All Tied up in Cables

I've gotten really good at knitting while I'm reading. I bring my book holder with me to work and then knit while I read about Newton or the Great Depression or whatever else we might be working on at the time. Surprisingly, it's a lot easier to read while I'm knitting and it goes by a lot faster. Helps to have the pattern memorized already.

The Bella mittens seem to be really taking off. Last week I had requests for 1, 2, . . . I believe 4 more (there's a post-it on my desk with the official list). This brings the number up to 7 or 8. I have finished the ones for Ky and I'm almost done with Kim's (a surprisingly pleasant turn of events has prevented me from finishing the thumbs). In any case, I need to hit the yarn store because I'm down to my last skein. Good thing I get paid in two weeks. And then it's Spring Break, which equals lots of free knitting time for Faith.

In the meantime I've been furiously working on this blanket. I have it down to under twenty rows on this panel and then one more panel left. There's a light at the end of the tunnel! Now if only I could get there.

It's Going to be a Long Month

So I haven't completed anything in a while. Actually, that's not true. Let me rephrase, I haven't completed anything new in a while. I've been working on more of the Bella mittens for friends who are big fans of the series. So far I've got all but one thumb done on the pair for my cohost, Ky, and I'm halfway through the left mitten for my friend Kim. Unfortunately everyone I'm making these for live in the warmer parts of the country, so it doesn't look like they'll be useful until next year. But I'm still working on them. At my current rate, I should have them finished by the end of the month. Just three and a half mittens plus one thumb left.

My mom and I went on a spontaneous roadtrip last weekend because I needed to do some research. I took the mittens with me, but didn't get as far as I wanted because it was dark. I was able to make some headway, but it took me much longer because I was knitting by feel. Because of this I now own a booklight. My mom and I love Barns & Noble, so we stopped on the way back because we know that they have the best bathrooms. Anyway, we got this really cool neon purple booklight.

I'm also trying to finish the Lion Brand Cable Comfort Throw for a friend back home. It's a five panel blanket and I'm about halfway through the fourth panel. Let me just say, it's a BORING pattern. It's just interesting enough that I can't read while I work on it, though with this oral history book I'm reading I think it might be possible. In any case, I want to get the panels done before spring break so that I can block and seam it together to take back to her.

Projects coming up? I have to go out of town for a few days at the end of the month and I won't be driving, so I'm going to make my mom's birthday present (expect details in early April). Also, I'm making dishcloths for my professors as my "Faith's graduating!" present, so that will eat up some time, but looks to be another rather boring pattern set. There is one more gift I need to make by April, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. We'll see.

In the meantime, this month without Smallville and Supernatural just might kill me.