Messy Homes, Tidy Yarn and Lace Style

I'm not very good at housework. I'll just be up front with that right now. I have lots of piles of stuff scattered about that I truly just don't know where to put and then there's the constant dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc that needs to be done. (Not that I do all these things on a regular basis... it's just that they need to be done.) And Laundry... that could be a full time job itself. It could be that I'm a bit lazy, or, let's say, just more interested in doing other things (cough - knitting)... but it's also due the fact that, as I've mentioned before, we live in a very small house for 7 people... very. Add to that the fact that I homeschool so 6 of us are home most of the time sharing one small living room that becomes cluttered as soon as we all walk in there.

(I won't even go into the insanity this clutter imposes when your 9 yo announces at 8:00 PM that his snake is missing because he forgot to put the lid back on the cage 12 hours earlier.)

However, in the midst of toys I don't know where to put, books that are scattered about, clothes that fall in between sizes which need to go somewhere, and whatever the 4 yo has dragged into the room, I have my yarn sanctuary. Neat and tidy drawers and bins of yarn.

I got up early this morning intending to tackle some laundry, bathrooms, and attempt a search for my desktop under all the papers. As I was cleaning, I came across a few stray balls of yarn... they needed a home. Whoa, the yarn drawers are getting a bit unruly. Hmmm... well an hour and a half later, my yarn bins have been completely re-sorted and all my yarn is neatly stored as it should be.

Just think if I could figure out how to do this with the rest of my house! Toy cars would be with other toy cars, legos with legos... Heck, I'd settle for clean clothes in drawers, books on the bookshelves and snakes in cages. Maybe I can start pretending that everything is yarn...

Anyway, on to my next review... Lace Style

Love it. Just like Scarf Style and Wrap Style, it's a must for any knitter's bookshelf. While I'm less likely to knit as many of the items from it as from Scarf Style, I still gotta have it. And if you're picturing a book called Lace Style to be full of shawls and delicate, lacey wraps, you can forget that image right now. This book has a beautiful collection of patterns featuring lace used in a variety of ways... socks, tanks, sweaters, even jackets. As a matter of fact, I think there is only one actual shawl (and gorgeous it is too).

There are a couple of things I am likely to knit, including...



Many of things that I would love to knit if I were a bit younger, thinner, hipper, etc...

And 1 or 2 things that, well, hmmm... If you knit this, please, you must let me know.

Oh, and as for the snake... Apparently it was lucky for me that it was too cold for it to have travelled far so Hubby was able to find it without too much effort (once he got out of the shower... and the kids had torn apart half of their room... and I was paralyzed on the couch trying to figure out where I was spending the night). Yeah, that's how I felt... lucky.

Review Du'Jour

Well, Tuesdays are much better... kids are calm(er) and I have one bathroom cleared of laundry. And... just to show you that I do still actually knit... here's my progress on Flair from Knit and Tonic. I have a couple more rows of seed stitch on the bottom then I can move on to the sleeves. This is going to be a great addition to my wardrobe.

And now, because I'm quite sure you're all just dying to hear my opinion, I thought I'd share a bit more about one of the books I received yesterday...

I love to collect (we'll just say it like it is here) knitting books. I gaze through the patterns, maybe finding one or two that catch my eye, and then, eventually, I set the book on my shelf (which now has a knitting section squeezing into my "How to Homeschool" section) where it begins to collect dust. One exception would be Scarf Style which I am still knitting scarves from and I think I just found the next exception... No Sheep for You by Amy Singer.

Take note! Don't think for a minute that this book is just for people who are allergic to wool! This book is for anyone who ever knits with non-wool fibers and blends, wants to substitute cotton or another plant fiber for a wool pattern, or has an interest in what benefits synthetic or natural fibers bring to a blend. Oh, and if you're looking for a great pattern... you can find that here too!

(BTW - I did have to assure my son that I would continue to wear clothes when knitting.)

Have you ever wondered...

Where do plant fibers come from and how are they processed?
How will each fiber feel on the needles and on the body?
How to block your new silk shawl?
What's the best choice for a cabled knit?
Why would I want to knit with corn or seaweed?
What about drape, sheen, durability and care?

Do I really need to swatch? Come on talk me into it.
And what the heck is modal?

Or maybe you just need to explain to your friends why they can't smoke your hemp yarn.

