Back in the saddle

So...uhm..yeah... I've been a terrible, negligent blogger. Partly due to laziness, partly due to being swamped at work, partly due to being committed to spending time at the gym, partly due to house-buying stuff, and partly due to being plain old exhausted. But with the return of spring, and the now-extended daylight hours, I'm feeling a sense of renewal.

While the Husbeast and I haven't closed on the house yet, that and the move are imminent. I get so excited about this, I literally can't sit still. We're moving to Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, which is sandwiched between Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy. We've spent a lot of time in recent weekends exploring the new neighborhood, and getting to know what will soon be our new turf. The neighborhood is in a period of transition and renewal which means a mix of good vibes and slightly scary vibes on the street. There's a Clinton Hill group on Flicker. I'm not a member, but if you're interested, you can check it out here.

Anywho.... In knitting news, I've been working monogamously on the Cabled Hoodie from the Paton's Street Smart booklet. I've finished the back, fronts, and am currently working on the first sleeve.
Here's a shot of what I've done so far:

The sleeves and the hood are still a huge amount of knitting to do. I'm enjoying the cabling! At this point, I have the cable sequence memorized - it's 30 rows long.

The cabling is very swirly looking. I've never seen a similar one. Here's a close-up. I'm having a tough time photographing the bobbles. Natural light would probably help, but it's heinously windy and cold outside today, not to mention slushy. There's no way I'm taking my precious knits out there. Here's the best shot I could get of the cable panel.



Even though there's still quite a way to go on the cabled hoodie, I have a major yen for a new project. Most of the projects that are calling to me right now are very wintery. I have mixed feelings about this. It's almost springtime, and I know that wooly cardigans are not the most appropriate for the upcoming weather. Still, most of the sweaters I actually wear on a regular basis tend to be wooly cardis. The tanks and shells I've made over the years go mostly unworn. What's a girl to do?

Well, maybe I'll knit this:


Or maybe this:


Or, a slight nod to the anticipated spring weather, maybe:

Or maybe I'll make all three! Ultimately, I don't know for immediate gratification. So what if I make a wooly cardigan in April? If it's something I get a lot of wear from in the long run, then it's a great use of my knitty time. Besides, the majority of the yarn in the stash is wool. I've put myself on a yarn diet, and I'm sticking to it! I know people say wool is a four season fiber, but I'm really not buying it. I guess I could see a tank made out of some Aurora 8, but I can't really see myself wearing any Kureyon or lopi in the summer. Sweat and scratchy yarn definitely do not mix.

I haven't bought any yarn in over four months! It's not so much about being on a yarn diet as much as it's an everything diet. Seriously, I've been resisting the urge to purge everything out of my closet, my bookshelves, and my kitchen shelves. I want all the clutter and useless stuff gone from my life. Heck, I've even lost 13 pounds in the past few months. It's like all the flab in my life needs to go! I think this urge to purge is brought on both by the glimmers of spring, and the knowledge that I'll be moving soon, and I don't want to deal with all my stuff - even if we're moving into more than twice the space.

When the Husbeast and I know when we are moving, we plan on having some sort of reverse potluck, house cooling party of sorts. Everyone will need to come empty handed and leave with something we don't plan on taking with us to the new place. Some yarn may even make it on the freebie table!