since I've been gone

stitch cloth quilt, a photo by gradschoolknitter on Flickr.

I took the last week off from moving and unpacking and panicking about how much work I haven't been doing to hang out with my parents for a bit (whom I haven't seen since the wedding) and then head south to see DH's family (along with bits of mine) for a reception put on by his parents and their friends and family.

My parents swung by early last week and checked out our new digs (of which they seemed to approve...) and my mom brought me a house-warming gift. She's a rather talented artist (click here to see more of her work) and I think this will go nicely wherever I set up a crafting/sewing corner... which will happen soon, I swear!

Other things that happened while away... well, I did finish the July SIAC shawl, if you were wondering, last Thursday to be precise, but I will wait to show it off when it has been nicely blocked. Which will happen just as soon as I figure out where I packed the blocking pins...

And, of course, yarn was purchased. Unplanned, but I needed another simple project for travel knitting, and this seems to have done the trick:



Inspired by Kebnekaise, I decided to use the long stretches between colours in Patons Stretch Socks and accentuate the coloured portions by purling whenever holding a contrast colour and knitting with the main. The coloured portions are longer than in the original so I don't think it'll end up looking much like Kebnekaise, but in the end I think I'll have a fun pair of socks. Oh, and toe-up to take advantage of every last drop of each skein (one 239 yard skein/sock).