Amy's book answers all these questions and more.

In addition she includes a great variety of patterns from sweaters to socks. You'll find a few very masculine sweaters for men and some great colorwork patterns for women. Short sleeve, long sleeve... this book really has a bit of everything!

As one who lives in a warm climate, I am often looking for wool substitutes but frequently find myself confused... do I want a cotton blend or bamboo? If I need some stretch, do I want a blend with tencel, microfiber, or silk? Now I can shop prepared!

It's Monday...

and not just any Monday, but a Monday following a weekend of basketball, birthdays, a sleepover, and a party. This means that in addition to our traditional Monday morning madness of trying to get 5 boys to return to a routine... (yes, they actually have to get out of bed... no, they can't play x-box first, and, most importantly, yes, they are really going to have to open some books and - horror of all horrors - do schoolwork), the house is a mess and the laundry is overflowing. And I don't mean overflowing slightly... but overflowing to the point that it has taken over the bathrooms and is starting to flow into the hallways.

On top of it all... I woke up in a "mood". I'm not sure why... I surely couldn't have known that the little guys wouldn't turn off the TV (that isn't supposed to be on) the first time I told them, or that my big guy would choose to pick on his brothers instead of clean up the kitchen as directed, or that my wise son would choose to hide in his bedroom until I was done talking very loudly at this brothers. Maybe it was stepping over the dirty towels on my way to the bathroom or the tortilla chip crumbs that had been sneezed onto the stairs... I just can't be sure... but I was most definitely in a mood.

I am pretty certain that there was no way that I could've known at 7:30 this morning that after we had completed our schoolwork and cleared a path to the bathroom, I would sit down to enthuse over the packages that arrived in the mail and write insightful reviews only to have Blogger eat my whole dang post. Nope, couldn't have known that... but I will say it certainly didn't do much for my mood.

So, in short, I got this stuff in the mail today...

I like this stuff (among other things):

Lace Style....

No Sheep for You... (my favorite for many reasons which I'll need to share another time when I don't have a 4 yo gremlin poking me because he's figured out that "just a minute" is never going to come)

Fitted Knits...

Jackets... got me free shipping at Amazon. You know what a frugal creature I am. Cute stuff but will hit the swap boards soon since I have zero need for a knit jacket. Oh, and the KP Gloss and Cotlin above is for sampling.

I have lots to say about these books but now those little people I live with are starting to look hungry again so it will have to be another day... ugh! If I'm ever super-duper rich, I'm hiring a personal chef first thing!

Birthday Boy Scores Big!

24 points in 2 games for the new teen! It was a big day on the basketball courts for our troop of boys... especially the b-day boy. This was a perfect free throw... really!

And stealing the show on the 10 & under team was our secret weapon... Dan the Man... a force to be reckoned with for sure. Boy, a foot taller and he'd be unstoppable.

Hard to believe but some of us found the long drive and 6 basketball games a bit tiring...

Go figure.

Yes, I still do knit... and yes, I realize that's probably why your here... (I did get a bit done on my yummy So Cal sock from Kaity)... but today I mainly enjoyed my boys. :)

Where's the Camera When I Need It??

I'm tired. I'm tired from being sick, from the week in general and from just thinking about tomorrow (6 out of area basketball games and 2 family birthdays). But I was just totally renewed by a quick, simple moment in time with my boys. I was dropping my 7 yo off for his 2nd baseball practice along with his slightly (well, okay, a little more than slightly) reluctant 14 yo brother who was going to help with the practice. Now, I guess you'd really need to know my boys to appreciate this... but my 14 yo has always got it "goin' on"... right clothes, right hat, right gear, cool stride, etc. And my 7 yo, well, he just lives life in the moment... he has a carefree spirit, his own style, his favorite comfortable clothes (including a corduroy jacket that big brother insisted he remove before practice), and, for the most part, a complete lack of awareness of anything going on around him.

As I watched my oldest saunter down the path, headed for business... my heart melted at the sight of my dear Daniel scampering behind him, swinging his well worn glove and wearing some over-sized, hand-me-down baseball pants with a huge tag hanging out of his t-shirt. It was just one of those blissful mommy moments (and not just because I didn't have to go sit in the "cold" during practice... they were just so darn cute). I just wish they knew how lucky they are to have each other, and their other brothers, 'cause in spite of all the fighting, it just doesn't get much better than baseball with your teenage brother.

