What's on and off of the needles?

The Loksins socks are finally finished. Why do some things stay so long on the needles especially when I love the pattern and the yarn (Dream in Color Smooshy in Beach Fog) and the combination of both together? The socks look awesome and I am very excited to be able to finally wear them. Thank you to Cassie for a beautiful pattern.

Of course I cast on immediately for a new pair in a colorway appropriate for the Project Spectrum Fire theme. Pictures will be coming but I am jumping on the STR Monkey bandwagon complete with a picot edge after seeing Margene's newest pair of socks. I love my one pair of Monkeys and knew I would love making another pair. The picot edge is fun and I am now on the fourth repeat of the lace pattern - for some reason it just goes so quickly.

I also finally sat down in front of my spinning wheel and plied the Strawberry Fields singles that had been sitting on the bobbin since forever. This had been one of Amy's club offerings last summer and I tried to get my singles thin enough so that I could ply chained singles. I had seen this article via Margene's blog and find it very useful since it is not a process I do very often. The finished product is now sitting on my niddy noddy waiting until I get home so I can soak it and set the twist. I haven't figured out how much yardage I ended up with, but I am hoping for enough for some simple stockinette socks.

The next fiber that went on the wheel was also Amy's - some BFL in a blue semisolid. Those 4 ounces went quickly as I tried to spin that a little thicker. It's funny how I spent so much time perfecting my ability to spin a thin single and then find it so difficult to go back and spin something thicker. I'd love to try and spin that thick and thin stuff I spun when I was learning, but I'm not even sure how to begin.

In addition, two baby sweaters are blocked and drying on a rack in my bathtub. They just need the yarn ends woven in and buttons chosen and sewn. I love the Manos sweater now that it had been blocked. The pattern was the Rocketry pattern by Dream in Color, but instead of the Dream in Color yarn, I had three skeins of Manos and used that for a slightly larger striped cardigan.

I have been trying to be really good about shopping from the stash but have been tempted a few times. anne tempts me continuously especially when she teams up her patterns with some awesome looking yarn - just one of many examples here. But I tell myself that I have great yarn in my stash and can even try spinning my own for some of her smaller projects. And then Michelle goes and has a sale and I am tempted once again. I just need to remember all that is in my stash and that I need to be strong.

Happy crafting!