Welcome to the New Year!

An old year has died and a new one has begun. I am sure that people are making resolutions left and right. I generally don't bother making them because I know that I will break them far too soon. I do plan on trying to stick to only one knitting project at a time. Any one want to lay bets on how long that will last? Before placing your bets you should know that either a pair of socks or a shawl won't count against the one project at a time limit.

Speaking of socks, I have finished the second Embossed Leave sock, I chose to do the second in a different color. I am thinking that I will make a pair of the Falling Leaves socks in the same 2 colors and then I can choose to match patterns or colors. I made this heel the same as the first one. I did vary my heel on both slightly from the pattern. The directions instruct you to cut the yarn and begin picking up your gusset stitches before knitting across the heel. I don't entirely trust my joins, so I simply knit across the heel and then picked up the opposite sides gusset stitches. Minor change. I have decided that I do like the toe on these socks. I don't know if the tubal cast on is completely necessary, but it is always nice to learn new skills. The socks knit up very quickly, I started the second one Sunday night. Also, my gauge was a little tighter then the specified gauge since I used the Knitpicks Essential yarn, which I feel looks too loose when knit using size 2 needles.

Also this weekend I managed to finish the sleeves for Lace and Tuck. Now I have to block the pieces and then there is a yoke that gets knit to join the 4 pieces (front, back, sleeves) so with any luck early next week I will be wearing it.

Since I have finished my socks, and am at a resting point for my sweater I have begun a new shawl using Misti Alpaca. I only started just before going to bed last night, so I haven't gotten very far. It will be a triangular shawl using a pattern that I bought on-line "ethereal fichu" The photo doesn't show the entire shawl, so it is a little bit of a mystery piece. I liked the motif though.