Anyway, as for knitting, yeah that's happening too... here and there. Several projects... a little bit of progress on each. Actually, I'm close to being done with Flair (and loving it) and inching along on Clementine.

The Clementine pattern has turned out to be fairly memorable pattern that is not requiring too much concentration making it a great carry-along knit (but I doubt it will bode well for watching basketball tomorrow). These are the type of things I worry about... what will I knit during 6 basketball games and 2 hours of travel time. Yeah, this is the type of thing I'll be pondering as I fall asleep tonight.

How Bored Are You?

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Yep, pretty much.

Your Brain is Green

Of all the brain types, yours has the most balance. You are able to see all sides to most problems and are a good problem solver. You need time to work out your thoughts, but you don't get stuck in bad thinking patterns. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the future, philosophy, and relationships (both personal and intellectual).

What Color Is Your Brain?

I don't know about all that other stuff but green is my favorite color.

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

This is good... since I'm teaching it right now.

All of this is really my lazy attempt to avoid hitting up the LYS sale.

Happy Friday! (oh yeah, it's only Thursday... oy)

A Quick Hello

Distractions have been many around here lately. The biggest distraction would be the flu induced groggy sleep that has occupied most of the last 4 days followed by the mountains, and yes, I do mean Mountains, of laundry that accumulates between 7 people over 5-6 days... especially when you add in the wardrobe changes for 4 boys who have now started baseball season on top of the last month or so of basketball. Which brings me to practices... between the 4 of them, we have a total of 6 baseball and 6 basketball practices per week. That would be 12 practices per week plus basketball games every other Saturday... all day. Baseball games will start in a few weeks and each team (3 between the 4 boys) will have 2 games per week. Is your head spinning yet? 'Cause mine sure is. Oh yeah, and there's the whole homeschooling thing too. Yeah, can't forget that... but apparently I can sleep through most of it pretty well. And the boys just love to repeatedly tell Dad how I slept all day when he gets home from work. Humph... we'll just see how they like walking to practice!

Speaking of practice, there are many "good mothers" out there who go to all their children's practices. I am not one of these. I really don't know how they find the time. I'm the mom in the parking lot slowing down my car and waving as the boys hop out. Daniel did have his very first baseball practice ever last Saturday so I made sure to be there for that... well, the last 15 minutes at least. Did I ever mention I bore easily? I mean I love my kids and I really like watching them play... for a little bit... once in a while. But practice hardly counts in my book and baseball games, often 2 or 3 in a row, that can last up to 3 hours each are a bit more than I can handle. Of course, I always bring knitting but when I have to keep constant watch on a 4 yo as well as the game, well, the phrase "slow, painful death" comes to mind. But really, I mean that in the kindest, most loving way.


I used to feel guilty but when I consider the many, many hours I enjoy with them reading, writing, re-learning Algebra, trekking through history, and assisting with Latin, I don't feel so bad. We all have our preferences.


Anyway, today brought a most welcome distraction...



My friend Lynda's daughter Kaity just opened a little shop featuring some of her yarns and knitting bags. When my order arrived this morning, I had to drop everything and cast-on. This picture really doesn't do the vibrant colors and subtle variations justice. (It's pale yellow in the middle, not white.)


And lurking in the back of my mind, is the distraction of a big sale at an LYS. I wonder if I have time while my son's at practice this afternoon? I wonder if I should bother... What would you do if you had a little over an hour to kill and there was a yarn sale a few miles away? Hmmmm??

ETA: I suppose I should've rethought the title... like I can say anything quickly. Ha.

Movie Night?

Last night we had our first "Girl's Movie Night" at my friend Julie's house. Our plan is to get together on occasion and watch those movies that our husbands would either consider "chick flicks" or just not be interested in. It was great... I brought all my old Interweave magazines in order to lure my pals to pick projects for the new Interweave KAL and we all brought our current knitting projects. We sat there in the middle of an intoxicating mix of yarn, patterns, chocolates, margaritas, chai tea (yummy!), and ice cream. Of course, I forgot to take pictures or else you could see Andee learning to cast-on for a sock, Keri's adorable baby pants from Last Minute Knitted gifts, and Julie's beautiful red Baby Cashmerino socks and new cactus. (You really must pop over and ask Julie about the Cactus!) Unfortunately, sometime after midnight, we realized that we had forgotten to watch a movie but we considered it a success just the same.

