officially October, and that means...

For Socktoberfest my goal is to cast-on no new socks! Yes really, I have a stack of single socks all needing mates. So I'm currently working on the second Argyle, the second High Seas sock, and the second poor neglected teaching sock.
Little X-mas Rock was begun as my sock that I knit along as I teach magic loop socks. I used a cute knit/purl pattern on the leg that usually mixes hand dyed yarns into a beautiful sock. Unfortunately with the X-mas Rock it just looks muddy & I had no motivation to work on sock #2...
Until last week when it came time to teach the class again. Then came the big decision, knit a matching muddy sock or knit a simple stockinette sock &  call them second cousins...

I think you can see which won the battle.
I also have been quite frustrated on the Mitten Swap front. I tried 3 different yarns &  patterns before I finally found one that will work. My big problem is that I found a yarn & a pattern I liked, but they didn't like each other. Just a hint to all of you, I love Silky Wool & have knit 2 sweaters in it, but it doesn't rib well enough to make the cuff of a mitten... trust me.
I decided to nix the yarn, keep the pattern, found a new yarn, cast-on, rip, cast-on with smaller needles & I have the beginnings of a happy mitten!

My pal likes black, green, and orange (and if she's reading this now she probably just figured out who's knitting for her...) that was a tall order. I settled on Louet Gems Pearl in black & my merino sock yarn in Peacock. That will give her black, green, orange, blue, & purple mittens. I'm knitting the cuff & the background on the hand in the black & doing the patterning with the peacock.
The pattern is from that nifty mitten book "knit mittens!" (the one that's cut to look like a mitten).

I also finished the first cashmere thrummed mitten a few days ago...

That fluff is pure cashmere. I cannot describe how good these feel to wear and keep this blog rated PG. Just trust me, you need a pair.

Okay, I think I'm going to leave it off there right now except to say that the yarn I dyed Tuesday is now up in the shop.
A Good Yarn in the Iris Garden colorway (almost sold out already!)
and Amber in Dahlia, Brick, Rainbow, and Petunia.