Back in the Swing of Things

Or, at least I''m working on it. I almost started a new project tonight while watching a movie. I say almost, because I made a nice little center-pull ball out of the yarn, and I started calculating for the sweater I plan to make. I just haven't actually gotten anywhere with it yet. That'll come. When it comes, it'll be a spring/summer sweater for my daughter. I found some really cute lavender 100% cotton yarn at Michael's while in the US. So, the plan is to make a sweater for her to wear on cool days and nights. Part of the yarn is variegated, while the rest is a matching solid. I plan to make the sleeves solid and the body striped. It'll be a simple stockinette stitch sweater, because I think I just need a project that I can lose myself in right now. I don't want to have to think too much.

Other than that yarn, I also bought an unnecessarily large quantity of unmercerized cotton for making kitchen rags with. I had heard they are much more absorbant when hand-knit. So, since you can't find unmercerized cotton around here, I stocked up. I figure, since I won't have the urge to knit tons of these things at once, this stuff should last me quite a while, right? Random wedding gifts? Perhaps. Am I that cheap? Perhaps. Really, I just want to try them myself. And, they should give me plenty of mindless knitting should I ever need any.

In addition to that rag cotton, I also purchased some 100% nylon tape (Patons, I think). The plan was to make a tank for my daughter, but it got used for something else. Sudsing up the other day, I decided I could save plenty of money (at least a few cents, anyway) if I could make my shower gel last longer with a bath puff. I did have one - actually still do - that was store-bought, but the kids have played with it to the point where I'm unsure of its being sanitary enough to use. So, what do we do in these instances? Knit, of course. I remembered seeing the bath puff pattern (Bon Bon) on www.knitty.com, which suggested a fast-drying nylon yarn. Not being a huge synthetic fan, this new yarn is all the nylon I've got aside from a funky eyelash yarn I'm still wondering what to do with (steering wheel cover and fuzzy dice for my husband's tractor?). So, at least part of the meant-to-be-a-tank tape yarn became a rainbow bath puff. Works wonderfully, though it lathers a bit less than the mess ones you buy. It's so much softer, though, and I highly recommend knitting one up if you find the others scratchy. When I get around to it, I'll post a picture of it and the yarn details. I'm just not in the mood tonight.

So, you see, after my month-long hiatus from serious knitting, I'm working my way back into things gradually, beginner-style with easy projects that require very little thought. I've still got those I was working on before my trip that need to be finished, but I can't bring myself to touch them yet. One was a shawl I intended to give to my recently-deceased grandmother, and I don't know when I'll be able to work on it again. The other is the baby blanket I really do need to finish in the next couple of weeks, or the soon-to-be-born baby will get cold. We can't have that!