I didn't get much knitting done this weekend but I did cast on for the Clementine Shawlette from IK which I am really enjoying and added a few rows to Flair. I have to say that so far I love everything about Flair... the feel of the Blue Sky Cotton, the fit, the pattern... all good.

New Interweave Knits KAL

Since I have about a dozen Interweave Knits magazines stacked up, all with dog-eared pages marking the things I just must knit... and since I have never, ever knit a single item from one of them... I have decided to start an IK KAL to, hopefully, give me a boost.

Check it out... Interweave Knits KAL and join us!

The Lazy ADD Perfectionist

So what's more important? To do something right... or to just get it done?

I would have to say, "Yes"... and thus ensues the battle that is waged within me on a daily basis.


I want things to be perfect. I really do. I want to live in a well-organized, tidy home. I want my children dressed in clean, pressed clothes with neatly combed hair. I want to know where my car keys are at all times and never, ever have to look for lost mail. So far, my biggest success along these lines is learning to look past these details and not let them drive me crazy (most of the time). Because the truth is... none of these things will ever happen.

I actually don't think "lazy" is the right word. I'm not lazy... truth is, before I started to knit, I never sat down... I always had to be busy. I worked around the house all day and night 7 days a week. I was always busy doing "something" because I needed to be. Funny thing is, my house never looked any better and our clothes were still never ironed. I honestly don't know what I did all the time but I sure did look busy (everyone said so). So, again, for these reasons I don't think I'm lazy because the reality is I simply have no idea what to do with the stuff around the house except make stacks (which, yes, drive me nuts).



I am also driven by a strong need to get things done... checked off the list... and move on. So it is probably this drive that so often pushes me to rush to get a job done quickly instead of right.



So, when I knit, I am constantly battling these conflicting impulses. Does the finished product need to be flawless? Absolutely! Does it need to be done as soon as possible regardless of some shortcomings so I can move on? Definitely! I will frog back a whole sweater or weave back a couple dozen rows to fix one twisted stitch that nobody but me will ever notice. While the next day I'll accept a slightly crooked pocket misplaced on a great sweater so I can just get on with it. I know many people who can easily live with a slight knitting flaw and never look back. I, however, will be tormented by this pocket every single time I wear it... I was actually going to ask for your advice on my slightly off, floating pocket but just go ahead and say nice things... 'cause there's no chance of me changing it now.


Let me tell you... it's not easy being me!


On another note... I find something I want to knit in almost every Interweave Knits magazine but have yet to knit a single thing from it. What do you think of a KAL dedicated to IK in general encouraging members to get a project they love on the needles instead of merely day-dreaming about it until they're distracted by whatever new idea has come up?

ETA: Julie asked about the answers to last nights questions...

I did lengthen the body on Wicked, but the pocket will remain to give it that "charming" home-made look. As for the camera, if I had pictures, I would surely share them, but alas the Star Wars exhibit will have to live on in our memories.

What Would Tammy Do?

1. A pattern note (printed in red) says that I "can" do some blocking on a pocket before attaching to sweater to make it easier to "properly" seam down. Do I take the time to block at that point or figure it can all be blocked out in the end?

2. I take my boys to the Star Wars exhibit at the California Science Center for an IMAX movie and an opportunity to see original costumes, droids, weapons and technology from the 6 Star Wars movies. With 5 boys, this is no small event! Do you have any idea how many light sabers we own? So the question is... Do I take dozens of pictures of my boys with R2D2 and Darth Vader, or... do I forget my camera at home in my knitting basket?

3. After twice binding off the hem of Wicked, I realize that, while I LOVE the neck and sleeve... the sweater is just a bit shorter than I'd like. Do I rip out the binding again and add length, or leave it alone figuring it can be lengthened with blocking in the end?

4. Without giving too much away, if I were to lengthen Wicked, would I remove the pocket to place it properly along the bottom seed border, or leave it alone and figure most people who see me will never know where the pocket was supposed to be anyway?

5. Along the same line, if I were to notice upon completion that, for some reason, the pocket is a wee bit crooked, do I attempt drastic measures to fix it, or figure it will all block out in the end and get on with my life?

Wicked pictures tomorrow! Yippee!

