Cyprienne's Blue Period

The second secret shawl is complete, including blocking!  But you don't get to see it yet. Not even the nupps.  Unless you have a Rav account, then go ahead.  I'll wait.  :)

ALERT: new stuff on the needles!

New Stuff #1 AKA Travel Knitting:

Since the Sock of Doom has recently been demoted from travel knitting, I've cast on something purse-sized to take its place, destined to fill up the waiting spaces of my life.  Behold!

Oooh.  Aaaah.

What you see here is the very beginning of Happy Legs [Rav link] by Dani Sunshine, a quick free pattern for baby legwarmers.  Toddler Flashdance!  Punkin can already do the fast tippytoe running move.  Plus it's getting colder and she still fits into her shorts, so I want to get as much use out of them as I can.

The yarn is a skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK (20% OFF at Yarnmarket for the rest of 2011!) from deep in the stash; it's so soft and I wish I had more.

New Stuff #2 AKA Major Project:

The other blue project is also made from yarn that's been sitting around for a bit.  I originally bought thirteen skeins of Karabella Aurora 8 in this awesome electric blue color; it's pricy for what you get ($8.85 per 98-yd 50 g ball) BUT the blue was too gorgeous to pass up.  Anyway, I was hoping to make a magical sweater for my friend.  The pattern of choice: Twist & Shout [Rav link] by Robynn Weldon.

image via Knitty.com

Time passed.  Turns out, we're old friends, good friends, but not surprise-here's-a-cabled-cardigan-out-of-nowhere friends.  So the yarn stashed around; it lived sealed in plastic in the UFO bin, which meant I got a surge of electric blue joy every time I opened it, immediately followed by a wistful wish I knew what to do with it feeling.

In the Year of the Yarn Diet, there are no survivors.  I'm biting the bullet and knitting a baby blanket.

The free pattern is Leafy Baby Blanket [Rav link] by Leyla Alieva and I think it's purty.  Better yet, it won't use up all the Aurora 8, so I won't have to say goodbye just yet.

p.s. happy birthday, Jason.