I've gone over to the dark side

I have multiple (that's more than one!) WIPs. I know, for some people project monogamy is right up there with eating a bowl of plain oatmeal every day, every week for breakfast. Give me raisins! they say. Give me apples and cinnamon flavor! Heck, forget the oatmeal - I wan't eggs benedict, a side of Canadian bacon and a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice!

Now, I don't really want to eat plain oatmeal every day, but in knitting, I don't do well with multiple projects. I get so stressed about which project I should be working on, I don't work on either. Come to think of it, I'm like that about home decorating projects too. Which is why I'm seriously considering hiring a designer to whip this place into shape. My next door neighbor (same house, mirror-image floor plan) hired one, and her house looks 15 years younger than its actual age.

Back to knitting - I started the Follow the Leader Shawl by Sivia Harding in Jagger Zephyr wool-silk. Yum! I can see why this is always a top hit when people ask the lace group on Knitty "what's your favorite lace yarn?" It knits up very nicely, and yet feels sturdy enough in my noob lace hands that I don't feel like I am fumbling with cobwebs. No snagging on my needles (US5 - plastic, unknown brand). The color, teal, is just what I was hoping for. I ordered from Theknitter.com. I did not know the USPS had an option that took 10 days to get a package from Colorado to Ohio, but apparently the Pony Express has been brought out of mothballs. Next time, I will either plan further ahead, or fork over a little extra money for faster shipping ( I went with the "free shipping" option.)


and I'm knitting away happily and my daughter asks what it is. I tell her and she says "For me?" "No, for Mommy" "Oh. What you knitting for me?"

How can I resist this face?
So, I break out the Knit Picks color cards and let her pick her favorite color. Then, we break out the crayons and I have her draw (with my help) a neckline and sleeves on her new sweater.

I'm working in Knit Picks Shine Sport, in Cherry:
I'm at the point where it's time to start the armholes, and am off to read the Knitty tutorial on such. Time to break out the calculator!

Or maybe to sneak back to the shawl, which has been unloved for the last week for the sweater. Feeling guilty again....