Knitting too Late at Night

Monday, 2/12

10:00 pm - "I'll be right up hon, I have 2 rows of seed stitch left (on Wicked), then I want to bind-off."

Glance through directions... just says BO. How? Look further... oh, okay 1x1 rib BO. Now I'm a rather literal kinda gal (who is also involved in a TV mystery and starting to fall asleep) so I proceed with 1x1 rib as opposed to following seed stitch pattern which I'm sure is what they meant. Finish BO, weave in end.

11:00 pm - Whoa, not good! Way funky. (Note, this could have been caught after binding off the first half dozen stitches, but like I said, TV was involved.) It's getting late, the news has come on... I should go to bed. Can't. Undo, pick-up all stitches and proceed with proper seed stitch bind-off.

News is on... Plastic surgeons have come to the rescue of women who love high-heeled shoes with "foot-lifts" which re-pad the ball of the foot to extend their years of comfort in heels and cows in England are bathed in beer for more tasty, tender meat. Okay, not only do I not what to know these things but is this really news? Really? Oh yeah, and there were high speed pursuits in LA... again... of course.

Then, in some unexplainable yardage warp, this is what I end up with... about 1 inch of yarn where before I had 6. Hmmm... a good knitter would put this aside and deal with it properly tomorrow. Yep. But a determined, desperate knitter would tie on more yarn with a big ole' honkin' know and weave that sucker in. Guess which kind I am?

11:30 pm - Jay Leno comes on. I like Leno. I like Monday nights because he does "Headlines" which crack me up. This is bound to mean another hour of sitting here staring at the TV in a semi-coma messing up more knitting.

12:00 pm - Jay announces there will be no Headlines tonight so they can re-visit the Grammys... but before I can put away my knitting Nicholas Cage is out talking about his new movie. More comatose staring.

But that was last night. I just bound off the first sleeve of Wicked and I am not going to do the second tonight, but instead quickly run to bed before Leno appears on my TV.

Good Night!

BTW, This could be another lapse on my part but I ran into a problem with the sleeve stitch count on Wicked. I think they should be knit in multiples of 8 to accommodate the crossover repeats... but it is getting late so I may be wrong... maybe. Oh, and the knitted pocket is a way fun touch.

No More Excuses!

Today was not a normal Saturday. The boys were off playing basketball and my other plans fell through, so it was just JoJo and me for the day. Any other day of my life, I would've been totally content to hang out at home, but today was different... today I wanted to get out. What does one do when one wants to "get out" I wondered. I didn't really know because, truth is, I'm a major homebody. Well... it was me... and a 4 year old... hmmm... what were we to do? We could go to a park. JoJo would like that... or... even better... we could get in the car and drive 45 miles to a well-known, yet not very LYS! But of course!

The shop is well-known due to it's owner's book Knit 2 Together, but here you can see my main motivation for taking the trip. On that wall, the one behind my son who is pouting over the momentary halt to his video game and obviously unaware that he is practically in heaven... on that wall, hanging in multi-colored rows... is Koigu my friends. KOI - GU!! Now to some of you this may be no biggy, but having only heard of it's fibery goodness and never actually seen nor felt it before, I was overwhelmed with delight. (If he was a bit taller or could've subtly stood on that chair, you could see the upper rows too, but you know I would've looked silly snapping the shot without a child in the picture!)

Now, obviously, one doesn't drive 45 miles to a non-LYS only to return empty handed. As JoJo would say, "No way, Jose!" This was a field trip, worthy in all ways of at least a couple of souvenirs.

So first we have some Koigu KPPPM socks and Koigu Kersti mitts.

And here you can see the lovely IK Clementine Shawlette made of Blue Sky Alpaca Silk resting on top of a more-than-slightly overpriced (but very cute) cotton "project bag". I think the Shawlette just needs a good blocking, don't you?

At any rate, I had a fabu day and it was totally worth the $6.98 for the new Power Ranger that we picked up for JoJo for not touching any yarn for a whole hour!

And just to make it official... Stick a fork in me because I'm done! The sidebar button has been revised, I'm a free woman and I'll knit from my stash - no, my "collection", when I feel like it. So I am going to enjoy the moment... because I have a feeling that when my husband balances the checkbook, the moment will be gone.

