Festival of stripes

Even though it's been a while since I posted, there has been knitting going on.  I finished my Churchmouse scarf in the raisin colored Kidsilk Haze, but I don't have a photo to show you.  The color is hard to photograph and one photoshoot came out too dark, so you'll just have to imagine it.  I did find a really nice one on Ravelry by Maanel, so I'll show you hers.  Doesn't it look nice with a bit of sparkle!

So I've begun two projects this month, one being the "March Madness" challenge mentioned in my last post.  Thanks for your suggestions on a project, and for steering me to some others I'd not seen on Ravelry.  I decided on the Drops pattern with a crocheted edge in garter stitch.  I like how it's shaping up, but the garter stitch is giving me problems, or my arm rather.  I've tried to change how I knit so that my right hand doesn't get torqued so much and the left hand does more of the work, but I still end up with a strained forearm knitting this much garter stitch on tiny (US 2) needles.  So, I don't know if I'll continue on or frog it and knit something else quickly!  I like the look of variegated yarn and garter stitch.  The striping is fairly large, but this will change as the rows get longer.

 

My other project is my March/April sweater, the Caramel cardigan by Isabell Kraemer, a free pattern on Ravelry.  Hers is done in caramel and navy stripes.

And mine is being knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in what is clearly my favorite color, gray.  The yarn was repurposed from the Reindeer Sweater, the sleeve of which will be frogged so I can finish this.  I thought the reindeer sweater was coming out too fuzzy for fair isle, while this new project will I think be very nice in this more drapey yarn.  Instead of stripes of even width, I've made the dark gray stripes more narrow.  So far, so good. 

I have also gotten some new additions to my needle collection in the form of these vintage straights from my aunt-in-law, who is retiring and de-cluttering her home before moving to Florida.  They were actually her mother's, who did quite a bit of knitting.  The vintage green ones must be size US 15s and they're great.

 

Knowing that I'm "crafty," she also passed along some wool she'd picked up maybe 20 years ago in Scotland.  These yardages are skirt lengths, with instructions on how to sew a straight skirt on the packaging.  Straight skirts not being a huge part of my wardrobe at this point in my life, I don't know what I'm going to do with it all yet.  I had an idea to make a felted tea cosy or two, but I think I need a lot more ideas.  Fun though.