A Bit of This, A Bit of That, A Bit of Flair

So, last night I had this great idea (well, at least I thought so). I feel like I knit so slow... it seems like I often get so little done in an evening that I wonder where the time went. With a big TV night ahead of me (Bones, Criminal Minds and the return of Lost!), I figured it was the perfect night to whip through the last 6 inches of Wicked (for the 2nd time - don't wanna talk about it). Here's the great idea part... In order to find out how much I can actually accomplish in an evening I snapped this picture of Wicked right before 8:00.

My plan was to then snap a picture after each show to record my progress (and speed). Ready... Set... Go!

Okay, here I should be I showing you the post 3 hour picture but I hardly thought the 3 rounds I had knit were worthy of a new photo. Yep... 3 hours, 3 rounds.

I learned (or at least confirmed) 2 things about myself:

1 - I am highly distractable.
2 - I rebel even against my own intentions.

I'm not kidding, Wicked sat there all night just nagging at me, "You should be knitting me... You said you were going to knit me... You can't do it can you?" I squirmed, brimming over with feelings of guilt and failure until I cried out in the immortal words of Jerry Seinfeld... "I choose not to knit!!!!!" (Actually, it's quite possible that he was talking about something other than knitting but it was close.)

Anyway, I will introduce you to my most beloved and worthy distraction...



Knitnerd was right. It is Wendy's new swing coat, Flair. And get this, I'm knitting it with Blue Sky Cotton from my STASH!! Yes, you heard me right, Stash! (I do consider this to be a fair and worthy distraction.)

And Knitnerd, I do think you deserve a prize. Not only did you get it right but you were the only one to guess. E-mail me with your snail mail address and I'll put a skein of sock yarn in the mail to you... of course you'll have to wait with my dad for me to get to the post office. Let me know what colors you like!


Finally, the new Interweave came today... insert band music and confetti here... and although I don't think I've ever actually knit anything from a magazine, I sure do love getting them in the mail. I think this is a good one too. I like several things especially the Bonsai Tunic (got SWTC Bamboo in stash which might work) and Clementine Shawlette. But most of all, I want to knit this...




Stefanie Japel's Cable Down Raglan.

I have Rowan Calmer in my stash that's the right gauge and a more appropriate yarn for our climate. (If anyone knows of a reason I shouldn't try this in Calmer instead of merino please speak now or, well, you know.)


BTW - the beautiful colors in the last couple of photos are brought to you by my new Ott-Lite purchased for 50% off at Jo-Ann's! (Thanks for the tip Lynda!)

Fetching help for friend

Seven stitches knit with waste yarn... Returned to left needle...

Knit with working yarn...

Finished look...

Does this help?

No Suggestion Box Please!

What does a suggestion mean to you?

To me it means that I might want to give some consideration to the offered advice but it is optional (and probably useless) as it is only a suggestion and not a rule. Well, with age comes wisdom, which is a good thing because most of my life I figured that there was either a right way (aka my way) or a wrong way to do something and I wasn't much interested in anybody's advice or suggestions.

Many (at least a few) years ago, they repaved the main cross street to ours. It had always been a two lane road, yet I was shocked to discover that when they repainted it, they had messed up and narrowed it into a one lane road at a nearby intersection. For weeks, I drove up the new "shoulder" of this road in disbelief that they had made such a foolish mistake. What was going on? Were they suggesting that I drive within the new lines? I didn't want to... (have I ever mentioned I have a rebellious streak?) This went on until I was in the car with my husband and he flipped out when I proceeded from the new turn lane across the intersection and along the new shoulder. "What are you doing?" he yelled. "Can't you see they messed up on the paint?" I exclaimed. He just looked at me dumbfounded. In hindsight, I suppose I might have been a bit, well, blind to the obvious but it seriously never occurred to me that I might be the wrong one.

Well, as I said, with age comes wisdom and I no longer think that I'm always right (actually reality has shown me otherwise) but I'm still not great with suggestions if they're unsupported by compelling evidence. So, I guess my main point here is that fortunately for me, knitting is much safer than driving.

You know how some hand-painted yarns suggest that you knit from alternating skeins to avoid color changes? That even if it's only 2 hanks and they look exactly the same, they might not be? Well, I'll be darned if they're not right! Check out the color change in this scarf... darker beige, sappier yellows and where are the reds? I swear both hanks looked identical.

I guess ya learn something new everyday.

Any guesses on what I've started up on top?